Wake the Dead

"Who are you?"

"What's it to ya?" The blonde haired boy snapped, but didn't fail to notice the little girl hidding behind one of the trees behind him. She was the little girl he saw the other day that Mr. Daft had driven far away to bring bag with her cryin Ma.

She had to think about his question for a minute, but ended up just shrugging. "Dunno." The boy just snorted at her, making her confused. Mr. Dixon had told her to go bug his son, and she assumed he was either gona be her friend or hurt her, but he was doing neither. Just sitting there, playing with a small knife while sitting on a rock. She looked around and decided it would be okay if she came from behind the tree, maybe this boy wouldn't hurt her.. "M'name's Fiona."

He didn't respond, just barely looked up to take a glance at her before looking back down at his knife. "You got a name?"

The boy just looked up at her again, but this time held his stare, gripping onto the knife he had, making her feel a little scared. Her Daddy had one just like that and her Mama was afraid of it. She took a step back and his eyes furrowed together, seeing her fear right smack dab on her face. "Daryl."

She eyed him a little, not fully understanding this weird boy in front of her. "You a Dixon?"

"What's it to ya?" He said again.

"That's a stupid question."

"No it ain't."

"Yeah. It's stupid. Jus wana know if you're a Dixon."

"It ain't stupid. You're a stupid bitch," Daryl had heard his Dad callin people that, especially some of the girls he would bring home, so he thought it would make this girl mad, but she doesn't know what it means, either.

"Ain't that a cuss word?" She asked, rocking back and forth on her heels to toes, hands folded behind her back, still a safe distance away.

"Whatever," the boy mumbled.

Fiona hated when people said whatever, it made her mad because it's obviously not 'whatever'. "Whatever." She snapped back, trying to be offensive, but he just laughed a her, only making her more mad. "Bitch." And with that she stomped away from the mean boy, not knowing that he was smiling at her as she did.

------

Daryl didn't know if his blood was even pumping anymore. It was like everything in him had frozen completely, his own pulse couldn't even be heard it was so quiet.

He kept his head down, gripping her hand with the now newly added ring on it in his own, and letting his forehead rest on them. It was as if every moment he's had with her was running through his head. Every bad thing he's done or let happened to her, especially. He didn't know if he was ever doing anything right and felt as if he let her down. He had regret and guilt seeping through his body, wishing to take back every foul thing he's ever said to her or done to her. He wanted to take all the pain she's ever felt away. He'd carry it on his own shoulders for the rest of his life if he'd have to. If that's what it took to keep her alive. She deserved to live.

Daryl didn't know what he would do if she didn't live. He would go angry. Beyond angry. He wouldn't be able to cope for a while, possibly not at all.. Maybe he wouldn't do anything? Just let her scratch him right here. No. He would live for Fi. He would live to fight every day to kill that Governor bastard. He would beat this world, for Fi. To not let her down and fail her like he has so many times before.

But she had to live.

Daryl shut his eyes, his breaths barely even coming. His body frozen and rigid from holding everything inside..

He was afraid.

He felt her hand twitch a little more in his own, making the cold metal of the ring rub against him, and then noticed her body start to move a little.

He was afraid.