Never Let Me Go

"Kid, you're gonna have to quit stumbling around," Dakota scolded Sophia as the two made their way through the woods, Rusty trailing behind them. They'd been walking for a good six hours now with no sign that Sophia's group had been anywhere near them.

"Sorry," Sophia muttered. Her lanky legs weren't exactly what you'd call graceful and she was making an awful lot of noise. "I'm just really tired."

Dakota chuckled. "We've only been walking for a few hours, kiddo. We've still got a lot more of it if you wanna find your family."

Sophia's shoulders slumped and she stopped walking. "What if we don't find them, Kota?" Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, her bottom lip quivering. "Or what if they don't even know that I'm gone?"

Dakota's jaw tightened as she crouched down to Sophia's level, grabbing her shoulders and forcing the young girl to look her in the eyes. "You listen to me. We're gonna find your group and you're gonna see your momma again, okay? In order to do that, you're gonna have to stop cryin'. You gotta toughen up, you hear me? You can't be weak anymore, or this world will chew you up and spit you out. Cryin' is no longer an option, little girl, and neither is whinin' or bitchin'. Nod if you understand," Sophia nodded, and the older of the two continued.

"I get it, alright? You're twelve years old and you're still young. But guess what, sweetheart—it's time to grow up. Now I ain't mad that you're crying, because I've cried, too. Hell, I've probably cried more than you have. But you gotta understand that if you wanna survive in this world, you have to suck up your tears, put your game face on, and tell the world to go fuck itself, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sophia said, her voice small.

Dakota shook her head, standing up to her full height. "No, that won't do. I want you to say this: I ain't scared. Now, say it."

Sophia hesitated. "I ain't scared," she murmured after a few beats.

"Louder." Dakota ordered.

"I ain't scared."

"I can't hear you, little girl," Dakota smirked at the determined look on Sophia's face, circling around her from behind. "Say it louder."

"I ain't scared!"

"Again."

"I ain't scared!"

"Say it like you mean it!"

"I ain't scared!" Sophia's voice was strong; unwavering. Her eyebrows were pulled together, her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed. She looked like one tough little bitch.

Dakota smiled proudly and gripped the younger girl's shoulder. "Damn right, you're not," She said.

"We're gonna find your momma, and when we do, she's gonna be proud to know that her daughter is one badass, walker-killing, fearless little girl."

"You're right," Sophia smiled. She quickly wrapped her arms around Dakota's waist, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Kota."

Dakota grinned. "You're welcome, kid. Now let's keep going."

---

"I can't do this anymore, Kota. My arms hurt!" Sophia cried and tossed the knife to the ground. After Dakota's little pep talk and another four hours of walking, the two decided to take a rest and then start Sophia's training. Dakota was damn determined to make a hunter out of this little girl. She even went as far as to carve the girl a small target into a tree for her to practice with. But once she started, it only took twenty minutes before Sophia Started to complain.

"What do ya mean, your arms hurt? They're really gonna hurt if one of them walkers takes a bite outta you," Dakota replied, sharpening Betty against a rock, her back against a tree. It was late evening, but the sun was still peeking out over the horizon, giving the little group just enough light. Rusty was rightfully perched at her side. She could tell that this world was starting to get to him, as well. It was only a matter of time before—

A shrill scream caused Dakota to jump from her seat and grab her machete. Sophia was on the ground, a walker stumbling just a few feet ahead of her. "Shit, Sophia!" Dakota shouted, taking a step closer to the girl.

"Kota, help!" Sophia cried and started crawling away from the beast. Her shirt was getting torn all to hell, but Dakota knew what had to be done.

The older girl swallowed her protectiveness towards Sophia and shook her head. She noticed her knife that lay on the ground, the one Sophia had been using for target practice. "No, Soph," She replied determinedly. "You need to get this one yourself. C'mon, now, you can do it. Catch!" She tossed the knife towards the younger girl.

"No!" Sophia squealed, using her foot to push herself further away from the walker. "No, no, please! Kota!"

"Sophia, you have to be able to protect yourself!" Dakota responded. Tears started to leak from the young girl's eyes as the walker gained on her. Dakota let out a defeated sigh, knowing that she needed to take control of the situation. She took a step forward and thrust her machete into the walker's head. It let out a snarl before falling to the ground, its dark blood oozing out from the gaping wound in its skull.

Sophia scrambled up and away from the walker, latching onto Rusty. The dog lapped her face and calmed down the frightened girl. Dakota glanced over and sighed once more. "Look, kid. I know it's tough and those things are scary, but you gotta be able to protect yourself. You ain't no use dead,"

"I'm sorry," Sophia muttered, her cheeks tinted pink from embarrassment. She hadn't wanted to disappoint Dakota, but those beasts terrified her to no end. They were the reason she was separated from her mom. "They just scare me."

Dakota scoffed. "They scare me, too, but you don't see me screamin' about it." After the words left her mouth, Dakota immediately regretted them. Sophia's bottom lip started to quiver as more tears sprung to her eyes. Shit, nice goin' Kota, Dakota scolded herself. She reached out and placed a hand on Sophia's shoulder. "That sounded pretty bad, huh?"

Sophia nodded and pawed at her red-rimmed eyes. It had been a long day for the both of them, and Dakota knew they needed to get some rest. "C'mon kiddo, let's find a place to get some sleep."

"You sure you're not mad?" Sophia asked quietly as Dakota started to pack all their belongings.

The older girl paused and turned towards the younger of the two. She sighed and dropped her bag, facing Sophia fully. "No, I ain't mad," She murmured. "I just want to prepare you."

"For what?" She asked innocently.

Dakota smirked dryly and turned away from Sophia. "If I die, if we get separated, if you end up on your own…there's a million possibilities, kid. I'm just tryin' to make sure you're ready for them."

After that was said, the three began their way through the woods. Dakota knew it would be better to keep moving, considering Sophia's squeals probably drew in a few walkers and the last thing they needed was to get attacked in the middle of the night.

They walked for a good two hours before they came across a small church. "Woah," Dakota put a hand on Sophia's shoulder, pulling the young girl behind her. "Stay back, alright? Who the hell knows what's livin' in here."

Dakota trekked forward, Sophia clutched to her backside as Rusty stayed right behind them. The dog was smart enough to keep his nose pressed against Sophia's palm, effectively calming her down. Once Dakota was sure the surrounding area was clear, she quietly pressed forward towards the church.

"Kota…"Sophia whispered, tugging on the older girl's shirt. Dakota glanced down and followed Sophia's gaze, her eyes falling upon three walkers in the church. They were all still seated in the benches.

"What the hell…?" Dakota wondered before ushering Sophia to stay put with Rusty. The older girl readied her weapon and silently tip-toed into the church, careful not to disturb the walkers. That is, until she got a good look at the ugly bastards. Two of them had large, gaping holes in their heads while the last one had an arrow through its skull. "They're dead…"

"What is it?" Sophia whispered.

Dakota turned her head and gave Sophia a grin. "I think your group came through here, kiddo."