Hurry Up and Grab Your Guts Before the Walkers Do.

I had my bow and arrow ready in case a roamer popped out. Daryl was trailing silently behind me as I had taken control of the search. I would be independent, no more people treating me like a child. My age may be minimal but I had lived enough to be eighty. My experiences would determine me not how many years I had inhabited this earth. Time is irrelevant in determining how a person thinks or acts. We are all different, it’s our experiences that create and mold who we are.

In the distance there were a few of the undead approaching. Without hesitation, I aimed and shot one down. I heard the silent swish as Daryl took one down as well. He sauntered off to retrieve the arrows. I preferred not to waste my time, like he said it was a life or death situation. Looking through the dense woods I noticed a pack in the distance. I ran off in its direction. It belonged to Jack. My heart raced, Jack had to be nearby. I scanned the area but came up empty, it was just Daryl and me.

I dropped to my knees in agony. All this time wasted, he was gone. Placing my attention on the bag I noted that it looked slightly empty. Rifling through our belongings I saw that Jack’s weapons were gone. He had taken his hatchet and machete. Hope pierced my heart.

“Whatcha find?” Daryl’s gruff voice rang out. “Jack’s pack,” I looked up at Daryl with a small smile on my face. He nodded and grunted in response, something he seemed to do often. I observed that he wasn’t much of a talker, just like me.

“We should stay here for a little bit and see if he comes back.” I suggested. Daryl ignored me and walked off in a direction different from the one we came from. Maybe he was tracking? He’s really good at that. I slung the bag on and followed Daryl. I kept an eye out making sure there wasn’t any immediate danger. It’s never safe in the woods, the undead were everywhere.

Jack’s P.O.V.
Where the hell was Belle! I silently prayed that she hadn’t been taken by the roamers. Had they bitten her? Was she dead? “Fuck!!” I punched the tree in front of me causing my knuckles to bleed and throb. I knew I shouldn’t have told her to go hunting but she looked like she needed the distraction, even though she had enough of those. That girl with her rapid thinking. All she ever did was space out and live in la-la land.

Fuck! My sister was all alone with those beasts and I was here not able to protect her. I had not rested, I had been looking for her all night and most of the morning. I wasn’t even tired. I would not quit until she was safe in my arms. “Where are you?” I bellowed not caring if I attracted walkers. Killing them would be the only release from the anxiousness and worry I was feeling. Maybe she had turned? Oh God, I stopped walking because on the ground ahead of me was her flannel shirt covered in blood and semi-ripped. I had failed her, because of me she had suffered the most excruciating death at the hands of those demons. My baby sister had been eaten and mauled, this shirt served as proof.

Something inside of me snapped. Those motherfuckers touched my sister! “Ahhhh!” I wanted to summon all the fucking monsters to slaughter them all. How dare they touch her!

Belle’s P.O.V.
Daryl whipped his head around. “Do ya’ hear tha’?” I looked at him confused, “Hear what?” Without answering he turned back to where we had come from leaving me disoriented. What is wrong with this man? Is he insane? That would make two of us. “There’s someon’ shoutin’. Gonna ‘tract all the geeks.” Daryl took off running now. I did my best to keep up but kept tripping and falling behind. He huffed once he noticed we wouldn’t progress with me slowing us down. “Get on ma’ back,” He ordered. I looked at him as if he had two heads. “Do it now we don’ have damn time.” He forcibly grabbed my wrists and wrapped them around his neck. I crouched down and hopped onto his back with much difficulty. He wrapped his large hands under my thighs and held me in place than he took off once more.

The run was bumpy and awkward as I struggled to keep ahold. His warm hands gripped onto my thighs tightly. I felt dizzy by the contact of his coarse skin, he set my skin ablaze. I hoped he couldn’t hear my uneven breathing. His muscular back felt incredible against my chest, oddly I felt protected. After a few minutes I realized what Daryl was talking about earlier.

There was a loud man screaming and he sounded an awful lot like Jack. “That’s my brother!” I shouted in Daryl’s ear hoping it would encourage him to pick up his pace. “Don’ yell in ma’ ear ya’ dumb girl!” Once we approached the screaming Daryl roughly dropped me onto my ass. I chose not to protest because all I could think of was Jack. Daryl had his crossbow ready and signaled for me to take the front. Slowly we walked around the trees blocking our sights and saw Jack savagely killing walker after walker. They had him surrounded but he easily took them out and shouted while doing so.

“Which one of ya’ stupid bitches touched ma’ sister! Huh!” His body was covered in blood from the undead. Instinctually I loaded my bow and helped my brother take down the walkers. When my first arrow penetrated the skull of a roamer I noticed Jack visibly flinch. Other than that he seemed to not pay me any mind. Daryl also helped take down the small group. Once all ten of them were on the ground dead Jack turned to look at us.

“You look gross,” I said scrunching up my nose in disgust. He chuckled and tackled me into the ground. He planted kisses all over my forehead and hair. Daryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. Jack tensed from on top of me and glared at Daryl.

“Who’s this son of a bitch?” Jack asked getting off of me and bumping his chest into Daryl’s. “Jackson Daniel Anderson! You stop being rude this minute. He saved my life and helped me find ya’. Apologize this instant.” I ordered shoving Jack off and slapping him in the face. Jack looked at me tight-lipped, he was seething. Shit, I had really done it now.

“What did I tell you Belle? Huh, how many times do I gotta tell you that if you lay one fucking finger on me I will beat the shit out of you,” Jack shoved me against a tree. Daryl, my savior, grabbed Jack by the neck and punched him. “Don’t you dare touch ‘er ya’ prick! She’s been worried sick bout ya’ and this is how you repay ‘er. All she done do was care for ya’. If you lay your han’s on her one more time I will fuckin’ kill ya!” Daryl threatened menacingly.

Jack placed a hand on his face, which was now bleeding due to Daryl’s punch. I was frozen, please let me anywhere else. This is not happening, nope. This did not just happen. La la la la. I covered my face and sobbed. Warm arms were around me in an instant. I didn’t bother looking up knowing it was Daryl due to the butterflies fluttering about in my stomach. I buried my face in his chest and hugged him for dear life. Why did Jack have to be such a douche and ruin everything? The happiness I felt when I found him was gone.