Status: This is the first walking dead fic I've written, so please leave feedback if you have the time: ) thank you
Arrow to the Side
nightmare
That night Anna was restless. She tossed and turned in her sleeping bag for hours before sleep finally claimed her, and when it did it bring dark memories with it.
Red. Red sheets, a red carpet and red clothes. If Anna never saw the colour again she could be happy. The scene that lay before her was surreal. Her mothers corpse slammed its body against the living room door. Her father was rocking back and forth in the corner. Unhelpful as usual. Her sister clutched the torn remains of a slightly soggy stuffed rabbit. Fear gripped Anna's heart .She had to save her sister and she had to do it on her own.
She had seen the Corpses attack before. Her friends had called them zombies before they had been torn to shreds. But Anna couldn't bring herself to use that word about the deceased.
Another particularly large Slam and the wood of the door started to splinter.The bookcase she had placed in front of it shook and Anna knew that it wouldn't hold for long. She searched frantically for something to use as a weapon and came up with a fireplace poker. She weighed it in her hand as she contemplated what she was about to do. A growl ripped itself from the opposite side of the door and the wood shattered as her mothers corpse stumbled through the decimated doorway. Anna's heart ripped in two as she delivered the final killing blow to her mothers corpse. Her families screams echoed in her mind and she saw more red. So much more red. Her heart pulsed in her chest as she gathered her sister in her arms and screamed at her father to get out to the idling car. Her sister scrapped her tiny nails at Anna's arms as she tried to get to her mummy. Her father, thankfully, had seemed to snap out of it and pulled the child from Anna's arms. He tossed the keys at her.
"You drive."
She did. For a long time. On a long road. After driving for what felt like hours she realised that her family was not with her. She searched frantically through her car. Eyes cast away from the road. When she turned her attention towards the road again she saw them. They were standing in the road. A scream erupted from her throat as their bodies hid the windshield.
"Anna"
Her eyes flew open. She felt strong hands on her shoulders and struggled for a moment before realizing that they were kind hands. She gazed up into Daryl's soft, blue eyes and relaxed.
"If you keep goin' like that you're gonna wake the neighbours." He joked softly, not removing his hands. Anna appreciated the way he treated her. If it had been someone else trying to tell her that "It would be alright" or "It was just a dream" she might have punched them in the mouth.
She swallowed and sat up. She realized that her face was damp from crying and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She swiped away the tears and smiled somewhat unconvincingly at him.
"Thanks, Daryl. I'm sorry if I woke you."
"s'okay, It's nearly time to go hunting anyway." He coughed awkwardly, as if just realizing that he was in her tent uninvited. "If you're feelin' up to it." He added.
"Yeah, of course. I'll meet you by the house in a minute,then."
He got up and nodded. before pushing the tent flap open and disappearing.
She was surprised by how much better she felt after talking to Daryl.
*** Daryl's POV
Daryl was worrying as he made his way over to the house. There was something about that girl that made him curious. He had wanted to ask what her nightmare was about but he knew that she probably wouldn't tell him anyway. Couple that with the walkers in the barn and he was having a pretty crappy week.
He didn't have to wait long for Anna. She sauntered over a few minutes later and they dropped into a friendly conversation about motorcycles. Daryl was surprised to learn that she used to own one before the world crapped out. Daryl put a finger to his lips to quieten her and she fell into slightly crouched position behind him. She had caught on to Daryls ways of hunting quite quickly though they had only been out a few times.
Daryl was impressed. He never thought he'd end up being comfortable hunting with anyone other than his brother. Proves how wrong he could be.
Red. Red sheets, a red carpet and red clothes. If Anna never saw the colour again she could be happy. The scene that lay before her was surreal. Her mothers corpse slammed its body against the living room door. Her father was rocking back and forth in the corner. Unhelpful as usual. Her sister clutched the torn remains of a slightly soggy stuffed rabbit. Fear gripped Anna's heart .She had to save her sister and she had to do it on her own.
She had seen the Corpses attack before. Her friends had called them zombies before they had been torn to shreds. But Anna couldn't bring herself to use that word about the deceased.
Another particularly large Slam and the wood of the door started to splinter.The bookcase she had placed in front of it shook and Anna knew that it wouldn't hold for long. She searched frantically for something to use as a weapon and came up with a fireplace poker. She weighed it in her hand as she contemplated what she was about to do. A growl ripped itself from the opposite side of the door and the wood shattered as her mothers corpse stumbled through the decimated doorway. Anna's heart ripped in two as she delivered the final killing blow to her mothers corpse. Her families screams echoed in her mind and she saw more red. So much more red. Her heart pulsed in her chest as she gathered her sister in her arms and screamed at her father to get out to the idling car. Her sister scrapped her tiny nails at Anna's arms as she tried to get to her mummy. Her father, thankfully, had seemed to snap out of it and pulled the child from Anna's arms. He tossed the keys at her.
"You drive."
She did. For a long time. On a long road. After driving for what felt like hours she realised that her family was not with her. She searched frantically through her car. Eyes cast away from the road. When she turned her attention towards the road again she saw them. They were standing in the road. A scream erupted from her throat as their bodies hid the windshield.
"Anna"
Her eyes flew open. She felt strong hands on her shoulders and struggled for a moment before realizing that they were kind hands. She gazed up into Daryl's soft, blue eyes and relaxed.
"If you keep goin' like that you're gonna wake the neighbours." He joked softly, not removing his hands. Anna appreciated the way he treated her. If it had been someone else trying to tell her that "It would be alright" or "It was just a dream" she might have punched them in the mouth.
She swallowed and sat up. She realized that her face was damp from crying and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She swiped away the tears and smiled somewhat unconvincingly at him.
"Thanks, Daryl. I'm sorry if I woke you."
"s'okay, It's nearly time to go hunting anyway." He coughed awkwardly, as if just realizing that he was in her tent uninvited. "If you're feelin' up to it." He added.
"Yeah, of course. I'll meet you by the house in a minute,then."
He got up and nodded. before pushing the tent flap open and disappearing.
She was surprised by how much better she felt after talking to Daryl.
*** Daryl's POV
Daryl was worrying as he made his way over to the house. There was something about that girl that made him curious. He had wanted to ask what her nightmare was about but he knew that she probably wouldn't tell him anyway. Couple that with the walkers in the barn and he was having a pretty crappy week.
He didn't have to wait long for Anna. She sauntered over a few minutes later and they dropped into a friendly conversation about motorcycles. Daryl was surprised to learn that she used to own one before the world crapped out. Daryl put a finger to his lips to quieten her and she fell into slightly crouched position behind him. She had caught on to Daryls ways of hunting quite quickly though they had only been out a few times.
Daryl was impressed. He never thought he'd end up being comfortable hunting with anyone other than his brother. Proves how wrong he could be.