Spitfire

"Alright, Carl." I smiled lightly, motioning for him to watch me, "You have to place your feet shoulder-width apart, like this, okay. Got it? Good. Alright, you have to nock the arrow, like this." I waited as he placed the arrow in it's place, smiling I started again, "Pull the arrow back with three fingers, like this. It's always important to load up on a downward angle, just in case your fingers slip. Okay, you got it? Good. Okay, now line up the shot. Now, take a deep breath and focus." I lined up on my target and easily shit the bulls eye, turning towards Carl, I helped him fix his stance, "Go on, try it."

Carl sighed, inhaling deeply, he pulled back and let the arrow sail. He frowned when he didn't get a bulls eye. "Darn."

I shook my head, "No no, good!" I smiled, I patted his back, "Probably better than what anyone else here could do. Keep practicing, kiddo. You can do this." I handed him another arrow and watched as he got better and better.

I heard rustling behind me, quick to defend myself and little Carl here, I had my weapon loaded faster than I've ever done it before. Even if my own child was ripped away from me, I wasn't going to let it happen to someone else.

"Good Lord, woman. Get that outta' my face." Daryl snarled.

I narrowed my eyes, my weapon still raised, "Why? You weren't too keen on lowering it the other day."

"Ya crazy?" He pointed to his head, his eyes squinting in anger, "Or somethin'. Get that outta' my face or-"

"-or what? Hm?" I spat. I heard a small whimper come from Carl, I sighed, lowering it, I glanced at him, "Keep practicing, honey." I dropped my weapon, marching towards Daryl, I pushed past him, "Watch the kid, yourself."

"Now, hold on." He grabbed my arm, pulling me a little too close to him for my comfort. "Ya ain't jus' gon' leave him. Rick trusts ya, don' know why. But, he does. Now, make sure his damn kid don' shoot his damn eye out."

I gritted my teeth, yanking my arm away from him, "I'd like to shoot your damn eye out." I walked back to Carl, crossing my arms, I plopped down. I groaned when Daryl joined me, "Don't you have better things to do than annoy me?"

He chuckled, a real chuckle. I couldn't quite understand his temper issue. "Ain't nothin' to do but annoy ya."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

"Ya doin it 'gain."

"Doing what?" Slightly annoyed with the way he talked.

"Being a bitch with a stick up her ass."

I snorted, "What about you, hm? I gave you my bed this morning and you go and act like a complete douchebag to me afterwards. If you'd like for me to stop being a bitch, you can stop acting like an asshole."

He laughed, rubbing his nose for a second, he gave me a sideways glance, "Ya gave me more than a bed." He laughed at the look I gave him, "I 'ave a feelin' ya 'lways will be a bitch."

I clenched my jaw, lowering my voice, "Don't say another word of what I did this morning. I don't know what I was thinking-"

"-Ya were thinkin' that ya wanted to give me a lil' peep show." He grunted, pulling his knees up, "Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Ya wanted to feel wanted-"

"-What's that supposed to mean?" I asked harshly.

He chuckled, only stopping when he realized I didn't understand. "Good God, woman." He stood up, dusting himself off, "Figure it out and let me know, when ya do." He walked off, leaving me staring after his redneck ass.

I shook my head, turning my attention back to Carl, "Yes!" I jumped up, giving him a hug from behind, "You did it! I told you it would only take a few tries." I couldn't help but wonder what my little girl would like at his age. What kind of features and personality traits she'd have. My heart ached as he hugged me back tightly. I pressed my lips, smoothing out his hair, I placed a small little kiss on his head. "Go run along now, tell your dad what you just did." He went to run off, but not before I stopped him, "Carl!" He slowed, turning around, "Never run with a bow and arrow, kid. I'll teach you tomorrow how to properly run about with it." I smiled as he smiled back and dropped it ,running up the hill and entering the house. I sighed, hugging myself, I slightly jumped at the soft voice behind me.

"You'd be a good mother, Anabel."

I swallowed hard, "Um."

Carol held a basket of clothes, "I know it's not my place to say, I just-just watching you just then. It made me smile." I could see a fear tears brimming her eyes, "I'm just like you in a sense. I lost my baby girl too," She bit her lip, "I still can't believe she's gone."

I nodded, "We'll survive together. She's in a better place, that's for sure." I motioned her to come towards me, slinging an arm around her shoulder, I helped her walk back up the hill. I smiled as she went through the slit, I raised an eyebrows as she dropped the basket and her hand went flying to her mouth. I spun around and groaned, "Fuck!" About thirteen or so walkers were emerging from the woods. I clenched my jaw, "Go inside, Carol! Get the others." I looked around me, suddenly remembering my bow was down at the bottom of the hill. I started to panic, I was trying to figure out a game plan. I could try and let them walk up the hill and get stuck and then go retrieve it. But, there was so many, I wasn't entirely sure all of them would get stuck.

I couldn't waste anytime, bolting down the trail, I stumbled partly down. Snagging my calf against one of the barbed nails. I hissed in pain, picking myself off from the ground, I lunged for the bow and arrows. Their groaning and moaning gave me a sick feeling they were not too far behind me. Spinning around, I took my bow and jammed it in one of their heads. Hissing again in pain of my calf, I staggered upwards. Shooting the four that were closest near me, I started for the hill, only to stumble again. I cried out as one stumbled onto me, kicking it in the face, "Get. The. Fuck. Off. Of. Me!" My chest hurt from the amount of air I tried sucking in. I climbed backwards, shrieking at the monsters that stumbled towards me.

I groaned in anger, biting my lip at the pain that was searing it's way into my brain. I tried to ignore it, but, it hurt too damn much. Glancing down at it, I gritted my teeth. Blood was everywhere. I stood up, shooting at whatever was moving. I was beginning to freak out, I had never had a situation like this happen for. There was so much going on and I wasn't able to comprehend with the searing pain of my lower leg. I choked on air, looking up at the hill, there was no way I was going to make it up there all in one piece. I was starting to just accept that this was going to be my fate.

I stopped aiming, staring the one that was making it's way to me. It stared into me, hungerily. It's face was swollen, it's mouth bloodied from whatever it had consumed moments before, it dragged it's left leg, making it harder for him to come after me, but that didn't stop him. It was just a foot away, groaning and moaning, it's arms outstretched. I swallowed hard. Tears brimming my eyes, I stared at him. Wondering if I'd ever be able to recognized the people I had come to know. I closed my eyes, my hand clamping onto my bow, I waited.

Hearing the whizzing sound of an arrow shot past my ear, my eyes snapped open. Seeing the thing fall in front of me with an arrow in it's head. I turned around sharply, seeing Daryl giving me a crazed look. I watched as Rick, Shaun, and Glenn came running not too far behind him. A feeling of relief washed over me, but not before one came sprinting at me full force. I lifted my bow and aimed at it's face, hitting it clear in the eye.

"WHAT THE HELL YA THINK YA DOIN'?!" Daryl soon caught up to me, shooting another in the head before turning angerily towards me. "Ya tryin' to get yaself killed? The fuck, Anabel." His expression turned soft the moment he realized I had contemplated the thought. "Aw no. Ya sick in tha head or somethin'. Ya got to be kiddin' me." He turned back around and shot another, focusing on me again, he looked down at my leg.

I growled, "I shot one didn't I?" I turned hastily away from him shooting another one in the head, "That's about the third damn time you asked if I was crazy, you prick."

He shook his head ignoring my statement, "I ain't seen ya shoot the one that 'bout to gnaw on ya fucking body." He looked out into the field, nodding in content, Rick and the rest of them had cleared the rest out. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder, "Can ya walk?"

I rolled my eyes, of course I could. I tried to take a step, but collapsed. Daryl grabbed a hold of me. Yanking the bow and arrows off my body he tossed them on the ground, I didn't argue. Everything was starting to get fuzzy and dull. He scooped me up, holding me like a child, he started up the hill. I heard his voice, but I didn't know what he was saying. "I want to go to sleep."

"You can't do that. Not till we get ya to Doc, ya hear?" He murmured, his voice suddenly ringing loudly in my ears.

I yelped in pain, tears suddenly pouring out of my eyes. I tried to grab on my leg, but he only held me tighter, shushing and telling me to stop. I couldn't hold on to my conscious much longer. Everything was feeling numb, I could hear the concern in his voice but it was fading quickly. My eyes fluttered, "I'm going to slee-"