From the Shadows
What Was Once Lost Has Been Found
When Teagan woke, Daryl had cozied up closer to her, and they were facing each other. He was holding one of her hands, and made slight snores every few minutes. She wasn't going to be able to sleep again, and she guiltily relished this moment. What am I doing?! Snap out of it! She wriggled herself free, and decided to leave before it was later in the day and everyone would be roaming around. Daryl seemed similar to her, in that this would probably be a secret, and it'd embarrass the both of them if anyone saw.
Outside was cooler than normal. The air wasn't sticky, and it smelled fresh. She walked over to the farmhouse to look for Hershel, keeping a sharp eye out for Shane. She greeted Hershel in the kitchen.
“Went to go in and check on you this morning. You're an earlier bird than me. Where's Daryl?”
“He went to sleep in his tent.”
“You came in to get your stitches checked, am I right? I need to look at your other wounds as well.” She nodded, and lifted her shirt in the appropriate places for examination. Hershel sighed. “Your lip should heal fine. As far as your hands go, wash them up with some soap and water and put a bandage on them. Luckily no broken bones. Looks like your side is healed up. I can remove the stitches, or you can, seeing as you know how. If you are still thinking about leaving...”
Teagan gulped, and shifted her weight on her feet. “Yeah... I appreciate all you've done. You're a good man.” She wished she had a father like Hershel in her life. He seemed to care about her more than any adult from her childhood. She went to her room to start packing things up. She sat on the bed for what felt like an hour, seriously contemplating her two options. She dramatically fell back and splayed out her arms on the mattress, and closed her eyes. I made this decision long ago. Can't change now. She abruptly stood, gather her things, and began to walk out the door.
Hershel said his heartfelt departure in a sad voice. “Please be careful out there.” Teagan nodded in response.
She ran into Rick, who knew immediately what she was doing. He offered her breakfast, and food and supplies for her journey. She accepted. She didn't know when she'd find food next. From a distance, Daryl saw Teagan with all her stuff. From afar, it looked like she was just going hunting. He should be taking it easy, but he wanted to go with her. Maybe I'll ask to join her. He decided to catch food later, knowing she'd walk his way to enter the forest. He waited for her. After she ate, she grabbed Daryl a plate, as she noticed he was staying a recluse this morning. She said her goodbyes. Glenn had sad eyes, but wished her safety, and to hopefully meet again. Most everyone was pleasant, except Shane and Andrea, who sat and glared as Teagan walked past. She made her way to the forest's edge near Daryl's tent. She saw him gather his things.
“Which way is the house where you found me?”
Daryl pointed, confused. “Why? Huntin' that was is shit. Better to go tha way.” He pointed in a different direction.
“Daryl...” She took in a deep breath and held it. She didn't want to hurt him, but she had to leave. She couldn't find the right words to say.
“What? Aint's ya goin' huntin'? I'll go with ya.”
She kept her eyes on him. He knew something was wrong, but couldn't figure it out.
“Daryl I... I'm leaving.”
Daryl stepped back, stunned. He shook his head, and began to move his arms around as if trying to find something to say. It seemed as if nothing would be said, until he angrily blurted,
“What tha FUCK you jus say?”
Teagan knew he'd be hurt, and she felt guilty. Guilty for getting close to him, for leading him on, and for finally leaving. She tried to console him with her reasons. “Daryl, it's for the best.”
“What ya mean “for the best”? Fer who? Ya selfish bitch!”
“This is why I wanted to leave. I didn't want to get close to anyone. I just wanted to go as if I was never here.”
“Too late fer that. Ya fucked up. Why ya doing this?” Daryl's anger was steadily growing.
“I can't stay here. Caring about people gets you killed. You start to make stupid decisions and you'll fuck up. If I leave, you won't have to-” she couldn't finish her sentence.
Daryl started to pace, swinging his arms hard and heavy. “So this was ya plan? To get up 'n' leave?”
“I'm better off alone. And I-” Daryl cut her off.
“Fine, To hell with you!” He threw down what was in his hands and stormed off in an opposite direction.
Teagan kicked dirt, and became angry at herself. She placed his plate of food on the ground and stormed off in the direction of the house where she met Daryl, or rather pounced on him and almost killed him. Glenn had gathered most of her things, but not everything. What he left was hidden away in one of the drawers, so she wasn't surprised to see it with the rest of her stuff. It was a key chain with a name on it, one you can find at almost every tourist spot. It was silver, or at least painted that way. The main piece was rectangular with rounded edges. The decoration on the back was worn off, but used to be a silhouette of various African animals. The chain part was starting to rust, but only slightly. The name sketched into the key chain was that of her mother: Cheyenne. The actual spelling was with only one 'n', but the zoo that Teagan bought it from, for mother's day at 6 years old, didn't have the correct spelling. She bought it anyway, and her mother loved it. The key chain was the only thing left of her mother's that was portable.
Teagan walked for awhile, and noticed old and faded tracks. She figured they were Glenn's and Daryl's when they first came through, except heading in the opposite direction. After some time, she saw the house and slowly approached. She didn't hear anything in the distance, or coming from the house, so she walked in through the back.
Someone's been here recently... She couldn't tell who, or how long ago, but someone had definitely been here. Or was still here. She quietly walked around the house, knife in hand. She thought she heard a small shuffling noise from one of the bedrooms upstairs. She slowly went up, avoiding the fourth stair since it creaked loudly. She reached the bedroom with the suspected noise, and pushed open the door that was ajar. Huddled on the floor was an unfamiliar face, but one she felt she knew.
“Sophia?”
Outside was cooler than normal. The air wasn't sticky, and it smelled fresh. She walked over to the farmhouse to look for Hershel, keeping a sharp eye out for Shane. She greeted Hershel in the kitchen.
“Went to go in and check on you this morning. You're an earlier bird than me. Where's Daryl?”
“He went to sleep in his tent.”
“You came in to get your stitches checked, am I right? I need to look at your other wounds as well.” She nodded, and lifted her shirt in the appropriate places for examination. Hershel sighed. “Your lip should heal fine. As far as your hands go, wash them up with some soap and water and put a bandage on them. Luckily no broken bones. Looks like your side is healed up. I can remove the stitches, or you can, seeing as you know how. If you are still thinking about leaving...”
Teagan gulped, and shifted her weight on her feet. “Yeah... I appreciate all you've done. You're a good man.” She wished she had a father like Hershel in her life. He seemed to care about her more than any adult from her childhood. She went to her room to start packing things up. She sat on the bed for what felt like an hour, seriously contemplating her two options. She dramatically fell back and splayed out her arms on the mattress, and closed her eyes. I made this decision long ago. Can't change now. She abruptly stood, gather her things, and began to walk out the door.
Hershel said his heartfelt departure in a sad voice. “Please be careful out there.” Teagan nodded in response.
She ran into Rick, who knew immediately what she was doing. He offered her breakfast, and food and supplies for her journey. She accepted. She didn't know when she'd find food next. From a distance, Daryl saw Teagan with all her stuff. From afar, it looked like she was just going hunting. He should be taking it easy, but he wanted to go with her. Maybe I'll ask to join her. He decided to catch food later, knowing she'd walk his way to enter the forest. He waited for her. After she ate, she grabbed Daryl a plate, as she noticed he was staying a recluse this morning. She said her goodbyes. Glenn had sad eyes, but wished her safety, and to hopefully meet again. Most everyone was pleasant, except Shane and Andrea, who sat and glared as Teagan walked past. She made her way to the forest's edge near Daryl's tent. She saw him gather his things.
“Which way is the house where you found me?”
Daryl pointed, confused. “Why? Huntin' that was is shit. Better to go tha way.” He pointed in a different direction.
“Daryl...” She took in a deep breath and held it. She didn't want to hurt him, but she had to leave. She couldn't find the right words to say.
“What? Aint's ya goin' huntin'? I'll go with ya.”
She kept her eyes on him. He knew something was wrong, but couldn't figure it out.
“Daryl I... I'm leaving.”
Daryl stepped back, stunned. He shook his head, and began to move his arms around as if trying to find something to say. It seemed as if nothing would be said, until he angrily blurted,
“What tha FUCK you jus say?”
Teagan knew he'd be hurt, and she felt guilty. Guilty for getting close to him, for leading him on, and for finally leaving. She tried to console him with her reasons. “Daryl, it's for the best.”
“What ya mean “for the best”? Fer who? Ya selfish bitch!”
“This is why I wanted to leave. I didn't want to get close to anyone. I just wanted to go as if I was never here.”
“Too late fer that. Ya fucked up. Why ya doing this?” Daryl's anger was steadily growing.
“I can't stay here. Caring about people gets you killed. You start to make stupid decisions and you'll fuck up. If I leave, you won't have to-” she couldn't finish her sentence.
Daryl started to pace, swinging his arms hard and heavy. “So this was ya plan? To get up 'n' leave?”
“I'm better off alone. And I-” Daryl cut her off.
“Fine, To hell with you!” He threw down what was in his hands and stormed off in an opposite direction.
Teagan kicked dirt, and became angry at herself. She placed his plate of food on the ground and stormed off in the direction of the house where she met Daryl, or rather pounced on him and almost killed him. Glenn had gathered most of her things, but not everything. What he left was hidden away in one of the drawers, so she wasn't surprised to see it with the rest of her stuff. It was a key chain with a name on it, one you can find at almost every tourist spot. It was silver, or at least painted that way. The main piece was rectangular with rounded edges. The decoration on the back was worn off, but used to be a silhouette of various African animals. The chain part was starting to rust, but only slightly. The name sketched into the key chain was that of her mother: Cheyenne. The actual spelling was with only one 'n', but the zoo that Teagan bought it from, for mother's day at 6 years old, didn't have the correct spelling. She bought it anyway, and her mother loved it. The key chain was the only thing left of her mother's that was portable.
Teagan walked for awhile, and noticed old and faded tracks. She figured they were Glenn's and Daryl's when they first came through, except heading in the opposite direction. After some time, she saw the house and slowly approached. She didn't hear anything in the distance, or coming from the house, so she walked in through the back.
Someone's been here recently... She couldn't tell who, or how long ago, but someone had definitely been here. Or was still here. She quietly walked around the house, knife in hand. She thought she heard a small shuffling noise from one of the bedrooms upstairs. She slowly went up, avoiding the fourth stair since it creaked loudly. She reached the bedroom with the suspected noise, and pushed open the door that was ajar. Huddled on the floor was an unfamiliar face, but one she felt she knew.
“Sophia?”