Hope Breeds Eternal Misery

It had been eight months since Raine and the group got run off of the Greene farm and nothing had gotten any easier. They were still struggling for food, desperate to find shelter from the bitter cold of winter. Lori’s belly continued to grow everyday and it was imperative that they found somewhere safe they could make a home.

Things were a lot different now. Shane was no longer with them, Rick had killed him the day that Randall had ‘escaped’. It was a shock to everyone, except Raine and Daryl. They had seen Shane’s true colors and knew that the only way he would stop was if he was dead.

Andrea was gone too. Raine didn’t miss the blonde woman for a minute, but she hoped she was okay...if she’s still alive. But despite their losses, the group seemed stronger than ever. Sure, they were in a bad situation at the moment, but they’ve been there before. They’d get through it.

Daryl and Raine’s relationship was an ongoing thing, constantly growing, becoming stronger. They’ve had a lot of fights, but they were both able to realize they were being stupid and they’d apologize. He was what was holding her together. She knew that if she lost him, she wouldn’t make it another day. They depended on each other, needed each other.

Things were coarse between Rick and Lori. Ever since the group found out that Rick had killed Shane, she acted a little cold towards him. She pushed him away, refused to talk to him, and had somehow pushed even Carl away from her. But of course now that she’s nine months pregnant and ready to pop, she wants to get close to Rick again. That man loved his wife more than anything else in the world, but he wasn’t ready to let her back in yet. They had more important things to worry about.

***

Raine’s index and middle finger rubbed over the feather fletching of her arrow that was loaded into her bow, ready to soar if need be. She found the beautiful, wooden recurve bow on a run and spent the past few months teaching herself how to properly use the weapon. She had been a quick learner and became flawless in her archery. She was quick, agile, and silent. You’d never hear her creeping up through the woods.

Daryl’s crossbow had broken, so she gave him back the one that he found for her. He was apprehensive at first, not knowing just how good she got with that recurve bow. But when he saw her use it, he accepted the crossbow without further questions.

”Raine.” Her name fell from Daryl’s lips, sending an ice cold chill down her spine. She turned to face him, brown eyes bright and warm. Daryl quickly took in her appearance. She had changed a bit over those eight long months, but she was still just as beautiful as the day he first saw her. Her once curly hair now fell straight down her back, due to the lack of nutrients. She was a tad bit skinnier, but not by much. One thing never changed though, she was his Raine. And he loved her to the moon and back.

”We gotta get goin’. Rick said he saw a herd of geeks makin’ their way here.” Daryl explained, reaching up to push some of her hair out of her face. Raine pursed her lips and nodded her head. This was nothing new. They were always on the move. It was getting tiresome. Raine just wanted to find somewhere she could call home. She wanted to be safe.

She followed Daryl over to his motorcycle and quickly zipped up her leather jacket. She threw a leg over the vehicle and settled down onto the seat. He started the engine and pulled in front of everyone, leading them to their next temporary home.



Rick kicked open the door, raising his gun to shoot the walker’s that awaited them inside the house. The silencer on his gun muffled the shots and Raine silently gave herself kudos for picking those up when she went on a run. The brunette moved swiftly inside the house, yanking the string of her bow back before letting it go just as quickly. The walker fell to the floor and she yanked the arrow out of its skull as she walked by.

Her tall, black boots thudded against the hardwood floor as she walked through the living room, her brown eyes alert to any possible dangers. She decided to hang back and let the men do the work this time. She was exhausted and the floor was looking pretty damn comfortable right now. She leaned against a wall and slid down it slowly until her butt touched the floor. She stretched her legs out in front of her and sighed, leaning her head against the wall.

”Everything’s good.” Daryl told her as he re-entered the room. She looked up at him and smiled ever so slightly. She reached up and grabbed his free hand gently, her thumb instantly rubbing over his rough skin.

”Thank you.” She mumbled before letting her hand drop. Daryl gave her a short nod and made his way back outside to bring in some of their things. Raine wanted to stay in that spot indefinitely, but the others needed her help. She begrudgingly pushed herself up from the floor and walked over to the door, extending her hand out to a very pregnant Lori.

The woman waddled into the house, giving her sister-in-law a grateful smile. Raine tried to return the gesture, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Lori might have been family, but Rick was her brother. She would back him one hundred percent of the time, no matter what. Speaking of her brother...

”Raine, can I talk to you?” He asked quietly. Raine pushed her eyebrows together and nodded.

”I need you to be my right hand.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. The younger sibling sighed heavily and ran a hand through her tangled hair. She could see that her brother needed help, but this? It was a lot to ask. She knew that he was just trying to fill that empty space in his heart where Shane used to be, but he had Daryl for that. He was more skilled for that job than Raine was.

”What about Daryl?” She asked softly, wanting to keep their conversation private.

”I have Daryl on one side, I need you on my other. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be running like this, but I know we’ll find another home. I just need your help.” He was pleading now. Raine looked over his face, seeing just how desperate he was. Sighing, she nodded her head in agreement. Rick quickly hugged his sister and then the two of them went back inside to be with their group.

Daryl was sitting in a wooden chair, a dead owl in one hand while the other plucked the feathers off. Carl was sitting on the floor with a can and a can opener. Rick walked over to his son and picked up the can, reading that it was canned dog food. Gritting his teeth, he threw the can across the room, making everyone jump.

Rick couldn’t stand living like this. Being on the farm spoiled him. This wasn’t what he wanted for his family. He wasn’t going to give up, he could feel it in his gut. They were going to find somewhere soon. And they would fortify. They would survive and live happily for the rest of their lives.