Better Angels

I rubbed my eyes again and yawned, Daryl shifted into a sit a few feet behind me, I continued to look forward, eyes glued to the pale field, not only that, but the black mark scorched into the remaining grass, the shape ovular with four extended limbs and a head, outlined onto the ground.

"Damn, I was out like a light." Daryl grumbled, I looked over my shoulder at him, his hair mussed up even though I don't think he moved all night.

"Yeah, you were."

There was a clatter to the left of me, I looked over, just as Dale emerged onto the roof.

"Aries, Daryl, Rick is leading a supply run into town to look for more ammo and other supplies, you want to go?"

"Who's going to be on watch while we're gone?"

"T-dog."

I nodded "Ok, I'm in."

"Me too." Daryl said, slowly getting to his feet.

T-dog climbed up onto the roof a few minutes later, on our way down, T-dog brushed my arm and I looked up at him.

He waited until both Daryl and Dale had climbed down "Take care of those people, Shane's goin' with ya."

I looked up at him in confusion "What do you-"

"I know what happened to Merle, I saw it." He said, I saw the fear in his brown eyes.

"I'll watch him, take care of these people." I told him, patting his shoulder then lowering myself over the edge of the roof and decending the ladder quickly, finding myself rather happy to be on solid ground again.

I saw my parents standing in the backyard speaking with Hershel, I was nervous that after las night, mom might not let me go, I checked my arrows anxiously, fumbling to get them all onto my back again, when I looked up, Hershel and my parents were approaching.

I swallowed hard, regretting every disrespectful thing I'd said last night, now that I had to face it.

"Aries, Rick tells me you signed up for the supply run." Hershel stated when he stood three feet from me.

I nodded slightly "Yes."

"And why would you do that?" He asked, wiping off his hands onto a rag.

"To protect the group." I spit out.

He nodded slightly "Did you take your injury into account before making that decision?" He asked.

I swallowed again, knowing that I hadn't even thought about how physically ready for this mission I'd be. I nodded weakly "Yep."

"Ok, good. I just don't want to hear that you had to sit out most of the mission due to back pain. Are you sure you're ok to go?" He pressed, giving me one of those penetrating looks.

"Yes."

"Because I can look at it if you want, "

"I"m good, Hershel. Thank you."

"What about your ankle and wrist? Surely those aren't in the best of shape considering how you've been treating them."

"What do you mean?" I asked sheepishly, burying my hands deep into my jean pockets self-consciously.

"Well you've proceeded to shoot your bow and do exerting things, stress is the last thing you need to heal."

I nodded, looking down and kicking a pebble, watching it skid across the dirt.

"Well that's all I have. Take care, Aries." He said sternly before heading for the medical tent, I'm assuming that Merle had to spend another night.

I turned slowly, unwillingly. My mother was all who remained, my dad God knows where.

She gave me one of her looks and sighed in defeat, taking a few more steps towards me and placing both of her hands on either of my shoulders, looking into my blue eyes with her unmatching brown ones.

"There's nothing I can say to change your mind, Aries. You are like a force of nature to persuade, so I won't try. However, that doesn't mean that I'm not going to tell you to be careful, and that I love you."

She leant forward and kissed my forehead, turning and walking towards the garden.

Had I imagined our whole feud?

She seemed at a point of defeat, but she still wants what's best for me, but she's right, I will be going, I guess that makes me like a force of nature.



"That's all of them." Daryl muttered, tossing another empty hunting bag into the bed of his pickup truck. Looking over his shoulder as Merle, who was just now shuffling out of the medical tent with assistance from Carol and Hershel.

He jogged off towards his brother, and I got another view of his winged vest, faded wings stitched to the aged leather, over the top of a black leather jacket and blue button up shirt.

I turned and grabbed the three arrows from the top of the barbeque grill on the porch, adding them to my wither for an arrow count of 7. I sighed and grabbed the handgun from my newly aquired holster, I checked the magazine for the fourth time in the last hour, either out of anxiety or boredom, I'm not sure which.

I shoved it back into it's holster and dug around in the pocket of my plaid blue flannel shirt, feeling the handful of bullets and pulling my hands away.

I tightened the poncho draped over my left shoulder. It was black and dark purple, bundled loosly around my neck like a coiled snake.

"Ok, people, let's go!" Daryl called in his rough voice, yanking open his truck door and hopping in before anyone could respond.

He rolled down the window, half a grin hiding beneath the faint mustache of his upper lip. "Git in 'ere." He jerked hi head towards the passenger door. I walked around, glancing over long enough to see Shane in the drivers seat of the green suburbian.

Andrea, Glenn and Rick were also with him.

I closed the door behind me, tossing my hunting bag onto the floor and pulling my bow over my head and reasting it beside Daryl's crossbow between us, I looked forward out the windshield, waving goodbye to my parents as we drove out, then my arm dropped back into my lap and I looked out the passenger's window emotionlessly.

Mostly lost in my thoughts, I watched the same repetitive country scene whiz by again and again, so much it felt like it was a screen on repeat outside my window.

Daryl didn't speak at all, not even about the weather.

"You know what?" I said as we were five miles from the city limits.

He looked over at me briefly before looking back at the road "What?"

"When we get back, I'm gonna show you my Harley." I grinned "It keeps slipping my mind to."

He smirked a little "How'in the hell you get a Harley?" He chuckled.

"Bought it from my uncle." I thought about Josh and Ida-Gene again, they were my main biker-buddies.

He nodded slowly "Oh, well then it'll be a nice change from lookin' at that bleak as fucking hell pasture behind your house all damned day."

I laughed "You just have to get used to it."

"You're used to it?" He demanded.

I shrugged "I guess so, I mean I've lived here almost my whole life."

He changed the subject abruptly "When did you move here and where from?"

"I moved here from a farm in Fort Collins Colorado, when I was two."

He nodded, but didn't say anything else.

I looked out the window again, tall cottonwood trees began paving the sides of the road in, until the fields faded to more trees, then thinned into a few small buildings and shacks, then into a trailer house neighborhood.

We slowed at an intersection, across the road was the train crossing and an old cracked asphlt street that led to the park.

"Where are we going?" I asked after I couldn't figure it out myself.

"To some apartment complexes on the south side of town." He answered.

"Across the tracks?" I clarified.

"Across the tracks." He agreed.

I looked forward, the truck shuddering as we bumps over them, to the other side of the tracks on the south side of town.

I noticed the familiar layout of the streets, and when I looked up again, we were parked outside a small grouping of apartment complexes.

Familiar, they were. Even under two years worth of dust and peeling grey and white paint, the whole scene not too spoiled by bitter memories.

"How did you know where?..." I mumbled, looking up at the building that was an ex-church. Now, or had bee converted into four seperate apartments.

"Where what?" He scoffed.

I looked over at his face breifly before looking up at the gray shingled roof.

"My sister lived here, for a little while." I said in awe, hopping out.

Daryl followed "So you know that layout of this place?" He asked gruffly, loading his crossbow before laying it across his shoulder and looking up at the building.

I nodded, glancing over at him. "Could nevigate it blind-folded." I stated.

"Good." He said "We won't have a whole lot of time for scoping out the lay."

I nodded, waiting for the others on the sidewalk, I didn't wait for them to make a decision on which apartment to serch first, I knew where I was going.

I jogged up the sidewalk to the door up five steps on the south side of the house. I really shouldn't go in there, so many good and bad memories reside here, and I haven't been in so long.

I took a deep breath and grabbed the golden handle and turning it.

"Are you fuckin' crazy?" Daryl demanded, planting himself between me and the entryway, crossbow pointed into the dark house.

I glared up at him, but his was much more impressive. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are, don't let yer bravery git the best of ya."

I ducked around his arm and walked into the house, the ceiling always unbeilivingly high, amazed me. I remember having the conversation with Myriah when she moved in, that she could have one of those really tall Christmas trees.

The living room was attached to the kitchen, only seperated by a low platform. The carpet army green and walls white. There were three bedrooms, one bathroom, attached to the laundry room. The east and half of the north walls were made of brick.

There was a decent light fixture hanging crookedly above an overturned table, all the curtains drawn, minimal amount of light filtered through.

Daryl walked towards the south bedroom, I went towards the one Myriah and the douche shared. I pushed on the door, it didn't open, I heard a soft scraping noise inside.

I pulled my bow from my back and loaded it, catching Daryl's attention and jerked my head towards the bedroom.

He walked over quiety, and pointed his crossbow at the door as he reached forward slowly, wrapping his left hand around the golden doorknob and turning it slowly, then pushing open the door and training the ends of our weapons on the center of the room, a little confused when the room was empty, other than a bed with messy blankets.

"The hell?..." Daryl muttered, walking inside further.

Instinct kicked in and I remembered that there was a sliding closet door right next to the bedroom door.

"Daryl! Wait!" I exclaimed, but it was too late, a figure moved quickly from the closet, onto Daryl's back, knocking him to the ground in a huff.

I instantly realized it was a woman, blond hair in a messy bun, brown streaks in it and black jeans and baggy t-shirt, boots and a knife under Daryl's jaw.

"Fucking hell..." Daryl grunted. Shifting under her weight.

"Stop squirming!" She yelled, I could tell that it was supposed to sound brave, but it shook.

I grabbed her by a fistful of her shirt and pulled her off of Daryl backwards, she got really fiesty, spinning around and fingers flying for my face, dragging long scratches downwards.

"Get the hell off of me!" She yelled, Daryl grabbing her arms from behind her and gathering her wrists into one fist.

She seethed, hair hung in her face and stuck to her skin, concealing most of her face until she tossed it to the side and I realized she had green eyes, angry expression and was unbeilivingly recognizable.

I threw myself at her again, this time in reunion, it had been forever, I didn't care what she had done, I hugged her tightly, realizing that she didn't recognize me and fought against me.

"Myriah!" I called soothingly, her movements slowed warily, cautiously she pulled back, blowing hair out of her eyes and meeting mine. We were both shocked, to see each other again, it had been two years, and she'd changed a lot, and I suppose I have too.

"Aries?"

I didn't have any time to reply, because she crushed me into her chest again, I hadn't felt this loved in a long time.

I gripped the back of her shirt and felt the familiarness of an embrace.

We held each other in sniffling silence for a few minutes until she pulled away again with red rimmed eyes, she wiped them with her scuffed up, dirty palms.

"Oh my God, how have you been? Are mom and dad still?..." She paused.

I nodded "Yeah, they're fine."

"Ok, cause I was wondering, since you were with him." She jabbed her thumb in Daryl's direction and he rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"We were overrun in Missouri, packed everything and decided to head home, hopefully with you guys, but we got holed up here longer than expected and just didn't make it that way."

"Are there others with you?" I asked warily.

"Whole family." She said guiltily, avoiding my eyes, we were both pretty rough about the reasons she'd left.

I nodded and stood, turning away from her and biting my lip "Do you have any supplies?"

"No, that's where they are."

I nodded a little, cocking my head towards Daryl for a second opinion, he just glared at me and crossed his arms stubbornly. I sighed and turned, kneeling before her "We have lots of supplies, but they won't last forever. Will they be willing to participate in weekly supply runs?"

"Excuse me, what the fuck are you doing?" Daryl intruded, planting himself between I and my sister.

"Bringing them back with me." I stated firmly.

"Why?" He demanded harshly.

"Because it's blood." I snapped.

"She's your blood." He corrected "What about the rest of 'em? They sound lika bunch of backstabbing Missourians."

"Don't talk about them like that." Myriah said, rising to her feet.

"Sit down cupcake, you've cause 'nuff trouble in yer sister's life, 'ight?" He snapped, turning his back on her, and I saw it in her eyes, dark and furious. Like a beast.

"Aries, we can't just bring back all these people with us, we ain't got the room." Daryl said softer, "It's pick and choose, how's it gonna be?"

"You're making me decide?" I demanded.

He nodded firmly.

I sighed, but it sounded more like a frustrated growl. I looked around Daryl at my sister.

"Fine." I grunted "We'll talk with your people, set something up."

"Thank you." She smiled, leaning in for the hug, but I stepped backwards, reminding myself about getting attached again.

"Just this once." I said firmly "Don't think I'm doing it for your benefit, I just hate to leave people out in this weather with those creatures."

I grabbed my bow from where it was dicarded and reloaded it, walking out of the bedroom, into the living room and allowing myself to slip into the familiar groove of looting, supply searching. I lost myself doing it, until Rick appeared in front of me, looking slightly angered.

"Daryl tells me you're bringing back a bunch of strangers into camp."

"They aren't strangers." I muttered "I hate every last one of them, but what else can I do? Just take my sister and run, living with a guilty conscious because I ditched the rest when I had the power to save them? I'm still angry at her and him, their whole population, but I'm trying... Nevermind, it's stupid." I paused, then decided not to continue.

"I don't want them there, but don't act like you wouldn't feel guilty for ditching people. They will be my responsibility, if they step out of line, I'll be the one to punish them, if they turn, I'll do that too..."

Rick didn't say anything, just looked at me emotionlessly, then bowed his head slightly and walked away. I'd be willing to bet everyone was pretty pissed at me, even Daryl. Who's behavior almost appeared betrayed.

I gathered whatever supplies from the ex-inhabitants in the familiar cupboards and drawers that I could, tossing my loaded hunting bag into the bed of Daryl's truck. The leather body bag-like bag was intended for game to be put into, not expired cans of Cambell's soup.

I walked slowly towards the steps at the south apartment, not really wanting to recieve the glares and ungratful looks sooner than nessicary.

Inside, Myriah stood by the frot windows, looking to the right at the empty alley way, I'm assuming that's the way they'd be coming in.

I looked up at the high ceilings again, remembering the first time I'd ever come here. I was a nieve twelve year-old, full of angst and anger at the world. I was and still am a very unusual kid, I always had an interest in politics, but never wanted to be one. I never fit in with the "it" group. I was the complete opposite of all those kids and tended to be alone for the most part.

Maybe that's were my ability to look after my self and be heartless comes from, love can't bud from a place where there is no soil.

I can be selfless though, an loyal. I have stood by my sister's side ans stupid decisions for years, felt it as my duty to always be there for her, until she ditched me like a bag of stale fries in the backseat of a nice sports car, flung out the window into a trash bin.

Maybe my new heartless advantage will help me cope with Mike's existance more, he is the one who really ruined everything. He didn't try to get her to quit smoking, or not drink. He didn't keep her from dying her hair or moving away, a vast majority of my stress and turmoil is rooted in him. I am not scared now, to state what I think to his face, I will hold my own.

11:56 PM.

I was tired, and the reason I was still up was becoming stupider and stupider by the second. Why? Why should I care that she found someone to look after her and take care of her. Making sure she always had food, a roof and a good selection of music to listen to when she is sitting in her car alone.

I knew already no one was as capable of the friendship statues her life ensued than myself. I would do everything in my strength to make sure she had everything she needed. I would strive everyday, I'd seen her at her lowest points, and her highest.

But I felt uncharted territory when she finally arrived, two hours late, walking in the front door beside some foreign man that I had no intentions of getting close too. She told a lot of lies, talked him up more than he was worthy of, telling us he had a lot of money, a nice house in Missouri and a diploma. That he was only in Wyoming because he joined a combine crew, and that he was an adimate worker, the truth was revealed over a few months.

He didn't have a car, he couldn't read or write, he still lived with his parents back in Missouri, and the real reason that he was out here with the combine crew was to get away from it for a little bit with his drinking buddies, he didn't even have a diploma and proved to be quite lazy.

His buddies ditched him while he was drunk at the Blue Lantern hotel on the south side of town. My sister was a good, clear minded, level shouldered citizen then, she worked as a flagger for a construction outfit on the outskirts of town, she was staying at that hotel over the weekend, preparing to quit her job and get a fresh start by moving home for a little bit.

And then... She met him in the hotel parking lot.

And it spread like a plague from there, she became a scummy piece of Torrington shit, she'd get her head out of the gutter for long enough to get a decent house, then she'd piss off the landlord and get kicked to the curb.

There was nothing good about who she'd become, it only got worse and we soon grew apart...

He was 22 years old when I met him, he had dirty blond hair in a short crewcut, blue eyes and was actually decent looking compared to my sisters ex's. He was a basketball champion in highschool, had a few trophies. Muscular, so you wouldn't fuck with him, but I think I will take my chances.

He was nice, I liked him. He was shy, like me. So we didn't talk much to each other, and when we did, it was always awkward.

But when the drunken abuse started, that's when I saw the light and saw past his colorful charade of lies, I saw him, for who he really was, and hated him for it.

For months I planned how I'd want him to die, for fucking with my sister and hurting her, I plotted by night, went against it all during the day. I eventually became Dr. Jeckal and Mr. Hyde with the modd swings and plan changes, there was nothing I knew that was set in stone.

Nothing ever is.