Status: First ever Walking Dead fic... Here we go...
Better Angels
Others
2. Others
We drove for almost an hour, before we arrived at a farm secluded in trees around five miles from my hometown. A small farming community 50 miles outside Atlanta. It'd be a good place to be holed up, no doubt. But still it felt dangerous being this close to the town. Town's contain boatloads of walkers and only a handful of determined survivors that are willing to blow your head off to protect their supplies, that was my biggest concern about the whole camp setup.
I climbed out the the backseat warily, every nerve in my body electrically aware of where my knife was, my muscles locked and ready to grab it from my boot at the first sign of trouble.
So far, these people seemed nice enough. But that's how it always is, isn't it? The nice people are always traitors, and the grouchy, mean ones are genuine... So backwards.
Shane unlocked the trunk of the car Glenn had driven back to camp, sorting through some crates and handing them to Rick, just then three girls jogged down the steps of the farmhouse and ran towards our little group for a reunion.
I was baffled, and a little surprised by their energy levels. Feeling slightly like a cat that hat gotten to cozy with the outlet and took a shock.
Two of them appeared to be older ladies, around late thirties. The last girl didn't look a day over twenty-one.
She hugged Glenn, a big smile across his face as he hugged her back, it was all very cute. I turned away and observed the small farm, giving privacy the couples. Not because they actually deserved it, but because I felt really weird watching people kiss...
Rick hugged an talked quietly with another woman with long brown hair that hung at the middle of her back. She wore a white blouse and a thin silver band around her finger, so one would assume they were probably married.
The last woman spoke with Daryl quietly, she had short grey hair and soft blue eyes. She looked up at him as she talked, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for her, Daryl appeared to be hardly listening.
"Hey buddy!"
I turned to see Rick conversing with a young boy, who frowned at what he had been called. Maybe he'd grown out of the nickname. He looked similar to Jaden, age wise... Short, childish roundess left in his cheeks, but blue eyes wide and knowing. He clearly knew too much about the world as it was now... For some reason, that sadened me.
"Hey Dad." He mumbled, his eyes narrowing. I noticed Rick's disappointment as he obviously expected the boy to jump into his arms like in those chick-flick movies about the scummy mom and the dad who works too much but still makes time for his kid.
So I am assuming that's the son Shane spoke of, Carl.
More people joined our group, smiling but eyeing me curiously. It was overwhelming, and very, very difficult to look somewhere, anywhere without meeting a pair of interested eyes.
"Everyone, this is Aries, Aries, this is.... Everyone." Rick introduced us awkwardly. I smiled and waved half-heartedly, even though my heart was thudding loudly.
"Hell, why dun you all interduce yer'selves?" Daryl demanded in annoyance.
There were nervous shuffles of feet as a few approached, the first was a man with chocolate colored skin, and a kind smile.
"Hey." he greeted, instead of shaking my hand formily like I was used to, he formed a fist and held it out. My hand twitched a little, yearning towards my boot, when I realized he only wanted a fistbumb.
God... I thought chill out...
I smiled and exchanged fistbumps and friendly hellos.
Glenn led over the girl he'd been hugging earlier. She had short, wavy brown hair and brown-hazel eyes flecked with green. She was tall, but still a little shorter than Glenn. She smiled, "I'm Maggie Greene, my dad and sister are around here somewhere." She said, glancing over her shoulder. She had a deep southern accent... I liked it.
"Hi."
I met everyone else as well, Andrea, Hershel, Beth, who was Maggie's younger sister and Rick's wife, Lori. The woman Daryl had been speaking to earlier, Carol.
Carl was the last one I met. He made his introductions quick, asking me a few questions before disappearing again, a wind came up and nearly knocked the Sheriff's hat he wore off his head.
I was trying to keep track of names for future reference. There were few things worse than having to ask someone's name in the middle of a conversation...
"Hey, Aries. Would you like to help prepare lunch?" Lori asked me as she washed her hands in a metal bucket and dried them off on a old t-shirt. I nodded and washed my hands a well and followed into the farmhouse.
I couldn't say no... Really, I mean they've been so nice to be already, and if it weren't for the one man in their group, I'd be among the walking dead, drifting aimlessly until someone took pity on me.
I looked up at the farmhouse as we entered, it was big, painted blue and white and reminded me of a doll's dress with it's frail looking designs. The wood aged, looked to have been painted many times to cover it up, but rather or not it had gone without paint touch ups, the house was beautiful on it's own.
When I walked into the kitchen, Maggie and Carol were there as well, Maggie talking to Lori about another supply run into town. I guess she was asking Lori because she was like the first lady of the group, married to Rick who was their obvious leader... Though Shane looked like a bulldog trying to prove himself at times. Barking orders that rick immediately shut down.
I sliced bread in silence and prepared a few things, it wasn't much but more than we prepared at home. We had lots of food stock piled, almost prepared for something like this, but Dad said there ain't no shame in getting more, it just means that you'll be prepared for anything if you've got what you need to survive.
Maggie went out to call everyone in for lunch, we all sat in the big living room in almost complete silence. I would have said that these people weren't big conversationalists if Glenn hadn't spoken up right then.
"Does anyone know how to play guitar?" He asked, everyone stopped eating and the room bathed in utter silence. There was something about everyone's mood swing that tells me that theres a story underlining it.
"Dale found a cool one on the highway... A few months ago..." Glenn added, pausing sadly, "never got around to doing anything with it, so..." it didn't seem like his words lifted the room any.
I bit my lip nervously. I did know how to play, in fact I have three guitars at home in my bedroom.
Home...
I debated it back and forth in my head before swallowing and looking up "I do." I said, intending that it'd sound brave and nonchalant, but instead it was hardly above a whisper.
"Yer gonna need ta speak up, sunshine." Daryl said sarcastically, smirking in annoyance. Jeez... Doesn't that guy have an emotion other than suspicion or annoyance?
I rolled my eyes "I know how to play." I stated louder, resisting the urge to cringe away from the spotlight of attention hanging overhead.
Glenn's eyes lit up "Really? Uh, how, how long have you been playing?" he was getting excited, and so far, was the only person who showed genuine interest in anything I've done.
I shrugged "Since I was ten." I said carefully, feeling very weird sharing odd tidbits about myself to strangers.
"How old are you now?"
I didn't miss that everyone else chewed a little slower and glanced up, all eyes on my face. Normally, I never blush, my my cheeks burned and I ignored them, answering bluntly, hoping it'd put out the flames quicker. It was a vain hope...
"Fourteen." I answered.
He nodded. "Awesome, you'll have to play us bit." He grinned.
I nodded, feeling jittery. Whenever I listen to music, it calms me down, now I'm panicking like fuck. I looked up, eyes landing on a pale acoustic leaning against the east brick wall of the living room, right against the fireplace. I could calm down if I played...
"Actually." I said, setting my empty plate onto the coffee table. "I'd, I'd like to play now, if that's alright." I looked around the room, half expecting a second opposing opinion. Glenn nodded in encouragment, his mouth full, he gestured towards the acoustic.
I stood up and brushed my sweaty palms off on my jeans out of nervous habit, and walked slowly towards the guitar. Grabbing it by the neck I carried it to the gap in the crowd that sat under the big north window and propped the heels of my boots onto the metal bar beneath the bench under the window. Feeling the cold sun through the foggy glass on my cheeks, I breathed slowly, resting the guitar across my lap, I leaned forward and picked a bread tab up off the coffee table and set back, strumming each string to see if they were in tune E A D G B e.
Everyone looked up at me expectantly. I swallowed my pride and debated rather or not I should sing. If so, what should I sing?
I fretted the first chord that came to my head and just started strumming out of panic. Then the strumming became softer as it drifted into a familiar song. A sad song, but familiar all the same.
"So long to all my friends
Every one of them met tragic ends
With every passing day
I'd be lying if I didn't say
That I miss them all, tonight.
And if they only knew what I would say if I
Could be with you tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take the light behind your eyes
And one day I'll lose this fight
As we fade in the dark
Just remember you will always burn as bright
Be strong and hold my hand
Time becomes for us, you'll understand
We'll say goodbye today
And I'm sorry how it ends this way
If you promise not to cry
Then I'll tell you just what I would say if I
Could be with you tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take the light behind your eyes
I'll fail and lose this fight
Never fade in the dark
Just remember you will always burn as bright
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
Sometimes we must grow stronger and
You can't be stronger when I'm gone
When I'm there
No longer
You must be stronger and if I
Could be with you tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take the light behind your eyes
I've failed and lost this fight
Never fade in the dark
Just remember you will always burn as bright
The light behind your eyes
The light behind you eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes..."
I hardly whispered the last line, my voice fading with the essence of the song. I held my breath as the last strum faded into silence and the only sound was the breathing all around me. When I looked up, I almost felt bad for playing the song I did, the girls were getting all teary eyed. I guess the song reminded them of how their lovers look after them. I sighed and laid the guitar across my lap impatiently, tired of how sad everything was these days... Hell, everthing made everyone cry.
I set aside the acoustic, stood up and stretched, going to help Carol with dishes. I kept to myself, never being much of your everyday conversationalist before the crash of the world.
"That was some very good playing." Carol said, I looked up and caught her smile, sending a small one back.
"Thanks." I smiled, looking down at the plate I was scrubbing.
"Where'd you learn to play?"
"Self-taught." I grinned "My uncle played a bit, sometimes I took lessons from him, but he lived so far away that it was almost once every four months, so I learned most of it myself."
"Wow, how would you go about doing something like that?" She asked curiously, glancing up from her work to me as she asked.
"Google." I laughed, she laughed as well.
"Well, isn't this some cute lil gossip party."
Carol and I turned, Daryl leaned casually against the doorway, his blue eyes narrowing at us. He struck me as a person who got a kick out of his own snide comments, who was loyal, but couldn't give two fucks about you otherwise.
"Aries is an interesting girl, hey, why don't you learn how to play guitar from her, Daryl?" Carol laughed.
For a split second, Daryl almost looked offended that she would offer that opertunity. He recovered quickly and returned to narrowing his eyes.
"Ain't nobody got time for hobbies, 'specially not me." He said, Carol looked over at him, almost sympathetically, before turning back to the sink and Daryl shrugged away from the wall and stalked off out the front door, snatching his crossbow on the way.
"Eh, don't worry about him, Aries." Carol said after a few moments "Daryl don't like hardly anybody other than his brother, Merle. You respect him, he'll respect you. That's as far as he comes out of his comfort zone though, I'm afriad."
Somehow Carol sensed that I wanted to be friends with Daryl or something, far from it actually. His personallity too brooding at times, I wonder how his brother puts up with him.
I looked down and got back to scrubbing.
After that was done, I went looking for things to do, I made sure that I had my knife and headed out the front door... After asking permission to wander, of course...
There was a deep forest surrounding the farmhouse, it was dark and mysterious and drew me towards it. I stood a few yards away from the tree line, gazing up in wonder at the ageless oaks growing there. Deeper in the trees, out of reach of the safety the small farm house provided, lurked certain danger. I'd never been someone to purposfully put themselves into danger just to enjoy the feeling of a thudding pulse, the andrenaline. But that's not saying I'm not someone who doesn't enjoy those aspects of curiousity and fear, either.
I looked over my shoulder, no one in sight and no one looking out the farmhouse windows, if I wanted to take a walk, it'd start with me heading into these woods. I battled it out in my head, debating if I should really head in. I feel most at ease when I'm alone and know that nobody can see me, out here, just outside of the trees, I'm pretty much as visable as a sitting duck.
With that thought, I sucked in a deep breath and headed in, walking several yards before slowing a little and making my footsteps more descreet as I moved through the dead leaves and fallen branches. I promised myself I wouldn't go far, just a decent trek in, a quick jog out. I nodded in determination as I moved forward, foot after foot, going west, I looked up, seeing little light above the webbed branches, there was a eery fog rolling about the ground that left me feeling unsettled.
I paused long enough to grab my knife from my boot, gazing down at it, clutched in my hand with white knuckles, before moving forward again. Not really sure at what point I was planning to stop.
I heard a few twigs snap, but quickly realized that they were just under my own boots, I cursed myself out in my head for being so damn noisy before moving forward again at a quieter pace. I didn't want to sound like a jolly elephant jogging through the woods. At least, that's not what I was aiming for.
The woods around me reminded me greatly of the time I was camping with my parents a few years ago, we were somewhere in northern Nebraska, I don't remember the exact location now, but there was this place up this dirt road from our campsite, a old, abandoned railroad tressel went over the road, curiousity struck me and I had to investigate.
So one day I set off to the rail road tressel on foot, I followed it and came to a small creek, there were tiny fish in it and a pre-built branch bridge across it, when you crossed it, and walked behind this large concrete block that held up the tracks, there was a trail that led up top, it had been both neat and eery,
Fun as hell to walk across like you owned the place with the attitude of Lara Croft. When you're a kid, nothing can stop you and you are invinsible to anything the world tries to use to break you.
Snap!
I spun around, pulled away from my daydream fantasy, the sound of a branch snapping behind me, my eyes moved swiftly, watching each tree, seeing no figure hiding behind them, I looked around myself at how far I'd come in, I had lost track of how far I was walking.
I didn't say the cliche horror-movie saying of hello. I stood as still as I could and held my breath. Wishing I had my bow with me, I glared back into the branches, a soft rustle and a figure emerged.
"Aries, what the hell you doin' out ere?"
Daryl stood there, dumbfounded, with his loaded crossbow in his hands. I lowered my knife and he lowered his bow, but didn't sling it back over his shoulder as I'd have liked him to. Even though yes, he did save me from the walker herd on that farm, it doesn't change how much of a threat I felt him to be.
We stared down each other in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"Well?" He demanded.
"I was walking." I stated, crossing my arms, watching him carefully.
"Looking for walkers or what? Look, if you were feelin' suicidal, shoulda came and seen me. 'Stead you're out here luring them sons bitches back to camp, damn girl, you're brilliant." He sneered sarcastically.
"Then what the hell you doing out here?" I demanded, to lift the spotlight of sarcastic smart-assness off of myself.
His eyes widened and he waved his crossbow in the air to a make a point "hunting?" He said it like a question, and used the kind of tone you'd use to address a mental person.
"Why?"
"Beats sittin' round camp gawkin' at you people." He said, his voice calm and honest.
"Why are you such a jerk?" I demanded suddenly, unsure why I'd even said it, if I saw him as a threat before, why the hell was I trying to tick him off?
He looked surprised at my blunt words for a fraction of a second, so clearly no one who had shown a decent amount of respect for him had ever crossed him and wanted answers to his behavior out-right.
"'Cause I can be, sweet pea." He said with a sickeningly sweet southern accent.
"Don't call me that." I muttered as I started walking towards him to get back onto the path.
"What?"
"You know what." I said, glancing at him. I felt sick, I was regularly a shy person and talked only when needed, I didn't demand to know things about random strangers and I sure as hell kept my cussing to myself, since I was somehow blossoming out, all the sudden behavior changes were leaving me feeling a little washed out.
"Oooooh." He said in realization, turning to follow me up the makeshift trail. "Ya mean sweet pea?" Hr grinned, only for half a second before his lips contorted back into the constant frown of disapproval he always wore.
Mood swing city...
I growled "Why don't you stop?"
His foot steps paused before picking up quickly and he marched out in front of me.
"You have no fuckin' idea who I am and what I've been through, so don't act like you know me so well." He said gruffly.
"I do know you," I said sarcastically, walking around him and continuing up the path "You're Daryl fuckin' Dixon."
I took off in a jog, weaving through trees to lose him, and launched myself at the trunk of a lumpy, ancient tree. I dug my fingernails into th bark and pulled myself up, climbing from notch to notch until the small knolls became actual branches, then I sat over twenty-four feet off the ground by the time Daryl emerged into the meadow.
"Damn girl..." He muttered, walking right under my branch without looking up nor noticing me.
I picked a acorn from the tree and dropped it, it landed in the hood of his jacket, but was enough to get him to spin around, crossbow ready as he watched all the wrong parts of the trees.
"Damn boy." I laughed quietly, hopping up another branch so I'd be just out of his sight.
"Aries!?" Daryl yelled loud enough for me to hear and not the walkers.
"Oi."
He spun around once again, "Where the hell are ya?"
"Look up dammit."
He spun once more and his eyes moved up the tree before landing on me, I waved at him and offered a half grin before throwing another acorn at him in a large arc, it missed him by half a foot.
"Git down here."
"You ain't my dad." I called back.
"Thank God for that."
I glared at him. "Go to hell."
"We're already there, don't you think? World ain't gittin better, stop fuckin' hoping."
"What's wrong with hope?" I asked, not that I had much to lose anyways.
"Too many people got it, when so many people have it, it's less than likely anythin' works out."
I actually thought about that for a moment, he was right, in some ray of light, he was, I just didn't want to admit it, to anyone. Including myself.
After a few minutes he spoke again. "Well if yer done sittin' up there feelin' sorry for yourself, I'm going back ta camp."
He looked up at me for several seconds, clearly expecting me to move or acknowledge his words in some way. When I didn't shift, he grunted something under his breath and turned away, hiking off into the woods again, his footfalls disappearing with him.
I looked after him, but made no move to climb down from my branch or even head back to camp, in fact it felt great just sitting here, alone.
I closed my eyes after several minutes and just relaxed there. I listened to the breeze toss the dead leaves above my head and the soft scratch of tree branches rubbing against each other. The occasional light flutter in the leaves signaled that a bird had abandoned the tree and most likely had no intentions of coming back.
I breathed slowly in and out, and back and forth between consciousness. Never really falling asleep. Yet somehow I did in the end.
I jumped awake to something hitting my arm hard, and quickly became aware of how cold it was up in those branches.
I looked around, still feeling the sharp pain caused by the snap of whatever had hit me. Then I heard my name.
"Aries!" Somone hissed below, I peeked over the edge of my branch and saw Rick. He stood there in the shadows, there wasn't much light other than the moonlight filling the small meadow around my tree. I don't think he realized I was awake, because he knelt and picked up something small off the ground and threw it up with a pitchers arm and it collided with my shoulder, then riccochited off the trunk in another direction.
"What the hell, Rick!?" I hissed angrily, rubbing my sore skin.
"Sorry." He chuckled quietly. "Daryl came back a few hours ago and said where you were and that I should come nd' talk some sense into you, and well..." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck nervously before blurting it out.
"I kinda lost track of time, sun sat and well... I couldn't leave you out here all night, dinner's ready."
There was a quiet rustle in the branches behind Rick and he turned quickly, only a dark figure slipped through and stood beside him, peering up at me, I could only tell it was Daryl because of the stringy contraption strapped to his back.
"You still up there?" He called.
"Yeah." I called back, suddenly determined to not come back down.
"Aries, git yer ass down ear', we should head back." Daryl called up.
"Or... You could stay." He said when I didn't move after a minute.
"I think I'll stay."
"Ok, I'll make a bet with you, you ain't gonna stay up there all night." Daryl said.
"Now hold on, Aries. I don't think stayin' up there all night is a good idea, especially since you ain't armed." Rick intruded.
I sighed "I'll be ok, it's not the first time I've slept outside with Walkers about."
"Walkers aren't the only threat." Rick reminded me, I had to agree... Animals, hunters, survivors and still the danger of walkers, even herds of them.
"Please, Rick. I know I can do it." Feeling very determined to prove Daryl wrong and shove it all back in his face tomorrow at breakfast.
"Aries-"
"Please?"
"There's no need to be a trooper, Aries." Rick said, I could hear the desperate defeat in his voice.
"I'm not trying to be brave or a trooper." I said
Daryl snorted skeptically, I ignored him.
"I just like it here, high above all other trees, it's the safest I've felt in a long time." I said honestly, blushing in the darkness that I'd admitted that to almost-strangers.
"But we can keep you safe, Aries." Rick complained.
I nodded "I know you can, just give me tonight, and I'll be back to the house, bright and early tomorrow morning." I assured.
Rick was quiet for several seconds while he thought it over, he opened his mouth to speak and I was so sure he was that much like my dad and say no and say something cliche like it's for your own safety...
But then he said something that totally surprised me.
"Ugh... Fine." He groaned, rubbing his face tiredly like he was speaking with his daughter asking to go to a party.
"But." He stated firmly and my excitment blew out like a candle. "If I'm going to let you do this, someone else is gotta be out here as well, someone armed and a good shot... I choose... Daryl."
Rick turned to smirk at Daryl and Daryl looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you fuckin' crazy!?" He ranted "I am not hanging out with her all night." He stated, firmly crossing his arms across his chest.
"It was your bet, Dixon."
"Don't call me that." Daryl fumed.
Rick shrugged and turned "I'll find someone else, Aries, sure you don't want any food?" He asked, turning halfway to look up at me, straining to make out my sillouhette perched in the tree.
"Yeah, I'm good. Night Rick."
"Ha ha, nice one. I'll be back before light's out to make sure you got someone out here." He chuckled then headed up the trail.
Daryl glared up at me for several seconds before turning and following him into the foliage.
We drove for almost an hour, before we arrived at a farm secluded in trees around five miles from my hometown. A small farming community 50 miles outside Atlanta. It'd be a good place to be holed up, no doubt. But still it felt dangerous being this close to the town. Town's contain boatloads of walkers and only a handful of determined survivors that are willing to blow your head off to protect their supplies, that was my biggest concern about the whole camp setup.
I climbed out the the backseat warily, every nerve in my body electrically aware of where my knife was, my muscles locked and ready to grab it from my boot at the first sign of trouble.
So far, these people seemed nice enough. But that's how it always is, isn't it? The nice people are always traitors, and the grouchy, mean ones are genuine... So backwards.
Shane unlocked the trunk of the car Glenn had driven back to camp, sorting through some crates and handing them to Rick, just then three girls jogged down the steps of the farmhouse and ran towards our little group for a reunion.
I was baffled, and a little surprised by their energy levels. Feeling slightly like a cat that hat gotten to cozy with the outlet and took a shock.
Two of them appeared to be older ladies, around late thirties. The last girl didn't look a day over twenty-one.
She hugged Glenn, a big smile across his face as he hugged her back, it was all very cute. I turned away and observed the small farm, giving privacy the couples. Not because they actually deserved it, but because I felt really weird watching people kiss...
Rick hugged an talked quietly with another woman with long brown hair that hung at the middle of her back. She wore a white blouse and a thin silver band around her finger, so one would assume they were probably married.
The last woman spoke with Daryl quietly, she had short grey hair and soft blue eyes. She looked up at him as she talked, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for her, Daryl appeared to be hardly listening.
"Hey buddy!"
I turned to see Rick conversing with a young boy, who frowned at what he had been called. Maybe he'd grown out of the nickname. He looked similar to Jaden, age wise... Short, childish roundess left in his cheeks, but blue eyes wide and knowing. He clearly knew too much about the world as it was now... For some reason, that sadened me.
"Hey Dad." He mumbled, his eyes narrowing. I noticed Rick's disappointment as he obviously expected the boy to jump into his arms like in those chick-flick movies about the scummy mom and the dad who works too much but still makes time for his kid.
So I am assuming that's the son Shane spoke of, Carl.
More people joined our group, smiling but eyeing me curiously. It was overwhelming, and very, very difficult to look somewhere, anywhere without meeting a pair of interested eyes.
"Everyone, this is Aries, Aries, this is.... Everyone." Rick introduced us awkwardly. I smiled and waved half-heartedly, even though my heart was thudding loudly.
"Hell, why dun you all interduce yer'selves?" Daryl demanded in annoyance.
There were nervous shuffles of feet as a few approached, the first was a man with chocolate colored skin, and a kind smile.
"Hey." he greeted, instead of shaking my hand formily like I was used to, he formed a fist and held it out. My hand twitched a little, yearning towards my boot, when I realized he only wanted a fistbumb.
God... I thought chill out...
I smiled and exchanged fistbumps and friendly hellos.
Glenn led over the girl he'd been hugging earlier. She had short, wavy brown hair and brown-hazel eyes flecked with green. She was tall, but still a little shorter than Glenn. She smiled, "I'm Maggie Greene, my dad and sister are around here somewhere." She said, glancing over her shoulder. She had a deep southern accent... I liked it.
"Hi."
I met everyone else as well, Andrea, Hershel, Beth, who was Maggie's younger sister and Rick's wife, Lori. The woman Daryl had been speaking to earlier, Carol.
Carl was the last one I met. He made his introductions quick, asking me a few questions before disappearing again, a wind came up and nearly knocked the Sheriff's hat he wore off his head.
I was trying to keep track of names for future reference. There were few things worse than having to ask someone's name in the middle of a conversation...
"Hey, Aries. Would you like to help prepare lunch?" Lori asked me as she washed her hands in a metal bucket and dried them off on a old t-shirt. I nodded and washed my hands a well and followed into the farmhouse.
I couldn't say no... Really, I mean they've been so nice to be already, and if it weren't for the one man in their group, I'd be among the walking dead, drifting aimlessly until someone took pity on me.
I looked up at the farmhouse as we entered, it was big, painted blue and white and reminded me of a doll's dress with it's frail looking designs. The wood aged, looked to have been painted many times to cover it up, but rather or not it had gone without paint touch ups, the house was beautiful on it's own.
When I walked into the kitchen, Maggie and Carol were there as well, Maggie talking to Lori about another supply run into town. I guess she was asking Lori because she was like the first lady of the group, married to Rick who was their obvious leader... Though Shane looked like a bulldog trying to prove himself at times. Barking orders that rick immediately shut down.
I sliced bread in silence and prepared a few things, it wasn't much but more than we prepared at home. We had lots of food stock piled, almost prepared for something like this, but Dad said there ain't no shame in getting more, it just means that you'll be prepared for anything if you've got what you need to survive.
Maggie went out to call everyone in for lunch, we all sat in the big living room in almost complete silence. I would have said that these people weren't big conversationalists if Glenn hadn't spoken up right then.
"Does anyone know how to play guitar?" He asked, everyone stopped eating and the room bathed in utter silence. There was something about everyone's mood swing that tells me that theres a story underlining it.
"Dale found a cool one on the highway... A few months ago..." Glenn added, pausing sadly, "never got around to doing anything with it, so..." it didn't seem like his words lifted the room any.
I bit my lip nervously. I did know how to play, in fact I have three guitars at home in my bedroom.
Home...
I debated it back and forth in my head before swallowing and looking up "I do." I said, intending that it'd sound brave and nonchalant, but instead it was hardly above a whisper.
"Yer gonna need ta speak up, sunshine." Daryl said sarcastically, smirking in annoyance. Jeez... Doesn't that guy have an emotion other than suspicion or annoyance?
I rolled my eyes "I know how to play." I stated louder, resisting the urge to cringe away from the spotlight of attention hanging overhead.
Glenn's eyes lit up "Really? Uh, how, how long have you been playing?" he was getting excited, and so far, was the only person who showed genuine interest in anything I've done.
I shrugged "Since I was ten." I said carefully, feeling very weird sharing odd tidbits about myself to strangers.
"How old are you now?"
I didn't miss that everyone else chewed a little slower and glanced up, all eyes on my face. Normally, I never blush, my my cheeks burned and I ignored them, answering bluntly, hoping it'd put out the flames quicker. It was a vain hope...
"Fourteen." I answered.
He nodded. "Awesome, you'll have to play us bit." He grinned.
I nodded, feeling jittery. Whenever I listen to music, it calms me down, now I'm panicking like fuck. I looked up, eyes landing on a pale acoustic leaning against the east brick wall of the living room, right against the fireplace. I could calm down if I played...
"Actually." I said, setting my empty plate onto the coffee table. "I'd, I'd like to play now, if that's alright." I looked around the room, half expecting a second opposing opinion. Glenn nodded in encouragment, his mouth full, he gestured towards the acoustic.
I stood up and brushed my sweaty palms off on my jeans out of nervous habit, and walked slowly towards the guitar. Grabbing it by the neck I carried it to the gap in the crowd that sat under the big north window and propped the heels of my boots onto the metal bar beneath the bench under the window. Feeling the cold sun through the foggy glass on my cheeks, I breathed slowly, resting the guitar across my lap, I leaned forward and picked a bread tab up off the coffee table and set back, strumming each string to see if they were in tune E A D G B e.
Everyone looked up at me expectantly. I swallowed my pride and debated rather or not I should sing. If so, what should I sing?
I fretted the first chord that came to my head and just started strumming out of panic. Then the strumming became softer as it drifted into a familiar song. A sad song, but familiar all the same.
"So long to all my friends
Every one of them met tragic ends
With every passing day
I'd be lying if I didn't say
That I miss them all, tonight.
And if they only knew what I would say if I
Could be with you tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take the light behind your eyes
And one day I'll lose this fight
As we fade in the dark
Just remember you will always burn as bright
Be strong and hold my hand
Time becomes for us, you'll understand
We'll say goodbye today
And I'm sorry how it ends this way
If you promise not to cry
Then I'll tell you just what I would say if I
Could be with you tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take the light behind your eyes
I'll fail and lose this fight
Never fade in the dark
Just remember you will always burn as bright
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
Sometimes we must grow stronger and
You can't be stronger when I'm gone
When I'm there
No longer
You must be stronger and if I
Could be with you tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take the light behind your eyes
I've failed and lost this fight
Never fade in the dark
Just remember you will always burn as bright
The light behind your eyes
The light behind you eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes
The light behind your eyes..."
I hardly whispered the last line, my voice fading with the essence of the song. I held my breath as the last strum faded into silence and the only sound was the breathing all around me. When I looked up, I almost felt bad for playing the song I did, the girls were getting all teary eyed. I guess the song reminded them of how their lovers look after them. I sighed and laid the guitar across my lap impatiently, tired of how sad everything was these days... Hell, everthing made everyone cry.
I set aside the acoustic, stood up and stretched, going to help Carol with dishes. I kept to myself, never being much of your everyday conversationalist before the crash of the world.
"That was some very good playing." Carol said, I looked up and caught her smile, sending a small one back.
"Thanks." I smiled, looking down at the plate I was scrubbing.
"Where'd you learn to play?"
"Self-taught." I grinned "My uncle played a bit, sometimes I took lessons from him, but he lived so far away that it was almost once every four months, so I learned most of it myself."
"Wow, how would you go about doing something like that?" She asked curiously, glancing up from her work to me as she asked.
"Google." I laughed, she laughed as well.
"Well, isn't this some cute lil gossip party."
Carol and I turned, Daryl leaned casually against the doorway, his blue eyes narrowing at us. He struck me as a person who got a kick out of his own snide comments, who was loyal, but couldn't give two fucks about you otherwise.
"Aries is an interesting girl, hey, why don't you learn how to play guitar from her, Daryl?" Carol laughed.
For a split second, Daryl almost looked offended that she would offer that opertunity. He recovered quickly and returned to narrowing his eyes.
"Ain't nobody got time for hobbies, 'specially not me." He said, Carol looked over at him, almost sympathetically, before turning back to the sink and Daryl shrugged away from the wall and stalked off out the front door, snatching his crossbow on the way.
"Eh, don't worry about him, Aries." Carol said after a few moments "Daryl don't like hardly anybody other than his brother, Merle. You respect him, he'll respect you. That's as far as he comes out of his comfort zone though, I'm afriad."
Somehow Carol sensed that I wanted to be friends with Daryl or something, far from it actually. His personallity too brooding at times, I wonder how his brother puts up with him.
I looked down and got back to scrubbing.
After that was done, I went looking for things to do, I made sure that I had my knife and headed out the front door... After asking permission to wander, of course...
There was a deep forest surrounding the farmhouse, it was dark and mysterious and drew me towards it. I stood a few yards away from the tree line, gazing up in wonder at the ageless oaks growing there. Deeper in the trees, out of reach of the safety the small farm house provided, lurked certain danger. I'd never been someone to purposfully put themselves into danger just to enjoy the feeling of a thudding pulse, the andrenaline. But that's not saying I'm not someone who doesn't enjoy those aspects of curiousity and fear, either.
I looked over my shoulder, no one in sight and no one looking out the farmhouse windows, if I wanted to take a walk, it'd start with me heading into these woods. I battled it out in my head, debating if I should really head in. I feel most at ease when I'm alone and know that nobody can see me, out here, just outside of the trees, I'm pretty much as visable as a sitting duck.
With that thought, I sucked in a deep breath and headed in, walking several yards before slowing a little and making my footsteps more descreet as I moved through the dead leaves and fallen branches. I promised myself I wouldn't go far, just a decent trek in, a quick jog out. I nodded in determination as I moved forward, foot after foot, going west, I looked up, seeing little light above the webbed branches, there was a eery fog rolling about the ground that left me feeling unsettled.
I paused long enough to grab my knife from my boot, gazing down at it, clutched in my hand with white knuckles, before moving forward again. Not really sure at what point I was planning to stop.
I heard a few twigs snap, but quickly realized that they were just under my own boots, I cursed myself out in my head for being so damn noisy before moving forward again at a quieter pace. I didn't want to sound like a jolly elephant jogging through the woods. At least, that's not what I was aiming for.
The woods around me reminded me greatly of the time I was camping with my parents a few years ago, we were somewhere in northern Nebraska, I don't remember the exact location now, but there was this place up this dirt road from our campsite, a old, abandoned railroad tressel went over the road, curiousity struck me and I had to investigate.
So one day I set off to the rail road tressel on foot, I followed it and came to a small creek, there were tiny fish in it and a pre-built branch bridge across it, when you crossed it, and walked behind this large concrete block that held up the tracks, there was a trail that led up top, it had been both neat and eery,
Fun as hell to walk across like you owned the place with the attitude of Lara Croft. When you're a kid, nothing can stop you and you are invinsible to anything the world tries to use to break you.
Snap!
I spun around, pulled away from my daydream fantasy, the sound of a branch snapping behind me, my eyes moved swiftly, watching each tree, seeing no figure hiding behind them, I looked around myself at how far I'd come in, I had lost track of how far I was walking.
I didn't say the cliche horror-movie saying of hello. I stood as still as I could and held my breath. Wishing I had my bow with me, I glared back into the branches, a soft rustle and a figure emerged.
"Aries, what the hell you doin' out ere?"
Daryl stood there, dumbfounded, with his loaded crossbow in his hands. I lowered my knife and he lowered his bow, but didn't sling it back over his shoulder as I'd have liked him to. Even though yes, he did save me from the walker herd on that farm, it doesn't change how much of a threat I felt him to be.
We stared down each other in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"Well?" He demanded.
"I was walking." I stated, crossing my arms, watching him carefully.
"Looking for walkers or what? Look, if you were feelin' suicidal, shoulda came and seen me. 'Stead you're out here luring them sons bitches back to camp, damn girl, you're brilliant." He sneered sarcastically.
"Then what the hell you doing out here?" I demanded, to lift the spotlight of sarcastic smart-assness off of myself.
His eyes widened and he waved his crossbow in the air to a make a point "hunting?" He said it like a question, and used the kind of tone you'd use to address a mental person.
"Why?"
"Beats sittin' round camp gawkin' at you people." He said, his voice calm and honest.
"Why are you such a jerk?" I demanded suddenly, unsure why I'd even said it, if I saw him as a threat before, why the hell was I trying to tick him off?
He looked surprised at my blunt words for a fraction of a second, so clearly no one who had shown a decent amount of respect for him had ever crossed him and wanted answers to his behavior out-right.
"'Cause I can be, sweet pea." He said with a sickeningly sweet southern accent.
"Don't call me that." I muttered as I started walking towards him to get back onto the path.
"What?"
"You know what." I said, glancing at him. I felt sick, I was regularly a shy person and talked only when needed, I didn't demand to know things about random strangers and I sure as hell kept my cussing to myself, since I was somehow blossoming out, all the sudden behavior changes were leaving me feeling a little washed out.
"Oooooh." He said in realization, turning to follow me up the makeshift trail. "Ya mean sweet pea?" Hr grinned, only for half a second before his lips contorted back into the constant frown of disapproval he always wore.
Mood swing city...
I growled "Why don't you stop?"
His foot steps paused before picking up quickly and he marched out in front of me.
"You have no fuckin' idea who I am and what I've been through, so don't act like you know me so well." He said gruffly.
"I do know you," I said sarcastically, walking around him and continuing up the path "You're Daryl fuckin' Dixon."
I took off in a jog, weaving through trees to lose him, and launched myself at the trunk of a lumpy, ancient tree. I dug my fingernails into th bark and pulled myself up, climbing from notch to notch until the small knolls became actual branches, then I sat over twenty-four feet off the ground by the time Daryl emerged into the meadow.
"Damn girl..." He muttered, walking right under my branch without looking up nor noticing me.
I picked a acorn from the tree and dropped it, it landed in the hood of his jacket, but was enough to get him to spin around, crossbow ready as he watched all the wrong parts of the trees.
"Damn boy." I laughed quietly, hopping up another branch so I'd be just out of his sight.
"Aries!?" Daryl yelled loud enough for me to hear and not the walkers.
"Oi."
He spun around once again, "Where the hell are ya?"
"Look up dammit."
He spun once more and his eyes moved up the tree before landing on me, I waved at him and offered a half grin before throwing another acorn at him in a large arc, it missed him by half a foot.
"Git down here."
"You ain't my dad." I called back.
"Thank God for that."
I glared at him. "Go to hell."
"We're already there, don't you think? World ain't gittin better, stop fuckin' hoping."
"What's wrong with hope?" I asked, not that I had much to lose anyways.
"Too many people got it, when so many people have it, it's less than likely anythin' works out."
I actually thought about that for a moment, he was right, in some ray of light, he was, I just didn't want to admit it, to anyone. Including myself.
After a few minutes he spoke again. "Well if yer done sittin' up there feelin' sorry for yourself, I'm going back ta camp."
He looked up at me for several seconds, clearly expecting me to move or acknowledge his words in some way. When I didn't shift, he grunted something under his breath and turned away, hiking off into the woods again, his footfalls disappearing with him.
I looked after him, but made no move to climb down from my branch or even head back to camp, in fact it felt great just sitting here, alone.
I closed my eyes after several minutes and just relaxed there. I listened to the breeze toss the dead leaves above my head and the soft scratch of tree branches rubbing against each other. The occasional light flutter in the leaves signaled that a bird had abandoned the tree and most likely had no intentions of coming back.
I breathed slowly in and out, and back and forth between consciousness. Never really falling asleep. Yet somehow I did in the end.
I jumped awake to something hitting my arm hard, and quickly became aware of how cold it was up in those branches.
I looked around, still feeling the sharp pain caused by the snap of whatever had hit me. Then I heard my name.
"Aries!" Somone hissed below, I peeked over the edge of my branch and saw Rick. He stood there in the shadows, there wasn't much light other than the moonlight filling the small meadow around my tree. I don't think he realized I was awake, because he knelt and picked up something small off the ground and threw it up with a pitchers arm and it collided with my shoulder, then riccochited off the trunk in another direction.
"What the hell, Rick!?" I hissed angrily, rubbing my sore skin.
"Sorry." He chuckled quietly. "Daryl came back a few hours ago and said where you were and that I should come nd' talk some sense into you, and well..." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck nervously before blurting it out.
"I kinda lost track of time, sun sat and well... I couldn't leave you out here all night, dinner's ready."
There was a quiet rustle in the branches behind Rick and he turned quickly, only a dark figure slipped through and stood beside him, peering up at me, I could only tell it was Daryl because of the stringy contraption strapped to his back.
"You still up there?" He called.
"Yeah." I called back, suddenly determined to not come back down.
"Aries, git yer ass down ear', we should head back." Daryl called up.
"Or... You could stay." He said when I didn't move after a minute.
"I think I'll stay."
"Ok, I'll make a bet with you, you ain't gonna stay up there all night." Daryl said.
"Now hold on, Aries. I don't think stayin' up there all night is a good idea, especially since you ain't armed." Rick intruded.
I sighed "I'll be ok, it's not the first time I've slept outside with Walkers about."
"Walkers aren't the only threat." Rick reminded me, I had to agree... Animals, hunters, survivors and still the danger of walkers, even herds of them.
"Please, Rick. I know I can do it." Feeling very determined to prove Daryl wrong and shove it all back in his face tomorrow at breakfast.
"Aries-"
"Please?"
"There's no need to be a trooper, Aries." Rick said, I could hear the desperate defeat in his voice.
"I'm not trying to be brave or a trooper." I said
Daryl snorted skeptically, I ignored him.
"I just like it here, high above all other trees, it's the safest I've felt in a long time." I said honestly, blushing in the darkness that I'd admitted that to almost-strangers.
"But we can keep you safe, Aries." Rick complained.
I nodded "I know you can, just give me tonight, and I'll be back to the house, bright and early tomorrow morning." I assured.
Rick was quiet for several seconds while he thought it over, he opened his mouth to speak and I was so sure he was that much like my dad and say no and say something cliche like it's for your own safety...
But then he said something that totally surprised me.
"Ugh... Fine." He groaned, rubbing his face tiredly like he was speaking with his daughter asking to go to a party.
"But." He stated firmly and my excitment blew out like a candle. "If I'm going to let you do this, someone else is gotta be out here as well, someone armed and a good shot... I choose... Daryl."
Rick turned to smirk at Daryl and Daryl looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you fuckin' crazy!?" He ranted "I am not hanging out with her all night." He stated, firmly crossing his arms across his chest.
"It was your bet, Dixon."
"Don't call me that." Daryl fumed.
Rick shrugged and turned "I'll find someone else, Aries, sure you don't want any food?" He asked, turning halfway to look up at me, straining to make out my sillouhette perched in the tree.
"Yeah, I'm good. Night Rick."
"Ha ha, nice one. I'll be back before light's out to make sure you got someone out here." He chuckled then headed up the trail.
Daryl glared up at me for several seconds before turning and following him into the foliage.
♠ ♠ ♠
Yayyy :D