Chapter One: Dual Machetes
Daryl crept quietly through the halls of the small clinic. The sound of the six walkers he crept around on the way in was a distant rumble as he turned left down the corridor. He froze as he heard the empty sound of a plastic container from the room right behind him. Pausing to listen closer he heard the sound of frantic shuffling and cursing. Knowing that it could not be a walker his mind hoped the impossible, that I might be Beth.
His mind jumped back to the moment when they were separated. He remembered the moment when he lost sight of her when she fell and scuttled under a table. He made as much noise as possible to drawl the 10 or so walkers away from her. He remembers the look of fear and pain as he lost sight of her as the walkers closed the line of sight between them. At that point he had nothing to do but try to save her which meant he had to leave her. But when he was able to get away from them and go back to her she was gone and no matter how much he tried he could not find where she went.
Daryl was pulled out of his nightmare by a strong grip at his ankle. A walker had tripped over a menagerie of medical supplies that layered the floor. He quickly took out an arrow and stabbed it through the temple but was not prepared for the behemoth of a walker to body slam him into the wall pinning him with only Daryl’s hand around the walkers throat to keep Daryl from getting bit. He struggled to reach the knife he kept in his belt but he could not with the struggle of the walker at his throat. He grunted at the pressure as the other walkers were starting to circle them. In his peripheral vision he saw a flash of something out of the room next to him. With a lot of grunting he got to his waist and took out his knife and plunged it hilt deep in the temple of the walker in front of him.
As the walker fell he followed him down and pulled the knife out of his head. As he stood up he saw the gore that was the other four walkers, which he had seemed to forgotten in the heat of his struggle. In the middle of the piles of dismembered zombies was a lean figure wielding two long curved dual machetes. The figure was the same size and stature as Beth.
“Is that you?” Daryl breathed hoping to have the mystery person turn around and be person he had learned to respect for her strength and had dedication to the others. He had come to appreciate her gentle strength. He wanted to find her, protect her. It was the least she could do for her father the man that everyone had loved and even though he had not known the man well he had respect for him. He respected the way that he would be stern yet caring toward his two daughters. He respected a man that through it all had been able to always been a caring father.
No sooner had those words left his lips then the woman had turned around and with the flat of one of her swords had hit him in the head while a foot tripped him by ankle and had he pinned on the ground with one knee on his chest and a machete at his throat. His blue eyes were met with fierce green as she glared at him from her perch.
“What do you want, who are you, and who were you talking about” she growled.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare ya my name is Daryl and I was lookin for supplies. I thought you were one’ a my friends I was separated from her a couple weeks ago.” He said careful not to move too much to give her too much reason to use her machetes. After a long silent moment she reluctantly let him up, but stayed tense ready to jump back into action. She eyed him up and down as he stood up and even though she was shorter considerably with her stance there was no doubt that she was a force to be reckoned with.
“Where ya from? I have a set up not too far from here and you are the only live person I have seen in..” she paused and grimaced as if there was a physical pain when reliving that certain memory but she quickly pushed that away and looked back to Daryl “let’s just say a long time “
“I was with others in a settlement and we got invaded by another camp. We had to run and another person and me ran and got separated. But I’m trying to find her. I came here cuz I knew it would have supplies and I was hoping to find her here.”
“Well sounds like she is a lucky girl but I can tell ya that she hasn’t been around here… from what I have seen.”
“I travel faster than her so I was plannin on stoppin and waitin for her to catch up”
“Well, if ya promise not to kill me in my sleep I have an extra room in my house” she said with the faintest smirk showing there is a humorous side to the killer.
“Just promise to park those swords at the door” he said with a small smile liking how the mood had changed but she didn’t tell him her name yet.
“Well, before we go to your place I think I should know your name”
“Names Shawn “she said as she shook Daryl’s hand.
“So, how did you get here because I didn’t hear a car and I don’t think you are the guy to drive a Prius?” Shawn smirked.
“How would you know “
“Well maybe it is the black leather jacket without sleeves or the hunting crossbow but if you do drive a Prius I will be eating my words and you can follow me in my explorer. But if not I’m gonna go get my car” she stated mater of factly with one eyebrow quirked comically up. Daryl was shocked and barley was able to keep his mouth shut and off the floor.
“I… I … don’t drive a Prius so we should probably take your car sorry.”
“That’s what I thought” she said as she smiled
“Well then come on” she said as she pivoted on her heal picking up her pack and walked down the hall not waiting on Daryl to follow her. Walking into the parking lot she made a b-line to the single grey explorer in the parking lot. Pulling out keys from her pocket she unlocked the car. As she puts her pack in the back Daryl shuffles into the passenger to be instantly welcomed by a growling dog with teeth barred. Frozen in his seat Daryl watches as Shawn moves into the driver seat acting completely unaware of the dog at Daryl’s throat.
“Her name is olive, she is very friendly as you can tell” she says with a smirk.
“Very” Daryl says which earns him a snap of the jaws from Olive.
“Olie hush now you are scaring our guest where are your manners” she says as if talking to a five year old and magically olive goes from a wolf to a playful puppy that licks the length of Shawn’s face causing her to giggle. “Shall we go then Mr. Daryl” she grins as she starts to drive the car away onto the small main road of the small town.
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