CHAPTER FOUR ,
fire

⠀I could hear my hushed, but quick breaths in my own ears as I arched my back to take a stance. I didn't know how to differentiate some images from the next, or one sound from each other. They all seemed to blend together like an echo in a wide open space. It caused me to stand there, not ready for anything.

⠀Although, I could feel the sun hitting my skin like a fizz ― it beat down on me ― it may have been the thing to wake me up, but it wasn't. A deep voice, from where I thought was the back of my brain, called out. It was only then that adrenaline rushed its way through my veins like the tide of the ocean, or a spark in ignition. A burning seemed to rise in my muscles, and air rushed its way into my chest as I looked around to where I was going ― to what was happening, and what's going on.

⠀My eyes widened and a curse blew past my lips as a hand latched itself to my wrist, pulling gently but eagerly. "Jesus!" I turned towards the person, ignoring the walkers that crept into my vision from all four sides.

⠀Daryl kept a firm, gentle grip on my wrist, looking me in the eyes. "You'll be seeing God if you don't move your ass!" His words came out as a harsh whisper, before he turned away but still kept me close.

⠀My legs didn't seem to want to move, so his hand became more rigid as he pulled me towards the fence of the prison. I had heard them cutting into it, but only now just noticed the whole pierced through it. And so I ducked my head, following closely behind him as I felt Beth usher herself behind me.

⠀Everyone eventually made it through, and we stood eagerly waiting as Glenn wrung a wire to stitch the hole back together. The fence rattled under their hands, and my legs never stood still for even a second as I brought a hand up to shield my eyes, and to look over the fence to the prison.

⠀We were breaking into a prison. Apart from the quantity of walkers that roamed the lower field, it didn't look very forgiving. It looked cold, and dank ― not a place I would call home. But the pull towards the forest was no longer swirling in my gut, telling me this is where were supposed to be.

⠀I let my eyes follow each walker, clad with blue jumpsuits as they aimlessly wandered across the field, somehow, lush grass. One approached me, clawing the fence and trying to reach through towards me.

⠀When the fence was rewired, everyone started tiredly jogging down the narrow space. Glenn had to tug on my shirt, as I drifted to the back with burning lungs.

⠀With everything happening, all I seemed to do was watch ― I felt useless.

⠀"It's... Perfect," Rick breathed out, right as we came to the front gate. I didn't know whether I should believe him, considering I didn't know much about prisons except from what I saw in movies. To me, it was a stone box full of different, and possibly horrible possibilities. "If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers."

⠀I looked up towards the open gate, seeing multiple corpses filter their way through and towards us. Someone would have to run and close it.

⠀"We'll take the field by tonight."

⠀I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, wiping my forehead as I approached the fence to get a better perspective of the pathway leading up to the gate.

⠀I almost craved the adrenaline that I sensed would come with running up it, the danger licking at your heels as walkers growled at every corner you turned. But I knew it wasn't my decision.

⠀"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel questioned, and I glanced over my shoulder to the group. As I gripped the fence in front of me, I turned my eyes to watch everyone gather and drop their bags as they looked to Rick.

⠀"I'll do it," Glenn piped up, taking half a step forward. "You guys cover me."

⠀But Maggie stood behind him, cutting off any more words. "No, it's a suicide run."

⠀Glenn glanced towards her. "I'm the fastest."

⠀I lifted an eyebrow, catching everyone's attention. "I don't think it's speed we need." Not only was that true, but I wanted to do this ― my idle mind was squirming in its case for some movement.

⠀But Rick stopped the debate short. "No," he rose a hand towards us. "You, Maggie, and Beth draw as many as you can over there." He pointed towards the fence, where it crossed over to the prison. "Pop them through the fence."

⠀I watched, with my hand still grasping the metal, as the people he had mentioned carried over some broken pipes, shovels, and other things towards their destination.

⠀"Carol, T-Dog, Harvey," the aforementioned nodded towards him. "Do the same over there." And then he pointed towards from where we just came.

⠀I took my bottom lip between my teeth, watching with a tightening force in my chest, as Rick ushered us towards our jobs.

⠀"Daryl, go back to the other tower. Marley go with him." The former already took off, whereas I was taken aside and a lower voice was used on me. Rick looked down to me, setting his hand on my shoulder. "Be calm, okay?"

⠀I accepted it, and nodded fervently, leaning down to our bag of weapons he had laid on the ground. They rattled in my grasp, but I soon fished out my MP5.

⠀It was heavier than I last remembered, nevertheless I swung the strap over my shoulder.

⠀I breathed heavily once again, with rushes steps and squinting into the sunlight as I followed Daryl's footsteps. I noticed him take a look over his shoulder at me, instinctively lessening his pace.

⠀My feet dug into the rocks, the soles of my shoes breaking and bending with age ― they were on their last strings, falling to pieces ― but they felt like a gift I couldn't throw away.

⠀Daryl held open the watchtower door, and I bolted in, quickly grasping the steps of the ladder and started to ascend.

⠀Halfway up, the man below me decided to speak. "Ain't you afraid of heights?"

⠀My legs stopped climbing, and my chest felt as if it were about to cave in from the shaky gasp of air I sucked in. I let my eyes fall downwards, briefly, his face in my vision. But then kept my eyes upwards. "Only when I'm reminded."

⠀There was a baited silence, and I could almost feel the cogs in his brain turning. We were wasting time here, waiting, but we didn't seem to mind.

⠀"Oh."

⠀"Yeah."

⠀I knew he had more to say, but this time I didn't wait to hear it as my arms shook under my own weight, carrying me further upward.

⠀When I reached the top, I kept my eye away from my surroundings as I held the hatch open for Daryl to climb out. Once he did, he immediately started to ready his crossbow.

⠀I did the same with my weapon, stretching out the stock and readying it against my shoulder.

⠀But before anything else, I looked down to my worn shoes, as the toes of them teetered forward towards the edge of the balcony.

⠀"You'll be okay?" He questioned, and his voice made me shudder.

⠀I ever so slightly shook my head from side to side, but answered in due time. "Sure hope so. Jesus fucking christ." My muscles chilled for a second as I leaned forward to look down.

⠀Rick looked like a small hamster in a wired maze, scurrying past walker after walker. It was our job to take out the ones he couldn't, tenfold. And so we did, firing on each one with our bullets and bolts. Some I would miss, but I was confident in my aim being at least over half good.

⠀Whilst the others stuck them through the fence, and we wiped the field clean, Rick made his way to the gate and closed it with a spare pair of bike locks we had found.

⠀And when he did so, he took his own tower right at the foot of this stone-cold, monument.

⠀Even with the rapid fire echoing amongst the field, Daryl's yell and exclamation still made me jump. "Light it up!"

⠀I presumed this meant take them all out, so I leaned my hips into the bar that lay in front of me, taking a scope and hitting each and every single walker I could find in my eyes.

⠀Then silence.

⠀The sun still hammered down, and it was relentless ― but the sound of moans and growls, became a mere distant memory and sensation.

⠀They all lay across the ground, setting down path to a place that we could hopefully make our home; this was the foundation.

━━━━━━━━━━

⠀As night fell, we managed to set up camp near the middle of the field; not too far from the road. With a certain amount of walkers being dragged and congregated further to the edge, we managed to find our oasis.

⠀It sat with an ambient fire sending embers towards the darkness, filling the air with an ashy and earthly scent. It hit our lungs like the feeling of home. We managed to lean into the grass, with the tall fences surrounding us ― vulnerability wasn't really on the cards right now.

⠀Even with that, we still had someone on watch.

⠀I let my palms spread over my knees as my body kneeled into the ground, setting my eyes on the thin blades below me. I waited beside Maggie, who was busy preparing something for us all to eat. Daryl had saved the owl he had caught in the previous house, and it seemed to fill us evenly despite its small size.

⠀When she had finished dishing out, I grabbed the two pieces of plastic Tupperware we had scavenged, filling my hands with warmth as the food inside steamed.

⠀I stood from my spot, turning away from everyone else and descending towards the bus that lay on its side.

⠀The rusted vehicle sat at the entrance of the prison, digging its metal into the ground. It left only a small gap for us to manoeuvre in and out of the entrance it lay in front of.

⠀I had to dodge multiple rotting bodies along the way, but as I strolled my mind wandered. It seemed to filter into the air just like the smoke from our fire. Thinning itself into the air above, self-decaying. My eyes would always faze out, seemingly looking at nothing at all.

⠀This came to my disadvantage as that same bus that lay at an incredible height and presence, seemed to stop me from walking further ― using my entire body to stop me.

⠀I stumbled, shaking my head as I stared disappointedly to the scrap of metal, huffing loudly.

⠀"Need help?" His voice said from above me, and I could practically hear his confusion at how I had somehow walked into this vehicle.

⠀I flicked the hair from my eyes, looking up and pressing my lips together for a moment. "No― I don't think so."

⠀He emerged, looking over the edge and raising an eyebrow as I stayed in place.

⠀"You coming up or―?"

⠀"Yeah," I rushed out quickly swerving myself to the other side.

⠀I tried, I really tried, to reach up and place the bowls on top of the bus - but with my height I was, yet again, at a disadvantage.

⠀"Need help?"

⠀I huffed, dropping my shoulders as I once again squinted upwards. He stood there expectantly, no expression on his face as he looked down at me.

⠀I gave no answer, except nodded with embarrassment.

⠀Before long, he had jumped down, taken the bowls from my hands and reached up with ease to place them up there.

⠀Then he managed to guide me towards the far end of the bus, telling me quietly where to place my hands and feet.

⠀Then, with a slight recoil only for a second, placed his hands along my back and around my hips as he lifted me carefully upwards.

⠀After asking if I had it, he still kept his hands there.

⠀Yet after being released of his hold, I only realised that not only was there a fire far from us, but there was one right here. It was displayed in the shapes on fingertips, and I was pretty sure they were on my skin.

⠀I swallowed heavily, trying to bury the gust of air threatening to gasp from my lips as I stood atop the structure.

⠀To distract myself, I picked up my bowl and shuffled over to the other side of the bus and sat with my legs swinging over the edge.

⠀"Y'alright?" I didn't much know the answer, but to give him one I glanced over my shoulder nodded again.

⠀He didn't seem convinced as he took his own food, and mirrored my actions keeping fair distance away.

⠀He waited a few moments before speaking up again. "What's wrong?"

⠀I didn't know, that was the truth. It wasn't like before where they were plain to see. I could pick them up and let them make marks in my hands. But now, it was like trying to pin down a cloud ― one that filled every vessel in my stream.

⠀A hollowing echo struck itself inside me.

⠀"You're all good people," I stated evenly, suddenly not having the stomach to touch the food I placed in my lap. "Good people, deserve places as good as this."

⠀He didn't say a word, only listening intently. And this was backed up as I glanced over, spotting his eyes on me. He turned away, quickly sticking the owl meat in his mouth.

⠀Daryl wore a faded poncho along his shoulders, it had seen its day. Threads hung from every corner, yet every time he wasn't closest to the fire he would bear it.

⠀He was the type of person to appreciate the broken things, the things thread bare and on their last mile.

⠀I felt like that was one of the few reasons he stuck around me.

⠀"I don't," I slowly shook my head. "There's no room for me."

⠀"The hell you talking 'bout?" His tone was slightly angered.

⠀"I reminded myself today the list in my head." My eyes turned glassy under the night sky, and I felt that fire once again in my chest as our eyes met each other. "That list that keeps getting longer."

⠀He didn't say anything, except tearing his gaze towards my wrist. The one propped up on his side, gripping the sharp metal I sat upon.

⠀Daryl waved towards the piece. "Was that his?"

⠀I looked down, spotting the watch. I turned it into the light, listening closely for a moment to hear the bated tick that carried on each day. "Yeah... it was."

⠀He tried to keep notice away from himself, but he failed as he moved closer. "Why'd you keep it?"

⠀I shrugged heavily, tucking my hair behind my ears as it fell into my eyes. Keeping my eyes downcast, I took my lips between my teeth nervously. "I don't know. Maybe to remind myself."

⠀There was a moment of silence as Daryl finished off the food in his bowl, wiping his hands on his trousers. I could practically hear the cogs in his brain turning as he tried to come up with something to say.

⠀I beat him to it. "What I'm trying to say is..." My eyes were tired, and I let them close. "You're good people. You do good things― at least what's good in this world now."

⠀"And what have I done? Beaten scared captives and carried out my own vendetta? Hardly productive in the survival sense― and they don't even know that." Pointing with my head to the local, tiresome vagabonds, I could only just who was who.

⠀I heard Daryl sigh.

⠀I turned towards him, blinking slowly. "Except for you." I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my lips. I used both my hands to tuck my hair slowly behind my ears. But my expression dropped. "I'm only good at the bad things, and that's all my fault."

⠀I could tell he didn't know what to say ― at least, for a while. I could only hear our harmonious breathes and the steady crackling embers from afar. A distant caw from the forest, and my own heartbeat thumping in my ears like a warm drum full of water.

⠀He opened his mouth, stuttering out as Daryl tried to form a sentence ― but it seemed his anxiety cut him off. I gave him that, he didn't need to say a thing.

⠀I chose to speak instead. "You don't have to say anything, you know?"

⠀He nodded quickly, pressing his lips into a line as he finally looked away from me.

⠀A shiver ran itself up my spine, and I wrapped my arms around myself. I hugged myself tightly, digging my nails into my bare arms.

⠀I saw Daryl shift beside me, and looked over to see the man standing from his spot. "What?"

⠀"You're cold."

⠀"I'm fine, Daryl."

⠀"Mm-hm?"

⠀I suppressed a smile at his words, and stood up as well. My muscles ached under my weight ― and it took me a moment to not teeter over the edge of the bus as I got my composure.

⠀"Daryl, stop."

⠀He had already gotten the poncho off his shoulders, revealing his bare arms and one of his many murky coloured shirts. He pushed it towards me, and I scoffed in protest. "Are you not cold?" I didn't know why I was whispering.

⠀He matched my volume. "Are you not cold?"

⠀And then he simply let it fall over my head, it landed not so gracefully over my figure. It practically drowned my small frame, yet it still held his heat from when he had worn it.

⠀It held his fire.

⠀After a drawn out sigh, I eventually gave in, tugging the fabric closer to my body. "You need to seriously kick that habit of answering my questions with another question, please."

⠀Looking up from the dark patterns I could hardly see in the minimal lighting, he was still looking at me. It made me swallow heavily again, cautiously taking a step back.

⠀you're burning me

⠀"We should get back."

━━━━━━━━━━

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ note.
MERRY EVERYTHING EVERYONE I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY

BUT MOSTLY HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY TO MARLEY VAN ALLEN
( edited ✓ )