CHAPTER SIX ,
animal kingdom

⠀The air seemed viscous with mildew, and the remnants of other people. Rick raised his knife, ready to onslaught anything that came. But as Daryl pulled the door open, we were met with nothing. An iron gate disuniting us from the inside. I walked in oscillation after the men, delving into the darkness. Each corner and crevice painted with shadows, and incarcerated ghosts. The indents in the walls seemed to asseverate. They spoke of who had been here and what happened to them.

⠀I swallowed thickly, hearing the rasp of the doors both in front of and behind me. I reluctantly pulled the lance from my shoulder, despite Rick's ostensibly relaxed shoulders. He turned to give us a short nod, his hands lingering outwards. In the corner of my eye, I spotted the rest of us, including T-Dog who closed the metal door behind us. it revealed nothing but stagnant darkness.

⠀My eyes couldn't see far enough into the block to feel safe, yet I felt a beckoning pull.

⠀With my unknown source of curiosity, and Daryl's confidence spurring me on, I stepped in further. He kept his back tight and straight, assured in his surroundings. Despite the nothingness of it all.

⠀I didn't know whether I could call this shade, as the bright sun still seemed to seep into the walls. But the shadows enveloped our once scorched skin in cool relief. My eyes took a while to adjust, and I squinted as dust fell in front of me. the grey schema made our pathway foreboding, as we shuffled wordless through the space, reaching out to anything foreign.

⠀The silence filtered around us, and I cluelessly followed Daryl's form in the lack of light. Going down steps, and sauntering around the empty ― what seemed to be ― cafeteria area. Even though my lance worked, and I had seen it work, I found myself relying on the crossbow pointed outwards from the hands of the man in front of me.

⠀I watched his eyes flit and scan, moving erratically and his eyelashes fluttering. It was then I spotted him watching as Rick ascended another set of stairs.

⠀There seemed to be nothing there.

⠀Without another thought, I pushed past Daryl and towards the other gate that led to the rest of the block. Framed by scattered paper and various amounts of other litter. Gripping the metal tightly, I only moved it lightly as the make minimal noise ― but the only stayed still in my grasp.

⠀I looked over my shoulder on instant, and spotted Daryl eyeing my hand that still lay across the bar. Then his eyes flicked upwards, towards my own gaze.

⠀Rick soon approached, a large set of keys suspended from the end of his pointer finger as if in exultation. I shifted backwards, impinging vainly with the hunter's body before stepping beside him.

⠀A resound carried to my ears, as the key turned firmly in its lock. Our leader pushed the bars earnestly and it thwacked against the parallel wall.

⠀It was a protracted row of cells that lay promptly next to each other; neighbouring booths perforated with blood and mire. And nothing burst forth from the veil, and our advance became more composed.

⠀As I segregated myself from Daryl's presence, my nose curled and I found myself glowering. Bodies in repose, dispersed between each cell. Their uniforms sullied and lacerated. Blood fanned out across the surfaces almost in a Claude Monet picturesque fashion ― from afar, making the grosser depiction.

⠀I kept travelling through the leeway, hearing only our footfalls and the consistent rap of my heart. There was a space where the world seemed darker, advancing into what seemed to be an augmented conundrum.

⠀An additional gate, fastened and seemingly steadfast so.

⠀I, for once, sensed a desire to reach out and lurk further into the dimness.

⠀But obscurity became my last thought, as the distress of the lesions that still spread across my neck. I extended my palm to finger the wounds, cautiously.

⠀I quickly regarded Rick Grimes as he scaled yet another set of stairs, his jaw set. I could only observe, leaving me unaccompanied in the corner of the cell block, ostensibly still in advent to the gate.

⠀And despite my simple preoccupation with the gate, something far behind the placid metal precipitated towards me. Accompanied by a low, beastly yowl... the walkers reached through the tiny gaps.

⠀I capered backwards with a minor bawl, instantly dropping my lance.

⠀I knew the gate could keep them out, but it didn't stop my lungs from dismaying themselves.

⠀"Marley?"

⠀I gyrated on the spot, hair slipping over my eyes. I tucked the flyaway behind my ears when I beheld Daryl with his crossbow raised to his sights, approaching hastily.

⠀He didn't utter a word as he stayed reticent with a looming aim over the walkers that still growled.

⠀It wasn't long before the bolts had buried themselves in the pliant bones of the corpses.

⠀I breathed out, going to reach for my lance that still lay on the ground.

⠀But Daryl already had it between his fingers, waiting patiently to hand it over between the small amount of space that sat amidst us.

⠀"Thanks," I whispered.

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⠀The definition of a home, by any standard dictionary or documents, the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. And that notion detained itself amongst my brain. About whether this was permanent, even when this crude family seemed just that ― expedient. When you feel trifling among a seemingly unfluctuating family, the home which they chose doesn't seem like yours.

⠀I felt like a pariah.

⠀Despite that, I took my time establishing myself in a cell on the far end of the ground floor. I was contiguous with the gate I so desperately wanted to enter. I have feelings, and I have had them before ― something inward told me to follow it but how could I know.

⠀I felt imbecilic.

⠀Additional clamours came from the other end of the block, and I tuned my ears to hear what was going on as I deflated to the piteous, cold mattress.

⠀"So..." Rick's voice was first, and I leaned over to the doorway to get a better look at what was going on. I ended up situating myself across the fabrics, bringing my throbbing legs upward. My joints alleviated themselves athwart the bed.

⠀The rest of the group had clustered, whilst T-Dog hurled a waif cadaver across the concrete.

⠀"What do you think?" Rick descended towards them.

⠀I looked around the monotonous medium, yawning tiredly as my neck made a small noise.

⠀"Home sweet home," Glenn quipped, carrying a large curled up duvet under his arm. His eyes lit up with sarcasm, from what I could see.

⠀"For the time being, yes."

⠀"It's secure?" from then on I didn't have the vigour to listen in, hindering any sound from reaching my ears as I elevated my hands to press rigidly against the hot skin of my ears.

⠀And my ears did obstruct any unsought babble, so much so that it was redoubtable to me. My eyelids quivered, opening expeditiously, discerning the gloom of the stone ceiling above me. When moments before, the environment was slight with the sun. A void grind, as if the foundations of this very building moved.

⠀Catching the fine blankets between my fingers, I drew myself to a sitting position.

⠀No sound, so sign of activity.

⠀I blinked again, finding myself in a promenade state as the corners and walls of this place exhibited not as they once were. No waste, or refuse caught my eye. There wasn't even any people. They weren't manifested in my view.

⠀And then the gate, it wasn't a gate but a patent door; unblemished.

⠀My hand orbited the handle, feeling the icy metal against my fingertips. Hurriedly pulling it towards me, I was plunged into the new room ― and the extent of the colours that circulated the once blank walls.

⠀Hues of blue, and greens; brilliant purples and the austere whites came across the aperture of my mind. A thick, pane separated me from the vat that held a substantial measure of fish.

⠀They scurried past me, back and forth, as I approached it in a haze. A transient stroll towards the tank, all too peculiar to be a part of real life.

⠀Cracks echoed, and they splintered. Only then did I realise my hand was placed firmly against the spider-webbing fractures.

⠀And then red, as the steadfast and forthcoming shark manoeuvred amongst the tiny fish. It devoured at ease, but then thrashed amongst the blood that filtered throughout the once glacial water. This aquarium was a necropolis turning into mass proportions. My digits coiled against the glass, and the view didn't make me shudder.

⠀It was all too familiar, as the shards emerged from the surface, concaving against the unwavering sea. The liquid wrapped around me legs, enveloping my body like those flames before ― as the shark took an unmoving glance towards my eyes... emotionless, and mercilessly hungry.

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⠀A hasty breath made my throat sore, as I sat up in my bed for what seemed the second time ― but it was the first. A small cry released past my lips, and my hands once again clenched the sheets.

⠀A sharp ache from my palm caught my attention, but the heed of my eyes were diverted to the figure against the wall.

⠀Daryl was arced into himself, arms folded neatly atop his bent knees. His face placid against the steady moonlight that sieved through the many high windows amongst the prison walls.

⠀This was a scarce event, seeing this person so tranquil. This specific person, and I was pulled from the macabre cloud above my head ― taking my time in observing.

⠀He seemed to sense my eyes on him. Daryl stirred, bringing his hands to his eyes and pinching the space between his eyebrows. "Fuck," he murmured under his breath, clenching his eyes shut tightly.

⠀I was immobile in my stance as he realised where he was, his muscles becoming active and getting the ready to stand from the spot. And he did, pushing his hands into his pockets before he spotted me with my eyes on him.

⠀He didn't say a word, just stood discomposed.

⠀"Fuck," he repeated, wanting to keep it to himself but I heard it loud and clear.

⠀I rose and eyebrow, serene despite a small uttered swear word from Daryl Dixon seemed to do the trick.

⠀"Am I supposed to say 'fuck' back?" Lowering my voice to unveil a more scarred quality, my pathetic imitation of him failed to amuse his party.

⠀He didn't answer at first, stuck on giving me a bewildered reaction, but the soon movement of his eyes gave me a clue. "How'd you get those?"

⠀The dried blood stuck to my hand, trailing itself amongst the cracks and crevices. Sticky, and murky amongst my pale blue veins. "I honestly have no idea."

⠀"Not that. Those," he pointed calmly to my neck and it made me flinch for a moment as I remembered being under the claws of the walker earlier in the day.

⠀"A walker," I gulped thickly. "I did panic and think it would... ya know?" I could distinctly picture the faded nail beds digging into my skin, scratching at my own service. "But... I feel fine."

⠀He nodded, taking no pauses as he pushed a small, seemingly once warm, can into my hands. "You didn't eat, so."

⠀I licked my lips fervently. "Uh, thanks." I swirled the spoon around the milky substance, spotting the faded label that once said something along the lines of 'chicken soup'... hopefully, anyways.

⠀He lingered above me as I looked down, feeling my stomach grumble. My eyes widened in embarrassment at the low noise emitting from my body. He seemed to need to watch me take a bite, and then maybe he would be satisfied.

⠀And when I did, swirling the cold mixture around my mouth, he made his way to the doorway and exited swiftly.

⠀As the food slowly filled my stomach, I expected no more assembly to surround me, but just as the plastic spoon hit the empty bottom of the can ― he came back.

⠀With an object in his hand, he knelt to the ground and beckoned my open wound towards himself. I vacillated, before opening up my skin and letting the glutinous blood stretch across and falter my movement.

⠀Daryl started to wrap the gauze across it, his hands very apparent to be shaking as he tried his best to keep it neat, and hold my wrist tenderly.

⠀"Did you know..." I started, gaining his attention. "Most shark species have to keep moving or they die. They have to keep the water moving over their gills or they can't breathe."

⠀He stopped the process, only for a trice to look through his eyelashes and towards me with a questioning gaze, but he didn't say anything. I figured this meant he didn't care, until he had his own fashion of words for me.

⠀"Why are you telling me this?" He asked divisively. "There ain't no sharks around." He huffed tiredly, finishing off the bandage over my hand that wound around my bones and over the now covered wound.

⠀"I know that, dummy." I stated evenly. "I was just thinking about how animals are different to us."

⠀He played with the end of the gauze, causing shivers to run up my bones at the feather fall contact. "How so?" Daryl kept his gaze away, suddenly finding my prominently flushed skin at the start of my wrist very bewitching.

⠀"They seem to play by rules ― ones of the animal kingdom." I explained with heavy eyes, letting my head and shoulders sink down to the mattress, lulled by the graze of Daryl's fingertips. "It's like, ingrained in their DNA."

⠀He let a large exhale escape his chest, before asking me another question. "Where's this going?"

⠀"Did you know... humans are the only animals who kill because we like it?"

⠀He nodded lethargically, suddenly realising the placements of his hands but didn't have the guile to pull away. "How profound." He went for the easy way to respond. Daryl wasn't always one to drive the conversation.

⠀"You think so?"

⠀He bowed his head tiredly, no answer but I translated it as a 'yes'.

⠀The exhaustion seemed to rise off him like steam, and he just knelt there like he could stay there all night. "You need sleep?" I whispered.

⠀It was only then, that he left the room and didn't come back. Just before leaving, uttering another 'fuck' that made me smile into the crumpled sheets beneath me.

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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ note.
this was obviously kind of a filler but i'm just itching to get into s3 u don't understand

stay lovely my darlings !!!
( edited ✓ )