▎SAFE HAVEN   ▎ 
»»————　act one. game of survival
CHAPTER TWO  ━━ campfire stories

"What book are you reading?" Josephine's head snapped up hearing a familiar voice, sitting up slightly with a faint smile on her face.

"The hunger games." She replied, showing glenn the cover of the book as he sat down beside her in one of the tent chairs. He turned his head to the lake in front of them-then back to josie, who had now shut her book-not before folding the corner of the page she was on.

It was starting to get dark, the sunset shining brightly with a hint of orange, making a delicate colour that josie liked. As josie got caught in her thoughts, she didn't notice the stare of admiration glenn was giving her. The sunlight reflected on her face, her emerald eyes glistening.

He didn't realise what he was doing until josie turned to him with a frown. "Are you okay?" She asked him softly, snapping him out of his daze.

"Uh, yeah, just lost in thought." He nodded his head a couple of times, turning his eye sight anywhere else but her.

"That happens to all of us nowadays." She commented, a sigh leaving her lips. "Thinking of what could of been if the apocalypse didn't take over. I didn't even get to find out if I got the job I wanted." She frowned slightly.

"What job did you want?" Glenn asked her, turning his attention back to the walsh girl. "Has to be better than delivering pizzas." He joked, watching as Josephine's face lightened up, a small laugh leaving her chapped lips.

"Well, i applied to be a marine biologist. I had a good diploma and a degree in biology and zoology." She explained as she turned to face him. "I never found out if I was accepted. I like to think I was, or would of been." She examined Glenn's face as he listened to her. She felt as if she could always talk to Glenn and confide in him when she needed to, and him the same. She thought he was a good friend, somsines she was close to in the camp, minus tiff.

"That sounds awesome. I would of loved to work with animals." Glenn grinned with innocence as josie did also. "I think you would of got the job." He hummed as she softly smiled.

"Better then delivering pizzas, huh?" She playfully retorted, sending a sarcastic sad look to him before turning to the lake.

"Way better than delivering pizzas." He nodded, a sigh leaving his lips, eyes focused on the lake also.

The two turned to each other at the same time before bursting out with laughter, josies hand slapping the arm of the chair she was in whilst Glenn covered his face as he laughed.

Trying to control her laughter, josie bit down on her tongue-knowing if she continued to laugh, she would start hiccuping.

That was proved when she let out a hiccup, eyes widening. When Glenn started bursting out with laughter again-covering his face with his hat, josie hiccuped once more. "This isn't funny." She breathed out, a serious look on her face which was ruined when she hiccuped again.

"It's kinda funny. You hiccup when you laugh, that's adorable." Glenn admitted as she shook her head, covering her face in embarrassment.

"Oh god, no. I hate it." Josie groaned as she looked at Glenn through her hands, a sheepish look on her face. Her hiccups had calmed down slightly as the two calmed down, bathing in the sun.

Josies cheeks tinted a slight pink as she clocked what Glenn said. Thinking nothing off it, josie ran a hand though her knitted hair, staring at the sun that was going down.

Josie sat next to Glenn and Tiffany (one on either side of her) facing the fire with her legs brought to her chest and her chin leaning on them. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and a blanket wrapped around her to keep me warm. 

She listened to Ricks story on how he got out of the hospital alive. But Josephine didn't miss the glares sent Shane's way by Lori and he didn't miss her glares either. 

"Disoriented. I guess that comes closest. Disoriented. Fear, confusion... all those things but... Disoriented comes closest." Rick said, hand through Carl's hair. 

"Words can be meager things. Sometimes they fall short." Dale spoke up, being his wise self and which made josie smile. 

"I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else. For a while I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something I might not wake up from ever." Rick Muttered, shaking his head as he recalled what his thoughts were.

"Mom said you died." Carl looked up at his dad. Josie felt her breath stop in her throat as she stared at her nephew.

"She had every reason to believe that. Don't you ever doubt it." Rick said, kissing his sons forehead. Lori looked up at Shane-which josie didn't miss, lowering her head.

"When things started to get really bad, they told me at the hospital that they were gonna medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta, and it never happened." Lori was quick to say.

"Well, I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell." Rick replied to his wife, to who replied with a quiet 'Yeah.' "And from the look of that hospital, it got overrun." Rick replied to his wife. 

"Yeah, looks don't deceive. Me and Josie barely got them out, you know?" Shane said making everyone turn to josie, making her look up.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to you, both of you. I can't begin to express it." Rick said with a smile which made josie give a tiny one back.

"There go those words falling short again. Paltry things." Dale spoke up, with a smile.  Tiff turned around when She heard crackling which made her roll my eyes. Josie noticed this also, turning around to see the family of three behind them.

Tiffany bit the inside of my her lip when see Ed sitting back down. "Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?" She asked, calmly.

"It's cold." Ed snapped at Tiffany, making josie frown. She knew what kind of person Ed was-as did everyone else.

"The cold don't change the rules, does it? Listen to kid, we Keep our fires low, just embers so we can't be seen from a distance, right?" Shane asked this time, politely. 

"I said it's cold. You people should mind your own business for once." Ed was quick to spit at Shane. Shane had enough as he stood up and walked over to Ed and his family.

"Hey, Ed... Are you sure you want to have this conversation, man?" Shane tilts his head, hands on hips and Ed lets out a defeated sigh.

"Go on. Pull the damn thing out. Go on!" Ed spat at his wife, Carol. Josie had spoken to the poor woman numerous times but due to her abusive husband, she barely talked to anyone which made josie feel sorry for her and her daughter. 

Carol pulled the log out of the fire, listening to her husbands sharp words. Sophia, watched as she pulled the log out. Shane then stomped on the flame out before crouching in front of the girls.

"Hey, Carol, Sophia, how are y'all this evening?" He asked gently.

Tiffs eyes softened at the woman and her child.  "Fine. We're just fine." Carol says and Shane nods.  "I'm sorry about the fire." She was quick to apologise which made josies heart burn.

"No no no. No apology needed. Y'all have a good night, okay?" Shane smiled at the girls and Carol thanked him. Shane then turned to Ed and a frown came back on Shane's face. "I appreciate the cooperation." He says before rejoining the rest of them.

Tiff let out a sigh and rested her head josies shoulder, due to the fact she was very tired. "Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind." Dale pipes up. Josies eyes widened. Daryl wouldn't take this as good news.

"I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me." T-dog spoke up.

"I cuffed him. That makes it mine." Rick also added which made Josephine let out a deep sigh.

"Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy." Glenn piped up, careful of his words not to hurt anyone.

"I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from him." T-dogs said, firmly. Josie didn't really have a problem with the Dixon's. Daryl shut himself off and only spoke to his brother. The only time josie had spoken to him was when She was forced by Lori to offer him food which he was accepted with a grunt.

"We could lie." Amy suggests but Josie shook her head.

"Lying won't make it better. Y'all can't be serious to actually leave him on that roof to die?" Josie was quick to say and She saw a couple of heads nod.

"Who cares about him, j? He was a dick." Tiff voiced her opinions.

"But he's still a human being, just like all of us. Yes he's a bad one, but man-" josie shook her head. "Leaving him to die like that ain't human."

"Josies right, we tell the truth. Merle was out of control. Something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed. Your husband did what was necessary. And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault but Merle's." Andrea spoke. Josie sent her a small smile as She looked back at the flames.

"And that's what we tell Daryl? I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise... We're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt." Dale says which made josie hum in agreement. 

"I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it." T-dog raised his hands in defence.

"We were all scared. We all ran. What's your point?" Andrea asked.

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against it at any one time. It's not enough to break through that... Not that chain, not that padlock. My point... Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us." T-dog spoke, looking at all of the group before getting up.

Josie was woken up suddenly by something or someone shaking her-which made her pull out her gun from under her pillow and sit up, ready to shoot, thinking it was a Walker but Josie sighed when sne saw the sad look on Glenn's face.  "Shit." She muttered as She put her gun down, covering her face with her hands. "Why the fuck did you wake me up like that glenn?" She asked as She wiped the sleepiness out of her eyes. 

"Jo, Come look what they are doing to my car." Glenn tilted his head sadly which made josie groan and tilt his hat down.

"Get out then, I'll be out in a minute." She told him and he was soon out of her tent and he zipped it up-which she was thankful for. 

Josie quickly got dressed, wearing one of her brothers flannels and a pair of jeans, and placed her holster on her belt with her gun inside of it. Josie looked down, staring at the wave necklace that her old bestfriend gifted her for her 16th birthday, along with a matching tattoo on her collarbone.

She then stood out of her tent that she shared with tiff, realising the teen was already awake. She then saw Glenn, who was looking at his Car, sadly. Josie then realised that they were taking it apart.

Josie chuckled as she walked over to him-not before saying good morning to Carol, who was doing laundry. Glenn had his arms folded, watching a annoyed tiff, Dale, Jim and Morales taking apart the red sports car. "You really woke me up because of this? I almost shot you, you idiot." She told him, waking the back of his head which made him wince and hold the back of his head. 

"What was that for?" He cried, holding his head.

Josie shrugged. "For waking me up when I was having a nice dream."

Glenn rolled his eyes before waking the back of josies head which now made her hold the back of her head. "What was that for?" Josie wined.

"For almost shooting me." He mocks her, making her roll her eyes and turn back to the car.

"I didn't even get a spin on it." Josie tilted her head, looking at the car. She then turned to see Rick walk up to them. Josie give him a smile before turning back to the car.

"Look at 'em. Vultures. Yeah, go on, strip it clean." Glenn shook his head which made josie chuckle to herself.

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. Sorry, Glenn." Dale tells Glenn which makes Glenn sigh.

"Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days." Glenn says which made josie scoff. 

"Me too." Tiff frowned sadly, dropping one of the tires to the floor.

"At least you two got to have a spin in it." She rolled her eyes at Glenn and tiff which made Rick chuckle.

"Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday." Rick told Glenn, patting his back. Then Rick turned to josie. "You can join too, I know how much you love cars."

"Damn right there will be a next time." Josie smiled to herself, amused. And with that, Rick goes off. Josie turned back to Glenn, who was still looking at the car with his bottom lip out. "Come on, that's do something useful today and not moping over a car. A pretty sweet car." Josie mumbled the last bit as Glenn nodded.

The two turned around at the sound of a truck to see Shane, who had come back from getting water. "Water's here, y'all. Just a reminder to boil before use." He told them all, getting out of his car. Josie walked over to get her share of the water only to freeze due to kids screaming, two of them being Carl and sophias.

Josie immediately ran to the screams, pulling out the gun in her holster as she ran in front of everyone. Her brothers Training really helped if she was honest.

"Aunt jj!" She heard Carl yell. Josie stopped when she felt herself being tackled by two small people. She looked down to see someone hugging her lower half to see Sophia and carl.

Josie let out a sigh as she crouched to their level. "You guys okay?" She started checking for bite marks or scratches on the two children. "Your not bitten or hurt?" Josie asked again as the two shook their head. 

Josie let out a sigh of relief and she turned to see Lori who came up behind her. She gently give lori Sophia and Carl and followed after the men who had gone to see what it was. She scrunched her face up to see a Walker feeding on a deer.

All of a sudden the men started to attack the Walker, one by one. Dale chopped off it's head which made her shake her head, looking away from the creature in disgust.  "It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale said, looking down at the Walker.

She tilted her head when she noticed three familiar arrows in the deer. Josie crouched down to pick them up, Tiffany behind her as  everyone looked at josie whilst she pulled out the arrows and stood back up, wiping the dirt of her jeans. "There Daryl's. Seen him clean them before." She told them, showing them the arrows.

A branch snapped which made josie turn back around, looking into the forest. Shane held his shotgun high but lowered it down when Daryl Dixon came out of the trees and stopped when he saw the gun pointed at him.  He looked down at the deer and the Walker and let out a grunt. "Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this... filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!" He kicked the carcass of the Walker four times which made josie roll her eyes. 

"Calm down, son. That's not helping." Dale says, calmly. 

"What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "on golden pond"?" Daryl glared at Dale before turning to the deer. Josie narrowed her eyes at him as he spoke to Dale. "I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

"I would not risk that." Josie shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest, arrows still in her hand, looking down at the deer.

"Yeah, that's probably riddled with diseases by now." Tiffany added, growing disgusted as she looked at the dead walker and deer.

Daryl let out a sigh as josie uncrossed her arms and gave him the three arrows. He takes them out of her grasp and gave her a nod, "That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel... about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." Daryl said, pointing to his squirrels that was wrapped around his waist. 

Suddenly, the head of the Walker started to move its teeth which sent shivers down josies spine as she looked at the creature.  Daryl let out a grunt as he looked down at the Walker. "Come on, people. What the hell?" He shot it with one of his arrows. "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?" He asked before walking back to camp. 

They all turned around and followed the younger Dixon back to camp. Someone had to tell him about his brother which made josie feel bad.  "Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up." Daryl called out to his brother.

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane said, placing his gun in his car. 

"About what?" Daryl asks. Josie bit the inside of her cheek, fidgeting with her flannel nervously.

"About Merle. There was a... There was a problem in Atlanta." Shane simply said which made josie tilt her head due to the way her brother worded it.

"He dead?" Daryl asked. Josie scrunched up her face, running a hand through her hair.

"We're not sure." Shane told Daryl which made him tilt his head at Shane.

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl growled at Shane which made Rick walk up to the pair. 

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick Butted in which made Daryl look at him.

"Who are you?" Daryl asked with a cocky attitude.

"Rick grimes." Rick answered Daryl calmly. 

"Rick grimes, you got something you want to tell me?" Daryl asked Rick, tilting his head again.

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there." Rick admitted, getting straight to the point. 

"Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!" Daryl asked, worried for his brothers sake. 

"Yeah." Rick nodded, simply.

Daryl scoffed, launching himself at Rick and throwing his squirrels at him. Josie let out a frustrated sigh as She turned to look at Glenn who shook his head at her, also finding the situation unbelievable. Tiff stood to the side, beside t-dog, amused.

Shane tackled him to the ground and got up. Josie turned to see T-dog drop his logs and run over to them. Josie noticed Daryl movement and looked down to see Daryl pull out his knife.

"Hey! Watch the knife!" T-dog called out, also noticing the knife. Daryl threw his hands at Rick, trying to stab him but Shane got Daryl's arm and pulled him into a head lock which made Tiffany roll her eyes, unimpressed of the petty fight that just went down.

"You'd best let me go!" Daryl growled, trying his best to get out of Shane's grasp.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Shane brought Daryl and himself to the floor. 

"Choke hold's illegal." Daryl spat out, making josie chuckle to herself, covering her mouth with her hand, earning a nudge from Glenn. 

"You can file a complaint. Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day." Shane replied smugly, wanting for Daryl to drop the knife. 

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Rick crouched down to Daryl's level. "Do you think we can manage that?" Rick repeated. 

"Mmm. Yeah." Daryl replied, bitterly, making Shane let go of him. 

"What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others." Rick told Daryl who was sat on the floor, defeated.

"It's not Rick's fault. I had the key. I dropped." T-dog added from beside tiff. 

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl asked and Josie let out a sigh.

"He dropped it down a drain." Josie said, simply, crossing her arms over my chest. 

"If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't." Daryl spat bitterly which made josie raise my hands.

"Don't shoot the messenger." She grinned, clearly amused which made Daryl scoff at the girls antics.

"Look, I chained the door to the roof... So the geeks couldn't get at him... With a padlock." T-dog pipped up.

"It's gotta count for something." Rick adds. 

"Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so that I can go get him." Daryl wiped his eyes, turning to Rick. 

"He'll show you. Isn't that right?" Lori piped up, calmly, looking at Rick as her husband nodded.

"I'm going back." He said. And with that everyone started to go off to do their own thing.

Josie turned to T-dog and Tiffany and let out a sigh. "That was amusing." 

The two nodded their head, agreeing with a slight smile on their lips "Damn right it was." T-dog replied.

MADDIES NOTES —
3RD SEPT 2023

I know that this story sometimes switches to past and present but I'm using the dialogue from my other twd story bc it's effort to type it all up, so If you catch that no you didn't and I'm gonna haunt you for the rest of your lives 👹👹

3846 words !!