Not So Little Sister

Sebastian let out a sigh. “I hope you don’t regret it,” he added. “And I’m sure you’re spreading the hope around just fine. I just don’t want to see you get hurt because of it.” He was very considerate towards people, even though it depended on the situation, but he didn’t want to see anyone in danger.

Maddie’s head tilted as she shifted slightly out of the sun’s glare. It was easier for her to see who she was talking but too much movement would peak the dogs anxiety as of yet. “I live here,” she motioned with a head motion towards the door beside her, “I ain’t got far to run.”

Luna wasn’t too used to much of the happy or upbeat people, much like the person she heard from afar. The tune coming from the guitar was enough to get her head to sway to the beat. She stopped for a moment to make sure she wasn’t going to be a meal for a walker before quietly walking on over to the person with the guitar. “That’s a pretty guitar,” she spoke. 

      Maddie wasn’t oblivious, no. She had a military sniper for a brother, so when she was being approached, she didn’t need to eye her pet but Daisy’s reaction to strangers did help. When her head picked up, the blonde lifted her eyes to the dark haired girl, stopping the strumming just in time to hear her speak. “Thanks,” she offered a smile, “my brother actually found this one is a house somewhere...”

“Is it such a smart thing to play guitar out here knowing what creatures could be lurking?” He asked as he looked at the person and the animal. He hoped his opinion would have some impact. Though, had it been a better world and he had his acoustic with him, he would probably enjoy collaborating on a song. 

Maddie’s eyes rose and she smiled, the strums stopping at the flat of her hand gently pressing upon the strings. “Thanks for the advice but,” her eyes fell back to Daisy, the wolfdog resting beside her, “Daisy knows when the infected are coming, she lets me know,” she reached over, running her hand down the dog’s back. “Maybe we were just trying to cheer up a passer by.”

        She sat on the stoop of the police station, her fingers strumming idly on her guitar while she sang. Daisy had nested by her side, a bowl of water keeping her grounded at home along side her owner. 

                                                                                                                    (x)   

           Oh my god, it really was her. Dakota would have clung longer, hugged tighter, but this was the first time meeting face to face. An age after the internet, after technology. The’d both survived and they’d both managed to end up in the same place. Dakota wasn’t one for believing in faith, but she was beginning to question it all now. 

The smile faded at Maddie’s second question. Are you with anyone? A flash of her mother flashing wildly in her head. Like a scene from a horror movie, so much blood. She zoned out for a moment, but quickly returned. 

Shaking her head quickly as to try and shake the image from her mind. Eyes blinking up, a sad sort of smile tugging her lips. 

                                            “No. ” she finally replied. 

“My parents didn’t make it. I’m alone. ” she hadn’t wanted to make such a happy moment into something negative. She’d always been so positive and happy no matter the situation, but all of this had even weighed on her conscious . 

Maddie sighed, her head tilting slightly with a curtain of a frizzy blonde pony tail. Immediately, she pulled her friend back into a warm hug, holding her in close. Every day she was reminded how lucky she was that she had her brother -- now, she was even luckier to have a friend.

“My parents didn’t either,” she said, offering her own side as condolence, “they were in Washington when it hit and...” she glanced over her shoulder, a single walker coming their way. Bullets were too precious to waste on one, plus, it was too far to be an immediate threat. 

“As soon as I find Daisy, you can come and stay with us -- me and my brother, Charlie. The one that joined the Army, remember?” she was glowing. Her days were spent with Charlie and Daisy, and that was it. Kota was always someone she’d been drawn to, they had spoken every day when times were simpler.

There was a rustle in the treeline near by, catching her attention, only to have the mutt bound out of the brush with a giant stick in her mouth. Kneeling down, Daisy ran right to her, dropping the stick and licking at her cheek happily.

         It had only been a day since Dakota had gotten to the safe zone, it was odd and strangle alone despite being surrounded by people. The ride from Utah to Oregon had been a mission, a destination in mind. Her mind consumed by getting there alive so there hadn’t been time to dwell on much anything else. But now, everything was slowing down and with it the thoughts creeping back. Her parents were gone, she was alone. 

That being until a familiar face made it’s self known. The girl walking down the main street of the guarded little town of Astoria. Blue eyes widening as the recognition hit her. No way!

                                              “ MADDIE?! ”

        she shouted the girl’s name. It had to be her, it was defiantly her. Before she even realized what she was doing she was already running across the street toward her. Arms out and quickly finding it’s mark, wrapping tightly around the girl in pure excitement and relief. 

        Granted she hadn’t even thought about how odd it would be as they’d never met in person. Or that she made end up getting punched out of sear reflex. Everyone was a little paranoid these days. Being grabbed at wasn’t something a person should do, but even if the girl ended up harming her, she wouldn’t have cared. It was just a relief to see a familiar face. 

@mxddiebennctt​

“Dammit, Daisy,” she huffed as she strode away from the police station. Yes, Daisy was a dog, but that didn’t give her the right to go busting off after every single squirrel she saw. One of these days, the blonde would stop trusting the damn mutt and just keep her on a leash like Charlie told her to. Alas, though, here she was, trumping through the streets near by, looking for the damn dog again..

Maddie wasn’t one to assume the worst, she had Charlie for that. So, though her gun was on her and loaded, it wasn’t out or off safety. If she needed it, it was tucked safely away in the back of her pants. Besides, she needed to hands to wrangle that beast the kept escaping her. 

Diligently she looked. Until she heard her name come from an unfamiliar voice. She snapped around to look.

A familiar face filled her memory -- pleasant things coming back to her all at once. 

                                “Kota!”

Her arms wrapped tightly around the familiar figure.

It’d been too long, far too long, that last time they’d even spoken they were fifteen and on a silly internet site and she was excited about going to camp. Maddie had liked her photography, Kota had liked her singing. The two had hit it off quickly, making fast friends. Maddie was from SoCo where as Kota was from the midwest... so how the hell did she get here?

The hug ended far too soon, and she was very surprised. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, still not quite believing that this was actually happening. “Are you with anyone?

He couldn’t believe how loud firefights were. The shots echoes off the buildings that hemmed in the narrow street, the burned out hull of a car wasn’t nearly enough shelter for Charlie’s bulky frame. He huddled down, slipping another magazine into his M39, and racking back the action. 

“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name…” He whispered as he prepared to find his next target. As a designated marksman, his job was to give his squad a fighting chance by eliminating anything out of the range of the M4s. He popped up, shouldering his weapon and firing. Next to him, one of his squadmates crumpled, but there was no time to react. Charlie felt a hot, searing pain, just under the edge of his body armor. Blood course from the wound with each beat of his pounding heart. His conscious mind knew it was an arterial bleed, but he was helpless to do anything except slowly collapse to the packed earth, the sounds of the battle fading…

 Charlie jerked upright, sweat pouring off of his body, soaking the blankets. A hand flew to his chest, covering the dream wound as he struggled to ground himself again. Shaking himself, he rose from his cot, staggering towards the kitchen for a drink, still in a daze.

As he passed through the darkened doorway, light blinded him as paws planted themselves on his bare chest, a warm, wet tongue bathing his face in doggy kisses. “Daisy, off.” He ordered, squinting against the light. “Couldn’t sleep.” He pushed pass the dog towards their water supply. “I could ask the same, Moo.” Taking a slow drink, he quirked an eyebrow at her. “Nice muzzle control, though. I appreciate not getting murdered.”

She sighed in relief the moment she heard Charlie’s voice. “Daisy,” she said, before giving a small whistle which brought the animal happily trotting back to her side. Idly, she ran her fingers through the thick fur and stared at her brother while he made his way in. 

“You got lucky,” she said, raising her eyebrows, leaning against the counter while he got his own drink. After his was poured, she took another drink of her own. “I mean, if you had been anyone else you’d be be dead on the floor...” she offered him that as sort of a filler between the questions, wanting to avoid admitting that moments before she’d shot up feeling Lacey’s blood on her hands once again and her dirty hair between her fingers. She wasn’t going to admit that she could feel her heart break all over again with every weak beat. 

Maddie awoke abruptly. Sun hadn’t crested yet, the stars still hung in the sky and the halls of the station were silent. Quietly, she moved from her bed to get water, but honestly it was more or less to shake the feeling of existential dread that remained from the dream. So, she reached over, picking up both her flash light and gun before quietly stepping over Daisy, so followed suit with her owner down the hallway. 

The kitchen-converted-kitchenette was cold and dark, and the light from her flashlight got her through towards where they kept the filtered water. Per usual, she propped herself up on the counter and began to sip on the water... that is, until Daisy began to growl at the door left ajar. First thing, without thinking, she slid off the counter, drawing her gun and aiming it at the door with her flashlight pointed as well. But, alas, it was Charlie that entered, and Daisy ambushed him with her paws on his chest trying to kiss his cheek.

“Daisy,” she repeated with a little nod. “That does suit her.” Lila was under no illusions that being kind would get the girl to trust her, which is what prompted her next suggestion. “What do you think about putting our weapons down at the same time? I don’t think you want to shoot me any more than I want to shoot you- which isn’t at all for the record.”

“I didn’t get to name ‘er,” she said, shaking her head slightly for a moment, the gun’s weight pulling her arm down again -- slightly, just a little bit lower than it was before. Moments like this reminded her that she should honestly work out with Charlie more. 

At the mention of the deal she nodded, the knot cinching in our stomach at the thought. Maybe, she’d have the opertunity to duck behind a car if she needed. “One...... two......” she started to count, watching the older one’s shoulders closely and waited for three.

Emily stepped into sight and raised her hands, not getting shot was high on her to do list today. Like right up there. “Hi, sorry,” she said, stepping a little closer but keeping her hands up, “Emily here. I heard the guitar and I thought I’d come and check it out.”

It had been a while since Emily had heard music that wasn’t her butchering Twinkle Twinkle on Maya’s demand and the song had sounded vaguely familiar to her. Maybe something she’d heard from before. “I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

And just like that, the gun was lowered to her hip, but still out in plain sight. She smiled, kneeling down to pat the dog on her ribs with a few scratches in between. 

“Oh yeah...” she blushed slightly while her blue eyes diverted for just a second. “It used to be one of my favorite songs... it wasn’t too hard to pick up..” she said rising back to her feet but holding Daisy’s collar. “It’s fine... we aren’t used to visitors around here.”

This girl looked young, and a significant part of Lila felt both sympathetic and impressed by the fact that she had made it this far. However, she had no intention of dropping her weapon until the blonde did first. She doubted that would be any time soon; this girl was standing her ground and seemed appropriately wary of a stranger in her territory. 

“You’re lucky, she seems like a great companion.” She commented lightly before smiling at the question. “I was just passing by. No agenda, I promise.”

This situation was the hardest part of being in the apocalypse for Maddie. Growing up someone always had to hold her hand at the mall because she’d walk off with anyone while chatting their ear off. She’d never known a stranger and that still held true, but now she knew a stranger could be a bullet in her head or an ambush on her family -- and she couldn’t do that to Charlie.

“I just found ‘er,” she said, the gun’s weight pulling her arm down slightly, “her name’s Daisy.”

When she had seen the dog Lila had been unable to help herself in trying to coax the animal near, despite the voice in her head that warned it could be aggressive. After everything else an angry dog would be easy enough to handle, anyway. She’d only been following the dog for a moment when she had inadvertently been led right to the animal’s owner. Her gun was up right when she spotted the one in the blonde’s hands. 

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you… I thought the dog was alone.” 

Daisy had been a good dog so far. She didn’t eat a lot, didn’t have any accidents even when the hoards were going by and it was unsafe for them to be out, rarely barked.... all in all a good dog to have during these time with the exception of when a human approached. Every single time she’d high tail it back towards Maddie, leading the stranger right to her.

“No, she’s mine...” The blonde said keeping her gun up even though she didn’t exactly want to, “what’cha want?”

“I will stay on this side of the fence promise. Last time I met a dog it wasn’t a good interactions,” she laughed out softly, “I’m just exploring didn’t mean to startle your dog by the way.”

“No, no, it’s fine, I’m sorry she barked at you...”  the blonde rose back up to her full height, lacing a finger on the wire while she spoke to the stranger, Daisy at her feet. “I’m Maddie,”  she smiled.

Scar had been having a smoke, searching through the cars for a new bottle when she heard someone and what sounded like a large dog come through. She ducked down against a car, waiting for them to pass while she took a drag from her cig. By the sounds of the girl singing and playing guitar, it didn’t seem like they were going anywhere anytime soon. The girl stood up slowly once she heard the barking, taking out her knife while walking around the side of the car. “Well hi there.” She said, dropping the smoke to the ground and twisting it out with the bottom of her shoe. “What are you doing over here?”

Maddie didn’t even think twice about aiming the barrel of the gun down towards the brunette. The tension was tight between them. Prior to the apocolypse, Maddie had always been one for the enviornement, so watching the brunette snuff out her cigarette on the ground where her andimal patrolled immediately rubbed her the wrong way. This girl was not going to be easy to get out.

She had been trying to explore the town while she could. Just so she could get to know the layout and so she could find someplace safe if she needed to in an emergency. The barking dog made her hold her hands up when she noticed the girl holding the gun out towards her. “I… I come in peace,” she managed out fearful that the dog was going to attack her.

In an instant Maddie felt terrible. Daisy was terrifying this poor girl, so her gun went back in it’s spot in the back of her pants and ran to the fence line. She knelt down, shushing Daisy, “I’m so sorry...” she sighed, scratching the dog’s chest, “she’d friendly, I promise... I don’t think she’ll bite..”

She’d been out here for a while, but when the beast came sprinting back towards her master barking, the strumming stopped and Maddie rose to her feet, gun drawn and her eyes running along the fence line in search of a threat.