#twd reader insert

The things Brian said and did to you during those four years were permanently ingrained in your mind. Always reminding you to keep your guard up around men who would view you as weak, feeble minded, helpless and in need of saving. Men with the kind of charm that draws you in, making you think they can protect you from the dangers of the world, when in reality they are the biggest threat to you. 

The almost sadistic glint in Shane’s eye. The way he’d suck on his teeth and laugh humorlessly. The way he watched her… It was starting to scare you a little. It wasn’t a fear you held for yourself, but for Lori, a woman tangled in a web that was impossible to escape from. 

It wasn’t hard to admit that you did not feel safe around the man anymore. That feeling started to dissipate after he proposed the idea to give up on the search for Carol’s missing daughter. He was losing his grip. Even more-so after his botched run with Otis. 

“You good?” Daryl asked, nudging his elbow into your side. 

He had something hanging from his fingers, the necklace he had gifted you a week ago. He followed your gaze as he clasped the necklace for you, fingertips guiding along your hairline softly before settling on your shoulder. 

“Yeah…” You replied quietly, turning your head to look at the man beside you, “Is it just me or is he losin’ his damn mind?” 

“Oh it ain’t just you, sweetheart.” He nodded towards Dale who was sitting atop the RV, occasionally glancing over towards Shane. 

The angered man was pacing back and forth, roughly rubbing at his chin. Whatever conversation he and Lori had seemed to have stirred him up pretty bad, you could practically see the smoke rolling off his shoulders. 

“He needs to get his shit together.” You shook your head, crossing your arms, “The way he acts just... Ugh.” 

“You can keep on hoping, but I think he’s lost his marbles a long time ago.” Daryl huffed, hand dropping down to your waist as he brought you a little closer. 

Daryl and you walked back over to his area away from the rest of the camp, your shared tent occasionally rustling under the wind. The fire Daryl built an hour ago was starting to go down, tiny flames licking pathetically towards the sky, failing to build itself back up. 

The sun was starting to set, pink and orange hues blending together with the darkening blue sky. Daryl settled next to you on the grass, his knee brushing against your thigh. 

These were the moments you cherished the most. Calm and peaceful in a world filled with unimaginable horrors. A chance to take a deep breath and forget about your worries for just a short period of time. And you couldn’t ask for anyone better to spend it with. 

Over the last few months you had spent most of your time next to Daryl. At first he didn’t seem too fond of it, occasionally glancing your way with narrowed eyes and a suspicious attitude. Like he was waiting for you to strike, trying to stay a step ahead of your nonexistent plan to rob him blind. 

In reality you just appreciated the quiet. Away from the hustle and bustle that came with such a large group of people. You wanted to keep your distance, especially when it came to the children at the camp, trying your hardest to avoid the gut wrenching feeling that came whenever you looked at Carl. Oh how innocent and naive they were in such a heartless world. 

Eventually Daryl started to warm up to your presence. Allowing you to accompany him on hunts, teaching you the basics of tracking, and how to skin animals properly. It was easy to see through him, see past his rough edges and appreciate the moments where his kindness would shine through momentarily. 

The closeness between the two of you was something you cherished deeply. Knowing that wherever you went, he wouldn’t be far behind. 

It was moments like this that you could momentarily forget the ticking time bomb that slept just a few feet away from you. The very man in question is sitting next to Rick at the group’s shared camping area, laughing almost emotionlessly at something his best friend said. 

“You’re gonna burn a hole into his head if y’keep starin’ like that.” Daryl muttered, smiling a little bit when you halfheartedly glared at him. 

“Shut up.” You grumbled, “I’m gonna head up to the house real quick, gotta use the bathroom.” 

You were quick to stand. Your fingers brushed gently through Daryl’s hair, prompting him to place a hand on the back of your calf. 

The field in front of the house was still muddy from the rain, your boots sinking in just a little with every step you made. The sound of the ground squishing beneath your feet was drowned out by laughter from the camp, Carl, Lori, and Rick huddled together in front of their own fire as they shared a can of corn. 

It made you happy to know that at least one family was able to stay together through all of this. While they may not be perfect, they were still trying to stay intact in such a hectic world, making things as normal as they could be for their child. 

“Sup lovebirds.” You greeted Glenn and Maggie as you walked up the steps to the house. Glenn rolled his eyes and gave you a tight lipped smile. He hadn’t exactly sealed the deal with Maggie just yet, the both of them tiptoeing around each other cautiously. 

“Evenin’.” Maggie smiled, nodding towards you, “Where you headed?” 

“Is it alright if I use y’alls bathroom? I promise I won’t be long.” 

Maggie tilted her head a little, “You always ask and the answers always gonna be the same.” 

You couldn't help but smile a little, “Yeah well, believe it or not my parents did teach me manners. I usually don’t like invadin’ other people’s spaces without askin’ first.” You shrugged, going to grab for the handle of the screen door. “Thanks Maggie.” 

The hinges groaned loudly as you opened it. The Greene’s home was so beautiful, a warm yellow light casting over the neatly kept rooms, picture frames of the occupying family decorated the walls. It was that sense of normalcy you had needed ever since everything started. Something reminding you that not everything had to be so terrible all the time. It made it easy to forget the reality of things. 

You walked into the bathroom and gently shut the door behind you, not bothering to glance at your reflection in the mirror. Scared of what would be staring back at you. 

By the time you opened the door again, you could hear Beth and Patricia talking in the living room. Maggie was sitting next to her sister on the couch now, Glenn must have gone back over to your group for dinner. You figured you should probably do the same thing, cook up those squirrels Daryl and you caught earlier in the morning. 

You walked back outside and unzipped the pocket to your cargo pants, a lucky find at an army supply store. The top of the crumpled red and white box flips open easily, and you pluck a half smoked cigarette out along with your lighter and begin making your trek back towards your camp. 

“Hey.” A voice stops you, Shane standing from one of the rocking chairs on the porch. 

Great…

You brought the orange filter to your lips and flicked open the zippo lighter you stole from Daryl. You didn’t bother to look at the man walking towards you for more than a second, exhaling the smoke from the corner of your mouth as he got closer. 

“Can I help you with somethin’ Shane?” You asked, annoyance present in your tone.

“I don’t know, can you? Cause you seem to be starin’ an awful lot recently.” His broad shoulders rolled back a little as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

“You feelin’ a little paranoid there? Intimidated by someone doing a little people watching?” 

“Don’t patronize me.” He shook his head, stepping closer towards you. 

An anxious feeling started to eat away at your stomach. You never liked when men started to close in on your personal space, even less when it was someone like Shane. The unpredictable and dangerous types. 

“I’d barely call it patronizing.” You shot back with a small shrug.. 

“You got a problem with me or somethin’? With how I’ve been handlin’ things?” 

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, “I mean I got my fair share of issues with a lot of things, man.” He was starting to prick against your nerves, “Like you wanting to call off the search for Sophia? That was pretty fucked up.” 

“Not this shit again.” He shook his head, hands going to rest on his hips, “It’s bad enough I got to hear it from everyone else in the camp. Now I gotta hear it from the girl who’s too good to even grace us with her presence.” 

“Oh boo fucking hoo. Why is that such a big deal to you? Can’t someone just enjoy some alone time?” You scoffed, flicking off the flimsy ashes from your cigarette.

“Ain’t no such thing as alone time anymore. You gotta start contributing more to the group.” 

“Or what? You gonna boot my ass to the curb and call it a day? Seems like the kinda route you’ve been lovin’ lately.” You almost spat, an accusatory tone to your voice, “I’ve contributed plenty of my time to the group, helping Daryl with hunts and runs, making sure your bellies are full. I help wash clothes in the morning, I do daily perimeter checks with Glenn. Ain’t that enough for you?” You stepped a little closer this time, lowering your voice to harshly say, “Cause if you’re implying anything more, I ain’t doing personal tent calls like some street whore.” 

“You better watch your mouth.” His eyes were starting to get that wild look again, twitching a little when you smiled bitterly at him. 

“Did you hit your head or somethin’ when you went on that run with Otis? Is that what’s got you so fucked up? Some traumatic brain injury or some shit?” 

“Who do you think you’re talkin’ to, little girl? Cause I know it ain’t me.” He sized you up, chest puffed out as he got closer, but you stayed firmly planted, not allowing him to intimidate you. 

Not this time.  

“You’re fuckin’ losing it Shane, sure there ain’t many in the group that pick up on it but I sure do.” You shook your head, “All I’m sayin’ is you need to take a step back before you get someone else killed.” 

Clearly your wording made something snap within Shane. That littlest bit of self control he had disappeared, and suddenly his hands were clutching onto your biceps, blunt fingernails digging through the fabric of your shirt. 

“I ain’t getting anyone killed,” He growled out, “I keep this place safe, me. Not you, not Rick, or Daryl, Dale, none of you. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, girl, you’re barely smarter than a bag of fucking rocks. All talk and no bite.” His words punched into your harshly, he was practically snarling in your face as he got closer and closer. Your eyes were wide, fear striking through your heart as you stared at him. “Got any other smartass remarks, huh?” 

“Get your fuckin’ hands off of me, man!” You thrashed in his hold, quick to bring your still lit cigarette up and pressing it against his forearm. 

He flinched away, letting you go, and for a split second you almost thought he was about to rear back and slap you. He had that same exact look in his eyes your ex would get. 

Dangerous and unpredictable.

“Hey!” You heard an angered voice growl from behind you. 

Suddenly you felt hands on you again, making you flinch. But the hold was gentle, guiding you as Daryl stepped in front of you, his shoulders heaved with each heavy breath, clearly having run over to you as quickly as he possibly could. 

“The hell you think you’re doin’, huh?! Puttin’ your hands on her like that!” He was seething, but his hand was gentle as it held onto yours, squeezing softly as a way to reassure you. “You don’t fuckin’ talk to her, y’hear me?” He growled out threateningly, his hand resting on the knife secured to his belt, ready to strike at any second. “Don’t let me catch you near her again, asshole, or it’ll be hell to pay. I promise you that.” He glared at Shane, quickly turning around and guiding you past the group’s camp. 

“What the hell is going on? What’s with all the shouting?” Rick asked, catching up to the two of you. 

“Y’better get your fuckin’ boy, Rick. Ask him to explain the situation t’you.” Daryl spat, not giving him time to reply. 

You sat back down in front of the fire, staring at the yellow flames blankly. Never did you think Shane would put his hands on you like that, but the way he had talked to you, looked at you. It was too familiar, as if you were standing in front of the direct reincarnation of a man you fought so hard to forget. 

Daryl’s hands gently held your trembling ones. His index finger and thumb came up to your chin and pushed your head up so he could look into your dewy eyes. His fingers caressed your cheek, he knew that look on your face all too well, having seen it in the mirror plenty of times. 

“He ever tries anything like that again, he’s a dead man.” He stated firmly.

“I thought he was gonna hit me.” You said weakly, you hated how pathetic your voice sounded.

“I ain’t ever gonna let anything happen t’you. Not while I’m still breathing.” 

 You looked at your phone for the room number and parked. Then you walked under the awning toward the room at the end of the building. You knocked twice and the door was opened for you. You walked into the room annoyed and wanting to get back to your regular schedule.

"What? What could you possibly have to say now?" You huffed.

Negan didn't say anything to you. He simply locked the door, chain and all.

You watched him, waiting.

When his eyes met yours your blood seemed to freeze in your veins. His dark expression caused your heart to pick up speed in your chest.

"Negan?" You watched him stalk toward you. You were unnerved by his tense body language, his cold stare. "Negan?" You said again as he came to stand in front of you.

 He had always been taller than you, but this time he seemed to tower over you. He appeared larger.

As you tried to fight the panic taking over your mind his palm struck your cheek.You didn’t react quickly enough to move away. You found yourself looking at the ugly brown rug for a moment as the sharp pain went through you. You gasped in air. You couldn’t believe he had hit you.

 You peered up into his cold gaze, searching for any semblance of the rational civilized man you believed him to be and found nothing of the like. His hand shot out and grasped your throat. He squeezed and you struggled to take in breath. He forced you to walk backwards and when the backs of your knees hit the bed he didn't stop. Negan loomed over you. His hand tightening even more. Your hands pulled at his arm and hand, clawed at his skin desperate for relief. It was useless. He was so much stronger than you.

"Negan!" You tried to cry out hoping to appeal to his saner side. “Please!” You rasped.

He pulled back his arm and slapped you. The pain stung worse than your pride ever could. You felt faint. You scratched at him, at his arm, his shoulder. Your vision was clouded by black spots. Horror and disbelief filled you replacing any thoughts you might have had in what might be your final moments. Then, he let go of you.

You coughed and wheezed. Your hands went to your own throat as if to protect it. You tried to roll onto your side, but he remained above you, his knee between your legs. You felt him pulling roughly at your leggings and took in a burning breath. He whipped the stretchy material down your legs.

You shook your head, still coughing.

"No!" You wheezed.

He freed one of your ankles from your pant leg and underpants. You tried to kick at him, but he further situated himself between your legs with ease. You

pushed at his shoulders as he unzipped his pants and pulled his cock out.

"Stop it! Stop!" You demanded hoarsely.

He jammed his penis inside of you.

You cried out.

He forced his way in as far as he could fit. Seconds passed as breathing heavily he lay over you, his weight pinning you down. He moved his hips back and pushed roughly into you again. Tears began to fall from your eyes rolling down your temples and up into your hair. You hit his chest with your fists. Leaning forward on his knee, he took your wrists in his hands and held them to the bedspread. He hissed between his teeth as he drew back a few inches. Then rammed back into you.

"No! Please! Please!" You begged.

He ignored you. He made you endure the dry friction of his intrusion into your body again and again until the manipulation of your sexual organs produced the liquid previously only created by your arousal.

"You're into this, aren't ya?" He huffed out breathlessly. "I can feel how much you're loving this."

You sobbed, turning your face away from him and shutting your eyes.

He rutted into you. His heavy breathing and the slick sounds made by his actions made you nauseous.

How could this have happened? This man that you thought you knew so well, how could he hurt you this way? Despite what you had learned about him since you ended your relationship, he was a man you had trusted and at times admired. He had hit you. How could he be so cruel? He was hurting you, hurting you. Your nails dug into your palms as you clenched your hands tightly into fists.

Negan pumped into you, his thrusts picking up speed now that you were no longer dry. You groaned in your own personal agony. Your insides burned, but he didn’t care. You could see so clearly that your pain and discomfort meant less than nothing to him. He was taking what he wanted from you and putting you in your place all at once. He thrust into you once more before he came. He didn't bother to pull out, staying deep in your vagina when his cum burst out into you.

You whimpered as he pulled his cock out of you. He let go of your arms. You could hear him adjusting himself, zipping up his jeans.

"If you tell anyone about this, you know what will happen. It will cost you

everything." He warned you. "Look at me."

You didn't open your eyes.

He slapped you.

"I said, Look at me, God Damn it!"

You turned your face back toward him and opened your eyes.

"Now you know the price, for disrespecting me." 

A sob bubbled up from your chest and you covered your mouth with your hands.

"Apologize." He demanded.

You sobbed harder.

He pulled his arm back and now that you had been familiarized with the pain to come, you gasped out, "I'm sorry."

He watched you for a moment.

"I'm sorry." You said again.

"That's all you had to say." He said with a grin. "Was that so hard?" It was like night and day. Suddenly he was back to his usual chipper facade.

You shook your head.

"Now, get yourself cleaned up. You oughta get back to Camilla."

You stood on trembling legs and slowly hobbled to the bathroom to begin the work of putting yourself back together.

•••••••••••••••

You finally had the cook out you had been planning with Lori Grimes. You showed up with potato salad, macaroni and cheese, fries and a fruit salad. Wyatt carted the cooler along, Daryl and Hunter the food and you had Millie to carry. You were greeted by Carl at the door. He told you that his mom was in the kitchen and his Dad was firing up the grill. The boys headed to the back yard and you went to see if Lori needed any help in the kitchen.

"Hey," You hugged for a brief moment. "Need a hand?" You asked, setting Millie down.

Hearing your voice, Lori's daughter, Judith came to the kitchen. She hugged you and immediately took up watching Millie.

Lori asked you to slice up some onion and tomato for the burgers and you focused on the task.

For two weeks You had lived under the constant threat of Negan's fury. The bruises had been the hardest to hide. Make up could only do so much and it wasn't quite cold enough for scarves and turtle necks.You had been picking Wyatt up from practice and acting like everything was fine. It was exhausting to pretend, but what other choice did you have? You were about finished slicing the tomatoes when your phone rang. You were quick to wipe your hands on a kitchen towel and answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hello Sweetheart. How are ya?"

You cringed, but kept your voice light.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Missing you."

Your stomach churned. You said what you knew would please him.

"Me too."

"Well then, we should plan our next get away. Don't you think?"

You nodded. Then realized you had done it and murmurred your agreement.

"How about Tuesday morning you and Millie meet me at the park on roland and church?"

Your jaw tightened. The last thing you wanted to do was bring Millie to that monster, but there was nothing you could say that wouldn't sound suspicious to the person in the room with you.

So instead you said, "Yes, that sounds like a plan."

"Great. I'll see you then. Good bye, Doll."

It all started almost as just an anecdote on the news, some report about a new virus or sickness, or you didn’t even know what, with some isolated cases popping here and there. Just the next day, the number of cases had grown while nobody seemed to know what sickness was that, and on the next couple of days, the cases seemed to grow exponentially, while there was still no answer to what that sickness was, just some theories here and there. People were worried, even in the small town where you lived, although some said that the sickness would stay in the cities and won’t spread there. People in the cities seemed to think the same, and some had moved to that small town as if fleeing from whatever virus was that. Whether they had brought the sickness with them or if it had arrived by itself, you didn’t know, but the truth was that the day before, some cases of the new illness had started popping out on the town, growing at a pace that was more than worrisome. The mother of Tulip, one of the students that you had since your first year, who was one of your very few friends, was a nurse, and even though she couldn’t speak much about it, she’d told you hushedly how it was nothing like she’d ever seen before, something like out of a horror movie, before she had to rush to the hospital, unable to tell you any advice other than to try to find a place where that virus, of whatever it was, couldn’t reach you. She had been pale, looking haunted and exhausted, dark rings under her eyes, and her look had worried you as much as her words, or even more. You’d been talking about it with Daryl, and you both had decided you’d leave for the woods the next day, a Friday, and stay there the weekend, away from the town and the people, and hopefully, the sickness. The garage owed Daryl free days from when he took long shifts, and so he’d be asking to take them this weekend. If by Monday things weren’t better or were worse, he’d try to get more free days, if you wanted to still camp at the woods, and you could try asking for days at the school too, though you felt a bit bad for leaving the kids. You weren't sure if the school was going to be open for long, though, if the sickness kept going at that rate. Quite a lot of kids hadn’t come to class that day, which you understood, and much less to your class activity, but there were still a few kids there, whose parents couldn’t stop working to go pick them up until late in the afternoon, one of the main reasons why your art activity existed. You didn't know how they would do if you took free days, and you felt a bit guilty, but you knew you had to think about your family too. A couple of hours after your art activity started, you glanced at the clock, anxious and antsy, you couldn’t pinpoint why, but you felt like you couldn’t wait to be out of the school and back home. By now, there were only three kids left, Sam and Tulip, and a little girl that had started school that year, Claudia. As usual, Daryl would come to pick you and Sam up once he was done at the garage. Tulip’s mom would work all night at the hospital, so if when Daryl came Tulip’s dad hadn’t come to pick her up yet, you’d told him you’d take her home with Sam and he could go for her there once he was free. As for Claudia, usually, her parents would have picked her up by now, and their absence was making anxiety grip your gut. If they still hadn’t come when Daryl arrived, you’d try phoning them to check if they were okay and would be there soon…the custodian, the only person who was at the school at that moment besides you and the kids, had to close the school soon after that, and parents knew it. You were worried about everything, your fingers tapping nervously on your desk even if you wanted to appear calm in front of the kids so as not to worry them or even scare them, when you hear the siren of a police car, and then you saw one driving fast down the road, followed by a military truck...this couldn't be good news, and you felt anxiety gripping your stomach even worse...you really didn't know what to do. The kids saw it too, and they looked at you, but you were out of your depth and didn't have answers for them...you tried, though. “I think...I suppose they're going to help at the hospital, with the sick people...” “Mom didn't say anything...” Tulip said. “But I haven't talked with her since last night...” “I hope she has a moment to rest soon, sweetheart,” you told her, but it seemed that the cases of sick people were just growing and growing even in your little town, you didn't know how in less than a couple of days, everything seemed to be going out of hand, enough to call the military there... Sam wasn't saying anything, but you noticed him frowning as he looked out of the window. “Sam?” You called for him, and he kept frowning at the window for a couple of seconds before he spoke. “I thought I saw...nothing...” He muttered, before looking back at the drawing in which he'd been working. You looked at the little girl, Claudia, who was engrossed in her drawing. You chewed on your lip before looking at your clock again, and you decided to approach her. “Sweetheart, did your parents tell you when are they going to pick you up?” You asked, but the little girl shook her head. “Okay...” You didn't know what to do, you were feeling anxious...you hoped Daryl would come soon, you'd rather wait for Claudia's parents with him there, even if it might be silly, but still, it was past time her parents came to pick her up. You had decided that you'd go to the office and phone Claudia's parents, even if you weren't too hopeful on that solving something, when your mobile began ringing from inside your bag. You frowned, and for a second you had the crazy hope that it'd be Claudia's parents, but they'd phone the school, not you...maybe it was Daryl...you hoped that it wouldn't be bad news, or him being late... When you picked up the phone, you saw that it was Tulip's mom calling, not from the hospital but from her own mobile. “Hello?” “Y/N, where are you?” She asked, sounding scared and exhausted, and there was so much noise in the background that you could barely hear anything. “I'm still at the school...” “What?! Is Tulip there?! You have to leave, now! I told you!” “I can't, there's a little girl, her parents-” You tried to explain but she interrupted you. “You have to leave! Things...things are bad, Y/N, I don't understand, I don't know what's happening, I...the sick people, they die, I saw it with my eyes but...but then they're alive again, they're dangerous, they attack people...” “What?” You were trying to understand what she was saying. “I...I'm not crazy, I know what I saw, I...” She stammered and you didn't know what to think...you wanted to believe that she was overworked and so she thought she had seen something that was not, and yet, the cold shiver that ran through you told you otherwise. “I saw a military truck...they'll help...” You said weakly. “Help...Y/N, I don't think they're here to help...you have to leave, you...hey!” Her voice sounded away from the phone now, as if she were talking to somebody else. “Hey, what are you doing?! No! Wait!” You heard some gunshots at the other side of the line and you gasped aloud. “Hello? Hey? Someone?” You called to no avail and you stared at the phone. You were scared, confused, anxious...but you had three kids to watch over...you didn't know what to do, though... “What's happening?” Tulip asked why you kept staring at your phone. “I...I don't know...” Sure, not the most

reassuring answer, but it was true. You didn't know what to do, feeling helpless and scared. Should you just take the kids and go home? But what about Claudia? Their parents wouldn't know where she was, you'd be pretty much kidnapping a student...where were her parents, though... Not knowing what you do, you dialed Tulip's mom number, but she didn't pick up. It was the same when you phoned the hospital. You tried phoning Claudia's parents, but neither of them picked up. Next, you tried phoning the garage where Daryl worked, see if he had some idea of what was happening or what to do, but nobody picked the phone either, and you felt like crying. You dialed Claudia's parents again, but they weren't picking up the phone. You were still waiting to see if somebody answered when Sam called your name and Tulip gasped. “Y/N!” They were looking through the window and when you followed their gaze, you saw a couple of people walking through the street at the outside of the school. They were stumbling seeming out of themselves as if they were sleepwalking, but Tulip's mom had been right, they seemed dead already, and a cold shiver ran across your spine. “I... I think those are sick people...” You said as you looked at them. “Should we help them?” Tulip asked. Yes, usually you'd help a sick person, but in this case... “I...I don't think it's a good idea...” It seem that the people noticed your presence, and they stumbled towards the classroom windows. You were paralyzed as you looked at them, they did look like walking corpses...what was going on... Suddenly, they began banging against the door, not knowing on it as people, just throwing themselves at the window, even trying to bite through it. Tulip, Sam, and you jumped away from the window, scared, while Claudia let out a scream of fear. It seemed to excite those two people, or whatever those were, and they banged the window even harder, while the commotion seemed to attract two other sick people, seemingly coming out of nowhere and throwing themselves at the window too, one of them with a big wound covering its neck...what the hell was going on. Claudia screamed again, rushing to get to your side, holding to you and hiding her face on your shirt, while Sam and Tulip got behind you too, scared eyes fixed on those corpse-like people that were banging the windows so hard you were afraid it'd break. You were paralyzed by fear, but you tried to shake yourself out of it, you had to do something. “We have to leave, come on,” you instructed, trying to sound surer than you were feeling...you didn't know where to go, or how, not with those dangerous people out there, and what if there were more...but you couldn't stay there either, waiting for the window to break... You rushed out of the classroom, the kids holding to your shirt, and down the corridor towards the main door of the school, but you stopped on your tracks when you saw the custodian struggling to keep the door closed, as if more of those sick people were pushing at it like they were doing to the classroom window. “Y/N!” He yelled when he saw you. “Get back to the classroom!” You tried not to let fear paralyze you again, and you turned to look at Sam, who looked at you with scared eyes. “Get everyone into one of the classrooms where the windows face the backyard,” you instructed him. “You ain't coming?” Sam asked you and you shook your head. “I can't, I have to help keep the door close, okay?” “But-” “Sam,” you didn't let him speak. “To the classroom, now!” He looked like he wanted to fight it but finally he nodded, and him, Tulip and Claudia rushed to the classroom while you ran to the front door, helping the custodian to push it closed. “I told you to go to the classroom!” The custodian said but you ignored him. “What is going on?!” You asked but he just shook his head. You both struggled to keep the door closed, the people at the other side kept relentlessly pushing it, they didn't seem to tire no matter what, while you could feel yours and the custodian efforts growing weaker. At some point, neither of you could keep the door closed anymore, and as soon as a little breach was opened at the door, a few arms reached through it, trying to grab you both, before they managed to push the door open enough for you to see a small group of those corpse-looking people throwing themselves at the door, pushing each other against it as they tried to get inside through the breach. You and the custodian tried to push the door close again, but it was too late, and two of those people threw themselves at you both. You screamed, scared, jumping back, while the custodian moved in front of you, and so those two people, monsters, or whatever theywere, threw themselves at him instead of you, bitting him as they fell to the ground, ripping pieces of skin and meat as he screamed. You stared at it in horror, unable to even scream, while another two of those people tried getting through the door too, one of them Claudia's mother, who seemed pretty much dead but walking even though her throat seemed torn open...maybe she had been attacked on her way to pick Claudia, maybe right there in front of the door while you didn't know it... You were paralyzed in fear but instinct kicked in, making you run away from them down the corridor, not knowing what to do, but you spotted Sam at the door of one of the classrooms. “Y/N! In here!” He called for you and you rushed into the classroom, pushing Sam inside, and slammed the door closed. “Help me block the door!” You said as you began pushing a table against the door, and the kids rushed to do the same, while you also placed chairs on top of the tables for good measure, trying to have as much weight against the door as possible. “What's going on?” Tulip asked while the three kids looked at you with scared eyes. Claudia was crying silently, and you tried not to think on her mother out there, turned into one of those monsters, you couldn't tell her. “I...I don't know...” You said helplessly as you barely managed to stop yourself from just crying. “But those sick people are dangerous, they'd attack us and hurt us if they see us,” you explained. “Would they kill us?” Sam asked and you didn't want to scare the kids anymore but they needed to know, and so you nodded. “What do we do?” The kids were looking at you as if you could help them, as if you had answers, but you didn't, you were just as scared as them, feeling helpless and like crying, but you had to do something, even if you didn't know what. “I'm going to try calling for help,” you said, taking your phone. You dialed the police, but nobody picked up, neither the hospital, nor Daryl...you kept phoning every number you had, but nobody was picking up... “Nothing?” Tulip asked and you shook your head, you didn't think you could hold your tears any longer. At that moment, the door of the classroom started to bang against the doors that blocked it, as if those monsters were pushing at it. The kids and you yelped, startled, which just seemed to make it worse, as those things pushed the door even harder. “We have to get out of here...” You said even if you were still in despair. “The window!” Sam pointed and you nodded. “Yes!” You could get to the yard through it, and hope that the back door of the school fence was not locked, you couldn't go to the front door...or maybe if all that sick people had gotten into the school, the yard to the front door might be free too...maybe it was too much risk... The door of the classroom kept being relentlessly pushed and you knew you had to leave, you'd deal with the doors once you got there. “Come on...” You rushed to open the window, and you were about to help Claudia out when you realized you better checked there were no monsters outside that could get her. There was nobody in front, but when you looked out of the window, you saw two of those people to the right...the door was to the left, though...but maybe there were more of them that you couldn't see? What other option did you have then... As soon as the monsters saw you looking out of the window, they began making they were to you, growling. They were slower than you had first realized...could you and the kids outrun them on your way to the door? Maybe...but not if there were more of them coming from everywhere...but you hadn't seen any others... What would be worse, try to outrun them outside or stay in that classroom, phoning for help, hoping to contact someone who could help before the door gave in. The monsters were still pushing the door, which threatened to open even if Sam and Tulip were pushing the tables against the door too when they noticed it. “There are two of the sick people outside, but they move slow,” you explained. “I think maybe we can run to the door before they grab us.” “No...” Claudia was looking through the window now, before she looked at you, frightened and shaking her head. “No, no.” You got it, but you didn't know what else to do. “Sweetheart, we're trapped in here, we can't keep the door closed forever, we-” You stopped what you were saying when you heard some noises from outside, it sounded like things falling, doors being opened...could those monsters do that? Before you could wonder or panic about it, the hitting noises reached your door, as if something were falling against it, and you rushed to push the tables against it, helped by the kids. “Y/N?! The fuck are ya?!” You gasped aloud...Daryl....that was his voice, Daryl was there? Had he come to help Sam and you? But what about those monsters outside, weren't they attacking him? “Kid?!” Merle? Wasn't he in jail, yet again? “Y/N here!” Sam answered while you were still in shock, and the door was pushed against the tables again. “Open the fuckin' door!” Yes...yes, that was Merle, somehow. “Wait!” You said before you and the kids

began dragging the tables back, and the door was pushed open. At the door frame was Daryl, his hunting crossbow ready, and next to him was Merle, holding a rifle which butt was bloodied...and around them, there were the corpses of those people, monsters, or whatever those were, lying on the ground.

*

N/A

If there’s interest in this, I’ll get a second chapter ready, albeit slow. Otherwise this story will just be left as a draft.

If you enjoyed this, comments and reblogs are more than welcome.

Tags will be in the first reblog.

You huffed a breath, watching the gentle sway of his broad shoulders, memorizing the messy cross-stitching of angel wings patched onto the back of his vest. “You know, you never struck me as the ‘surprising’ type,” you shot back, the forest terrain shifting into more of an incline.

“Yeah?” he grunted, somehow keeping up his steadfast pace despite the sudden shift in altitude. “An’ what did I strike ya as?”

“Hostile,” you laughed, attempting to conceal the fact that you were growing increasingly out of breath.

Daryl paused mid-stride, shooting you an unamused look. “Funny,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes — though he remained rooted in place until you managed to catch up, a fondness in his gaze that stole your breath for an entirely different reason.

“How — are you — not dying?” you panted between breaths, your thighs burning, the pebbled rocks beneath you digging into the worn soles of your shoes. “If I had known — we were scaling — Mount-fucking-Everest — I would’ve come better prepared.”

The archer smirked before nudging you gently with his elbow. “C’mon, we’re almost there,” he rasped, turning without another word and continuing his climb up the steepening incline.

You planted your hands on your hips, watching as he smoothly and effortlessly traversed upward. “That’s what you said an hour ago, you know!” you yelled after him, wiping away the sweat that’d formed on your brow with the crook of your elbow. “Alright,” you whispered, attempting to psyche yourself up. “Come on, Y/N, suck it up.”

You inhaled a deep breath, tilted your chin up, and pushed after the archer.

How Daryl had even found this place was beyond you — but despite the struggle, you merely grit your teeth together and barreled after the man, grabbing onto twisted tree trunks and ribbed ancient rocks to help propel you further up the hill. You dug the toes of your shoes into the mossy curves, the muddy grooves, all the while keeping your eyes straight ahead, working to keep your momentum up the cliffside.

And then, you saw it.

A break in the trees, warm, golden light pouring in from between the shadows just ahead.

Daryl clambered to the very top of the incline, immediately turning to look down at you, rather than what you could imagine being one hell of a view. “Alright, one las’ stretch,” he hollered down at you, his eyes alight with something so breathtaking you had to stop and commit the image to memory.

You shook away the warmth spreading through you, grabbing onto the nearest tree and resting your head against the trunk instead. “Hang on, give me a minute,” you exhaled, closing your eyes and breathing through the cramp that’d formed in your side.

“C’mon, jus’ a lil’ longer,” Daryl urged, the amusement in his tone evident.

You peeked one eye open, glaring at the man. “If you say that shit again, I’ll give you a buzz cut while you’re sleeping.”

Daryl’s eyes widened in the slightest before he ducked his head down, turning his face away from you as he began laughing — the sound was so rare, so genuine, you felt yourself grow misty-eyed.

The corner of his mouth quirked up into a smirk as he faced you once more, crouching down and extending his hand towards you.

You huffed a laugh of your own, sniffling softly as you shoved away the vulnerability that’d lingered. Moving purely off of adrenaline, you trudged up the final few yards before reaching for Daryl’s outstretched hand, his fingers wrapping around yours — calloused and rough and familiar.

He felt like home — in every sense of the word.

You were standing up beside him a moment later, red-faced and sweaty, hair gnarled like the trees you’d used to get to where you were.

And then Daryl stepped aside, unveiling the big surprise.

All of the air in your lungs escaped you in one big whoosh at the view before you. Miles and miles of untouched land sprawled out beneath the cliffside you stood atop of, towering trees and billowing bush. The sun had begun its descent in the distance, setting the world ablaze with brilliant oranges and yellows, the warmth kissing the softness of your cheeks.

You peered over at Daryl, surprised to see him watching you instead.

“Daryl,” you whispered, the word tangled up in your throat. “How did you — it’s beautiful.”

The archer glanced down as though his boots had become rather interesting. “Mhm,” he sounded, nodding his head once before looking up at you again, redness tinging his cheeks. “Reminded me a’ ya, I guess.”

Your lips curled up into a smile as you stepped towards him, reaching out and placing your palm against his cheek, brushing your thumb back and forth. He leaned into your touch, covering your hand with his own.

You pulled away then, shooting him one last cheeky grin before turning towards the view, walking closer towards the edge of the cliffside. You wanted to absorb as much of the hushed beauty as you could — one day, it would undoubtedly fall victim to the decaying world around it.

But for now, you simply breathed in the quiet.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” you murmured over your shoulder, hugging your arms around your center as you inhaled another deep breath, feeling more at peace than you had in a long time.

The archer hummed lowly in response before clearing his throat. “It’ll be dark soon,” he rasped from somewhere behind you. “Ya should start headin’ home.”

You raised a brow as if he could see it, laughing softly. “Don’t you mean ‘we’?”

Daryl was quiet for a long moment, so long you almost thought he hadn’t heard you. But then he sighed, soft and somber, and something deep within your gut willed you not to turn around. “We both know I ain’t really here, Y/N.”

The world stilled.

Splintering like shards of glass from a broken mirror, the fallout sliced at your skin as your heartbeat, strong and steady, pounded right behind your eardrums.

And then everything came rushing back to you.

You knew something was wrong before the shouting started.

You’d been crouched down, tending to one of Alexandria’s gardens when you’d heard it.

The blaring of a car horn, followed by a desperate cry.

“Open the goddamn gates!”

You jumped to your feet, your heart leaping to your throat because something was wrong — something was very wrong but you didn’t know what and you were on the opposite side of Alexandria.

So you took off.

You weaved between houses, sprinting after the sound of a roaring truck engine, the peeling of tires. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, because something was really fucking wrong and you had a sinking feeling in your gut that no amount of assuring thoughts would subside.

Panic clawed at your chest as you came to a screeching halt just outside the infirmary.

A white pickup truck was parked outside — the same one that’d been taken on a supply run earlier in the day. The same one you’d watched Daryl drive through the gates of Alexandria, his eyes having met yours in the rearview mirror one last time before the fences shut behind him.

But you couldn’t focus on that — you couldn’t focus on the people rushing from their homes, curious about the commotion, or the fact that the engine of the truck was still running, or that the doors were swung wide open.

No, you couldn’t focus on that because all you saw was red.

Stark, brilliant, redness.

Coating the seats of the truck, the doors, the windows.

The sight would’ve made you sick if you had anything in your stomach to throw up.

You took a shaky step forward…and then another and another, slowly approaching the infirmary. But the closer you neared, the farther away it seemed — because you knew.

Somehow, someway, you knew.

You stumbled closer to the house, the edges of your vision blurred — but you had to know, you had to see for yourself.

Except when you reached the porch stairs, Rick appeared, barreling through the front door and grabbing onto the porch railing for support — pale-faced, eyes rimmed red, his expression only furthering the dread that’d latched onto your bones. He looked down at you — no, through you — his mouth opening and closing though no words came out.

You slowly climbed up the stairs, your body moving on autopilot. But before you could reach the door, Rick suddenly moved in front of you.

“Y/N —”

“It’s him,” you whispered, your own voice sounding foreign and far away like it was someone else speaking entirely. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

You attempted to sidestep the sheriff, but he followed your movements, grabbing onto either of your shoulders. “Let’s — let’s sit ya down, alright?”

You tried to shake him off, but his grip merely tightened, his fingertips grounding you but damn it, you didn’t want to be grounded. You didn’t want to be there at all — you wanted to be far, far away. You tried to pull loose again, your movements growing more desperate. “I need to see — let me — damn it, Rick, let me see him!” you screamed, bringing your hands up and shoving the sheriff backward.

The momentum of his body slamming against the front door swung it wide open. You pushed your way inside as Rick stumbled back to his feet, grabbing onto you once more. “Y/N, please —”

But it was too late.

You saw Glenn and Maggie first, huddled in the corner, wrapped around each other, their hands covered in more blood than you figured was humanly possible. Maggie wouldn’t look at you, her face buried in the crook of Glenn’s neck instead. Glenn, on the other hand, stared absently at the metal table in the center of the room.

Your gaze followed his.

And then you saw him.

Splayed out on his back, one hand draped over his chest, the other hanging off the table. His eyes were shut, his features still — you almost would’ve thought he was sleeping if it weren’t for the massive chunk of flesh missing from his throat.

He’d been bit.

Blood still oozed from the wound, forming into a small puddle near his head that’d begun to overflow and drip off the side of the table.

You were seeing, but not understanding.

This wasn’t real.

This couldn’t be real.

Not him.

“We got —” Glenn’s voice broke off as he roughly wiped away a tear that’d snaked down his cheek, leaving a streak of red instead. “We got overrun. They just — they came out of nowhere. And if he hadn’t — they almost got —” he glanced down at Maggie then, the woman stifling a sob against his chest, her fingers curling around the collar of his shirt.

You were hearing, but not listening.

This wasn’t real.

This couldn’t be real.

Not him.

You took a small step forward, then another and another until you were standing beside his unmoving form. You reached out, ignoring the way your hand trembled as you placed your palm gingerly against the side of his face, brushing your thumb back and forth against his pale skin. “Daryl,” you murmured, half-expecting him to answer because he always — always — showed up for you.

And you needed him now more than ever.

The room was too small, too stifling. You needed space. You needed to be alone with him. “Get out,” you whispered, feeling the room still. “Now,” you hissed, your tone sharp because why wasn’t anybody fucking listening.

When the room finally began to empty, you felt Rick come to stand beside you, his fingers gently uncurling your clenched fist and sliding something into your grasp instead.

You didn’t need to look down.

You knew what the weight of a knife felt like.

And then you were alone.

Just Daryl and you, the way it’d always been.

You fought back the urge to crawl onto the table beside him, knowing damn well that sooner rather than later, he’d come back — but not the man you knew, not the man you loved.

He’d come back as something entirely different.

And so you waited — any semblance of who you were before today melting away, in its place the hollow shell of a person who’d lost too much and in turn, lost themself.

And so you simply stood there and waited.

Because he wasn’t the only one changing.

Daryl and you, the way it’d always been.

A strange, sort of deranged laugh expelled from your body, echoing over the miles of quiet below you — but the noise hitched somewhere in your chest, sounding more like a sob than anything else.

You spun around, turning towards where Daryl had been standing just a moment ago.

But he was gone.

And you were alone — just you, the trees, and the setting sun.

Your legs suddenly gave out and you collapsed onto the ground, the forest floor digging into the soft flesh of your knees. You reached out and placed your hands, palms-down, against the dirt, your fingertips trembling as you felt the soil beneath you.

It felt real — but was it? Was anything real? Were you even really here to begin with?

You flipped over onto your backside, drawing your knees close and burying your face into your hands, inhaling the sultry scents of the earth beneath your fingernails. Your breathing was beginning to grow erratic, your chest tightening as though a giant hand had broken through your ribcage and grabbed onto your withering heart.

You were having a panic attack — or a heart attack, you weren’t quite sure.

Either way, you would’ve given anything at that moment to just not feel.

“Nice view, ain’t it?”

You nearly jumped out of your skin, your head snapping to the side.

And sure enough, there he was, sitting beside you.

Knees drawn to his chest, arms wound around them, hands clasped together as his blue eyes glinted towards the descending sun.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, inhaling shakily. “I’m —” your voice cracked as you quickly wiped away the tears that’d fallen. “I’m dreaming…aren’t I?”

Daryl glanced over at you then, flicking away the hair that fell over his face, his mouth twisting up into a sad smile. “A’ least ya ain’t crazy.”

A strangled sort of laugh slipped past your lips because maybe he was wrong — maybe you were crazy. Maybe you’d finally snapped and this was your reality now.

You slowly reached towards him, the archer so still you weren’t even sure he was breathing. Your palm found his cheek once more, your thumb brushing back and forth, the same way it had the day you’d lost him. “But I — I can feel you,” you whispered, mostly to yourself, your brow furrowing as his skin warmed beneath your touch.

Daryl remained quiet, his gaze searching yours, an emotion behind his eyes you couldn’t quite interpret. Then the corner of his mouth quirked and he turned away, letting your hand fall as he stared back at the setting sun.

But you couldn’t take your eyes off him, afraid that if you did, he’d disappear for good.

“Daryl,” you murmured, feeling your throat clog when his eyes met yours once more.

“Hm?” he sounded faintly.

“I —” you pushed down the sob building in your chest, digging your fingernails into the palm of your hand to keep from breaking. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

Daryl’s head tilted in the slightest, a look of confusion flittering across his features. “M’ right here, Y/N,” he countered simply, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You didn’t have the heart to tell him that it wasn’t the same — that soon you’d wake and he’d be gone and you’d be left alone once more, in a world so much darker without him in it.

Instead, you sighed, long and heavy. “I miss you,” you whispered because you didn’t know what else to say, because it was the only real thing you could think of.

The archer smiled then, the glowing sun catching the gleam in his eye and setting your soul on fire. “M’ with ya,” he rasped, the rumble sending a chill down your spine. “Always.”

You felt your eyes well, prickling at the corners as you watched him, a mirrored fondness in your gaze.

Then Daryl huffed a soft breath and faced the view once more. “Ya should start headin’ home,” he murmured after a stretch of quiet had passed on.

Your chest tightened because you weren’t ready to let go — not yet.

“I will,” you said, breathing in the sight of him one last time before forcing yourself to look away. You studied the fiery colors that’d spread across the horizon instead of the sudden and empty space beside you — the space where he’d just been moments ago.

You sighed, a sad smile tugging at your lips as you soaked in the brevity of peace you’d found here, knowing deep down that whether it be in this lifetime or the next, you’d find each other once more.

A warmth settled over you, a feeling of home.

“Just a little while longer,” you whispered.

And the sun continued to dim.

Fin.

A/N: *crickets*

Oh...hey...didn't see ya there :)))))))

LMAO I'M SO SORRY, LET ME JUST SAY THAT RIGHT OFF THE BAT. Like I said before, this story took on a mind of its own! I had no control! Don't yell at me! (Well, it's okay if you yell at me, I understand. I'm currently yelling at myself as we speak because HOW DARE I DO THIS)

So yeah, I hope you lovelies enjoyed despite the massive plot twist.

Massive.

Ya know.

Like the 'massive chunk of flesh missing from Daryl's neck'.

OKAY, I'M SORRY I'LL STOP NOW.

P.S. Feedback is incredibly important. I write for my own happiness, but I also write for YOU. So don’t be afraid to shoot me an ask or leave a comment with your thoughts! It truly motivates me and helps move along the writing process. Also, please consider donating to my Tip Jar. Every little bit helps!

P.S.S. I can no longer tag people on this account, so my tag list has been transferred to my side blog @crossbowking2. If you’d like to be added/removed, please let me know!