The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 1 - A Hunting Accident

"It can't go on for much longer, Kat." My 22-year-old sister, Maggie, said as we sat on the porch. "I know you want to believe Dad, but I can see it in your eyes... you're not convinced."

"Believing Annette and Shawn are still alive and can be saved is all that is keeping him and Beth on their feet, Maggie. It doesn't matter what I believe or you... right now I don't think we can say anything. See if they come to realisation on their own, it'll be easier that way."

"And if they don't?" Maggie asked me.

"We can only go on for so long being ignorant until it becomes dangerous. That barn will only hold so many bodies and it's risky enough putting them in there. When the time comes... honestly, I don't know. We'll work something out, but for the moment we're safe."

"What if Dad's right? What if they can be saved?" I knew part of Maggie believed our father, she was only being cautious in keeping both options alive in her mind.

"Then they'll be saved." I stated simply and plainly, not wanting to crush any of her hopes, but not believing it at all.

The flesh of the dead was cold and rotted; even if they were saved and brought back to us they would be in never ending excruciating pain and probably would prefer to be dead.

"What is that?" Maggie suddenly whispered as her eyes honed in on something in the distance, across the paddock. I followed her line of sight and saw a man running, holding something his arms, heading straight for our house. "Is that Odis?"

"No." The man was far to lean to be Otis. "Get dad." I said to her and she immediately ran inside and I began to decent to the bottom of the stairs at the front of our country house.

The man got closer and closer, sprinting as fast as he could by the look of it, in a clear panic. I began to make out the object in his arms and soon recognised it as a young boy between 10 and 13 years of age. I suddenly recognised this man as not a threat, but a desperate father in need. At least that's certainly what it looked like.

I ran for the gate and met him there, opening it up.

"I need Hershel!" He said in a fuss. "Your man sent me, he said to find Hershel. Is he here?!" He demanded.

"Yes, he's my father. Up at the house." I responded right away, taking the lead. "Was he bitten?" I asked on the way.

"No, shot."

"By Otis?" I asked in disbelief.

"It was a hunting accident." The man explained, keeping his eyes trained on his boy.

"Was he bit?" My dad asked the same question I had as our household piled out onto the front deck, the only one of them ready for a threat was Jimmy with a baseball bat in his hands.

"No, he's been shot. It was Otis." I answered quickly.

"Otis?" Patricia asked in disbelief.

"Help me, help my boy." The man begged.

"Get him inside." My dad said right away, taking the lead to one of the empty bedrooms. "Patricia, I need my full kit." Dad stated as we walked through the house.

I turned to Beth and Jimmy, speaking to them both gently and quietly. "Wait out on the porch for Otis, he shouldn't be too far behind. Let me know as soon as you see him." Otis would never have been able to keep up with the pace the man had been running and I wanted someone watching for him. We also didn't know if the man and boy were alone and if they had any other company I wanted to know before they reached the house. Jimmy nodded and grabbed Beth's hand, gently pulling her outside, holding on to his bat protectively.