Daughter of a Dixon ✔️

18: The World's Different Now

As Dad and I reached our campsite, I braced myself for his angry wrath.

Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.

"What the hell were you two doin' in there?" he asked, spinning around to face me once we got back to our camp.

I didn't say anything, because I didn't really have an answer. I don't know why I wanted to see what was going on in the barn; I guess I was just curious.

"Well?!" he asked, raising his voice.

"I don't know, okay?! I just wanted to see what you were doin'."

"Why would ya want to?! That guy's dangerous, Sid, he and his lil' friends shot at Rick and 'em!"

"So you had to beat him senseless?"

"Hell yeah, I did! There ain't no tellin's what he could do, he's probably got a whole group of people waitin' to-..."

"You don't know that, Dad! He's a kid, he's scared, he doesn't-..."

"Why the hell are you takin' up for him?!" Dad yelled, stepping closer to me as he gestured with his hands wildly.

"Because he's like you!" I finally exclaimed, inhaling a sharp breath afterwards. "He had the same look in his eyes that you would have when Merle hit you, Dad! How could you not see that? How could you keep hittin' him like that when someone did the exact same thing to you, when you know how it feels?!"

I could tell by the change in Dad's expression that I had startled him with my words. He looked taken aback, but still angry at the same time.

"Sid, this ain't the same thing. That asshole and me ain't in remotely the same situation!"

"He got accused of somethin' he may or may not have done, just like you. He got beat up by someone bigger than him, and he couldn't do a thing about it, just like you. He cried, pleaded, tried to talk, but kept gettin' beat up anyway, just like you... The only difference is that it's the opposite way now."

After my statement, Dad just stood there for a minute, gnawing on his bottom lip. Eventually, he let out a sigh, his shoulders rising and falling in an even breath. Then, he walked over to one of the logs positioned in front of our campfire and sat down.

"Come here, Sid," he said, a somewhat dreadful tone to his voice.

Reluctantly, I obeyed, and came to sat down on the log beside him.

"Aight, hear me good, girl. You ain't realized it yet, but the world's different now. People are different. It ain't nothin' new to me, I've been dealin' with assholes for a long time, but it is to you. You're young, you wanna believe there's good in everybody. Sometimes, that just ain't true."

"So... are you tellin' me to just believe that there's evil in everybody?" I asked, confused.

"I'm tellin' ya to be careful. Randall, that guy in the barn, I don't know if he's tellin' the truth or if he ain't. If he is, then Rick and me, we'll prove it. But, if he ain't, there's no tellin's what he could do to us, and I ain't takin' any risks, not anymore."

I nodded my head slowly, staring down at my lap. I let out a breath after a moment, my shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry I snuck in the barn."