OUTLIVE.
❝The dead were never the enemy.
It was the living. ❞
THE WALKING DEAD.
DARYL DIXON.
BOOK TWO of the LANCASTER SAGA.
[ SEASONS 4 - 6 ]
*****
*I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I simply write to write. Astrid, any addi...
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[ xxix. picano and picasso ]
july 1st, 2012
➸➸➸
THE FOLLOWING MORNING UNFOLDED in a silence so heavy it felt like a boulder upon Astrid's shoulders.
Now, she found herself standing at the threshold of her brother's apartment, hurriedly cramming the last vestiges of her old life into her bag, aware that once she departed, she would never come back.
As Astrid cinched the knapsack's strings tight, her gaze fell upon her bare left hand, and her expression fell in sync with her thoughts. In the midst of this new life of hers, she had never imagined herself getting engaged, let alone initiating a divorce before the ink had even dried on the figurative marriage certificate. Her eyes then wandered to the hardwood floor where she had last glimpsed her engagement ring the previous night, but it had vanished without a trace. Daryl, she suspected, might have pocketed it, or perhaps it was gone for good, much like the home she was leaving behind.
Abruptly, the sound of footsteps broke her inner quiet. "That car was headed downtown," Daryl reported, his voice seeming distant and disjointed in Astrid's ears. "I say we get up in one of the tall buildins', get ourselves a view, and see what we see."
Astrid nodded, finding consolation in the fact that their roles as efficient partners remained intact. When they were occupied with duty, their emotions took a backseat, forgoing poor judgments. She hoped to keep it that way.
Stepping out into the hallway, she allowed Daryl to follow closely behind her. "We can stay close to the buildings and keep quiet, but sooner or later, we're going to be drawing attention," She cautioned.
Daryl did not respond to her comment, and instead advanced toward the complex's front door, while Astrid hesitated in the doorway of her brother's apartment. It was time to let go. She squared her shoulders, but her feet remained anchored in place. From somewhere behind her, Daryl cleared his throat. "You ready?"
Her stare remained locked within the confines of the apartment, and she swallowed the rising tide of tears threatening to spill again. In the end, she closed her eyes, clenched her lips, and reached out to grasp the doorknob. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the key tumbling into the living room, locked the door, and then pulled it shut. The memories trapped within were sealed off forever now. There was no turning back.
With a steadying breath, Astrid turned to face Daryl again. "Ready," She affirmed.
With that, she brushed past Daryl and out into the open. The streets lay deserted, thankfully, and a breeze offered cooling from the Georgia sun. In the harsh light of day, the city took on a different, unfamiliar scene. Astrid could not decide if she liked it or not. She briefly scanned her surroundings as Daryl began walking down the sidewalk. "Follow me," He ordered.
