Daryl Dixon Dream

I've always believed in the dream world. I've also always had very vivid, easy to remember dreams, and my dreams tend to play out in "chapters" over several nights. I've had trouble separating some of them from reality. One dream that I was sure was real until my alarm woke me, is one in which I entered the world of The Walking Dead and met Mr. Daryl Dixon.

Since today is Daryl Dixon Tuesday, I saw a flattened squirrel in the middle of the road and this dream has been reoccurring for several nights now, I decided to put it into story form. This borders on Fanfic, but since it is something my subconscious came up with, I'm not calling it that. I've taken some literary liberties with it in hopes that you can see what I felt in my dream.

And now, my Daryl Dixon Dream


I feel like I've been wandering for days. I was at work at the hospital when all this mess started. Snuck out the back when the military came in shooting. I don't know how I made it to my SUV without getting attacked or shot. I got home, my family was gone. No sign of a struggle, just gone. Tried calling and texting but never got an answer. I hope they are safe. When I think of them being gone, I just want to run into a crowd of those things. I can't remember the way to the family farm since I've only been twice in nine years. I pray they made it there ok. I ran out of gas a week ago, haven't found any cars to siphon more out, so I abandoned my beloved Escape, and have been walking since then. I have no clue where I'm heading. I haven't seen one of those monstrous, decaying people in several days. Either I'm getting out of the infected area, or I'm walking in circles and they haven't found me yet. I want to yell in case people are around, but I refrain because those things could be near. So, I just walk. Spending the nights in trees and moving all day is making me want to lose my grip on reality. I keep pulling out my iPhone, knowing it died long ago, knowing service has been out for months, but I still keep trying to check for messages. I guess it's my way to keep a bit of humanity. I sigh and say out loud, "I just wish I could hear another human's voice." BAM! I hit the ground. I look up to see what looks like a man in a tree. My glasses were knocked askew, so I can't really tell. I hear, "She's not infected! Carry her back to camp!" I hear a man from up above yell. I feel strong arms lift me confidently, as a man with an accent much like my own Southern drawl, say "I got her," through the blur I can make out shaggy brown hair and a manly jaw, but not much else. Then the world is black.

"I feel so bad! I was in the tree looking for eggs when I heard her talk. I thought she was a walker at first, so when she spoke, it shocked me and I dropped my bucket. It cracked her on the head. I hope she's ok!"

I slowly open my eyes and turn to the voice. I forget about my glasses, and all I could see is one blur talking to another.

"She's up! Sweetie, do you know your name?"

As she got closer I could see she has blonde hair and she appears a bit shorter than myself. I have to admit, after being knocked out by one guy and easily carried by another, I feel relief hearing another woman's voice.

"W-w-where are my glasses?" I stammer. I feel like I'm barely functioning inside of a cloud.

"Here, can you remember anything?" the blonde, female blur asks.

I slip on my frames and look around. I'm laying in an RV staring at an older man wearing a bucket hat, sitting next to the blonde blur (who is actually a pretty woman with an intelligent look about her), a thin Asian in a baseball cap looks like he's trying to blend in with the cabinetry behind them. I look to him and say, "You must be the bucket dropping, egg snatcher because I don't see pops here being the kind that likes to climb trees." The other two laugh as the Asian blushes.

"I'm so sorry, I hope you're ok. You scared me when you spoke to yourself." He said while looking at the floor. He feels so bad that he can't even make eye contact. That strikes me as sweet. He probably couldn't hurt a fly.

"Well, you're lucky I came to, wouldn't want to haunt you for the rest of your life on this festering rock." I flash one of what Momma calls my "Pageant Smiles" and he lets a slight grin appear on his face. Everyone laughs again and he blushes more. "My name is Summer," and I recount how I ended up in the woods and end with "Next thing I know I'm in this RV waking up to blurs discussing how I got knocked out."

Right as I finish my story, the RV door opens. "How's the girl?" says a man who I think sounds like the one who carried me. He's got brown hair that is pretty shaggy, but I'm sure it isn't because of the end of the world. He doesn't look like one to frequent salons. Probably went to the same barber his daddy did until dead bodies started walking. He has a concern in his eyes, as I trailed down his face, I notice a mole near the corner of his lips. When I see his sleeveless shirt exposing some of the most delicious arms I've ever seen, I know this is him who carried me. Before the out break, this was type of man that could turn me on. I thought that part of me was long dead until I feel my body grow hot as I realize his piercing blue eyes are looking straight through me.

I struggle to form words, but finally manage to get out, "I think I'm ok. Are you the knight in shining armor that carried me to this castle?"

He smiles (all of a sudden I'm weak again), "More like the hunter in a dirty t-shirt. And this sure as hell ain't no castle. I'm Daryl."

I must be ok, because my next thought is, I'd like you to hunt me and see how dirty we could get. I thought I said it out loud by the way the blonde was looking at me, but I guess she just saw me eye humping him.

There was a round of introductions (Andrea was the blonde, pops is named Dale, Glenn was the one who knocked me out) as I started to sit up. I realized I'm wearing a man's shirt and boxers instead of the clothes I got knocked out in. Seeing the look of panic on my face, Andrea said, "Lori and I dressed you in this because your clothes were filthy and falling apart."

"Lori?" I'm so confused. "There's more people?"

Andrea nodded. "Not many of us but we're becoming a nice little family. Everyone has been praying you'd wake up soon. Here's some more clothes, suit up and come meet everyone."

One by one they file out of the RV. Daryl remains in with me. I'm thinking, I'd love to be nude with him but it's too soon. Before I have a chance to say anything, he steps closer to me until we are less than half a foot apart.

"I'm glad you're ok. I was beginning to worry that we were the only people left. You wandering around by yourself, unarmed gives me hope," he said. Tears started to well in his eyes as he turns and walks out of the RV.

I start to dress as I contemplate what he said. "Unarmed" That means they didn't see the machete I have in my sling pack. I look around the room and see it resting undisturbed by the door. I throw on the jeans and tee that Andrea handed me and start rummaging through my bag. My shears, razors, machete, photos, charger, identification, jar of peanut butter, cereal bars and water bottle are all still there. I wondered why Daryl started tearing up? Is he looking for his family too? I shove the thought from my mind and started out the door.

I shield my eyes from the sun, and try to get a good look around. I notice a handful of people gathered together talking, but Daryl is standing off leaning against a tree. Everyone else is absorbed in the conversation, but he is staring straight at me. We lock eyes and I feel myself start to blush so I look down. I glance back up to see him gathering up his crossbow.

"I'm going to round up more dinner, why don't y'all introduce yourselves," he yells to the group, and then he disappears.

First up is Officer Rick Grimes, his wife Lori and their son Carl. Carol and her daughter Sophia next. Followed by T-Dog, and last Rick's deputy Shane. I really was hoping for a bigger group, but this was more people than I have seen in months.

Right as I learn the fate of the other survivors, Daryl comes up with a few squirrels. Everyone cheers and he does a funny little bow. They really are like a little family.

"I'll have these cleaned in no time, and then we can start the stew," Daryl informs us. Everyone starts to go about their own pre dinner tasks, so I speak up.

"Daryl, do you need any help?" I manage to ask, while Andrea winks at Lori. Do they know something I don't?

"Well, Princess, I'd love to accept the offer, but judging by your appearance, I don't think it'd be something you can handle," Daryl replied with a big smile on his face.

I know he is referring to the blue hair color that was now growing out, my chipped nail polish that you could see elaborate designs on, and my rings, necklace and bracelet. I looked every bit the ghost of fashion past. And the fact he thinks he knows me by that alone, pissed me off.

"Look here Mr. Big Bad Hunter Man," I retorted. That caught everyone's attention. "It can't be any worse than dressing a rabbit, I'm sure I can handle it, or are you just jealous a Princess might make your ass look bad?"

The women of the camp started hootin and hollerin, while the men started a round of "Oooo, you gonna take that Daryl?" I couldn't help the grin that began to spread across my face.

"Well, you got me there, Princess. Come over here and let your knight in shining armor show you how it's done." Maybe I was seeing things, but he has a twinkle in his blue eyes. I think this man likes a challenge.

The rest of the camp goes about their business as Daryl and I start cleaning squirrels. Being his close to him, I'm reminded of all I missed about the opposite sex. That smell a man gets when he's been working outside, the rumble of a man's voice, and the way his muscles move as he handles his knife.

I'm first to break the silence, "Did you really think this was something I couldn't handle?" I ask as I skin a fat little squirrel.

"To tell the truth, yeah, but I hoped I was wrong. But look at you. You don't exactly look like a mistress of the forest," he said as his eyes traced a trail down my body.

Immediately, goosebumps sprang up all over my body. It was nice to be ogled by a man after wandering alone so long. "Well, Sir Daryl, looks can be deceiving. I can promise you, you've never met a woman like me. I can give you a killer haircut, sew up your clothes and change your oil, all without breaking a nail."

He laughed a deep, hearty laugh that sent happy chills down my spine.

"Oh, I bet you can change my oil," he whispered as he flashed me a half smile. I never thought I'd want another man in this world but I wanted him.

Dinner was pretty uneventful. I told stories about myself and what happened to me in the months between the outbreak and meeting them. Daryl sat across the fire pit from me. I could see his eyes never left me. Maybe he wanted me as bad as I wanted him, but it could be wishful thinking. It had been quite a long time since I last saw my husband so maybe my body was just yearning for attention from a man and he was the only one that I would consider my type.

After dinner, Lori and Andrea started cleaning up while Carol went to get the kids ready for bed. They seemed like they had become close friends.

"You ladies need any help?" I ask them. Lori looks relieved and Andrea looks like she has ulterior motives. Andrea tells Lori to go tuck Carl in and asks me to take her spot.

"I've been dying for you to wake up so I could talk to you," Andrea whispers as her eyes dance. I may have just met her, but I can tell this girl had a secret.

"Oh, really? And what is there to talk about? The latest fashion in the walker world?"

She laughs. "You're funny. Not normally a reason to laugh around here. I wanted to talk to you about what you missed the four days you were passed out."

FOUR DAYS?!? I sat there with my mouth open like a caught fish! I was just laying in Dale's RV for four days?

Andrea continued, "I stay in the RV with Dale so it was no problem for me to look after you, but I was surprised by two things. One, you talk in your sleep. Two, you became quite popular while you were sleeping."

"I've always talked in my sleep, since I was a little girl. I've been known to say some crazy things. But popular? I've never been popular day in my life!"

Again she laughs. Am I really funny? Josh always told me that I'm so not funny. (Thinking of him, I said a prayer for him, our boys and our families, that I have said millions of times since I found my inlaws and my parents' houses empty)

"Well, by you talking in your sleep, I learned about your family and how badly you want to find them. But the popularity was a pleasant shock. Of course Glenn came by daily to see if you woke up. He felt so guilty. And the other women in camp came by to see you daily too, because we're grateful to finally have some more estrogen around here. Rick and Shane checked in on you, because that's what cops do. But what surprised me the most was Daryl."

At the sound of his name in this conversation, my heart skips a beat. I can't put my finger on it, but something about that man just got my motor running. "Oh, really? Daryl checked up on me?"

Andrea smiled a toothy smile. "Honey, he didn't just check up on you. If he wasn't off hunting or helping out with other man work, he was in there with me asking about any change in your condition and offering to help me with whatever you needed. It's shocking because he hasn't cared about anything, but his brother, since Merle disappeared from that roof top."

I sat there stunned as she went on and on about how Merle got left. I had already heard it all from Daryl while cleaning squirrels, so I didn't care about all the details of that entire trip for supplies. As Andrea yaps on, I glance across the camp to Daryl's truck where he sat on the tailgate messing with his crossbow. As if on cue, he looks up at me, and smiles. I grin back as I think, that man isn't as tough as he wants everyone to believe. He's a tough sum bitch alright, but he's as not cold blooded as he tries to seem.

We finish cleaning up dinner and I start towards him. He's now got his back to me, so he doesn't see me. Glancing over his shoulder I see him holding an old photograph of a little boy on an older boy's shoulders. As he wipes a singular tear away, I realize that's Merle and him as kids. He really misses his brother. I tap him on the shoulder and he jumps.


And that is where my alarm usually goes off. If I get enough positive reviews on my dream through Twitter or in the comments below, I'll continue on and make a story out of it. Please let me know what y'all think.

Disclaimer: No person, thing, book, show, movie or zombie mentioned in this post in any way, shape, or form, asked me to write this or gave me any compensation to write this. I do not have any rights to or claims on The Walking Dead or its characters. This story is my own creation based off of dreams I had about these characters. I jacked the images from a Twitter post, cropped empty space out of them, and just assumed they fell under the Public Domain Usage thingy. Please don't sue, I'm broke anyways. I just wanted to share my Daryl dream with Bloggywood! While I was not offered anything to write this, I will be more than happy to receive any swag you may want to send my way.

- Whether you love me or hate me, you know who I am.