Everyone knew the Dixon's. Will Dixon and his two sons Merle Dixon the oldest and Daryl Dixon the youngest boy. Will was an abusive alcoholic asshole with a short fuse. The cops were always at the Dixon's house. Because of the noise from the screaming and banging going on inside the house.
Merle always protected his little brother from their father. Always taking the blows from Will, making sure Daryl ate, and got to school. But as soon as he could leave he did. Leaving Daryl to take the beatings from their father. Until one day Merel came back and got Daryl and took him with him doing nothing in particular just drifting around Georgia's country side. That was when he was 16 years old.
Daryl's now 36 years old and still drifting around with his brother. Merle was always getting in trouble with the law. Selling drugs, starting fights, stealing. And although Daryl was with his brother he never got pressured into doing the same things as Merle no matter how hard he pushed it on Daryl. Merle wasn't any better then Will was always putting Daryl down telling him he was useless, a disappointment that no one would ever care about him but Merle himself.
Daryl never thought about having a family of his own. Getting married having kids. Because of his past he was afraid he would turn into his father or his brother. And with Merle always telling him no one wants him he never tried to ask anyone out. Sure he wasn't a virgin but that was only because Merle would pay girls to come over and sleep with them. Daryl never felt comfortable about doing that. Sleep with someone just because they were paid to do it. But he did it any way to avoid his brother calling him names and insulting him.
Daryl wasn't very talkative. Merle always did the talking for the both of them so it's not like Daryl could speak for himself without being busted on by his brother. Daryl didn't have any friends either, always hanging out with Merle and his drug addict, alcoholic friends. Daryl was smater then most people thought he was. He was an expert at hunting and tracking and knowing how to survive in the wild. He had to learn those things if he wanted to eat. He was also good under the hood of a car or under a bike. He may have dropped out of high school during tenth grade but he wasn't stupid. He may have believed a lot of things Merle told him but being stupid was never one of them.
The one thing that Daryl never expected was for the world to suddenly end. Dead people coming back to life walking around and eating people.
He can remember the first walker he ever seen. Him and Merle were out on a hunting trip deep in the Georgian woods. They were sitting around the fire they had built outside of their tents. Hearing the snapping of sticks and the crunch of the leaves. They both stood weapons in hand looking around for the source of the noise. When someone or yet something came stumbling out of the woods. At first he thought it was just some drunk guy lost wandering around in the woods.
But then the thing lifted it's head and growled at them. Blood all over it's face, down it's neck and white dress shirt. It's tie flung over its shoulder and black dress pants ripped up the left leg showing a nasty brownish reddish bite wound that was oozing reddish black stuff. It slowly limped toward them. Its right arm reached out grabbing at the air, it's teeth comping down, blood dripping out of its mouth while growling and gurgling. Its eyes dull and hazy with no sign of life in them.
They stood there watching this thing limp towards them not knowing what to do. So Merle shot at it. Hitting it in the stomach and chest four times. But to there horrified surprise it kept coming at them. Daryl lifted his crossbow up to his shoulder and firing a bolt into it's heart but that didn't even stop the thing from coming. Finally Merle shot it in the head and it went down instantly.
Daryl stood there shocked for a minute looking back and fourth between his brother and the dead guy on the ground. Not knowing what was going on Daryl freaked out. Yelling at his brother that he just killed someone.
"You just killed that guy Merle Now what the hell we gonna do?" Daryl yelled "Look here baby brother I had no choice to kill that sorry sum of a bitch!" Merle yelled back. "Now the hell we gonna do? I ain't gonna go ta jail cuz of ya dumbass Merle!" Daryl said getting more panicked. "Just calm down. No one will know it was us. We'll just bury him and get the fuck outta here." Merle told his little brother.
And that what they did they dug a hole and throw the guy in it and covered it back up. Then packed up their gear and got out of there. But what was waiting back in town for them would be a huge surprise. With begin out in the woods for weeks the Dixon's boys had no idea the world was in chaos.
Once back in town they couldn't believe what they were seeing. People running around screaming trying to get away from those who were trying to take a piece out of their flesh. Bloody hand prints on Windows of store fronts. Windows being shadered to the ground as others raided the little corner store. Cars parked all over the road with doors swung wide open. Houses and other builds on fire. Dead people laying on the street and side walks. They couldn't believe what was going on.
"What the hell has happened here? people have gone crazy!" Merle said to no one.
Then they heard it a voice on the radio telling people to stay calm and to not panic. That no one should open their doors and to stay inside. Not to go near anyone that looked sick. And when it's safe to head to Atlanta. There was food,water and shelter there with protection from the military. That this was a country wide Emergency. That as soon as possible to evaluate to the city.
"We need to get outta here Merle!" Daryl said "I ain't goin ta no damn city to be trapped like a rat in a trap!" Merle yelled. "Well we can't stay here! Look around you Merle people are trying to eat each other!" Daryl frustratedly yelled back. "Ya think I don't know that boy!" Merle said
After calming down a bit the brothers decided that they should do what they always did just drift around. Go find a store and get as much canned goods, water, and anything else they might need and hit the road just drive around Georgia until whatever this was blew over.