Stay Still, For Me

I knelt, frozen, every part of my body tense, my heart pounding, each beat a reminder of how close we were to the edge of hell.

Negan raised his bat and swung it down with a disgusting whack, the sound echoing in the dead air.

I heard Hershel gasp, his body jerking, but he didn't fall immediately. He stayed kneeling for a moment, his blood dripping down his face. He tried to stay strong, eyes fixed on his daughters, but it was too much.

The second hit came faster, harder - a crack followed by a squelch that made my stomach churn.

Hershel crumpled to the ground, limp and broken.

Beth's heart shattered as she watched her father's head continue to be obliterated by Negan's bat, and Maggie shook beside her, grief written on her face.

They knew they had to stay still, or more lives would be lost.

Their strength in that moment was nothing short of incredible.

The weight of it crushed them, the silence unbearable as their tears fell, but neither could move or scream. They were trapped in a nightmare, unable to save Hershel or do anything but endure. The only choice was to stay down, obey, knowing that if they didn't, somebody else would be next.

My own tears flowed as if they were coming from a limitless source.

Negan's laugh echoed cruelly. He stood over Hershel's body, savoring the moment, his bat still dripping with blood.

"Eeesh." He turned to Daryl. "That one was all on you."

I watched Daryl change. Something inside him shattered, his shoulders hunched, and his hands trembled violently.

"I warned you," Negan's voice cut through the air. "I said I would shut that shit down. No exceptions."

Tears welled in Daryl's eyes, and I watched them fall, one after another. He wiped them away angrily, but it didn't matter. They kept coming - the guilt, the sorrow, the heartbreak. It all crashed down on him.

I could barely breathe as I watched him choke on a silent sob.

He blamed himself, just as Negan wanted him to.

This wasn't Daryl's fault. It was Negan's.

Only Negan's.

All I could do was kneel there, helpless, watching as the man I loved fell apart under the weight of it all.

I wanted to comfort him, to press my lips to his forehead and tell him everything would be okay, but I couldn't. The reality stopped me. The second I moved, Negan would see it. He would kill Daryl or someone else. I couldn't let that happen.

"Now ya want me to do it?" Dwight asked, hovering above Daryl.

My heart felt like it would explode.

Negan's voice came again, calm and cold. "Ya don't kill that. He's got guts. I like him. He'll be mine soon."

I didn't have time to process his words before he turned to another man. "Hell's his name?"

"Daryl."

"Wow. That actually sounds right." Negan chuckled. "And the lover?"

"Athena."

Negan's eyes flicked to Daryl. "Now, Daryl, listen closely. If you move, if you try anything... I'll cut pieces off Athena and put them on your doorstep. Or better yet, I'll bring her to you and have you do it for me. Are we clear?"

Daryl remained frozen.

"I asked if we're clear, Daryl."

"He won't," I cried out before I could stop myself, knowing full well Daryl would never agree to stand by if Negan's plan involved me.

"Let's get some guns on them both," Negan ordered. Weapons clicked in the air. Daryl had to stay still now. He wouldn't risk me being shot.

"Remember Daryl." Negan reminded. "I won't hesitate to kill her - right now - make her head into mashed potato. You can spare her. All you've gotta do is stay still like a good dog." He turned to D - Dwight. "Load her up."

Daryl's fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling. I could see his chest rise and fall faster, his breaths shallow and panicked.

"No, please," I heard him whisper. It was a broken plea, barely audible, but I could hear the devastation in his voice.

Negan didn't care.

I noticed Daryl starting to move on autopilot, regardless of himself. "If you love me..." I ground out. "Please don't move. Stay still... for me. Please, baby."

"I love you." I breathed loud enough for him to hear as I was lifted into the air like a ragdoll. I didn't fight. Guns were still trained on both of us. If I did. They'd kill Daryl first to punish me.

He didn't respond. He couldn't. He didn't even look like my husband anymore. His face contorted in agony as he sobbed. I'd never seen him so distressed. His chest heaved.

He was just as helpless as I was.

As soon as the doors to the back of the truck slammed shut - the same one Daryl, Rosita and I had been brought in - I burst into tears. I was terrified, of course I was, but what scared me even more was leaving Daryl like that.

I could only pray he'd would find the strength to pull through this, even though I knew it was killing him inside.

I willed him in my mind not to try come after me. He'd get himself killed. And that would kill me too.

I didn't stop crying until we stopped driving - however long later. I couldn't tell if we'd driven one mile, or a hundred.

I should have been listening, plotting, working out my options, but the only single thought in my mind was that I'd probably never see Daryl again...

A/N: Gotta mix things up, hey? 😬

Just a short chapter to set the scene for what comes next.

I'm so sorry, Hershel. I couldn't kill Glenn, and I couldn't realistically see Negan killing Beth.

Thank you so much for your votes and comments. Each and every one makes me so happy! ❤️