ch.31

us

   the men took us back to their camp, not longer after they fell asleep, leaving me on watch while daryl went out to catch us some food.

    "come on, we're hitting the road" daryl stated, appearing in my view along with joe and len.

     i stood up brushing off my pants before turning to him, "alone or with these jackasses?"

    "woah, there lady, we're standing right here. you should watch what you say." joe scoffed, earning an eye roll as i turned to him, "no, jackass is what i meant."

     daryl grabbed my shoulder, shaking his head for me to stop before bending down to grab our bag, shoving half a cottontail into it.

     "you still didn't answer my question." i mumbled, my eyes never leaving his. he hesitated, looking back at me, "we're traveling with them."

       i clicked my tongue, looking away for a moment before nodding, "then this is my goodbye"

     daryl knitted his eyebrows, "you ain't going out there alone."

     i scoffed, "you can't control me any longer, dixon. glenn, beth, and davina are out there somewhere and you aren't even trying to look for them. i'm done staying with this suck ass group, they're not remotely right."

     i grabbed my gun, checking to see how much ammo i had before shoving it back in my holster, turning away towards the woods.

      "melanie, don't- don't do this." daryl stated, taking a step closer, only for me to whip my head back around, "no, you don't do this."

      daryl stood looking at me appalled, watching as i moved into the woods, soon disappearing from his vision.___________

it had been a couple hours since i left daryls group, i was now trudging down the road, doing better than i thought i would.

that was until i heard revving from behind me, causing my head to snap back, seeing a car speeding down the road.

just when i was about to move out of the way, i felt an impact hit my legs causing me to fall over.

men came into the corner of my view, as i tried to stand up, pain surging through my body. before i could even try, they grabbed my arms dragging me to the car.

  i kicked one of the men's leg out from underneath him, causing him to let go of grip on me as he shrieked in pain.

    i punched the other guy straight in the stomach, making him bend over also releasing his grip from my arm.

i grabbed my gun from my belt loop, pointing it towards the men who had their hands up.

"so we can play nicely and we can all leave unharmed, or i'll fight back and you guys will be sorry" i stated, raising my brow to them, "your choice."

the men shook their heads, still coming closer, thinking i was weak.

  i rolled my eyes, "okay, fine" i grinned, smacking my gun across one of their faces as he stepped closer.

the other trying to pick me up, causing me to elbow him in the face, only to be dropped to the ground, straight onto my side.

    "well damn" i groaned, rolling over on the ground, watching as they both held their faces, blood spewing out their mouths and noses.

     i pulled myself up quickly, ignoring the bruise that would form on my side, and bolted straight for the woods.

i heard footsteps following behind me, but after a half an hour of running they stopped.

    my legs felt like jello, causing me to slow my pace, huffing out a smile, when my eyes landed on an exit of the woods.

    i could hear faint voices, causing me to step towards the exit, only to hear a gun click along with someone chuckling.

      "well. well. well, look what we have here" a guys voiced teased, causing my head to slowly turn, seeing one of joes men, pointing a gun to my head.

      i closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as he stepped closer, snaking his arm around my neck, holding me at gunpoint.

     "let's show the others who decided to return" he muttered, pulling me out of the woods, showing me off to his people along with some familiar faces.

     "rick? michonne?" i mumbled, seeing them on the road, joe and another guy also holding them at gunpoint.

     rick tilted his head seeing me, his eyes becoming glossy.

     "shit and i was thinking of turning in for the night on new year's eve." joe started, chuckling in between his words, "now who's gonna count down the ball dropper with me, huh?"

       joe started counting as my eyes shifted to carl, seeing him looking at us worriedly. "joe!" someone called out, turning my attention to the voice.

      my body trembled in happiness but also sadness, seeing daryl appear, glancing around at us.

     "you're stopping me on eight, daryl" joe asked, holding out his hand in frustration. "just hold up."

      "this is the guy that killed lou, along with our runaway. we got nothing to talk about." the man holding me huffed out, holding his arm against my neck tighter.

     "the thing about nowadays is we got nothing but time. say your piece, daryl"

     daryl took a step foward, "these people, you're gonna let em go. these are good people."

     joe nodded his head, "now, i think lou would disagree with you on that. i'll, of course, have to speak for him and all cause your friend here strangled him in a bathroom."

      "you want blood, i get it." daryl started, dropping his crossbow to the ground, "take it from me, man. come on."

      i shook my head, tears glossing my eyes as the words left daryls mouth.

     joe hesitated, tilting his head at daryls words, "you say they're good people. now, that right there is a lie!"

     my eyes followed one of joes men, watching as he threw a punch at daryls stomach, causing me to cry out, "no! stop! please, stop!"

     joe chuckled at my reaction, looking to the ground where his men beat daryl, "teach him, fellas. teach him all the way."

       i struggled against the mans arms, now seeing one of the men pull carl out of the car.

     "you leave him be" rick sneered, trying to get up, only to be shoved back down by joe.

     "you'll get yours. you just wait your turn" the man holding me whispered in my ear, sending worry and hatred through my body.

      "listen, it was just me. just me" rick stated, watching joe out of the corner of his eyes.

     "see, now that's right. that's not some damn lie. look we can settle this. we're reasonable men." joe started, glancing around at everything that was happening.

     "first, we're gonna beat daryl to death. then we'll have melanie and your chic. then the boy. then i'm gonna shoot you and then we'll be square."

     i cringed, watching joe laugh at his own words. "let him go. let him go" rick muttered, soon throwing his head back, knocking joe in the face.

      that was my sign, causing me to fight back, knocking the gun out of the mans hand, elbowing him in his sides, feeling release around my neck.

       i quickly turned around, kneeing him in his private part before pushing him to the ground, kicking the shit out of him until he was curled into a ball.

      "i hope you burn in hell, nasty bitch." i spat, turning around only to see rick taking a chunk out of joes neck with his teeth.

     i blinked a couple of times before snapping to where michonne stood, holding a knife out to the guy who had carl.

     "let the boy go." michonne pleaded, looking intensely at the man. rick stood up from joes body, moving towards us, "he's mine."

     the mans face turning into a horrified expression, letting go of carl as he looked to rick, "stay back. stay-"

     i grabbed carl in my arms, turning my head away from the scene so i couldn't see anymore. ______________

"we're getting close" daryl started, referring to a sanctuary rick had mentioned, "be there before sundown."

i nodded, moving my eyes towards the woods, "we should head through the woods. we don't know who they are"

"she's right" rick nodded, causing me to send him a small smile, leading everyone towards the woods.

daryl gave a hand motion, ushering for us to check the place out from behind the gates. i quickly moved my eyes to a hole, seeing the name, "terminus", written in big letters on a building.

"we all spread out, watch for awhile, see what we see, and get ready. we all stay close" rick announced as i reached in my holster, grabbing out my knife.

"mel, you staying with me?" rick questioned, earning a nod in response, watching him dig a hole in the ground.

he placed a blue duffle bag in the hole, filling it with our weapons and ammo, "just in case."

i nodded, watching him fill the hole back up, soon after we were jumping over the fence, slowly making our way inside the big building.

       we swiftly made our way into the workplace, making ourselves visible to the people.

      one of the guys threw his head back, looking towards us, "well, i bet albert is on perimeter watch. you here to rob us?"

     i scoffed, "no"

      rick sent me a look before stepping forward, placing his gun back into his holster, "we wanted to see you before you saw us."

     the guy shrugged, "makes sense. usually we do this where the tracks meet. ahem, welcome to terminus. i'm gareth."

      i nodded, crossing my arms over my chest, as i eyed gareth up and down, feeling a terrible gut feeling that something was off.

      "rick. that's carl, melanie, daryl, and michonne."

     gareth waved, earning no response as we stared at him, "you're nervous. we were all the same way. hey, alex"

      a guy stepped forward, moving towards gareth, "this isn't as pretty as the front. alex will take you, ask you a few questions. uh, but first, we need to see everyone's weapons. if you could just lay them down in front of you."

     we all paused, glancing at each other, unsure if we should our not.

     "all right" rick mumbled, breaking the silence as he kneeled to the ground, placing all his weapons out in front of him.

    i followed his lead, placing the gun shane gave me first, then my fighting knives i found at the highway.

     "i'd hate to see the other guy" alex remarked, referring to daryls face as he patted him down, soon moving to me.

      "you would"

     "they deserve it?" alex questioned, causing me and carl to answer in unison, "yes"

     "just so you know, we aren't those kind of people, but we aren't stupid. and you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything. as long as it's clear, we shouldn't have any problems"

     i looked to rick suspiciously before kneeling back down to get my weapons, only to be stopped as gareth kneeled, grabbing them before i could.

     "there you go" he smiled, handing me my stuff, "thanks" i mumbled in a stern voice, giving him a death glare.

      "come on" alex stated, ushering for us to follow him outside.

     "hi" a women started, greeting us as she cooked, "heard you came in the back door, smart. you'll fit right in here"

      me and daryl sent each other unsure look, soon my eyes pulling away from his, scanning the place.

      my eyes fell on a chain hanging out of alexs pocket, vividly remembering the pocket watch hershel gave glenn.

       i quickly walked in his direction, smacking the plate of food in his hand to the ground, grabbing the watch out of his pocket.

     rick grabbed the man, holding him at gunpoint, also noticing a few more things that had been our groups personal belongings.

    "where the hell did you get this watch?" i asked sternly, not wanting to play any games.

     "you want answers? you want anything else? you get em when you put down the guns."

      "look, i see your man on the roof with the sniper rifle, how goods his aim? now answer her." rick stated, pressing the gun against his face harder.

     "where did you get the watch?" i gritted through my teeth, "i got it off a dead one. i didn't  think he'd need it"

     rick scoffed, "what about the riot gear? the poncho?"

     "got the riot gear off a dead cop. found the poncho on a clothes line" a voice stated, causing me to whip out my gun, pointing it in his direction.

       "gareth, we can wait" alex suggested, earning an eye roll, "alex, shut up."

     "rick, what do you want?" gareth questioned, never taking his eyes off them.

    "where are our people?"

     "you didn't answer the question" gareth retorted, causing rick to shoot alex, throwing him to the ground.

     "come on" daryl shouted, ushering us to follow his lead as we ran, soon making our way through a room lit with candles.

     "what the hell is this place?"

     "these people, i don't think they're trying to kill us." michonne stated, causing rick to nod, "no, they were aiming at our feet."

      "there, go" rick yelled, pointing to a door, causing us to run, making our way out of room, heading back outside.

     we were soon stopped, seeing people with guns all around, trapping us in.

________________________________3/5/2021