I sat on my knees, my whole body shaking. The rest of the group, my family surrounds me, also vulnerable and on their knees. Negan paced about swinging his bloody baseball bat wrapped in glimmering spiked wire. He paced before the group, his sadistic weapon hovering over each person's skull.
Negan stopped, the weapon hovering an inch from my forehead. I clench my fists into the hem of my t-shirt.
"Ah, well you're a sweet little thing, aren't you?" He moved the bat and crouched down, his face uncomfortably close to mine. I blink slowly, clenching my jaw to keep my lip from trembling.
Across the clearing, Carl locks eyes with me, his one visible eye sparking with fury. I try to communicate to him not to worry, but then Negan opens his mouth and I have to remember how to breathe.
"Hey, wanna meet Lucille?" He asks with a dark chuckle. He runs the end of the bat down my face. I squeeze my eyes shut, leaning away from both the weapon and his sour breath. He runs his thumb along my jawbone and I wince at his touch.
"Back off!" Carl snarls from yards away.
Negan's mouth twists into a terrifying smirk as he slowly turns to face Carl.
"Please don't!" My voice is weak and breaks over the words.
Negan backs up so he can see both me and Carl.
"Oho!" he cackles. "Looks like pretty and baby girl over here have a little something going on! Daddy dearest, did you know about this?" Negan steps toward Rick, a carnivorous smile breaking over his face.
Carl meets my eyes again, an anger scaring even me painting his bright eye.
Negan crosses back to me. "Like I said, I have to beat the holy hell out of one of you, and something tells me she'd be the most entertaining choice." His voice trails off, dripping with poison.
"No! Please-" Carl's voice rises in panic and he even moves toward me a bit before a knife is thrust against his throat. "Choose me instead." Carl says, his voice now hard and low.
"And the plot thickens!" Negan exclaims, turning to face the both of us again. "What do you think Daddio? Who should I pick?" He turns to face Rick again, who is looking only at Carl.
I am counting on Rick to choose Carl over me. Carl is the one who needs to live, he's the survivor here. He's the one with people he needs to survive for.
Rick doesn't say anything.
Please Rick. Tell him not to hurt Carl.
"You know what? I'll just pick myself." With a single smooth movement, he spins and slams the bat through a skull, blood spraying. "Wow! You are taking this like a champ!" he exclaims.
I wince away from the gruesome sight.
My eyes find Carl and he mouths something at me.
It's going to okay sweetheart.
I close my eyes and take a deep, steadying breath. When I open my eyes, they are filled with angry fight. I am not going to let this son of a b- hurt my family.
By the time Negan turns around, his bat dripping with fresh blood, I am ready. I have a plan.
And he is not going to win.