AUTHOR'S NOTE – Book 4! We made it! I'm so excited that there is FOUR installments to this story. To those who haven't read the first three books, just search Many Hearts to Tread on FanFiction. The first book is Many Hearts to Tread, second book is Nothing Else Matters, and third book is Vessel. I even have a prequel titled Manipulated Living based off Negan's life BEFORE the apocalypse.
I'm majorly excited for the upcoming episodes of Walking Dead as the Negan timeline starts to unfold. Am I psyched? Yes.
A couple of things to discuss. Sherry and Dwight are NOTHING like their characters from the TV show or comic book. Some similarities here and there but when I started writing this saga, I didn't have a lot to go on so I took a few liberties to really make them my own.
Also, I can GUARANTEE that Sherry and Dwight's relationship with each other is a lot different from the comics because…FanFiction.
A quick shout out to my readers. This last week, my story stats have SKYROCKETED. Like wow. I am honored to have so many people read what I have to write. I hope everyone enjoys what they have read in the past and this book as well.
I already know that Cruel World will be the LONGEST book out of the saga. There is just so much information that needs to be touched on. Like the emotions in the past that make things happen in the present and in the future. It's a lot of variables to hash out and complicated feelings. I intend for Cruel World to be the most detailed and explained.
Without further ado, here is the first chapter of Cruel World. Follow me as an author to get the latest updates and please review your thoughts! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to review and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
Chapter 1
Fog settled in the morning as Dwight walked on an abandoned street all by himself. Long had the small town that surrounded him been deserted as a quiet fell upon the day. The sky had been gray for several weeks as Dwight grew anxious because of it. It almost seemed like an omen of future events.
He didn't used to think to be superstitious about weather. More or less he still wasn't apprehensive in regards to gloomy skies but it still didn't make him feel at ease either.
Two years ago, on a spring day, was when he received the scar that mutilated the left side of his face. It wasn't the appearance of it that bothered him. Now that it was less pink and red, he couldn't help but feel badass in regards to it. He was only furious with how he received it in the first place. Two years ago, on a rainy day, was when Negan placed an iron to his face because that was the punishment Negan felt he deserved.
Dwight walked in the small town through the fog and stopped to see two street names on a corner. With the fog, it was difficult to see where he was as buildings hid behind the mist. The street signs read Hurd Avenue and Adlard Street. When he looked around him, he saw an old brick building next to him and decided to lean on it and wait.
Choosing to go against Negan was naturally an easy decision. He never enjoyed being in Sanctuary to begin with. Since day one, he was forced to do whatever Negan asked him to do. And Dwight did what was asked to keep his group that he now considered his family alive.
At times, he didn't always obey Negan and would get punished for resisting. He had been beaten where his bones were broken, water boarded, and ironed.
Dwight would always think back to the day where his branding took place. He wasn't exact on the date but knew it was two years ago on a day like the one he was currently in.
There were so many things that he battled to make right due to his past misgivings. He owed it to many to make Negan suffer for what he did to everyone. But mostly, it was payback for what Negan did to both him and Sherry.
Sherry would forever be scarred for what happened to her. It was an internal scarring that was given to her unlike Dwight's. Mentally Dwight had his own share of trauma, but it went much deeper with Sherry who revealed to Dwight only a month ago to what extent she was hurt.
Negan had raped her for two years since Dwight's ironing. That was her punishment for what Dwight and Sherry did. Dwight was unsure of what to think about it before she told him. He knew Negan had punished her once with it. Dwight assumed Negan would stop once he seemed resolved knowing they wouldn't repeat their mistake. He had been ignorant thinking Negan wouldn't go after her again. Negan could do whatever he wanted with Dwight, but no one messed with Sherry if he had anything to say about it.
Dwight stared upwards towards the sky as he shook his head. Negan had killed and terrorized people. He needed to keep the goal of ending the agony for everyone. It was personal but he needed to be smart about his actions if they were going to even make a dent towards their attack in Sanctuary.
When Dwight discovered that Sherry left Sanctuary at an opportune moment, he knew the best action was being on whatever side Sherry was on. Since he spoke with Rick a month ago, he had been working as a double agent for Alexandria, the Kingdom and Hilltop Colony.
Dwight waited on the corner of Hurd and Adlard as his back leaned against the building wall. This was his meeting place with Alexandria when they needed to discuss what was going on each side of their defenses.
Their meeting schedules were complicated. Dwight didn't feel like it was smart to meet at a specific time of the week as it would raise suspicion. One week they would meet on Monday at seven, then the next week they would meet on Tuesdays at nine. After a month of meeting together on Hurd and Adlard, it was now Thursday at one in the afternoon.
Dwight picked their meeting location for a number of reasons. It was one of the blind spots that Sanctuary had with their many outposts. But it was a road that Dwight would take when he was assigned to occasionally check on each outpost one after another. It was somewhat out of the way but not enough for him to be gone long enough to cause suspicion. For all the Saviors knew, he was held back by walkers in transit which happened more often than not.
After several more minutes passed, he got out a cigarette and lighter as he thought he would take advantage of his rare time alone with his nicotine. He sighed as he looked at his cigarette supply. There was only one cigarette left in the carton. "Fuck." He muttered but lit it up anyways hoping that his new friend from Alexandria would have any to spare. Dwight smiled as he thought it may have been a mistake of Daryl to tell him about the hefty supply he had but it was easier asking Daryl than it was to get cigarettes from the supply building in Sanctuary.
With Sanctuary practically living off of what they found themselves, rations started dwindling fast without the taxing of the other communities. They were low before the war began because of Alexandria's arson against them but Dwight watched as families were starving in Alexandria. Most of Dwight's portions secretly when to Negan's wives as he knew Sherry worried about them constantly.
He heard growling to his right and wondered whether it was his own stomach or a walker. He watched as a walker emerged from the fog and headed towards him angrily.
Dwight hardly skipped a beat as he took his crossbow that hung from his belt and loaded it as quick as he could. It was ready to go as he aimed and fired effortlessly towards the walker. Once the walker fell to the floor, he walked over to it and put his foot against the walker's head to remove the bolt. He put too much weight on the walker as his foot broke through the walker's delicate and rotted skill. Dwight remained unfazed but was bummed that his shoe was grossly covered in brains. He walked back to stand next to the building as he took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew smoke out.
Not soon after his walker encounter, he heard a car engine in the distance as he waited patiently in his spot. Whether it was Saviors or another community, he didn't feel threatened. It was the one thing that irked him about his job as a double agent. He felt immune on both sides when everyone around him felt incredibly vulnerable as they fought for their entire livelihood. He didn't have to worry and that made him feel guilty. He wished everyone already had the same security he felt.
A couple of cars emerged from the fog slowly as they came to a stop. He saw Daryl in one car as he looked at the street signs and then saw Dwight. All the cars parked as people emerged from their cars. Dwight exhaled deeply as he saw who emerged from the passenger seat of Daryl's car. Sherry looked around her as Dwight soaked in every detail about her. Her jawline on the right side was cut but looked to be healing well from the last time he saw her. He also noticed her left arm was in a sling. Because of the sling, he noticed she only had a pistol holstered to her right side with a small knife sheathed on her left side.
He hadn't seen Sherry in a month since the ties to Sanctuary and Alexandria were permanently severed by force. The last time he saw her, she shot at Negan and nicked the right side of his cheek. The action was soon followed by gunfire from each side of Alexandria's gates. The action surprised him as he didn't know she had it in her to kill someone. He wondered how she was doing with her new surroundings in Alexandria. After all this time, he still thought about her often and hoped for the best outcome she could have in life.
He knew she still cared about him as well but given their history, he wasn't sure if she wanted a life with him anymore. He didn't blame her if she chose to move on with some other guy one day that was less complicated and didn't know every shocking detail about her. He knew he was disinterested in finding someone else but if she chose that direction herself, he wouldn't have judged her.
Even though she had expressed love for him before, Dwight didn't know if he would have been sufficient enough to have her. Sherry deserved the best in the world and he wasn't sure if he was the best. He was a killer. He knew there was hardly a person without sin, but he was so close to the part in her life that he knew she would have preferred to forget. He even wore a visible scar that was a constant reminder of what they had been through. Every time she saw him, she knew she was taken back to the worst time of both of their lives.
As he watched her from a distance, he noticed her dark hair got slightly longer as she wore it in a side braid. She looked at her surroundings cautiously as the Alexandrians started walking in his direction as she stayed in the distance keeping watch along with a couple of others as some were ready to discuss new tactics they could use with Dwight's information.
Daryl, Sasha, Aaron, and Jason walked towards Dwight as they looked around them as much as they could with the fog blocking most of their view of anything too far. Jason approached Dwight first with a big smile as he waved a hand in front of him which snapped Dwight from gawking at Sherry. "How are you doing, Dwight?" He asked. "Admiring the view?"
Dwight shook his head and gave the four his full attention. Other Alexandrians either kept guard around them or stayed in their cars as they waited for what happened next. "Today is a decent day with a lot of news on my end." Dwight said as Daryl stood next to him. He dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. "I have a good lead that we need to act on in a couple of hours."
"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked.
"Hilltop and the Kingdom weren't the only places that we have collected taxes." Dwight revealed as they all looked to him with surprise as he unfolded a map from his pocket. Several spots were circled as Dwight marked new territories that consisted of the new communities that overtook the terrain. "See the places that are starred? Those are the communities that consist of twenty or less people." He explained.
"Want us to talk to 'em? Have 'em join in the fight?" Daryl asked.
Dwight shook his head. "With as small groups as that, they are thinking in smaller scales. Negan would wipe them out if he knew they turned against the Saviors. They would be as good as dead. Right now, they are oblivious to the war that's happening. For their benefit, I think it should stay that way." He said.
"So what do you suggest?" A man who Dwight remembered being called Aaron. "If they are no use to us, why are you bringing them up?"
"I have organized that thirty men pick up taxes and they will leave Sanctuary in about twenty minutes. I say cut them off and ambush them before they even get to their destinations." Dwight explained.
"Which one are they headed to first?" Daryl asked as he looked to the map.
Dwight pointed to three but kept his finger on the furthest one. "They make the longer trip first. Its two hours away from Sanctuary. If we leave soon, we could cut them off before they even make it." He suggested.
"You said thirty?" Sasha asked.
"Yeah. How many people are with you now?" Dwight asked as he looked upwards towards their people as his eyes first wandered to Sherry yet again.
"Fourteen." Aaron said as he looked a little dismayed.
"You don't think we could make that push?" Dwight questioned as he picked up Aaron's apprehension.
Aaron shrugged. "It's just a little iffy, that's all. This is the first attack that we are doing of this kind. We don't know what to prepare for." He said.
"I say we try." Daryl said as he folded his arms in front of him in thought. "We don' know what kind of things are gonna happen from here on out. Might as well catch them by surprise when we can."
Aaron exhaled but nodded knowing they wouldn't have many opportunities like the one that fell before them.
"Good thing we brought some things that can help with the cause." Jason said as he beamed and looked at Aaron. "Remember what Earl made us that I have in the back of my truck."
Dwight looked to Aaron for explanation. "Earl helped us make a road block several days ago to put in front of Alexandria's gates. It's a road block. It has these big metal spikes to kill tires. Think we could use it on the Saviors?" He asked.
"Good opportunity to see if they work." Dwight said impressed. He knew about Hilltop's skilled blacksmith. Earl knew how to make a lot of things for the cause and was very talented by making various things.
"We have somethin' else to talk about." Daryl said as everyone looked to Dwight warily.
"What?" Dwight asked as the mood got very serious in their small circle.
"Rick wants to make a big push at Sanctuary." Sasha said. "With all of the communities."
"Just knock on the front door?" Dwight asked. He looked to Sherry and hoped she would stay behind in Alexandria on that day. "Now that's a little risky."
"We've been waiting for the right opportunity. We have just been prodding each other for the last month. Rick wants us to make the first big move. Let him know we are contenders that aren't to be fucked with." Jason disclosed.
"Someone has t' make the first move." Daryl reasoned.
Dwight shook his head. He knew Negan was planning a push against the communities one by one and knowing they were banding together against Sanctuary first sounded like a better alternative. However, he was still unsure and hoped for the better outcome.
"Sanctuary's fence. Have they ever been riled up before?" Sasha asked Dwight.
"The night we took Carl and Sherry from Sanctuary." Jason said. "The walker's on the fence were acting a little wild. The extra loud noises they made brought on other walker's in the area. We had to fight our way out. Did you guys have any problems that night?"
Dwight scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "I was actually wasted that night so I'm not sure what they had to deal with." He confessed.
Daryl snorted at the answer as Jason grinned. "Dwight Orlich getting drunk?" Jason asked. "I want to see that sometime."
Dwight rolled his eyes and continued the conversation to where it was before. "So your idea is to make a couple of explosions and bring a herd their way?" He asked.
They all nodded. "We want to bring their fences down." Aaron said. "With walkers hearing our commotion and the fence already making noise because of it, we know that walkers will just keep coming. It'll be something that the Saviors have to regroup from." He still sounded uneasy about the idea of attacking but it seemed inevitable no matter what they did.
Dwight looked to all of them and sighed. "Okay. When is this attack going to happen?" He asked.
"Couple a' days from now." Daryl said.
With that, Dwight nodded. "Alright." He agreed. "If you guys think you can do it, then do it." Worry settled in as he thought of people in Sanctuary that he knew were good people. They were going to be put right in the middle of everything.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked watching Dwight stare at the ground.
"There are families with children in Sanctuary. As bizarre as that sounds, we do have some families there. Like your family, Jason." He said.
"How about we send some of our group to get them out of there?" Sasha asked. "All you have to do is put them in a spot, and while everyone is distracted with what is going on at the gate we'll get them out of there."
Dwight sighed as it still felt iffy to him. "Their husbands are fighting. Some won't leave. And believe it or not, they feel secure where they are." He folded his arms as he wondered what the best course of action would be.
"Some people are going to die." Jason said. "It doesn't matter what we try, people are going to die from both sides, Dwight."
Dwight looked to Jason and nodded solemnly. "I guess so." He said.
"See? You're still a good tenderhearted person." Jason said in a somewhat teasing manner. Sasha scoffed but smiled slightly at the compliment.
Dwight took a deep breath but knew he had to say something before they moved forward. He owed it to Sasha to talk to her instead of have the elephant in the room. He knew she and Abraham were close and wanted to apologize to her.
"Sasha, can I talk to you for a second?" Dwight asked.
Sasha looked surprised and glanced at everyone else in their circle. They all awkwardly went their separate ways as he saw Daryl walk towards Sherry.
Sasha stayed and looked to Dwight curiously. "What do you want?" She asked slowly but Dwight could hear a mixture of impatience and aggravation that came with it. He knew he didn't deserve her attention.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what happened. With Abraham." Dwight said. "I know if someone did that to me, I would want to kill them. And I could blame Negan all I wanted but I was the one who did it."
"Stop." Sasha said. She paused and looked behind him to think of the right words to say. "I know what happened with you guys in Sanctuary. I have heard other people talking about it. I saw when Negan attacked Sherry in Alexandria. I get you had to do what you had to do. It wasn't easy but my blame isn't on you anymore."
Dwight knew he should have gotten more out of what she said but his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Negan attacked Sherry in Alexandria?" He asked.
She nodded. "Maybe she can tell you more about it." Sasha said. "Me and you though. We're good."
Dwight smiled slightly. "Good." He said. "I'm sorry." He repeated as she started walking away.
"Stop saying sorry." Sasha said going back to being annoyed with him.
Dwight saw Daryl walk up to him as Dwight met him halfway. "Should we leave soon?" Daryl asked.
Dwight looked to Sherry who was talking to Sasha. They both wore small smiles as they continued to converse. "Um… I'll drive with you and lead the way." Dwight said to Daryl.
Daryl looked to where Dwight was staring and snorted. "Uh huh." He said and started walking towards his car again.
Dwight smirked as he started walking towards Sherry. When everyone dispersed back to their cars, Sherry turned around to see Dwight standing right behind her. "Hey." He said.
She smiled lightly and gave him a small wave. Even by only seeing her for a short amount of time, he could already tell that she was much happier than she was in Sanctuary. Her face lit up as so looked to him. "Hello." She said.
"I wasn't expecting to see you today." Dwight said.
"I wanted to get outside of the walls." She responded.
"Nothing to do with seeing me?" He asked jokingly but secretly wanted an answer.
"Maybe." She said quietly as her face reddened.
Dwight nodded smugly and walked to Sherry's car door. He opened it and gestured for her to get in. "After you." He said. "Hope you don't mind more company."
Sherry looked as if she tried to hide some excitement. "You're coming with us?" She asked.
"Well, it would look a little off if my truck was spotted your Alexandrians." Dwight reasoned. "Also, I need to lead the way. It would be easier in the same car. This has nothing to do with being in the same car as you for a few hours." He said as he winked.
"I'm sure it doesn't." She said and got in the front seat. He closed the door behind her and got in the back seat. When he opened the door, his cocky smile turned to a frown as he saw the seat was already occupied.
"You might want to get in on the other side." Eugene said snidely as his hands interlaced together on his lap. Dwight did his best not to slam the door on his face and walked to the other side of the car to sit behind Daryl's driver's seat. Sasha was someone who was able to forgive him. Eugene was a different story. For the last month, Eugene would go out of his way to purposefully annoy Dwight to no end as a small revenge plot against Dwight killing Abraham. Every time, Dwight would let Eugene win every small argument just to let him know he was repentant for what he had done. But it didn't change how annoyed he felt when he was around him.
Daryl stood up by the car as he quickly got his own nicotine fix before they headed out. Daryl wore a small grin as Dwight could tell he was humored by him being in the same car as someone who despised him.
"A little warning would have been nice." Dwight said slightly annoyed. Spending time with Sherry was something that he always looked forward to. Eugene was putting a damper on the day already.
"Wouldna done much." Daryl said and dropped his cigarette to the ground. With that, he got into the car.
Dwight opened his door and saw boxes of electronics in his seat. Dwight leaned down to stare at Eugene as Eugene glared back at him. "You might want to put those in the trunk." He said simply.
Dwight stood up straight trying to keep his temper in check. I killed his friend, Dwight thought as he tried to sympathize with Eugene and keep himself from shooting him before the day was over. I killed his friend, he repeated. With that, he took the boxes as Daryl popped the trunk for him.
When Dwight got into the car and sat in his seat, Daryl got inside and handed Sherry his crossbow. She placed it on her lap as Daryl started the car and turned to smile at Dwight who in turn smiled back at her.
"My guess is third degree burns." Eugene said which interrupted their little moment.
Dwight's nostrils flared slightly as he gave Eugene the side eye but didn't say anything.
As if Eugene thought Dwight was lost on what he meant he continued, "The scar on your face. Third degree burns? Was that a right hypothesis?" He pressed.
Sherry looked from Eugene to Dwight as Dwight gave the other man the dirtiest look. Dwight wouldn't answer and Eugene didn't ask any more questions based on Dwight's reaction.
Sherry turned to face the front as she bit her lip. She looked to Daryl who glanced back at her with raised eyebrows. They both knew it was going to feel like a longer trip than it really was.
…
They spent ten minutes in complete silence during their road trip in the car. At one point, Sherry asked Daryl if there was any music they could listen to but he regretfully said there wasn't.
Dwight would either look at his map, out the window, or catch glimpses of Sherry. He avoided the latter because when he looked in her direction, he could see Eugene from his peripherals staring him down. He constantly felt eyes on him as he guided Daryl where he needed to go but beyond that was silence.
Then Eugene opened his mouth. Dwight wished that his ears could fall off the way Eugene spoke about things that he didn't particularly about. It was grating and the words Eugene said felt condescending towards everyone around him.
By the time they made it to their destination an hour later, Eugene was trying to one up Dwight with education. Dwight tried to hold his tongue back and give in to the bait. Even though he could have bragged he himself was two weeks away from being called a Doctor of Philosophy, he knew it was better to keep his mouth shut.
"Take a left on the next road and park." Dwight said to Daryl. "We're almost there."
"M'kay." Daryl said in almost relief. At least Dwight felt he wasn't the only one who was sick of the car ride.
"And that was after I completed graduate school." Eugene said. Dwight wasn't sure what his story was about leading up to that remark but it still drove him mad regardless. "What about y'all? Did you guys go to college?"
"No." Daryl said as he spotted the left turn they needed to make. Dwight saw they were so close yet so far as Eugene waited expectedly for an answer from everyone.
"I was a couple of weeks from finishing college with my Bachelor's degree." Sherry spoke up.
"I always admired a woman who had interest in continuing her academics." Eugene said as he looked at her. Sherry turned to look back at him with a smile and a nod. Dwight smiled to himself as he knew that was Sherry's way of letting someone know they were on her nerves.
"What 'bout you?" Eugene asked. "Community college?"
Dwight bit his lip as the car turned and slowed to a stop. The car wasn't even parked as Dwight got out and reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. When he remembered and saw that his carton was completely empty, he walked a distance away from the car as Eugene emerged and continued to ramble.
They stopped on a country road that was a next to the road the Saviors would be en route to for their supplies. They were surrounded by trees on every side as they were in the backwoods of the Washington D.C. area.
He watched as the cars that followed Daryl's parked behind them and Alexandrian's started pouring out of the cars. He hoped that one of their cars would have an empty seat but from the looks of it, each car was already full. Maybe he could convince someone to trade seats with Eugene.
"You okay?" He heard Sherry ask behind him.
Dwight turned around and saw her standing closer than he thought. He liked her being close and the opportunity to see her still made his day better than most. He wished he had more days that consisted of her. He smiled assuredly. "I'm more concerned about you." He said worriedly.
Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Why?" She asked.
"Eugene lives in the same community as you. That must be agony." Dwight said jokingly.
She laughed lightly at his joke and looked him in the eyes. "He doesn't hate me so it's not that bad." Sherry said simply.
Dwight groaned with a smile as he absentmindedly reached for his pack of cigarettes than remembered yet again he was out. He rolled his eyes and decided to relieve stress in another form but no ideas came to mind.
Sherry looked from his pocket to him and smiled knowing what he was looking for. "Smoking is bad for you anyways." She said with a hint of snark.
Dwight nodded in defeat. "I know." He said hoping she wouldn't judge him too much. But then he saw her reach into her own pocket and produce an unopened carton of cigarettes.
She stretched her hand out to give them to Dwight as he looked with appreciation from Sherry to the cigarettes. Dwight instantly pulled her into a hug that she didn't expect but was surprised at how well she welcomed his affection. She realized today was a good day and that hugs didn't feel like barbed wire to her. It always depended on the day no thanks to Negan.
"Thanks." Dwight said as he broke their hug and took the cigarettes that she still held out to give to him. "Seriously, you are a life saver." He said as he opened the pack as quickly as he could.
"Don't mention it." Sherry said with a smile as she started backing away.
He put a cigarette in his mouth and watched her moving further from him. "Don't want to hang out with me anymore?" He asked with actual disappointment.
"I want to… I just don't like the smell of nicotine." She said with a polite smile.
Dwight nodded in understanding as he lit it up. He looked towards everyone as they got their gear out. Jason waved at him to get his attention as Dwight walked over. "So where are we going to do this?" Jason asked. "Do we have time to set up the road block?"
Dwight looked at the road they drove on to get there and nodded. "Yeah, we have plenty of time." He pointed to the right. "The road that we just came from is where we will ambush them. I'd take the chain there for about fifty yards before they have a chance to see our cars." He said.
Jason nodded. "How much time do we have?" He asked.
"Thirty minutes to an hour." Dwight said. "I'd take your car."
Jason nodded again and whistled to Aaron who nodded back as they got into Jason's truck and drove off.
The fog still settled around them as Dwight got rid of his cigarette. It gave them extra cover that they would need for their scheme to pan out the way they needed it to.
As Dwight watched everyone get ready, he knew there would be thirty less people who lived in Sanctuary. And that would be thirty less people to worry about in the future. He started prepping himself mentally as he walked to the back of Daryl's car to see what kind of weapons he could use. He was ready to fight today for a good cause.
…
Sherry sat next to the road blocked by fog and the trees. Everyone was scattered about in various places as they waited nearby the road block for the Saviors to arrive. They wanted to appear as if they had more people than they actually did so everyone was no less than thirty feet from each other on each side of the road as they all stayed low and hidden.
Knowing she had a little more time, Sherry put her gun down and reached for the sling on her left arm. She wasn't supposed to have it longer than three weeks but kept on aggravating it so Terri demanded she keep it on longer and to not use it if she could help it. It was awkward to carry a gun without two hands and the recoil messed her targets up without her left hand supporting. Sherry grabbed with her right hand to take the sling off and heard a noise behind her.
She inhaled sharply but turned to see it was just Dwight who was kneeling down next to her. "Let me help." He said as took the sling over and around her head.
"Thanks." She said to him and put the sling on the ground and picked her pistol back up.
"Is that the best idea for your arm?" He asked.
She shrugged. "I'll put it back on after." She said. "You going to stick around here?"
Dwight looked at her sadly and shook his head. "I'll be ninety feet west of you." He said.
"You okay?" She asked picking up on his attitude change.
"This kind of thing… Ambushing is one of my stronger areas of expertise. That's all I have been doing for a while. Even to myself, it's off putting to see how decent I am at it." He said as he tried to think of what to say.
Sherry was confused at what he was getting at. "Is this you bragging right now?" She asked.
Dwight snorted but chuckled quietly. "God no. No, I'm trying to tell you that….Sher, I don't want you to see me when I do this." He said.
"Oh." Sherry said in understanding. She put her pistol in her left hand and put her right hand on his arm. "You know it would take a lot for me to be scared of you, Dwight."
"I know… It's just not one of my prouder moments in a situation like this." He confessed. "I did want to see you before everything happened though."
Dwight took her hand in his and squeezed lightly. "Make sure you keep an eye through your peripherals in case walkers come up behind you." He instructed. "Also stay low and try and move around as often as you can so they don't zero in on one spot."
Sherry rolled her eyes and looked at him assuredly. "Dwight, I'll be fine. I promise." She said.
Dwight smiled. "Please be careful, Sher." He said and stood up.
"Right back at ya." Sherry replied as she returned to her position.
She watched as he reluctantly started walking away as she blinked several times and shook her head. Sherry still cared for him more than anyone else. She just wasn't sure if the person she grew to be would be someone that Dwight could tolerate. She had a lot of problems that weren't something to be taken lightly. She wasn't sure if she could give Dwight what he needed out of a relationship. She wasn't sure if she could provide that to anyone around her. And she couldn't ask him to wait around for her to be back to her old self completely. She didn't know if that day would ever come.
Sherry wished it would be easier as time went on. Some days it was but others she was swept back to the misery she felt when she was in Sanctuary. She literally had a target on her back that her time in Alexandria was going to expire if Negan wasn't defeated. He would drag her back to Sanctuary eventually and with that thought, her time felt very limited.
It was a subject she hardly wanted to touch base on or even admit to herself but the conflict she felt in regards to Negan was something that she had to come to terms with sooner or later. More often than not, she denied whatever cordial feelings she had for Negan. She hated him but a sliver of her was still fond of him for a bizarre reason. She hated herself because of it. Sherry wished that she could shut those feelings out completely. She wished that the years in Sanctuary never happened so her mind was able to function more clearly.
Overall, she knew what needed to happen and worked towards that goal. She wanted to stay in Alexandria and she wanted everyone around her to move on with their lives as she knew she needed to as well. As conflicted as she was, she knew Negan had to be gone. It would be easier that way.
She closed her eyes and breathed slowly as she started to hear several engines headed their direction. It was time for her to prove her value in once more as she knew the Saviors vehicles would emerge from the fog soon.
…
Dwight watched as Saviors' vehicle closed in on the road block unbeknownst to them. With the fog and ambush combined, they were oblivious to any upcoming danger as they flew down the road.
Daryl stood next to him as they watched the loading truck that led the way get closer and closer. Then the loading truck made contact with the road block. They watched as the driver made the mistake of stepping on the brakes and the truck tipped over with a loud crash followed by screeching from the cars behind it. Two other cars hit the road block as they skidded and fishtailed to a stop crashing into each other and the tipped over loading truck.
Once the commotion came to a close and the cars ceased to move, Saviors started emerging from their cars in complete confusion.
"What the fuck?" A Savior yelled in frustration.
Another Savior looked around and saw the road block. "I think we fell into a trap!" He yelled. Dwight watched Daryl take aim towards him and zeroed in on someone else as well. Things were going to go down very fast as they still needed the element of surprise and strategy.
Daryl took the shot as the man stumbled backward with a bolt protruding from his chest. He fell to his knees and face planted to the road beneath him.
"Ken's been hit!" Someone yelled. "Take cover and start shooting, boys!" They did so as the Alexandrian's started pouring gunfire over the Saviors stranded on the road. The Saviors took cover behind their cars but had a disadvantage being surrounded and not sure where all their enemies were. Dwight watched as two other Saviors fell lifeless and he took aim towards someone whose head just barely rose above a vehicle. He fired his crossbow as he saw the bolt stick out from the man's head. He slumped over as Dwight logged the death in his kill count. 313, he thought.
He heard a slight scoff come from Daryl as Dwight loaded his crossbow. He watched as Daryl shot at someone who stood vulnerable and was killed instantly from Daryl's bolt.
As Daryl reloaded his crossbow, Dwight tried to find someone else who could be a decent target. But when he found someone, Daryl already loaded as they both aimed at the same person at the same time. Dwight didn't hesitate as he fired in the same second Daryl did. The man fell with two bolts that bulged from his cheek and near his collar bone.
"Mine was the head shot." Dwight mumbled. In all honesty, he wasn't sure which one was which but wouldn't tell Daryl that piece of information.
"Keep tellin' yerself that." Daryl grunted back in response. Their amusement ended when they had to take cover with gunfire flying just above them. They each rolled behind separate trees as some Saviors zeroed in on their location.
Dwight got Daryl's attention and pointed that he was going to get a better position as theirs was put in jeopardy. Daryl nodded that he would do the same as they both army crawled to a different spot.
…
Sherry shot at one person so far and looked to have gotten only his leg. He was out of sight as Sherry was unsure if she was out of practice or second guessing every target before she shot. She guessed it was both as she tried to find someone that looked exposed.
That was when she saw a Savior start booking it away into the woods only thirty feet away from her. She stayed in her spot and looked around to see if anyone else saw the Savior bolting and knew he was a liability being alive. After several seconds she stood up and started running after him.
She was quiet and tried to hardly make a sound as it appeared that the Savior in front of her was doing the same at least for a little while until he felt confident that he was far enough away from any threats. Sherry stayed low but kept going further and further away from everyone else and the rest of the noise.
After several minutes she saw the Savior turn around near her direction. She quickly hid behind a tree and held her breath hoping that he didn't see her. Sherry waited for a few more moments as she counted to ten. When she stuck her head out from the tree, she no longer saw a Savior. She cursed inwardly knowing that she didn't have to wait as long as she did.
She hoped maybe she could pick up on some sort of trail from the last spot she saw him and jogged over to that spot. When she made it, she then heard a noise behind her and turned around to come face to face with a rifle stock that careened towards her forehead. The rifle hit her upside of her head as she barreled back from the blow. She landed on her rear as she quickly tried to aim the weapon towards the Savior.
"Ugh…" Sherry said in pain.
"Don't!" He growled above a whisper at her with his weapon already drawn on her.
Reluctantly, she put her pistol down, knowing he won this round.
"Now give me your gun." He said. "Or I'll have to escort you back to Sanctuary."
Sherry gripped her gun tightly as she feared the worst. "No." She said firmly no matter how fearful she was.
Again, he looked confused by her tone. Sherry knew that some of Negan's men only followed him because they feared the other option. She took a chance and hoped that he would be a person who was a decent person. "I could shoot you right now." He said. "Just give me your gun." He repeated.
Blood started to get into her left eye from the gash she received from the hit. She wiped blood away with her arm but still kept her gun about her. She looked behind him and raised her gun. Walker growls got closer to them as they both took aim at five walkers that were closing in on them.
The Savior looked to the walkers and then to Sherry. "You're on your own, bitch." He said and started bolting.
Sherry exhaled infuriated that something stood in the way of her chase. She started shooting at the walkers one by one as she stood up and trekked in the direction of the Savior with the walkers following after her.
…
"No. No, please!" A Savior at the ambush scene said with his hands outstretched towards Dwight in a plea for his life.
Dwight didn't hear a word of it as he shot his crossbow right into his skull. The man's eyes fell behind his head as his eyelids closed only halfway. 317, Dwight thought as he plucked his bolt out of the man's head in slight distaste. He looked around him as everyone else wandered around the site to see if their work was completely finished.
Dwight knew their ambush was a success as he looked around for the people in Alexandria. He saw that everyone was scavenging the area but instantly saw someone was unaccounted for.
He walked to Daryl who was also picking up his various bolts that scattered the place. "Have you seen Sherry anywhere?" He asked.
Daryl looked around to see she was nowhere in sight. "Nah, man. I ain't seen her." He responded.
Dwight could feel his feet start moving in the direction that he last saw her. First his steps were cautious but then he started picking up the pace as worry formed over.
They both got over to the area that Sherry took over before the ambush started. All Dwight saw was Sherry's sling where she left it. Dwight picked it up only to throw it back on the forest floor in anger and distress as he looked around the forest wondering what happened to her.
"Hey. We'll find her." Daryl said as he put a hand on his shoulder. Dwight turned to see Daryl looking at the ground. He looked up and started walking. "She went this way."
Dwight started following him while being thankful that Daryl turned out to be a tracker in the time that he needed someone to be. He followed as they both heard a gunshot ring throughout the area. They both looked up and started racing in the direction where it was heard knowing Sherry was involved.
…
When they got closer, they both took cautious steps as Daryl continued to look for more signs of anything that would prove to be useful. Daryl stopped as Dwight did the same. He looked at the ground and then around him with his eyebrows scrunched together.
"Blood and walkers, up ahead." Daryl said. Dwight saw what he was referring to and saw three walker bodies distributed around the area. In the middle of the skirmish were some dry leaves that had blood stains that were separate from everything else. Dwight's unease didn't feel better upon seeing what he saw but he tried his best to focus on what Daryl had to say next.
"Footprints weave in and out. As if she was tryin' t' get someone off her tail." He said and pointed west. "You go that way and I'll go this way. She ain't too far from here."
Dwight nodded and quickly went the direction that Daryl told him to. He kept going until several minutes passed. "Sher." He whispered sharply hoping that she was close by to hear him.
"Shh." He heard in a hushed reply. His heart skipped a beat as he knew that was her voice. He looked around to see if he could see her but saw in the far distance a figure with a gun pointed straight towards him. He ducked for cover quickly as the man shot the rifle. When he was low, he saw a bush and crawled towards it. When he got to the other side, he saw that it was already a hiding spot for Sherry.
"Oops." She said put kept her sights on the man who was ambling towards them. Dwight could hear in the distance the Savior going off about how he should have gotten rid of Sherry when he had the chance. "You're dead now." The man said.
Dwight looked at Sherry with relief but saw the gash on her forehead. "Did he do that?" He asked.
Sherry nodded. "I was the only that saw him escape the ambush so I followed him." She explained in a whisper.
Dwight watched as she had her gun aimed towards the man through the leaves that covered them enough to obscure the man's vision if he didn't know where to look. Sherry moved her aim as the man drew closer and closer to them.
Dwight heard a faint noise behind them but knew that it was only Daryl who helped cover them upon hearing a gunshot.
Sherry took a couple of breaths as he knew that she had the man in her sights but couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger. She just watched him as he got closer. He admired her hesitation but knew the three of them could be in potential danger if the man got closer.
"Do you have your sights on him?" Dwight whispered.
She nodded but did nothing. With that, Dwight held her hand that held the gun and made sure not to move them in the slightest as she put his finger on her trigger. She looked at him as he fired. They each heard a tumble as Sherry looked to see if the man actually was shot or not.
Sherry looked to Dwight and nodded that he was exterminated.
Dwight gazed at Sherry with his hand still over hers. "Was he the only one that escaped or were there more?" He asked.
"He was the only one that I saw." Sherry said.
Dwight nodded. "Okay." He said and let go of her hands. "How are you?"
"My head hurts." She said honestly. They heard Daryl walk to the guy but also heard a sickening sound. The man was coughing up blood as he was on the brink of death.
Dwight started walking towards the man and Daryl as Sherry followed behind him. The man craned his head as his skin whitened before Dwight's eyes. Dwight remembered this particular Savior. His name was Brian. The man's eyes widened as he saw Dwight in a place that he shouldn't have been. Then it finally clicked.
"You ugly motherfucker." Brian wheezed in between pants. "You'll regret when Negan finds out that you stabbed him in the fucking back."
"I don't plan on him finding out." Dwight said and lifted his crossbow.
"Oh, shit." Brian said. He looked at his gun wound in his chest and then back to Dwight. "I'm not ready to die, man. I can make a deal."
Dwight looked to Sherry and the gash on her forehead then shook his head. "Nope. Not an option." He said.
"No!" Brian wailed as Dwight took his shot. The bolt hit him in the neck as his suffering fast forwarded to a complete stop. Daryl looked to Sherry and Dwight then back to Brian who closed his eyes as Dwight noticed his chest stopped moving up and down. 318, he thought.
"Let's head back." Daryl said and started walking in the direction where everyone else was. Dwight started to follow but noticed Sherry stood frozen as she looked at Brian with a hint of melancholy.
"Sherry." Dwight said as he looked to her expectantly but with concern. She looked at him as he waited for her. She sighed slightly and walked right next to him as they strolled in silence to meet up with everyone else.
…
Dwight and Daryl immediately started calling orders for everyone to take about getting whatever supplies that they could from the cars. Dwight knew the Saviors hardly went anywhere without being abundantly armed with weapons. Sherry took it upon herself to scavenge the tipped over loading truck. She did it on her own as everyone teamed up together with the other cars. She didn't mind the time alone as she could reflect on what just happened. Sherry wanted to be better at combat. She had six months of fighting walkers but that was her only experience. She was fairly new at killing other people while the others around her had a lot more practice and were a lot more valuable when they needed to be.
Sherry tried to help as much as she could but didn't find herself beneficial to anyone. Her time in Sanctuary made her weak and inessential. It was difficult to not feel down on herself as she felt useless in the new world. She hoped that with time it would reverse the way she felt. She hoped that she could play catch up in her cushioned life inside walls.
She looked around to see if she could scavenge anything worth mentioning as she carried a backpack with her to carry what she needed. There was a metal carrier on its side that she took interest in as she moved closer to it and tried to lift it. When she realized it was too heavy, someone appeared at the sliding truck door.
"Let me help." Dwight said as he walked into the truck. He stood next to her and leaned over to put it upright once more. She did the same as they both pushed against it. With their combined force, they were able to have it stand where it needed to be.
Dwight stood up straight as Sherry looked to him. "Thanks." She said and opened the trunk. They both looked inside and saw a multiple guns that varied from shotguns, rifles, and pistols.
Dwight picked one up and checked to see if it was loaded. "They could all be empty." He said. "But those guns could be useful for you guys in the future." He looked to her as she stayed quiet and stared at the carrier. "Sherry, are you okay?" He asked.
Sherry tried to get ahold of herself as she felt overwhelmed with so much emotion throughout the day. "I don't know. I'm just thinking about a lot of stuff right now." She said.
He looked at her with eyebrows raised. "Yeah, like what?" He asked nicely.
"I don't even know where to start." Sherry said as she closed the carrier and sat on it. He sat down next to her as their shoulders touched.
"Did I scare you today?" He asked warily.
"No." Sherry said as she tried to think of the best way to explain to him the way that she felt. "If I could sum up the way I feel right now… The one word I would use is 'inadequate.'"
"Inadequate? How?" Dwight asked.
"I didn't kill anyone today." Sherry said. "I came to help in whatever way possible and when that is what is required, I can't do it."
"Sher, that's one thing you shouldn't feel ashamed about." Dwight said as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Being merciful is a good trait that few of us have now." He looked to her as he tried to read what was going on in her mind. "Is that all that is bothering you?"
Sherry looked to him with sadness as she wanted to tell him every confusing detail of her life but didn't want to burden him with any of it. She cared and loved Dwight but felt he deserved better than her. She felt he deserved someone less complicated. Inadequate, she said to herself as they both looked to each other.
She opened her mouth to express her thoughts but then growling came from behind Dwight as he looked in the direction of the truck's sliding door. He stood up to look as a walker tried to walk into the loading truck. Dwight quickly kicked it in the chest and sent it sprawling backwards as they both got a glimpse of a walker herd coming through the ambush site. Gunshots started falling towards the dead followed by yells of distress as Sherry and Dwight slowly became surrounded.
More walkers tried to make their way inside the loading truck as Dwight and Sherry fought them back with their gun and crossbow. Once they were a distance away, Dwight took the handle of the door and started sliding it closed.
He shut it on a walker skull which fell to the ground as he kicked the rotted corpse back to completely close the door. When the head was out of the way, he slammed the door shut as darkness enveloped the space.
"Well, shit." Dwight said as deafening banging could be heard on every side of the truck. They were completely surrounded by a herd inside the loading truck.
A light flickered on as Sherry held her backpack with one hand and a flashlight with the other. "What do we do now?" She asked.
Dwight looked to her and sat on the metal carrier. "I guess we wait." He said.