AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is about Sherry in the Walking Dead comic books. I may take some liberties (in fact, be prepared for a LOT of liberties) because the comic books have only really mentioned her a handful of times. So far, she is a very underrated character. So instead of wallowing in pity and I wish Robert Kirkman would do (he's a very busy guy, after all), I went to FanFiction to fill the void. I hope you enjoy this. This will cross in between what has happened in the comic books but what has also happened in the show (so Daryl, Beth, and whomever is not in the comics will appear in this fanfiction eventually).
In this first "novel," you will get to know Sherry. My version of Sherry. Forewarning! She could be very different from the comics, but how can you know because you don't really know much about her (personality wise). So the world is my oyster on this one! There will be lots of Negan for those who love that sadistic character. If you love him, what the hell is wrong with you?
Here goes nothing. I hope you enjoy what I have to offer in TWD FanFiction universe. First time writing FanFiction. Again, here goes nothing!
Chapter 1
Sherry gazed at the fire that Yolanda and Hannah made an hour ago. She huddled up to its warmth against the night air. After a long day of walking, she let herself become lost in the beauty of the flames. It allowed her time to think of life the way it was before. Before the dead walked the earth.
It had been six months since Sherry lost everything. She looked up from the fire to look at the others in her group. Each member had lost so much in so little time. Even with a small ounce of hope that things would return to normal, the item that Sherry missed the most was her phone. It was her one guarantee that her parents could call her when things started settling down to what it used to be like. She was unsure if that life would ever return.
The last time she spoke with her parents was on her phone. With herself moving to Athens, Georgia for school and her parents still living in Chicago, it made the possibility of seeing them ever again a near impossibility. She still remembered calling her parents when the call disconnected in mid-sentence. Sherry didn't get to even say goodbye to her mom.
She replayed the last conversation she had with her parents in her head as she continued to stare into the fire.
"Sweetie. Everything will be fine. People are in a panic over here. We are heading to Grandma Malloy's house in Michigan. We think we will be safe there," her father, Vinny, said. "Once everything dies down, we will call you and come find you. Keep your phone battery charged. I heard that power is going out in a lot of places. I can't believe how fucked everything is right now."
Sherry looked around her as she watched everyone in the parking lot hurriedly put as many things as they could into their cars as she did the same. "Dad, I'll be fine. A couple of my friends and I are going to be camping outside of the bigger cities until everything clears up. We'll give it a couple of weeks and see how everything is doing. I'm sure by then there won't be a need to come find me." She closed the trunk of her car and started walking back to her college apartment.
"Sher. I don't know how bad it is in Georgia. But people aren't themselves at home. Benny and I had to board up the Moritz' place because they went insane. They ate their dog for Christ sake, honey." He paused as Sherry thought about her neighbors in Chicago. The Moritz family had lived next door to them since they moved into that particular house when she was five.
"They kept on making strange noises. We tried to call the hospital to get an ambulance for them but we couldn't reach them. They were busy. I had to keep your Mom safe. So we boarded their house up with the Moritz' still inside. Like animals," Vinny continued.
Everything seemed to be very unsettling to Sherry. When disasters hit around the world before, it was always something that occurred at one particular place and to only one group of people. Whatever was occurring was happening worldwide and was something that was hitting too close to home for Sherry's taste. She remembered her class earlier that morning being very strange. More than half of her classmates were absent. The professor said that day that they all emailed complaining about a bad fever. It wasn't soon after that class was over that Sherry sat at her apartment eating her breakfast and received an email that all the other classes for the rest of the day were cancelled due to too many teachers calling in sick.
Sherry remembered as she looked at the closed doors that belonged to her roommates. Earlier in that week, they started complaining about a fever. Sherry just left them alone as she hoped they would pull through. One by one, each of her three roommates fell prey to the sickness as she remained the only one to be unscathed. At the time, she didn't know how lucky she had been to not get whatever her roommates had and only wished that she wasn't the one who seemed up to camping in the woods.
"Honey. This thing has me worried. Your mother and I are already in the car on our way to Marquette. I think everyone is having the same idea of leaving the city. We've been in the same spot for hours. Haven't we?" He asked.
She heard a muffled reply that sounded distressed and concluded it was her mother in the driver's seat. Sherry usually didn't worry when it came to things. But when her dad was worried, it made her terrified. He was always the brave retired police officer. No one messed with her dad.
"I have a bad feeling that this thing isn't going to be only a couple of weeks long, Sherry." He said solemnly. Sherry's heart dropped from his tone. One thing about her dad was his talent of observation and how it hardly ever failed him. For him to say such a thing meant it gave him good reason to say what he did. And he was hardly ever wrong when he made a prediction.
Sherry walked into the apartment complex to see the entire scene in an uproar as everyone quickly tried to leave their homes or find things they could barricade themselves with as they waded everything out from inside. When Sherry reached her apartment door, she heard banging and scratching from the other side. Sherry put her phone between her shoulder and her cheek as she fumbled through her purse looking for her keys then wondered multiple things at once. She wondered why her roommates were out of their beds and why they were banging on the door the way they were. It seemed unnecessary to her out of all the things to do.
Alarm rang through her head as another college girl put a hand between Sherry and the doorway. Sherry eyed her with annoyance as she reached for her phone with one hand. "Hang on one second, Dad," she said and then took the phone away from her ear and stared the girl down who blocked her from her room.
"What the hell are you doing?" She complained. "This is my room."
"Trust me," the girl explained with caution. "You don't want to open that door. My roommate had a fever this morning and I woke up to her biting my arm. They are doing the same thing to my door."
"I was just in there a couple of minutes ago," Sherry said warily as she didn't know what to think. While pondering what the girl revealed, Sherry glanced at the girl's arm that blocked her from getting into her apartment. It looked to be bandaged up but Sherry could see the bleeding that seeped through the gauze effortlessly. Just above her forearm, Sherry could see deadly purple veins that caused alarm. "You need to get that thing checked. It looks bad."
"I have tried to call emergency services but no one is picking up," The girl disclosed calmly. "Listen, I don't know who you are but I strongly believe that your roommates have the same disease mine has. Until a nurse checks on them, you're safer outside than inside."
The door continued to bang and scratch. Sherry looked into the eyes of the pleading girl in shock but then nodded his head in defeat. "Okay. I won't," she relented to let the girl know that she won the battle. "I'm just going to sit right here until I can think of a new game plan."
The girl looked relieved and rushed to help others. Sherry leaned against the wall next to her door and sank to the floor. With one hand on her forehead, she placed the phone back to her ear. "You said the Moritz' ate their dog?" She asked her dad.
"Yeah. What's going on, Sher?" Vinny asked.
"Some girl just told me that she woke up to her roommate eating her arm and then locked her in their apartment. She stopped me from walking into my door because there was banging and scratching on the other side." Sherry said in a hollow voice as her new reality started to sink in. Things were unraveling fast and she didn't know what the future held for her.
She heard her father breathing slowly as he was thinking of a solution for her. "Baby doll, I need you to leave your apartment right now," he urged. "You are to get out of the city with or without your friends. But you are leaving right now."
Just then she heard screaming from the other side of the complex followed by an eerie and unusual snarling. Girls started running her direction as one even tripped over Sherry to run away. Sherry recovered from the blow quickly as she stood up to run out of the complex towards her car. Whatever last minute items that she needed to get from her apartment had to be abandoned. Adrenaline was telling her to run for her life. She heard multiple gut-wrenching screams from around the entire campus. Hell was starting to break loose.
"Sweetheart. What is going on?" Her dad yelled multiple times.
"Everyone is in a panic! I don't know what's happening!" Sherry shouted into the phone as she reached her car and unlocked the door. When she opened it, someone lightly grabbed her shoulder as she screamed in a fright from the sudden touch. She didn't know who to trust as she fought to get away from everyone by any means necessary.
She whipped around to see two men whom she recognized from a mutual class that they took together. She knew that they were both Japanese and that their English was limited but currently stood before her with panic on their faces.
"Take us to the airport?" The shorter one nearly begged.
"Yeah," Sherry obliged in a fluster as she could hear her dad shouting expletives while still on the line. "But I'm leaving right now! We can't get your things, I'm sorry."
"We have what we need," the taller one affirmed. "We can go now."
"Good. Hop in," she exclaimed as she jumped in the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. Both of the men sat in the back while she put her dad on speaker.
"What the fuck is going on?!" He shouted as his voice broke with emotion.
"I'm fine," Sherry stressed as she rushed out of the driveway. Cars were already blocking the exit so she went over the curb to beat the traffic. "We just got in the car."
"Who's we?" His broken voice questioned with some authority as Sherry knew he hated having no control with what was happening with his only daughter. She could tell he was crying out of fear that minutes before Sherry was possibly dead from her not responding immediately.
"Two guys that are in one of my classes," Sherry made clear. "They are from Japan and just asked me to take them to the airport so they can get back home." Sherry guessed but knew it was a good assumption.
"Sweetie," Vinny said slowly. "Airplanes have been grounded. All airports are closed."
The men who were quietly talking in Japanese with each other stopped when they overheard her dad say the dreadful news. They looked to each other in horror as their destination was unachievable and hopeless to pursue.
"Sher, we need to preserve our phone batteries," Vinny said in quiet and muffled voice. "I'm going to hand the phone to your mother so you get the chance to say goodbye."
Sherry swerved the car because of a bloodied body that laid in the middle of the road. She couldn't believe the sights around her as she drove. She could see houses on fire, raids, and insane people chasing down others in a slow hobble. The sights around her were bizarre and not like the world she used to know. Everything was quickly changing and she didn't know if she was ready for the changes whether they were permanent fixtures or temporary setbacks.
On top of that, her dad sounded as if it would be the last time that she ever spoke to him. It was a voice filled with grief and misery. It tugged at her heart strings as she continued to drive amidst the chaos. "Okay….um…" Sherry silently shed tears almost knowing that it was going to be the last time she ever heard his voice. "I love you, Dad. I'll see you in two weeks tops, k?"
There was a long pause. She could hear her father weeping while trying to collect himself. Sherry couldn't recall ever hearing him cry openly like that before. "I love you too, Sher," he cried. "You will always be my everything. You are the most important person in the world to me. Please be safe. No matter how long this thing lasts, you stay safe."
Sherry openly wept not caring for what the men in the back of her car thought. She heard mumbling as the phone was being passed to her mom. "Sher, honey. It's your Momma!" She heard her mom, Annie, say.
The tears kept on pouring as she tried concentrating on the road. "Mom!" She sobbed. "You'll be safe. You are going to make it to Grandma Malloy's house and be okay. As long as you are far away from the city, you will be fine. You have Dad." Sherry added the last part to try and sound hopeful.
"But what about my little girl?" Annie asked with heartbreak. "It's killing me that I'm not going to know where you are or if you are still alive!" Her mother sobbed loudly letting all of her emotions take over. Sherry did the same.
"I'll be okay," Sherry said comfortingly. "I can survive all of this. Dad taught me what I needed to know."
There was complete silence on the other line. She knew her mother just wanted to hear words of reassurance so she decided to continue. "We are going to head towards the outskirts of town and wade everything out. We'll stay away from other people and keep low until we hear good news."
There was still no sound. Not even a weep. Sherry then looked at the screen then cried in anguish as it read, "Service lost. Phone call disconnected."
Sherry blinked back tears and looked away from the fire. She didn't want to replay that memory in her head anymore. Yet she thought of it often. She wondered if she would ever see her parents again.
Takuya and Haruki were still alive as she looked at them sleeping next to a tree. In the six months of being together, their English became better and they became good acquaintances as they fought to keep each other alive.
Their group numbers grew quickly as more survivors stuck with them along the way. It only took the first month for their group to reach fourteen members as they fought day and night to keep everyone safe. They had lost two people already from a herd. Sherry hoped their numbers didn't continue to dwindle.
All of her group members were sleeping soundly except for Dwight who stood watch as he looked around the forest with caution. Sherry looked to him as he sat on a log taking first watch over everyone as they rested after a long day of walking. It had been awhile since she spoke with him. Out of all the group members, she grew to be closer to him. But when something wrong happened in the group and it seemed life was more perilous than the day before, she felt herself pull away for fear that she could lose what she considered to be her closest friend. Sherry hoped that if she created distance between them, it would make it less difficult if she were to one day lose him to the new world.
Dwight scanned the forest as Sherry watched his eyes rest on her. He quickly looked away while embarrassed to be caught staring at her and then went back to business. Sherry sighed in resignation as she knew she wouldn't be able to rest on the forest floor that night. She stood up and walked away from the fire and towards Dwight.
Dwight turned to look at her quizzically as she started towards him. "Can't sleep?" He asked.
"Do you blame me?" Sherry countered back. "I pray that we find a hotel that isn't overrun by walkers so I can finally sleep on a mattress."
"And before the world went to shit, I was praying that the pizza delivery guy would come on time," Dwight teased as he smirked at his little joke.
"Funny how our priorities change when we don't have the little things to worry about," she stated.
Dwight looked to her with a small smile as Sherry felt it was a bad idea to talk to him in the first place. She did feel an overwhelming attraction towards him and knew that if something were to happen to him, she wouldn't take it well. Dwight was one of the best people that she had ever known. He was able to cope with their new life in a way that she didn't see anyone else could. He was the reason a lot of members in their group merged forward and fought to live another day. The problem was that she knew he had deep feelings for her too. That fact messed with Sherry's plan of avoiding people to make life easier.
"You've been avoiding me for a while," Dwight commented. His statement held a small sense of understanding but it made Sherry feel guilty all the same.
"Sorry," Sherry confessed and put her hands on her lap as she interlaced her fingers together while knowing that she was guilty. "I've just been thinking about a lot of stuff. I think the reality has finally sunk in."
"Which part of our reality?" Dwight asked.
"Everything," Sherry exaggerated.
"Hey," Dwight started with his usual soothing voice. "If you ever need to talk, I'm a good listener."
"I don't know if that will help," Sherry admitted. The more she spoke to him, the more she felt her bubble of isolation begin to pop.
He looked at the sleeping group and then scanned the forest in thought. One thing about Dwight is that he made others problems become his own personal obstacle. He liked to fix things for people around him. Sherry thought it a good trait but sometimes she wanted to wallow in her own self-pity. "For the sake of small talk, tell me about yourself," Dwight offered lightly.
She grimaced at the invitation. "It's been a long day," she started. "I don't really want to go down memory lane right now."
Dwight looked at her and grinned while adjusting himself on the log to sit more comfortably. "How about this? I ask you a question and you give me a one word answer. That way it's just facts. Not that emotional stuff. How does that sound?" He suggested.
Sherry sighed and walked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the sliver of disappointment from Dwight as he thought their conversation was over completely. Instead, she walked over to where her things were and grabbed her shotgun. She went back to the log and started to scout the shrubbery before her. "It sounds a lot better than sleeping," Sherry admitted.
He smiled triumphantly as he pursed his lips together. "Okay then. Where are you from?" Dwight inquired as she realized that despite him being her closest friend, they never spoke much about her past life; for good reason. "You don't sound like a Southern Belle. So I can conclude you didn't grow up in Georgia."
"What are you? A detective?" Sherry teased. She started to feel a melancholy as the fun game felt like a bad idea. It was bringing up too many memories of her normal life before. The same memories that were almost painful to think of. "Chicago," she reluctantly answered.
"Did you live there your whole life?" Dwight questioned further.
"No," Sherry replied.
"Where else have you lived?" Dwight asked.
She made a swivel motion with her hand that gestured around them. "Wherever we are right now," Sherry tried to stifle a laugh at her own sense of humor that seemed to have been dormant for six months.
Dwight laughed at the sudden funny bone that Sherry had. "Smart ass," he commented but then continued with his questioning. "Okay, if you could describe something that you find attractive in a guy in just one word, what word would that be?"
Sherry's eyes narrowed as she stared at Dwight. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he waited for an answer. "Dwight…" she started.
"Just answer the question. I'm not asking on behalf of myself… I'm asking for a friend…" Dwight said as he tried to think of an excuse.
"Yeah, okay," Sherry said while still unconvinced but smiled in spite of herself. She sighed and looked to him. "I like guys with beards, I guess." Sherry immediately regretted saying the first thing that came to her head as Dwight's eyebrows raised with a boyish grin emerging past his own light beard that he sported on his face.
"You like 'em bearded, eh?" Dwight exclaimed with a wink. "Man, you must feel like you're in heaven talking to someone like me right now."
Sherry laughed openly as she thought it was the first time that she heard herself be happy in a long time. "Yeah, that's exactly how I would describe my predicament."
"Were you always this beautiful?" She then heard him ask in passing. It was slightly quieter as if he wasn't sure if he should say it but it took over his entire thought process regardless.
Her laughing stopped quickly as she looked surprised by his boldness. She turned to see if anyone else heard but they were still sound asleep. Sherry wished that she didn't have her long dark brown hair in a ponytail at that moment as she wanted to hide behind it. It would be better if she could find a large boulder and crawl underneath it. She was thankful for it being nighttime to disguise how red her face was getting. It still didn't go past Dwight, however.
"Did I embarrass you?" He asked after an awkward amount of silence passed by.
"No," Sherry lied. "I just haven't really thought of myself attractive since everything happened."
Dwight looked confused by her statement as if he couldn't fathom anyone thinking she was anything less than beautiful. "Why?" He asked.
"Oh, because it's been months since I wore lipstick or a nice black dress. You know, the girly stuff," She replied.
"You don't need those things, Sher," Dwight encouraged. "You are just as attractive with combat boots and a shotgun."
Sherry smiled. "Well, thanks," she responded and knew that he meant every word. It still only filled her with a sadness that she knew she forcefully burdened herself with. "On that note, I think I am going to try and sleep."
"You're done playing games with me?" Dwight asked as she started walking away. He was talking about their one-word answer game but Sherry could sense an underlying statement as he referred to her feigning indifference in regards to him.
"I was about to ask you the same question, Dwight," Sherry stated. "You may have a beard and yes, I'll admit, I think you are attractive. I just think I have a rule against dating. So as nice as the flirtations are, it's making it really hard to stay just friends."
"If it's that difficult to stay friends, then why don't we at least try to be something more? What can it hurt?" Dwight asked sincerely as he wore a small smile.
Sherry was slightly annoyed that he looked to be entertained by their conversation when she was only trying to create more distance. "I don't know if we can be more than friends," she said apologetically.
His smile immediately turned into a frown. "Why not?" He asked.
"Until I know how to deal with our new reality, I don't really want to become attached to someone who could be dead tomorrow," Sherry said as she looked desperately in his dark eyes to get him to understand. There was a silence between them as Dwight met her gaze but slowly stood up and walked up to her. Sherry wanted to walk away and ignore their conversation; ignore him. However, she didn't turn away and just let him walk to her.
He stood in front of her and glanced down at her face. Sherry wasn't the tallest person in the world standing at five foot three inches but guessed Dwight had to be more than a foot taller than her. "Well, with that logic, you just said that life is short. Don't you want to enjoy it as much as you can?" He asked boldly as the declaration of his affections was all laid out on the table for her to see.
Sherry thought about it. It had been a long time since she considered her life enjoyable; only because she kept her distance away from the group. The rest of the group formed bonds with each other and invited her to do the same. She only wished to contribute in any way that she could and keep them safe. Her emotional attachments were kept to a minimum. However, it still didn't keep the sadness away when a member of their group died unexpectedly.
Sherry gazed at Dwight as he continued to look at her with hope. She was about to say something that perhaps she could try and make more of an effort to enjoy her life as he suggested. Maybe she could take a chance on Dwight. She knew that he could make her happy. But the thought of him being a big part of her life, only to be taken away without a head's up, scared her. She then realized that he already was an integral person in her life. As if giving into what she really wanted, she moved closer to him in resignation but her heart felt elated from the personal victory. Then she stopped as she heard something faintly in the distance.
She thought maybe she was hearing things but saw Dwight was on high alert as well and no longer looked to Sherry but to the woods instead. They both raised their guns towards the darkness where they heard the noise. As they waited for something else to happen, Sherry had a terrible feeling that whatever was hiding in the shadows, wasn't a walker. A walker would emerge upon them without thinking of strategies to corner them. Whatever it was, was something lethal. Another noise sounded directly behind them. To their surprise, they both turned to see a man. He was alive and looked well. He put both of his hands up in surrender and to show that he meant no harm. Dwight looked to Sherry as they both put their guns down in unison. Sherry still held her gun tightly while she eyed the man before them. Dwight then motioned for the man to come sit on the log with him. The man graciously complied and rubbed his hands together while taking advantage of their warm fire.
This was one of the first times that they had run into another living human being in almost a month. Other survivors were rare…and dangerous. They were fortunate to never run into men that were necessarily power hungry and greedy. But something about this man gave Sherry the chills. He almost was as tall as Dwight and Sherry couldn't help but find him slightly handsome. Although her gun wasn't raised, her guard wasn't down. In fact, she wondered why she felt so uneasy about their new guest. Something about the man's presence was incredibly off-putting.
Sherry opened up a can of soup for the man who sat on the log next to the fire with Dwight. She could feel his eyes on her. Maybe that's why she felt nervous. Perhaps he was harmless but she still was anticipating more information about him only to read him better. Not knowing someone made her anxious.
"What's your name?" Dwight asked.
The man smiled at Dwight. "It's nice to talk to people again," the man said. Sherry noticed how he avoided the question with a comment.
Dwight smiled and stuck his hand out as the man shook it. "You been alone long?" Dwight inquired.
"A very long time. I saw your bonfire and decided to make myself known," the man explained then looked at Sherry. "I apologize for scaring you, ma'am."
Sherry smiled politely in his direction and poured the can of soup in a pot that sat beside the fire. The man appeared kind but Sherry couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to run for the hills. "You didn't," She practically challenged to counter the fear she felt in that moment.
He smiled and it revealed his deep dimples from underneath his five o'clock shadow. "What's your name, sweetheart?" He questioned in a deep voice.
"Sherry," she responded in a short voice. "I don't remember you saying your name though."
He looked down at his hands and turned to Dwight as if she didn't say anything. "How many people do you have here?" He asked him.
"We have twelve people," Dwight answered but looked to Sherry as he was picking up on her apprehension. "We have just been travelling from place to place since the outbreak began. Just trying to find the right spot to settle down." Dwight seemed less friendly to the stranger as Negan looked back to Sherry with a look that seemed hungry.
"Can I join your group?" Negan asked.
Sherry looked up from tending to the soup and stared at him. "We don't know who you are," she stated as sternly as she could. "We need to know more about you. Otherwise you can start walking in the other direction, sir."
The man looked at Sherry with amazement. "Tell it like it is, don't you?" He asked.
"We have a decent amount of people in our group. But that doesn't mean that we have been without trouble in the past six months," she warned. "I would like to know that you are the right fit for this group before we let you in."
He stood up and moved closer to her as she remained tall to meet his questioning gaze. Dwight stood up as well on full alert as the man almost stood nose to nose with Sherry while avoiding any sense of personal space. "You in charge?" The man taunted.
Sherry looked to Dwight and noticed his finger was on the trigger. "We all contribute," Dwight said in a calm voice as the air was quickly escalating into dangerous grounds. "No one is in charge."
The man put his hands up in surrender again and let out a chuckle. "Your group is awfully skittish."
Sherry made sure not to break eye contact with the man. "How many people are with you?" She finally asked.
He looked baffled by her question and almost guffawed at her accusation. She continued, "There were two noises before you entered our camp. They came from opposite directions. How many men do you have with you?"
The next moments almost felt like slow motion. The man grabbed Sherry's middle and turned her around. She tried to point her gun at him but felt a sharp object at her throat.
"Sherry!" Dwight yelled as the people in their group started waking up from the noise. Instantly worried cries came from the three children as their parents immediately tried to silence them while they themselves felt helpless.
"Drop your fucking weapon, sweetheart. I have the upper hand so don't be stupid." The man said as Sherry could feel his lips on her ear. She tried to squirm away while being repulsed at how close he was. The knife would settle in more on her neck when she moved so she learned to hold still as much as possible despite every fiber in her being telling her to try and get away.
Men quickly started emerging out of the forest and poking their guns at the group as they sat on the ground. Dwight held his gun and aimed it at the man. Dozens of men aimed their guns at him but he stood tall regardless. Sherry kept her gun in her hands. It was her source of safety and she clung to her shotgun.
The man kept one arm around her waist while his other hand held the knife to her neck. "Your friend is right. You are a fucking beautiful woman. I really would hate for you to go out. That would be a fucking waste with a body like this," He commented as his fingers dug into her middle. She inhaled sharply as he shushed her to be quiet. "If you put your gun down, I'll spare your life. And please don't fucking doubt me, miss. You wouldn't be the first woman that I had to put down because she was being too goddamn stupid."
Sherry kept a death grip on her shotgun as she breathed sharply thinking it could be possibly be her time to go. She looked at Dwight as he only had his sights on the man. If the man killed Sherry, Dwight would kill the man before her body even fell to the floor. Worry started to swarm over her as she realized that a moment such as this was bigger than herself. Her decision to keep the gun affected more than just her.
Almost as if the man read her mind, he looked to all of her group members as they stared back at him in horror. "Okay, obviously you don't value your life as much as I thought you did." The man started as he began chanting "Eenie Meanie Miney Moe" to himself. Sherry started worrying what psychotic game he was playing at then realized that he was choosing someone else to intimidate for the sake of showing his power.
"…And….you…are…it." He proclaimed. With his hand that held the knife he pointed with his index finger towards Hannah. "What about her life?" He inquired. Hannah was almost the matriarch of their group. An older woman, she made sure that everyone was fed and got enough sleep. She was close to everyone in their group and Sherry almost felt a knife twist thinking her life could end that very night.
Sherry immediately threw the shotgun as it landed to the side. The man threw her onto the ground as she landed on her knees. He thrust his foot onto her back and forced her to lay on her stomach. Sherry saw Dwight try and step forward only to be blocked by several men. He stopped unsure of what to do next and hoped for an outcome where Sherry didn't have to suffer.
The man motioned to Hannah and then glanced towards his men. "Kill her," he said simply.
"No!" Sherry yelled. "I put my gun down! You can't!"
The man grabbed her by the hair and started to pull her up. She screamed in pain as he forced her to her knees once more but never letting go of her hair. He crouched down as his mouth was to her ear again. Tears started streaming down Sherry's face as the peril of their situation seemed less likely to have a good resolution.
"You guys are coming with us," the man spat in a forced whisper. He stood up straight and surveyed the rest of the group. All of which were now on their knees besides Dwight. Hannah was sobbing uncontrollably as everyone else looked to her with helplessness.
"You are all coming with us," the man continued. "Sherry isn't your leader anymore. I am! Sherry also made a mistake. She didn't do as I asked the first time I asked her to do it." He walked over to Hannah who was shutting her eyes and silently muttering to herself in prayer. "So… On behalf of your old leader, I apologize, ma'am." He said as he put a knife to her throat. In seconds, he lodged the knife into her neck as blood spewed everywhere. Sherry looked away to the rest of her group. The small McCoy family that consisted of two boys and their parents, huddled together as their mom tried to cover both of her son's eyes from the traumatic sight in front of them. The young girl named Jenna screamed as her adopted mother, Yolanda, hugged her close. The older man named Dean looked on in shock as he watched his dear friend perish.
Hannah fell to the forest floor dead. Sherry could hear the others in her group screaming as everything started to sound far away in the distance. In her anger, Sherry impulsively stood on her feet and stormed towards the man. She slapped him across the face as hard as she could and then pushed at his chest with all the adrenaline that was surging through her body.
Then something hit the back of her head. Her eyes started seeing black as scenes played out in flashes. She saw the man grab for her before she fell to the ground. She could see the trees above her and the feeling of floating started to kick in. The screaming continued with an echo as they slowly started to fade away. The last thing she heard was Dwight call her name one more time. And then she passed out.
…
Sherry immediately started to cry when she woke up. She hoped that whatever hit her on the back of the head was fatal. She felt responsible for Hannah's death and didn't wish to live with herself anymore. Why couldn't I just listen to the guy? She refused to open her eyes and just laid there in fetal position as she wept uncontrollably.
She became aware of her surroundings before she even opened her eyes. Underneath her body, she felt a nice cushiony mattress. She opened her eyes and was amazed that she was in a bedroom. Her prediction was right as she was laying on a cozy bed. The room that she was in made her second guess where she was. She even wondered if she was no longer alive and was in a paradisiacal afterlife.
Her dreams fell to reality as she felt behind her head and noticed it was bandaged. The questions continued to swarm around her as she looked around the bedroom. Did her group escape the men that violated their bonfire that horrid night? Did Dwight carry her to safety and satisfy her dream of finding a hotel with a cozy mattress? Something seemed out of place even more so when Sherry noticed that the room had electricity. There was a light on the ceiling that was lit. It made her hopeful that they finally found a safe zone. She allowed herself to stay in the bed and think about her next move. She felt somewhat safe for the first time; or at least she admitted in falling for the illusion of safety. Regardless of the outcome, she decided to enjoy this time of peace whether it was a farce or not.
As the illusion started wearing off and the worry of where she was started to seep in, the door opened. She looked to see Dwight who walked in warily. She immediately could sense something was off as he avoided eye contact. Regardless, she stood and rushed towards him with a hug. More caution flags arose when she noticed Dwight didn't immediately hug her back. Something was incredibly off about his countenance. He practically had to hold her up as the energy she felt previously wore off quickly. She felt incredibly weak.
"Where are we?" She asked as she broke away from him.
Sherry noticed his crossbow that he held with one arm. A couple of months ago, he had to leave his crossbow behind when a herd of walkers came upon their group suddenly. There wasn't any time for getting their personal belongings. That's where Sherry had lost her phone and cried herself to sleep for weeks. It was her only assurance that she would have been able to contact her parents one day. Or that they would be able to contact her. Now she wasn't sure how or if there would ever be an opportunity to do so.
"We're in a place that everyone calls Sanctuary," Dwight said in a low voice. "You've been out for nearly two days."
"Two days?" She groaned. She looked down and saw what she was wearing. A black tank top and spandex biker shorts. Two items she had never possessed before.
Dwight noticed her questioning stare and clarified. "It was all I could find that looked comfortable to sleep in," he told.
Her eyes looked confused as she tried to put everything he said together. "Sanctuary? Is this a safe zone? Who dressed me?" She asked.
Dwight straightened defensively. "Yolanda dressed you. I wouldn't touch you like that," he said suddenly to assure her that he honored her self-respect. He then took a deep breath and looked at with exhaustion evident on his face. "Sher, what I'm about to tell you… You just need to know I didn't have a choice."
"Whose camp is this?" She asked.
"Sanctuary belongs to the man that came to our group the other night," Dwight began as he sat on her bed. He slung his crossbow to his back as he rubbed both hands to his forehead. "They dragged us all back to their base."
Sherry awkwardly made her way to the window in the bedroom. She pushed apart the drapes and opened the blinds. The bedroom was on the second floor of an older brick building. Outside looked to be cleaned up fairly well and rid of any signs of a dystopian world.
"Where is everyone?" She asked as she started walking to the door. Dwight quickly got up from the bed and stood in front of the doorway.
"Sherry, I'm sorry. You can't leave this room. That was his orders," Dwight said quietly with shame.
"Dwight, what the hell is wrong with you? We can't stay here with these people." Sherry said desperately.
"We don't have any other choice!" Dwight said with helplessness. He put both of his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. She held onto his forearms to steady herself. Her head felt light.
"Negan wants to talk to you," Dwight lamented and looked to the floor.
"Negan?" Sherry asked. "The man who killed Hannah? Dwight, I don't understand what is happening right now. Why are you listening to anything that man has to say?"
"Sherry! If you knew all of the details, you would have done everything he asked you to do as well. I'm trying to keep everyone safe." His fingers tensed as she saw him trying to get her to understand where he was coming from.
"What does he want from us? Our group has nothing to give him." She asked fearfully.
"It's not that easy to tell you," Dwight said with a melancholy that she never heard from him before. He looked down to the floor ashamed.
Seconds passed as he stared up to her again with longing. "One day, I promise to make things better for you, Sherry. I promise," Dwight vowed. "We're in a fucked up situation right now."
"Dwight?" She whispered with her voice shaking. She reached her hand up to the side of his face as she saw how tormented he was at the news he was forced to tell her. Whatever the news was, it affected her but also him in return. "Please tell me what that man wants from me."
"He wants you," Dwight revealed in a tone that sounded completely deflated and depressed. "He said that if you don't comply with his every request, he will kill the group. Every one of us. He also said…he also said that he'll save you and you would have to do what he said anyways. If I knew a way around this, I would try and get you out of it. I am so sorry."
Sherry started walking backwards and shook her head. Dwight stood in place as he watched her walk to the window once more in complete shock from the news. "Like what kind of things do I have to do?" She asked already knowing the answer. She paced the bedroom while Dwight watched her intently. Sherry chewed on her bottom lip and thought to herself. Minutes later she looked up to Dwight.
"Where are our people now?" She asked him.
"They are in another part of the building. He is holding them in a small room until you reach a decision."
"And if I said no, he was going to kill them just like that?" She asked knowing the difficult decision that she already came to. "Why aren't you with them?" She asked.
"Negan thought it appropriate for me to give you the message before he talked to you himself," Dwight said with slight anger at his own situation. "He's a messed up motherfucker."
"No chance of escape?" She asked.
"Sher, Negan has hundreds of men out there. I would say the odds of escape are very slim," he said while breaking the news with honesty.
"Shit," Sherry whispered. "I can't believe this is happening to me." She sat on her bed as Dwight sat down beside her. Minutes passed as she thought of her circumstance. Their lives were not short of despair since the virus took over the world. But this seemed to top all of the tragedies that ensued in six months' time. She thought of all the members of her group. Among them were three young children. Even the ones that were not children were good people. They were innocent of the evils of the new world. They didn't deserve to die because she decided against being Negan's little tramp. Regardless of her answer, she would still reach the same outcome. Except without her group if she put up a fight. There would be blood on her hands. "There really isn't another way out of this," she said quietly.
Dwight looked at her and she looked at him. "I'm sorry. At least not yet," he replied with some hope in his voice. If there was a way to get out of her gruesome future, he would try and find it. Sherry knew Dwight.
She lifted her face up and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I'll do it," she stated bravely.
Dwight put one arm around her in comfort as she sank into his embrace. He kissed her forehead tenderly. "I wish I could have provided for you, Sherry. I wish this was a better world for us to live in," he said coarsely as if trying to hide some emotion on his part.
She looked at him and put her face close to his in much needed comfort. He instantly closed the distance between them and kissed her on the lips. Sherry was surprised at first but became immediately soothed by the act and returned the gesture. He put his arms around her waist as more tears erupted from her eyes in complete and utter sorrow. She remembered him saying that life was too short. Now she understood and wished she had taken the opportunity to be more than friends with him sooner. She didn't know when she was ever going to receive another tender human interaction like the one she was sharing at that time. She savored in the moment thinking it was going to be one of the last sweet moments of her life. The kiss slowed as he broke away but still held the small of her back with his hand.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way," he said regretfully.
"You and I both, Dwight," Sherry responded wholeheartedly.
The door opened as Dwight quickly put distance between themselves as if their interaction didn't happen. A man emerged from the doorway whom she didn't recognize and stared at Dwight. "Orlich, you're needed elsewhere," he ordered sternly as if it weren't up for discussion.
Dwight looked at her once more and stared back at the man with hidden indignation. "Do what you gotta do, Sher," he said to her and left.
…
Sherry stayed in the room on her bed until the sun went down. Her head ached with too many thoughts running through her mind and the injury that she sustained days earlier. As much as she wanted a way out of her situation, she couldn't think of one.
Sherry was always the de facto leader and protector of the group along with Dwight. Her quick decision making and thinking led her group to safety more than once. I never let my people down before, she thought to herself.
Six months maximum. His guard will be down and our people will go free. I'll slit his throat in the middle of the night like he slit Hannah's. Eye for an eye. Sherry felt guilty for relishing in someone's death. But this wasn't a normal man. He was a murderer. Negan—as Dwight called him—was a killer. Already she could tell he reveled in showing off his power to the ones who couldn't physically stop him. One day.
She wanted to do what she could to keep her people safe. She had nothing else to live for except to keep those guiltless people from the maniac's claws. It wasn't just an obligation that drove her to saving their lives. She knew it was something that her father would have done for anyone in need. Since the world went to shit, she strived to be what her father would have been proud of. As heartbreaking as the crisis was that befell her, she knew her dad would see her reasons as being honorable.
She heard someone walking towards the bedroom from the hallway. She stood and opened the door. Sherry saw Negan about to knock the door that was no longer there. He smiled at the humor in the situation but it made Sherry want to puke. She gave him a small smile to not give him that impression.
He walked slowly into the room and eyed every part of her body. She folded her arms over her middle in response. It made it more troubling to herself knowing that physically, he was easy on the eyes. But the actions he partook of a couple of nights before tainted her view of him.
"Dwight tells me that you came to a decision," Negan said to her.
"I did. But I would like to know whatever you want me to do," Sherry said naïvely. "Whatever it is, I agree to it. I don't really have a choice. But I still would like to know."
Negan looked around the room and chuckled. He then nodded towards the bed and sat down. She followed him slowly and sat several feet away. He scooted closer and greatly minimized the distance between them as he stroked her hair that rested on her back. Shivers crept on her spine and her body tensed as she dreaded what he was about to say. "This is a fucking proposal, ma'am," Negan exclaimed proudly. "Congratu-fuckin-lations! You are to become Mrs. Negan. Just do everything I say and your group will be safe and stay here in Sanctuary. They will have to pull their own weight. If they don't, my rules will override whatever deal we have between us. The men will be armed and trained to be in my army. The women will do laundry and other shit that women do to make our jobs easier. I'm sorry I am not down on one knee to make this fucking more romantic but I personally don't give a fuck about that shit." He clapped his hands together to indicate that he finished what he needed to say.
"You want me to be your wife?" Sherry asked quietly as she looked in his eyes.
"Yes ma'am. Look at you," he said as if it answered all of her questions then winked at her fondly. "I can't wait for our time together."
Sherry closed her eyes and bowed her head. She despised the man that sat next to her. She didn't know anyone that could be so blatantly cruel. He had all the control in their situation and he didn't treat it with any respect or remorse. It was filled with mockery towards her position and where they stood.
As if he read her thoughts he took both of her hands in his and rested them on his chest. "Sherry. If you love me and take care of me, I will treat you like a queen. That's all I ask." He raised one of her hands to his face as the sincerity of his words was evident by his demeanor.
Sherry couldn't help but lean away from him as she tried to no longer think of her situation. She had already made up her mind and needed to move on before she considered slitting her wrists. "Okay," she said.
Negan put his hands on both sides of her jaw and kissed her quickly and fiercely. She didn't expect the passion that came from behind the kiss or the kiss at all. In comparison to the sweet kiss that Dwight had given her that very day, it didn't hold the same weight to her. It made her hate Negan all the more.
"I need to see my group. I need to know that they are okay," Sherry blurted while breaking their kiss off.
Negan nodded and opened the door. "After you," he invited as he waited for her to step out of the room. Sherry did so with trepidation and almost as if the door represented her new life. Crossing into the unknown scared the living daylights out of her. She didn't know what the future held for her or the people that she cared about. She could only hope for the best.
