Chapter 1
Beth awoke with a stinging pain go across her cheek. "Rise and shine, girly." Her eyes widened as she looked around to see her surroundings. She was in a warehouse, lying on a concrete floor. The windows in the brick building were barred up with wooden planks. Another blow landed on the blonde's cheek.
Beth hissed in pain as she tried to stand, but her ankle disagreed with her. It was never fully healed back at the funeral home, where she had gotten kidnapped and taken away from Daryl. Daryl. Beth wondered where he was and if he was safe as she scooted away from the man with a gray beard and gray hair hanging down past his cheeks.
He had a smile on his face that horrified her to the highest level there could be as he stalked towards her, slowly creeping up on her. Beth noticed that there were other men around; one with long, black hair with a compound bow, one overweight, and the last with a bandanna around his head with a baseball bat in his hands. And Beth was completely defenseless.
The scratches on her cheek were bearable, Beth decided. The kick that the man delivered to her gut was not. She fell against the wall and clutched her stomach as her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain. The man chuckled as if he thought it was funny.
"Joe." A man called from the back. The other one- Joe- looked back. "What, Len?" The one with the compound bow- Len, apparently- stepped forward. "When's it my turn?" He had a southern drawl to his voice like Joe did. Beth froze and her blood went ice cold. They were taking turns? Why did they even take me, anyway, Beth wondered.
"Later." Joe said. "I wanna talk to the girl. Leave." All of the men went out the door except for the one named Len. Joe looked back at him again. "Leave!" Hesitantly, Len stepped out the door. When all of the other men were gone, Joe turned back to Beth. He stood and dragged his feet around the room as he paced back and forth in front of her.
"So... Blondie... I guess yer wonderin' why yer here." He told her. She stayed sitting back against the wall, looking for anything she could use to get free, When she turned up empty, her glare went in the direction of the older man. She didn't answer him. Joe shrugged at the small girl. "Yer vulnerable. Simply that."
A shudder ran down Beth's spine. She didn't want to know what the group was going to do to her, yet at the same time she did. She wanted to be prepared for the damage she was going to get. Beth didn't say anything else after that. She definitely didn't want to provoke the harsh-looking man. She was also worried that her voice would shake, giving away her fear.
Joe came up to her and jammed his foot into her waist again. Beth groaned as her back slid sideways against the wall and she lied on her side, holding her stomach. She felt another blow against her back and her spine instinctively arched as she tried to also reach for her back.
Joe stepped on her hand then, and Beth bit her bottom lip to hold in her cry. She drew blood. Black spots dotted her vision when a heavy foot slammed into her back again and she heard a chuckle. This time, Beth didn't hold back her scream as the sharp sound flew from her throat. The last thing she heard before passing out was, "Come on in, boys."
"Daryl!" Beth shrieked from inside the car. "Please let me go," she sobbed to the man in the driver's seat. "Shut up," he replied. The sedative in her arm was starting to go quickly into effect as Daryl ran up to the middle of the road, inspecting the bag Beth had dropped. "Daryl." Her voice was barely above a whisper now as he spotted the car driving off. Beth slumped down in the seat, now unconscious.
Daryl took off down the road in the direction of the car, intent on getting Beth back in his grasp. "Beth!" He yelled, desperately chasing the fast vehicle. The man kept running and saying her name, even when his legs screamed of exhaustion and his throat ached with pain. The car disappeared in front of him long ago, yet he ran and ran down the street as fast as he could.
Beth was like Daryl's light at the end of the dark and scary tunnel, and he wasn't letting her go without a fight. When Daryl came to a crossroads, he sighed. He was soaking in sweat and his shaggy hair brushed against face with each agonizing step he took. He had ran and traveled all night in an attempt to reach Beth and save her, but now he was stuck.
Daryl couldn't see any tire marks on either roads; too many leaves were scattered across the ground from. He sat down not so gracefully on the road with his legs crossed and his crossbow next to him, putting his head in his hands. He was still panting for breath and his chest and lungs hurt from exhaustion.
He silently cursed himself over and over again for putting his guard down back at the funeral home. He knew that everyone had to be careful every second in this new and dangerous world, but he had forgotten his surroundings completely in that moment with Beth. She'd convinced him that there were still good people in this world.
Daryl told himself that he shouldn't have automatically assumed that it was the dog at the door, coming back again. That almost got the two killed. One of them got kidnapped. Why, though, Daryl thought. Why couldn't they have just taken me and left the girl alone?
His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he heard a sound come from behind him. Daryl quickly swiped his crossbow up off of the ground and swung it at the figure behind him. He heard the sound of the weapon hitting flesh and someone falling to the ground. He heard many guns cocking around him as he aimed his bow at the man in front of him, lying on the ground propped up on his elbows.
Daryl still kept his straight aim on the man, right between his eyebrows. The figure on the ground had gray, long hair and stubble on his face. He surprisingly chuckled and stood with Daryl still watching his every move. His finger hovered right over the trigger, but was still smarter than to just pull it. He still kept his aim in the same spot with his eyes narrowed in concentration.
The unidentified man laughed again, a sharp sound in the misty morning air. "Wow. That was one heck of a blow." Spots of blood coated his upper lip and nose as he held his hand over the areas. He inspected the red liquid on his hand when he pulled it away and looked at Daryl.
"A bowman. See, a doctor or a photographer could just walk up with a rifle and be able to use it, but a bowman's a bowman. Through and through." When Daryl didn't reply, Gray Hair kept talking. "Always wanted one of 'em. 'Course, without the rust and blood stains on it, but we can't help what happens in this world anymore."
Daryl's eyes furrowed. He wondered what this person was trying. What type of a trick he was attempting. "I'm claimin' the vest. Like 'em wings." Daryl heard behind him. It was a male's voice. He didn't bother arguing with the man. If he made one move away from Gray Hair, he was almost certain he would get a bullet through his head.
"Now, hold on men." The group leader spoke. He turned back to Daryl. "Now, if I were you, I wouldn't pull that trigger. Why kill yourself when you can kill others?" Daryl wanted to scoff at that statement. But, he was disappointingly right. If Daryl tried to shoot the man, he would get lead through his skull before his could reload. He slowly lowered the crossbow. "I'm Joe." The guy in front of him said. "Daryl." He grunted back.
Joe smiled at him. "There we go. Now, that's more like it." He clapped Daryl on the back roughly, but Daryl stayed firm on his feet, still tense and hesitant around the new people. "This is Len." Joe pointed to another man that was holding a compound bow and looked a little younger than him. He was the one who had tried to "claim" Daryl's vest. Daryl swallowed back a sneer as Joe introduced the rest of the group.
Daryl studied the other men as Joe named them off, studying every one of their weapons, faces, and weaknesses that he could find. After Joe had informed Daryl about the group, he added that another member, Dan, was still back at the camp keeping watch. They were heading back to it from a quick run. That explained some of the trash bags they'd had on their shoulders.
When a bit more talking was done, Joe's group and Daryl started on the way back to the so-called safe house that Joe had mentioned.
About a day later at the warehouse, Beth was seated in a wooden chair in the corner of the dark room she was being held in. Dan was right outside the door, walking back and forth in the hallway. Beth was staring down at her lap with her hands tied behind her back, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness. When she had woken up, the other men had gone on the run hours before.
Beth suddenly thought of something. She needed to be quiet about it, though. She didn't want Dan peeking in and keeping her from getting out. She forced her eyes open for more than a few seconds and slowly stood with the chair still attached to her, ignoring the sharp pain still in her ankle. And, well, everywhere. Beth had figured that the people had done more damage to her in her slumber, but she knew that she still had her innocence.
Beth waited and waited for any sign of change outside the room, standing next to what she thought was the door. It was too dark to tell now that night time had come. After a while, she heard footsteps falter and a door open. It came from outside, from the main area. She didn't know what else was in the building; she'd never gotten the chance to.
"She still in there?" She heard Joe ask. Dan answered right away. "Yep." The metal door to the small, enclosed area suddenly opened. Beth's breath stopped short as she braced herself for the upcoming blow. She knew that there was no going back now. The girl grit her teeth as she flung her body to the side with the chair on her back as soon the metal door closed.
She felt it hit flesh and heard it crack as she grunted and fell on her side. The wooden chair broke and fell apart when it came in contact with the solid ground next to Beth. She quickly stood, leaning on her right foot. Her left foot was still hurt. "You little-" Joe said. Beth cut him off with a quick kick to the groin.
Joe groaned and bent over. She kneed him hastily in the chest and he moaned in pain before he shot out his fist in front of him, standing up straight again. It hit the girl's nose, sending her stumbling backwards. The ropes were still tight around her wrists, so there wasn't much she could do to help from falling on the ground.
She felt a warm liquid above her lip that was no doubt blood streaming from her nose. Joe slowly walked over to the struggling Beth and placed his foot roughly on her chest or keep her from getting up again. Her head had hit the concrete considerably hard. The back of her skull was throbbing and her vision was a bit blurry.
"Dan! Get in here!" Joe hollered. The chubby man ran inside, rifle in hand. Joe looked at him square in the eyes. "I thought you were watchin' her." He jerked his chin at Beth on the ground. She was having trouble breathing. Joe's heavy boot was pressed against her lungs.
Dan stammered. "I- I didn't hear nothin' inside. I checked on her a while before y'all came back." Joe suddenly slammed his bloody fist into Dan's face, who stumbled away holding his jaw. "Get the other men in here." Joe ordered. He looked down at Beth when he spoke, who was now gulping in any air that she could get. He raised his foot. "Girlie here needs to be taught a lesson."
Dan went out of the room, still holding his face in his hands, and Beth stayed where she was, enjoying the air, though it smelt of cigarettes and oil. The two left in the room stared at each other until Joe reached down and grabbed her arm to yank her off the floor. He was gripping her elbow up as hard as he could. Beth bit her lip in spite of herself when she felt it go numb.
Dan peeked his head through the doorway. "You want the new 'en, too?" A smile slowly crept up on Joe's face. "Yeah. It'll be like a... a little initiation." Dan went back out and Joe faced Beth. "This should teach ya' not to fight us." She stared down at her brown boots, so stiff she felt as if her muscles would snap.
The door opened a moment later and Joe stepped away from Beth. Her hands clenched into fists behind her as she stared down at the ground. She desperately wanted to leave this place and the brutal people that it held and that had attacked her.
The men surrounded her and Beth found herself cornered by them with the walls behind her. She lifted her head slowly as Joe stepped in front of her once again, blocking her view from the person facing her. The group leader scanned the rest of the people around him, who held many weapons in their hands.
"Our... guest tried to attack me. Tried to smash me with a chair." The wooden remains were still scattered around the corner. "That ain't right and sure as heck won't go past me. Teach her, men. Not all the way, but enough to get her to understand how things work around here." Beth's breath hitched in her throat as the guys around her deviously smiled around her. Then Joe moved to the side, revealing the person facing her.
They stood in front of each other, face to face. Beth's eyes widened and she almost gasped in surprise and possibly relief. The golf club Daryl was holding almost slipped out of his hands. His heart was pounding against his chest as the rest of the group started to circle Beth like a hawk circling its prey. Beth didn't want to be prey. And Daryl didn't want her to be, either.
"Wait." Joe spoke from the side of the room. Beth tore her eyes from Daryl's and almost cried of relief for the interruption. "Let Daryl go first." said Joe. Beth's jaw almost dropped as she looked back at Daryl again. His lips were still parted in surprise. He looked down at his metal golf club in his hands as the other men back away, obeying their group leader's command.
Beth's heart started hammering in her chest even harder than before as Daryl gripped the weapon tighter in one hand. He looked at Beth apologetically. She took a sharp intake of breath. He wanted to tell her that it was the only way he could get her out of there alive. To pretend to be one of them. It killed him to do it, but it was the only way he could keep them both safe. Daryl has that on repeat in his mind as he lifted the golf club to swing it at the terrified girl in front of him.
A/N: Hi! Umm, thanks so much for reading this! I'm pretty excited for this story to progress. I have great plans for it! Please, review, favorite, follow this story and read my other Bethyl story, Stuck. I love hearing feedback! Thanks!