Ash and Clem

Chapter 9: Love Or Hate

My hands are bound. I am starving. My left ear is ringing (Or at least where it used to be). And my only company is a back-stabbing leetch. Guy Carver, I persume his name is. With him being disarmingly charming, then there comes his true colours. He is a lying, backstabbing, two faced jerk. I despise the rotten-hearted jackass. I hate him. "You really know how to make a girl special, don't you?" I say sarcastically. "Hmm?" He returns from infront of me. "Ah, I think you like me." He teases nastily. "No, I think you're a fucking prick." I reply. "Charming. Like myself in your eyes, right?" He chuckles horridly. I sigh annoyed. "Look, can we just get there in peace?" I ask him less harshly. "Ok..." He answeres in a strange tone. Suddenly, he stops and turns around toward me. "Look, I just wanna get to know you. You seem like a cool gal. And yeah, I've got you tied up and stuff but can we at least have a convosation?" He askes quickly. "Fine..." I huff. "So, who else you got up there, in the lodge I mean? Friends, family, boyfriend?" He questioned. "Kenny and...Clementine." I answer. "Kenny's the lucky guy?" He askes again in a negative tone. "No! He's and old friend. And ancient..." I confirm. He laughs. "So, you're available?" He askes. "Not to you." I answer. There is a long pause after that. I guess I must've hurt him. To hell with him anyways. After five minutes of silence, a sharp static noise blasters through a walkie-talkie that rested on Guy's belt along with a dangerously sharp knife. "Son, you there?" Askes the voice of Carver. "Yeah, Pops." Replies Guy yanking on the hood of my hoodie. "Ow!" I squeal loud and clear for Carver to hear. "Son, if you're hurtin' that girl..." Carver warned through the walkie. He obviously heard me. "No-No, Pops. Everything is cool." Guy stammered. "Good. Cause we need able hands for our growing community and you would not want our community to be overrun with weakness and...incompitence, right, son?" Carver askes. "'Course not, Pa. Y'all made it out there in one piece?" Askes Guy as he shoves my back in a silent order of 'move'. "Fuck sakes..." I mumble to myself. "Sorry, Pops. One sec. Uh, girl, what did you just say?" Guy threatens me with him indicating towards the walkie as if he's trying to show a good impression on his father. "I said duck bake. I am very hungry." I lie. Guy looks me up and down and continues to his convosation. Carver congratulates Guy on him being capable. Then he talks about the group. Apperently Walter and Pete had got killed whilst Carver's group attacked us. I am hoping...Praying Clementine is unharmed. If they even so much as lay a finger on her I will bash in their brains so hard it'll turn into a liquid. I hope Kenny's alright too. And Nick. "Ok...Yup...see ya, Pops. Out" Guy finishes. He quickley fixtates his gaze upon me. His strange stare he does unsettles me, as if he's looking through me or into my very soul. He then rushes toward me in a fast walk. He then grabs my wrists which are bound and unleashes the knife from his belt. I begin to pull away from him. "Settle down, gorgeous." He says in a more serious tone of his. I stop struggling. Stratled by the tone I realise if I don't follow his orders he can kill me. I look away expecting the worst. But I feel nothing but a sharp scratch on my left palm as well as the newly found freedom of my hands. "Shit." He whispers. I look at my left hand which is now pooled in blood. "What are you doing?" I question him. "Helping you." He answeres whilst fondling for something in his pockets. "Ow, fuck. What was that for?" I ask him through my gritting teeth. "Sorry, just wait a second." Guy statters. He then reveals a silky, white cloth. He then takes my hand into his own and dampens the cloth in my blood. "Is it...?" I ask him hesitantly. "Don't worry. It's fine." He answeres me assuringly. He dabs my hand with the soft, silky and refreshing cloth. After all the blood is gone he takes his backpack off and opens it in search for something else. "Thanks." I greatfully thank him. "Oh, I ain't finished yet." He smiles. He handles a clean looking roll of bandages and unrolls them into a sutable amount to bandage my hand. "You're in the wars today, huh?" He jokes as he rises to me and begins wrap my hand in the bandage. "Ha. More like this lifetime. I chuckle. "Well that's a very depressing way to look at things." He comments. "I don't lie." I then return. Another long pause commences as he wraps my hand. After he is finished wrapping my wound he then ties the ends up in a double knot and pats my shoulder and says "Good as new.". And the for some reason he kisses the bare base of my hand. I stare at him curiously. "You can say 'thank you' now." He jokes. "Thank you." I say rolling my eyes. "You're welcome, fair lady." He then bows. "Ok..." I say. We then continue our way to wherever we were going.

After we set off, the two of us hasn't said anything. Almost nothing. Just a silence breaking cough every five minutes.

After another hour or two, we reach a truck at a hilltop surrounded by the woods and some brush. When we reach the top of the hill, I see our group along with some of Guy's group. As soon as Clementine sees me she runs up to me and wraps her arms around me. "Ashleigh!" Clem beams. "We knew you'd make it." She says still clinged onto me. "Thank god you're safe." Kenny adds. "I'm glad you lot are alright." I say. Clementine releases me from our hug. "Nick wants you." Clem then informs me. I then spot Nick sat in the truck, hands bound and head hanging low like never before with Rebecca and Matthew sat opposite him. "Is he alright?" I ask worried. "Pete...Carver wanted to kill Nick...And-and Pete... Carver killed Pete." Clementine whispers remoursingly and on the edge of tears. "Yeah...I heard." I admit. "So, now Nick only wants to talk to you. He won't even talk to Luke!" Clementine croaked with tears in her eyes. "Ok. I'll go." I agree. "Good luck." Clementine wishes to me as I begin to make my way to a teary Nick. I almost reach the truck when all of a sudden a man, most likely one of Carver's men, stops me in my tracks. "Hey! You ain't going in there without somethin' to stop you from tryin' to squirell your way out. C'mere." He bitches. I roll my eyes and hold my hands together for him to bind them again. After they are bound, I climb into the truck and sit next to Nick who then notices my presence. "Hi." I gently say. "Hey." He replys in a sad and mourning tone. I gently put my hand on his bony yet muscular shoulder to support him. He puts his hand on mine where it rests on his shoulder and looks into my eyes. He looks a wreck. The whites of his eyes are red which makes his blue icy eyes stand out even more. His cheeks are red and wet from tears. His shirt is soaked. "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm so, so sorry." I sympathize. "Pete...He's gone, Ashleigh. He's gone." He sobs resting his head on my chest. "I know, Nick. I'm so sorry." I whisper. Kenny, Stella, Sarah and Clementine then get on the truck. Clementine has a red mark on her cheek as Sarah and Stella do too. "Clem? Did the hit you?!" I ask infuriated. "Kinda. Please don't be mad. Don't let him hurt you too." She pled. "I'm sorry, Clem. But he is'nt getting away with it." I say. "Hey, big man!" I call toward Carver who is talking to Guy who looks sad. Carver looks at me and dismisses his son. "Yeah, kid." Carver replies. "What'd you do to my sister and her friends?" I ask him arguably. I can see Guy looking at me with shock. "I gave them a disaplinary lesson. Just as you'll get one if you don't learn your rights." He threatens me. "Excuse me? My rights? Who do you think you are to control us? To imprison us?" I confront him. "Listen, girlie. I'm your new provider. And if you want to stay alive you do what's asked of you. You wouldn't want to end up like your friends?" He answers. I scowl at him looking him up and down, shaking my head. Carver then drags me out of the truck by the collar of my jumper and yanks me face to face with his. "What they say about respect is earned not given. That's bullshit now. It's a whole other world out here. And what you know don't mean shit to you now. Son, will you do the honors?" Carver explains and then offers. He shoves me toward the truck as he looks at Guy. Guy shakes his head with his face still full of shock. "Troy!" Carver calls. "Yeah?" Troy smiles knowing whats going to happen. "The doing is in your hands." Carver offers. "Good." Troy sneers evily. Troy then walks over to me smiling. I stare him down with my death stare. He then raises the back of his hand and whacks my face several times. He finally stops after about ten seconds. He then walks away and nods his head at Carver smugly. "Call that lesson one if you carry on your ways." Carver lectures. I turn around to face the rest of the group in the truck. They are all shocked, angry, afraid. I can sense all the different feelings in their faces. I climb ack onto the truck and curl up in the corner of it. "I'm going to hell's prison" I think

End Of Part 9

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