Fear. Fear for her fate. Fear for her life. Fear for the uncertainty of her friends. Fear was all Clementine had left after being taken from everything she had known. Everything and everyone she'd grown accustomed to seeing for these last few months. And it was her birthday. Maybe. It had either passed or was coming soon. She couldn't really tell without a calendar. Lilly had been keeping track, but she was gone now. And now, here was Clementine. Tossed to the ground in a strangers camp like a ragdoll that no one loved.
Terrified and shaking violently, the small child whimpered as she sat up and looked around. She had no way to contact Negan. No idea where she was. The bandits were talking, but she had no idea what about. She wasn't focused on their conversation so much as the thoughts racing through her young mind. She wished she could go back home with her parents. Play pretend with Sandra. Wake up from this horrible nightmare.
Clementine returned to reality when someone grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet. Her terrified eyes met the heartless glare of a stranger in a mask. She whimpered but couldn't find her voice. The bandit eyed her up and down. His look made her squirm in discomfort. He clicked his tongue and stood up. His next words confused Clementine.
"She's cute, I'll give ya that. But she's not mature enough. She ain't got tits nor anything else worth seeing."
"She has a pussy. That's all I care about."
"Yeah, man, but it's too tiny to fuck."
"So? We can still have fun with her. She'll grow eventually."
"I don't want her 'eventually' I need to be laid right fucking now!"
"W-what are..." Clementine screamed as a slap to the face shut her up. Her tiny body went hurling to the ground.
"We ain't talking to you, cunt! You don't speak unless you're spoken to! Got that!?" She stared at him shaken. "Wel!?"
"Y-yes, Sir..."
"Good. Now get your ass off the ground. Come here, girl."
"These backwoods sick fucks are gonna pay." Negan growled.
"Are they seriously hunting... people? For food...?" Carley questioned in shock, taking a few steps back from the hanging carcass.
"Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick..." Doug gagged, covering his mouth.
"Oh, God... we are so screwed..." Ben whined.
Negan and Carley quickly began to observe their surroundings. There had to be a way out of here. If there's a way in, there's a way out. They quickly noticed a hay hook, cattle prod, and sickle. Since the St. Johns disarmed the group before locking them away, this seemed like the best way to rearm themselves. It wasn't their normal choice, but it was their best chance at survival. Negan grabbed the sickle. Carley took the hay hook. That left Doug with the cattle prod.
Now armed, they just needed to find a way to escape this back room. The door was locked from the outside. And the only way out would involve busting the door (which would take a lot of force) or making a lot of noise to draw some attention and hopefully whoever's guarding them would open the door (risky, if the person is armed). But if they wanted to get out of this alive, and rescue Clementine, it was a chance they would have to take.
"Ok, get ready. We're busting out of this fucking place on the count of three." Negan stated. Him, Doug, and Ben all prepared to bash the door while Carley stood back protecting Duck. "Mother fucking three!"
"No, no! Please! I... I don't want to!"
Clementine's pleas were met with a smack, her small body hurling to the ground. She let out a whimper as she sat on the ground crying, her lip busted open. As she drew her hand from the wound, she found blood on her fingers. She tasted the metallic flavor in her mouth. Her body trembled and she closed her eyes as the bandit drew his hand back to hit her again. The strike came hard and fast knocking her over with tremendous force.
"No! Please... please!" Clem begged as the man straddled her, pinning her small form to the ground. He began to undo his belt as the child cried and begged for mercy.
"You'll pay for disobeying me, you little bitch!"
"No... please... stop!"
WACK! WACK! WACK!
Negan, Ben, and Doug tackled the door again and again until they heard footsteps outside. The three stepped back, waiting for their opening. As soon as the door opened, Doug charged with the cattle prod. Danny screamed in surprise and staggered backward as the electricity coursed through his chest. The attack was enough to stun him, buying Negan and Carley time to attack. They both charged him, Negan slashing his stomach open with the sickle and Carley stabbing the hay hook into his shoulder. Danny collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap, and Negan quickly lunged for him.
"Where is Katjaa and Clementine, you sick prick!?" Negan demanded, grasping Danny by his shirt collar and lifting him so the men were nose to nose.
Danny laughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Katjaa's fine. Don't you go worrying 'bout her. Now the girl..."
"Where is she!?"
"You ain't never seeing her again."
"What did you do to her, you fucking fuckface sick cannibal fuck!?"
"It ain't nothing I did..." Danny smirked. Negan glared, and if looks could kill Danny'd already be dead. "We traded her."
"What!?"
"To the bandits. We traded them the girl."
"She's a fucking child, not a fucking commodity!" Negan growled, rising to his feet, seething in anger.
"Not anymore. It's how the world works now. Give part of yourself, so others can live. We're all valuable resources, Negan!" Danny declared, grinning.
"Lilly never volunteered to be food!" Carley stated in disgust. "And... and Clementine... she..."
"She never volunteered to be traded!" Negan shouted, enraged. "That's child trafficking! And since there are no fucking laws. No fucking cops. I'll fucking take the fucking law into my own motherfucking hands!"
Princess was in the stable, rearing and neighing in a panic over the commotion. Doug approached and grabbed her reins, trying to calm the mare. Carley noticed a baseball bat leaning against a wall. Negan noticed barbed wire in one of the boxes. He ordered Carley to bring him the bat and barbed wire. He then proceeded to wrap his baseball bat, Lucille, with the wire.
"Get ready for peepee pants city." Negan said calmly. "I have a feeling we're really close..."
