Chapter 15 – Silvery Moonlight

Carol was walking back towards the house, the can of 'silvery moonlight' in one hand, and the bag of other items in her left. Although she had no reason to rush back, she couldn't fight the inexplicable need welling up inside her to hurry. The can was a bit grating against her fingers, but she didn't even pause to readjust it. She wanted to be safe again within the house's walls with Daryl beside her. She knew the timing was shit, but she would be damned if she didn't attempt to bring them closer in the coming days. Even if he rejected her, she knew he would always be there for her as a friend.

The paint was sloshing a bit in the can, but Carol still picked up her pace. She suddenly felt very vulnerable out there in the open. She couldn't explain it, but the weight of it was pressing down on her chest, creating a wall of anxiety. She was almost home. She caught herself on the use of the word 'home', but it was. This was her home now. She was seriously considering staying in Kennesaw even if she had to move out of Daryl's house.

As she walked, she was just starting to make out the lot adjacent to the house where Doug had attacked her. Even though that had been a brutal attack that she was still healing from, she couldn't help but be grateful for it because it had led her to meet Daryl and all the other people who she now considered friends. If she hadn't gotten off the bus, if she hadn't been attacked, then she would not have ever known those she now held dear to her in her life. They had made her new life worth living, especially Daryl.

Through her growing anxiety, Carol began to pick up sounds of footsteps behind her. She walked a bit faster, not turning around. The footsteps picked up too. She had made it back to the spot Doug had attacked. Just as she was considering running the rest of the way, the footsteps picked up into a run. Before she could even turn around, a meaty fist clamped down on one arm while a fat hand closed over her mouth. She couldn't even scream for help. She was already scared to death, but what she heard next made her blood turn to ice in her veins.

"It sure is hot here in Georgia, ain't it darlin'? Now me, I much prefer the weather back up in Michigan."

She began to tremble.

"Do you know what we would be doing if we were back home?"

Brutal images from her past began to flash through Carol's mind. The slideshow of abuse hit her so fast that she began to feel dizzy.

"That's right. I knew you would know. We would be discussing the last meal you served me. Spaghetti with a side of Ambien. Very classy. It was also very stupid. Now, you know we have talked about your behavior in the past. Every time you act like the stupid whore you are, I have to correct you. It's been eleven long days since I have had the pleasure of correcting you. Now I've got to make up for lost time, because that sort of shit isn't going to fly."

His last statement was punctuated by a brutal punch to her ribs. She doubled over but couldn't utter a word. She was too busy trying to catch her breath. She gasped, trying to will the tears she could feel not to fall. She refused to cower to this man anymore. He punched her in the face then, knocking her to the ground. Her purchases fell beside her as she began to curl into herself instinctively.

"I came here for you, ready to take your ass back despite what you did. I don't know why I even bothered though. There you are, looking like a bitch in heat. You look like a slut even with your face all bruised up. What the fuck happened, anyway? Did you make the mistake of fucking over some other man? Look at you. Red hair like the devil. Tight shirt showing off your tits."

A flashback of Doug saying those words after getting off the bus came back to her then. The force of the memory was not helping her current situation.

"Don't play coy with me. You sat beside me wearing that tight shirt showing off your tits. It's not fair to be playing with a man's mind like that." She remembered that while Doug said those words, his hand had gone to her cheek and then ran down her neck, before grabbing her breast.

"Stupid no-good bitch."

Ed was kicking her now; unaware he was kicking her in the same place Doug had. She was in the same lot, feeling the same kicks. Ed was here, and he was making sure she paid for the sin of not wanting to be married to him again, the sin of drugging him, and the sin for running away. He was going to either kill her as her penance or drag her back to Michigan. Oh, hell no! Carol would later tell of the uncharacteristic need that rose in her. It was a need to never get back to where she had been, and to never die on Ed's terms.

Carol grabbed the handle to the can of 'silvery moonlight' in her right hand. As Ed was gearing up to resume the kicking, she rolled out of the way. When she came back up, she came up swinging. The can of paint turned out to be a perfect weapon. When she swung, she was aiming for his face. When the can made contact with his nose, blood went flying, accompanied by the crunching sound of bone. It was music to her ears. She had most certainly broken his nose. When he grabbed at his face, she swung again, this time the can made contact with his throat. The can popped open, and Ed was covered in 'silvery moonlight'. When he sank to the ground, she followed it up with a brutal kick to his balls with her boots.

His garbled scream was a satisfying sound to her. Suddenly, she just couldn't stop kicking at him. She kicked him over and over again until strong arms dragged her away. She spun around, not recognizing the man who had grabbed her.

"Easy lady. I'm a cop, a sheriff's deputy for Cobb County."

She stopped kicking and looked down at Ed. If she hadn't permanently damaged his balls, she would be very surprised. His throat area was certainly messed up judging by the sounds he was making. That said nothing about his broken nose. She didn't know what else she had hurt, but the amount of damage she had done sobered her. She suddenly worried that she was about to be arrested.

"I … he was attacking me. I fought back with that paint can."

"Hold up a sec. Are you Carol Mason?"

Stunned, she looked at the officer in plain clothes. She didn't know him but nodded anyway.

"I thought I recognized you. I'm Shane Walsh. I was here the day you were attacked. I'm dating Andrea."

Carol's face was visibly flooded with relief. She was about to explain more, but he spoke up first.

"Do you know this man?"

"Y…yes. That piece of shit is my soon to be ex-husband. I have filed papers with the courts to keep my location secret from him. I have no idea how he found me. He should be up in Michigan."

Shane nodded. "Rick told me all about the papers you filed. Said Michonne helped you out. I'm off duty, but I will put in a call and get this douchebag hauled up to the jail. Are you ok? You're bleeding."

Carol felt her face and the trickle of blood present from Ed's punch. She nodded that she was fine. Suddenly, there was somebody else rushing towards her. Daryl.

She didn't speak, even when his strong arms came around her in a comforting, crushing hug. She just started walking back to the house with him. She needed to get back home more than she needed air. Home is where she was safe.

Chapter End Notes:

Here is their other paint color

Www DOT glidden DOT com/colors/neutral/silvery-moonlight