Hey guys. New chapter online. Maybe this one is a more dramatic/rough one. I wasn't sure about it, but thought i could give it a try.
Enjoy reading :)

I drifted off from time to time, the chain around my neck was strangling me almost to death. I had tried to grab the chain, but Len had knocked me out and when I had woken up again, my hands had been tied with a cable tie. He pulled me along, dragged me across the ground. I looked up to the sky. The sun was shining through the leaves. It would have been a lovely day, if the ground wouldn't scarp my back raw. My tattoo was bleeding, my back was wet, wet of blood. And of course if I hadn't been captured by one of my nightmares.

I hoped Merle and Jess would be on Len's heels in the very moment. They had to know by now I was missing. They just had to come soon. If Len was anything like back then, I wouldn't survive long.

"Ella." There was a voice I couldn't associate. It wasn't my brother. My eyes were shut again. It was an angry voice. It was Jess' voice.

It had been on a night on the road shortly before we had found the house. When we had sat at the fire he had screamed at me for being not the one he had known.

"Stop like you don't give a shit about anything." Jess almost screamed at me. "Like you are a stone-cold soldier." I was all calm. The anger in his voice just mirrored the hopelessness I saw in his eyes. "You act like nothing that had happened meant anything to you."

"That's what you think?" It's like we switched roles. He was the emotional and I was the cold one now. It had been the other was around. I had been the sympathetic one, compassionate with everything and all.

"You are no letting anyone get close to you. You don't let us help you." He mentioned over to Merle who was sleeping at the other side of the fire.

A lump formed in my throat, feelings I had tried to keep low arose. I suppressed the urge to cry. "There is no need to help me."

"What happened to my girl?" He suddenly stated.

"Your girl?" I looked to Merle on the other side of the fire. He was still asleep.

"You can't erase the past … not all of it." He sighed leaning closer to me.

"I won't. The past is what makes us who we are." I was cold and the heat of his body made me less shiver. "But us is in the past Jess." Everything I loved was in the past now.

He suddenly stopped in his movement and looked up to me. "Is that really how you feel?"

"I am not letting anything getting closer anymore." His warm body felt so good. My body longed for a warm embrace, for something caring. But the coldness in my heart, in my very soul, didn't allow such desire.

"We won't hurt you." He looked over to Merle than back at me. "I will never hurt you, never leave you alone. I care too much for you to lose you again."

My eyes were at the fire, watching the fire dancing in the night. Behind the fire Merle was all asleep, or was he? He hadn't been snoring … was he listening?

"Or is there something or someone else?" Jess whispered lowly. When I looked up to him, he looked over to Merle. If he really thought he knew me, he wouldn't have said it.

"Let's stick here for a while. This place seems safe." I retorted and laid down. "Night Jess." I turned my back his direction. I had loved him, really loved him, but my heart belonged to someone else.

Do you remember the lifeless shell which had once carried your soul – the one after your capture of Phillip? You had been a weak and broken woman, feeling nothing but pain. You had been afraid of everything. The sweet little girl had holed up in her own body. You had a hard time fighting your way back to who you are.

This wasn't the same. They had broken my body but hadn't been able to break my soul completely. Now I was mentally crushed. This wasn't so easy to repair. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep too.

But you are doing the same thing … excluding yourself from your group. Why can't you be content with what you got?

Because the pain overweighs the happiness.

You dramatic tinny robot. Tell me when the world around you stops, stops to be all about you. Start to open your eyes and see what you got and don't just look at the things you have lost.

I hadn't a response, no pointed remark, my sharp tongue was dead. Normally he was happy to have the final say, but this time the voice in my head kept quiet.

Was it dark? Was daylight blinding me or a light inside a house? I couldn't tell. My eyes rolled uncontrolled. "Why don't you just kill me?" Did I say that out loud? Without much air to breathe it was hard to talk. I closed my eyes but when opened again, it was definitely dark. Was I unconscious again?

I am sorry I had been gone.

He was back now. I smiled.

You had been safe. You didn't need me when you had a family, a safe home. When I felt your love for Daryl, I knew there was no place for me …

There had always been a place for him in my heart.

A hard slap made my head snap right. The chain around my neck sang. "You are in trouble lil' girl." I didn't want to turn my head. Instead I looked at a wooden wall. We were in a house? I didn't want to see his face, but hate was beginning to boil inside me. "Already wishing you ain't went out of the house today?" A mean laugh followed his words. With all the hatred I felt I looked at him. "Ohh … I like these eyes." He slapped me again. "Joe always says this is survival of the fittest. I'm wondering what keeps you alive."

So he was still with Joe, they had survived. This fucking "claiming"-gang was still together. "The urge to kill you." I suppressed to spit in his face.

The ugly glance in his face was gone and small eyes looked at me. "I am gonna fuck you till you die."

My hands were tied, as were my legs. Whenever he did that, I didn't know. There wouldn't be much of a chance to break free, but there was much chance to fight until I die. The words did fright me, but didn't fright me to scare me.

"Len, are you here?" Someone called from outside. Before I could scream, Len's fist met my temple and knocked me out again.

Memories flashed through me, faces of people I had almost forgotten greeted me. Dale, Amy and T-Dog … they all looked at me. The warm smile of Hershel made me realize the list of friends who had died was growing. I remembered how I had met every single one of them. A row of people I had once crossed paths with looked at me. Ever since I had seen them when I had been close to death, I had a warm feeling inside me, but now I felt cold. "Claimed." Merle, Jess and Paul appeared. "Claimed!" I swirled around to see Michonne and Carl. "Claimed." Glenn and Maggie looked at me. "Claimed."

No!

"You can't take her with you." Distant voices aroused and one by one my friends disappeared.

"I claimed her. She is mine."

"Why don't we just kill her?"

"I don't want her to die easily."

I opened my eyes. Len and another man were standing almost next to me. Len had the chain in his hand which was laid around my neck. When he caught me being awake, he pulled at the chain and sent me flying over the floor. "Look who 's up." He pulled again so I was on all fours. "My dog." He laughed and his friend seemed amused too.

"You got quite a pretty example." He got closer a hand outstretched. When they were treating me like a dog, they could have one. When he got too close I tried to bite him.

"Feisty!" He looked back to Len. "Do you share?"

"Claimed her long time ago Dan." An evil smile appeared on his lips.

Why are you listening to them? Get up and fight.

Easy for you to say.

But I am right.

Dan grabbed me by the hair and pulled my head back. "Just a little taste of …" I jumped up and rammed my head into his stomach. Dan fell back and I wanted to throw myself at him to bite his head off, but Len tugged on the chain and sent me flying back.

"This fuckin' whore." Dan got up and grabbed a gun from behind his back. "I'm gonna kill her."

"You won't." Len pulled me up on the chain until I was standing before him. I tried to bite him, but he pulled out a knife. "Ah, I wouldn't do that if I wanted to keep your tongue a while longer."

Dan laughed. "How do you wanna take her with you? Drag her along?"

Len slightly turned to talk to his friend. That was my chance. I wanted to tackle him, but he held his knife my direction and cut open my lips and skin. I screamed in pain. Len quickly tied a bandana around my head and over me mouth to stop the bleeding or to stop me from screaming, maybe the latter.

The burning on my lips grew worse when he pushed his hand over my mouth. "If you scream again …" There was another voice outside. Len nodded to Dan. "You go first, I'll follow you down the tracks." Dan didn't move but started at me. "Tell them I'll follow soon." Len rolled his eyes. "Okay, you can have a taste later."

Dan nodded and went out. It wasn't bright outside, maybe evening. I had lost any sense of anything. Would Merle be here soon to rescue me? Would Jess kill these men to free me?

Don't depend on them. You can do it, you can free yourself.

Suddenly Len pushed me to the ground. My head met the concrete floor and almost switched off my lights. Again Len strangled me slightly. I wanted to grab for the chain, but my shackled hands were buried under my body. I was lying flat on my stomach. Len raised my bottom and pulled my pants down. No, not again. I tried to scream, but the bandana in my mouth stifled the screams.

Len was laughing behind me. Where was my brother now? No voice, no help, no nothing. I squirmed under Len, but he grabbed the chain hard and choked me as hard as possible without getting me unconscious. "Nice tat … how did you get that one?" He laughed. I felt how he penetrated me. I tried to fight back but the need for air made me forget left and right. And I stumbled into darkness.

A kick in my stomach made me wake up again. I coughed through the rag in my mouth. "Come on up bitch." But I didn't get up. Again he pulled me up at the chain. "I would like to kill you slowly, but the others are already ahead." I tried to suck in some air.

While I felt nothing but disgust and humiliation, I realized my legs weren't tied no more. Maybe I had a chance. No, not again, I wouldn't let that happen again. But strength left my body and I sank on my knees. There was a click. Looking up, Len pointed a gun into my face. "Kill me!" I tried to say though the rag.

"No I won't. And believe me, I won't kill you easily." He dragged me along into the night. My legs hurt, my whole body was shaking from nausea and pain. I grabbed my pants and pulled them up. "Don't need that for long. Wait until the other will see you." My body shook even more. This time of fear.

"Just kill me." I plead to heaven.

Len pulled me along into the woods. Again I fell, but this time he grabbed me under the arm. "Can't wait to show you Joe."

My spirit and body weren't willing to go on. Suddenly there was a shot fired and Len stood still. He looked hastily in every direction. I caught his moment of carelessness and pulled back my head. He let go of the chain and I started running. An arrow flew nearby but didn't make me stop. I ran further, not caring if there would be an armed man or group. I wanted to escape Len. But he was on my heels, I could almost feel his breath in my neck.

There was a small fire ahead, maybe help, maybe not. But I had no chance but to find out myself. Len was fast, he jumped into my back and sent me down to the ground. "Got ya."

I looked up and saw into Michonne's eyes. What? Michonne? She starred back at me scarred, someone was pointing a gun at her. To my left Rick sat with his back to me in front of Joe who looked at me surprised. "Len, what the hell …"

Len pulled at the chain again and I screamed into the bandana.

"I can't believe you are still alive." Joe laughed. "You … little artist."

"I got myself some fun." Len sang behind me.

"I am next." Behind Michonne was a car. Dan stood at the door and winked at me. "Hey kitty." In the car was Carl looking as afraid as could be.

Len grabbed the chain hard and turned my face to Joe. "I'll let you take a ride if we forget that Daryl thing." Did I hear right?

Joe started laughing again. "Oh missy, it's like I told you, you'll wish you had died in the woods." He looked back to Rick. "Were was I?"

"Ten Mississippi." A dirty looking man said next to him. "Let the ball drop." He laughed and turned to smile at me. "This really is a good night."

"Nine Mississippi." He went on. "Eight Mississippi."

"Joe!" A familiar voice called out. Out of the dark appeared the one person I had thought never to see again. He walked around the car and looked from Rick to Joe. "Hold up!" There he stood of flesh and blood. Daryl. He was alive.

Joe laughed again. "Ain't nothing gonna stop me here."

There were tears in my eyes. Daryl … I tried to stand up, but Len held me back. The sound of the chain made Daryl look my direction. He stood still, his face blank. "Ella …" He whispered in a wondering tone.

"You know that girl?" Joe asked. Daryl knew these people?

Daryl nodded slowly, never looking away from me. Tears welled up and I couldn't stop crying. He was alive. Then he looked back at Len. "You may half the rabbit, but you ain't gonna get that beast. She is mine, I claimed her. Caught her in the woods." Len told him and grabbed my hair to make me stand up.

Daryl made a step our direction, but Joe's hard voice stopped him. "Daryl you stopped me on eight. What do you want?"

Daryl looked at Len. "Let her go." His voice was full of hatred. Daryl took his crossbow and pointed it at Len.

"No chance." Len laughed. "Claimed her." He took out his bloody knife with which he had cut my lips and held it under my chin.

The other guys seemed irritated where to point their guns. "Daryl!" Joe called out loud. "Say your piece." Now Daryl's eyes let go off me and wandered to Joe. He really seemed to know Joe and the others.

"These people. You're gonna let them go." The hatred had left his voice. Too many guns were directed at us. "She belongs to me."

"This is the guy that killed Lou!" The man behind Daryl had his gun raised at Rick.

"Is that true?" Joe asked Daryl, ignoring the man behind Daryl. "Cause we found her months ago in the woods and now again. What makes you say she belongs to you?" He laughed again. I remembered that laugh …

Daryl's eyes went big. He looked at me again, hand folded, rag in the mouth, a chain around the neck. Seemed he did the math and put two and two together. "Can't claim something that had already been claimed." Daryl pressed through his teeth and Joe stopped laughing.

"Oh, you're wrong. Cause she had been claimed by our friend months ago. See now that right there is a lie." The smile was gone, he was all serious. I couldn't move, just watch. The chain still strangled me and my breathing was uneasy. I would die here and now. But I would die knowing Daryl was alive. He was alive. Our eyes met again, I couldn't believe he was standing in front of me. In this fucking moment I felt happy.

Fight you stupid girl. Fight that asshole and get your revenge.

"It's a lie!" Joe screamed again and the two guys behind Daryl started to beat him. "Teach him fellas, teach him all the way."

Len laughed behind me, he seemed more than happy about it. "Finally you see Joe." He said in between his laughs. I threw back my head and met his head. I tried to fight him, but he had too much power over me, he got the chain. He punched me in the face twice, making me see stars dancing around my head. But that didn't keep me from fighting, I tried to kick him, but he just needed to pull on the chain to incapacitate me. He pressed me to the ground, a boot on my back and pulled on the chain slightly. "Look at these people. They will see more of you than you like."

I saw Dan had pulled Carl out of the car and held a knife at his throat. Daryl was trying to fight the two men back, but had no chance. Michonne and Rick were at gun point … how could we survive this?

"First we gonna beat Daryl to death. I mean the guys had already started, so why stop now!?" He looked over to Michonne. "Then we'll have her. Then the boy. And on top of that our sweet little girl." He looked over to me. "Then I'll shoot you and we'll be square."

No, no. I started squirming under Len. I wouldn't give up until I would be unconscious or dead. Len just laughed at me when I tried to roll to the side. A shot made him look up. With him distracted, I finally rolled to the side and tried to stand up, but Len was fast. He grabbed my hair and I screamed into the rag again. "You're just making it worse." I saw Rick fighting Joe. To see him fighting back got me the strength to whirl around and headbutt him. Len grabbed my chin easily and unfolded his belt. "I will knock out your teeth and make you suck it all up." He laughed.

Shots were fired again. Before I could look what had happened, Len made me stand up. He turned and used me as a shield. I saw Rick all bloody and Michonne gun raised. Carl was still held by Dan who had a knife at Carl's throat. Daryl jumped on the head of one of his attackers and turned to me. "Let her go." While Rick killed Dan, Daryl took his knife out too. "Let her go!"

Len pointed his knife at my temple. "One more move and I'll kill her." Daryl stopped for a second, but then ran the last steps and pushed me left, out of the knife's reach. He punched Len to the ground, kicking his side.

Michonne was quick at my side, loosening the bandana around my mouth. When she pulled it away I screamed. The rag had dried to my lips. "Ella …" With a knife Carl freed my hands. Michonne grabbed my head and pressed her forehead against mine. "You're safe!"

I closed my eyes for a second enjoying freedom, but then got up. "He is mine!" I screamed and went over to Daryl who was still punching Len. Daryl looked up and stepped back. "He is mine!" I said again. I kicked Len hard, again and again. Len rolled onto his back and whimpered in pain already bloody. Next to him was the knife he had cut me with. I bent down, feeling a pain in my abdomen, but ignored it all. I took the knife and buried it deep into his trousers where his balls were. Len screamed like an ox on the spit. I took it out and stabbed him again. He screamed again. I sat down on his torso and looked into his eyes. Tears of pain were running down his face.

"Ya wanted me to suck it all down?!" I raised my knife.

"No … no."

I cut open his torso. His bowls fell out of his stomach. Blood ran out of his mouth while he tried to fight me. But there wasn't much left in him so I raised my knife a pushed it through his mouth, deep into his brain. He went limp under me. Daryl approached me, grabbing my arm cautiously and helped me to stand up. "Ella." He carefully turned me to him and hugged me tight. I closed my eyes enjoying his body against mine and crying silently.

Thanks for your attention. R&R
See you next week :o)