Beth Greene groaned as she slowly regained conscious. Their was a fierce pounding in her temple and she was almost certain her jaw was broken - possibly in multiple places. She could feel where the blood and dread to her scalp, matting her blonde her to the skin. She was vaguely aware that her arms were restrained and the harsh rope was digging painful into her bare arms.
Sluggishly, Beth attempted to raise her head off her chest. The pounding between her ears and the pain wracking her body intensified as a unwelcome sob tore past her busted lips. She could taste the tang of copper on her tongue.
She could barely make out the faint sound of piano keys through the ringing in her ears from the blow to her head. Her memory was hazy, whether it was from the blow to her head or terror that was causing her sudden amnesia she wasn't sure. Honestly, it was most likely both.
The last thing she remember was hearing a female's bloodcurdling scream. Whether it had been ripped from her throat or someone else's she wasn't sure either.
A masculine groan came from somewhere behind her. It was then that she registered a warm body pressed flush against her back, "Daryl?" She questioned after a few heartbeats of silence. There was no answer.
"Daryl..." She hissed again. Praying that he was the body slumping against her.
She could feel the twitch in the body as whoever it was slowly regained consciousness. The frame against her was solid, muscular, and definitely all man. It has to be Daryl. The only other males here had been Jimmy, Scott, and Allen and neither of them felt like Daryl. They were still young. There frames hasn't developed into the masculine frame that had came from years of work and trying to stay alive.
"Beth..?" Daryl's hoarse and raspy voice called. He sound hesitant.
"Oh, thank God," Beth could feel the tears that had gathered in her eyes, "You're alive. I thou-I though you were -" Her voice choked off.
"Nah, gonna take a lot more than some punks to do me in." Daryl groaned when he tried to turn his head to get a good look at the younger blonde.
"What happened?" Beth pleaded.
"I don't know," She could her him physical grit his teeth in anger, "But the bastard that did this is gonna pay. You ain't hurt are ya?"
Despite the situation, Beth felt her face flush. She was a little sore, but that had nothing to do with their current predicament. No, the pain she was feeling was a good pain. A reminder of what has transpired between herself and the surly hunter tied to her.
"I'm fine." She replied sheepishly.
The door in front of Beth squeaked open. She moved her gaze from the battered wooden floor to the figure that had stepped through the door. Her blood ran cold.
The figure standing in the doorway didn't look human despite the human characteristics. They had lanky, slender frame that seemed to take up the entirety of the doorway. Their arms looked too long and torso too short. However, it wasn't the physical attributes of the being in front of her that frightened her. It was old grain sack the being wore with eye holes cut and a creepy smile stitched across the bottom half. It was secured around its neck with a tattered rope. A bloodied axe hung loosely in one hand.
It just stood there. It's eyes staring at her in such a blank way that it set her mind reeling and body shaking. She had never felt such fear as she had as they stared her down.
"Wh-what do you want with us?" She heard her voice speak, but she's didn't remember opening her mouth.
The being just stood there, his fingers flexing around the old wooden handle.
She thought she heard Daryl speak but she was too preoccupied with the person in front of her to register what he has said. The figure in the doorway began tapping timid steps foreword. It was almost like they were scared they were going to spook her and send her scurrying like a deer. She couldn't have moved if she's been able. Unadulterated fear had completely paralyzed her and rendered her limbs useless.
The being was standing in front of her know. It appeared to be a man, his shoulders too wade and hands far too large to be a woman's. Beth's gaze followed down his torso, arms, and settled on the sharpened blade. Her eyes fixated on the drops of blood that fell to the wooden floor. Her friends' blood no doubt.
Her eyes burned with the prickling sensation of hot tears. All her friends were most likely dead and it wouldn't be long before herself and Daryl were next. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were all supposed to have a fun and carefree weekend away from college, finals, and drama.
"P-please," She has never heard her voice sound so pitiful, "Just let us go. We won't tell anyone. We swear."
"Hush, Beth." Daryl hissed.
"I'm just a kid. I just turned twenty-one," Beth was sobbing now, "I-I don't want to die."
The man tilted his head at her. His gaze still blank. She heard the door open again, two more figures slid inside the room, each wearing a mask of sorts of their own. She could tell by there clothing that both of the other figures were women.
Beth's attention was quickly averted from the women when the man grabbed her matted hair and violently jerked her head back.
"P-please." She begged as she watched the man raise the axe with one hand, his enormous fist wrapped around the wooden handle just below the blade. The razor edge of the blade was the only Beth seen as the man swung.
"BETH!"