14.
WARNING: Scenes in the following chapter may be disturbing to some readers. Exercise caution.
Ana's throat was tight with agony as she followed Sherry through a maze of halls. A rock had settled at the very core of her stomach, imagining Negan fucking multiple women at once whilst knowing Ana was alive. Sherry, on the other hand, was rightly gleeful at the idea of another wife. They eased tensions for the first few weeks, and Negan tended to pay them more attention. It was likely that he would leave Sherry alone for a period of time while he warmed up to his new toy.
The depressive atmosphere of the room hit Ana before the two hit the open double doors. The cold actuality of hollow women seemed to have that effect.
The room itself was more unsettling than anything Ana saw in the compound thus far. Its gentle walls offered a false sense of serenity mixed with a hint of calamity. Ana's skin began to crawl at the sight of women dressed in similar attire performing various duties in the room. Two sat next to each other on the luxurious espresso couches, with one's hand on the other's leg. She counted four women in total, and curiously pondered the whereabouts of the last wife. Her thoughts offered an unnerving idea, which weakened her legs.
"Negan's new wife," Sherry announced, gaining the attention of the wives. A few of them sighed, offering a small smile. "This is Ana."
"Thank God," a redhead near slightly frosted windows breathed, gently dropping the glass in her hand onto the counter by a bar.
"Everyone will introduce themselves," Sherry whispered to the side, resting her hand on Ana's shoulder. "I'll show you the other rooms later."
Ana tried her best to say thank you, though nothing but a short rasp exited her chapped lips. She wasn't ready to meet these women. All she wanted was to return to Alexandria, and curl into her bed, close to Rick. Though, the idea of Rick simultaneously sleeping with Michonne the next house over wasn't exactly comforting.
It took a few tries to introduce herself to all of the present wives. Eventually she resorted to, "Hi, I'm Ana. It's so good to meet you, and I hope we can be friends." However, she knew she wouldn't be friends with any of these women. These women who slept with Negan on a daily basis already sickened her, and although she found nothing upsetting aside from the fact that they slept with her husband, she couldn't help but feel negatively towards any given one.
And so Ana resorted to leaving the room and attempting to get lost in the labyrinth. She drifted from space to space, and tread carefully near any one man or woman that resembled a guard.
The walk humbled her feelings, suppressing them under a bottle which Ana made sure to tighten. It also served as a means through which she organized her racing thoughts. She knew she wanted to leave; Negan having multiple wives was the last straw. It would be impossible to escape the place on impulse, a proper plan was warranted and that meant feeding into Negan's desires. It meant pretending to enjoy his company and the feel of his fingers on her skin –something Ana was not prepared for anymore.
The room Ana wound up in was less than preferable. It was a large bar or tavern with a genderless population that wavered to and from. A couple of familiar faces popped up in the dim corner of the establishment drinking what seemed to be a very heterogeneous mixture of wine. Ana gazed at it uncertainly and opted to leave the room when a dreaded hand landed on her shoulder.
"Ana, what are you doing down here?"
She reared her heel to face Simon's slightly parted alcohol-ridden lips. They curled into a smile as his hand slipped from her shoulder.
"I wanted to take a look around." She suddenly felt very cold.
"Why don't I bring you back to Negan's room?" Simon placed his hand on her hip, having no intention of doing what he proclaimed.
"I'd rather you not." She snaked away from his hand, unknowingly walking further into the bar.
"I don't think Negan would like you misbehaving," Simon raised an eyebrow, and the small exchange was beginning to arouse suspicion amongst the drunken populace. Ana's face heated, becoming red as her hands began to tie themselves together. The halls echoed, guards were present around every corner. If she got scared, she could yell. It was worth it to avoid the growing pairs of eyes that burned into her skin.
"Fine," she offered the smallest smile, "quickly."
Simon bit his lip, beginning to stride away from the bar and occasionally checking behind him to make sure Ana was there.
"You know, when I first saw you I didn't believe my eyes. Now you're here and wow-" he paused, glancing at Ana. "Anyway, how do you like the place? Magnificent isn't it?"
"Yes," Ana looked at the lights on the ceiling, counting them as she continued onwards.
"We recently revamped the Southern wing, you should check it out when you have a chance." Simon scratched his moustache, trying to think of any topic that could carry a conversation. "And at some point you'll have to check out the cafeteria, to eat."
"I know."
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"That night –the night you disappeared."
Ana forced a swallow and hugged her waist. "Lucille want eggs, and some gas line was exposed. She turned on a light and-"
"Boom," Simon chuckled, making a small explosion with his hands. Ana clenched her teeth but continued walking. "Then what?"
"Simon," Ana said, scanning the walls and feeling as if her chain to Negan was growing thin.
"Hm?" Simon turned around, observing her body with hungry eyes.
"I know this isn't the way back."
"Of course it isn't."
The statement took Ana back. It was odd that Simon decided to be so blunt. She nervously glanced behind her, noting the nondescript doors and passageways.
"Where are we going?" her voice cracked as she spoke, her breathing became more shallow.
"You'll see," he winked back at her, and Ana decided her only chance of escaping Simon's reach was to run. She took off in the opposite direction, quickly skirting around corners and ignoring the curious gazes of guards and passersby. To them, it probably seemed as if she were playing. The real cause was much more sinister.
Simon's loud footsteps echoed behind her soft, almost silent falls. She realized she took a wrong turn too late, and as she tried to take four rights, realized she was completely lost. It was evident there was no point in hiding, since Simon knew the layout of the sanctuary. Her only choice was to continue and hope to find some help soon.
It was when she noticed an abundance of guards, and the walls becoming grimier that her heart dropped. Anxiously, she ran up to a tall chubby one, holding a sandwich in one hand and a gun in the other.
"Help me, you have to help me!" she pleaded, hearing Simon's ragged breath just around the corner. The guard stood still, unaware of what to do.
"She's a prisoner, grab her!" came a loud, booming voice from behind. Suddenly, Ana's arm was grabbed and forced behind her as the slap of the guard's sandwich gently pervaded her ears. Her breath caught in her throat while she thrashed around, trying to escape the guard's thick fingers.
"Put her in twenty," Simon angry forced a loose piece of hair behind his ear, advancing towards the helpless girl at an alarming rate.
The cell Ana was thrown into was small, and had barely enough room to stretch out her legs. She could smell the sweat and blood on the cell's ground as her hands slammed against it. Instantly, she curled into the corner, far from the door. Simon followed her in, mumbling a quick sentence to the guard before harshly slamming the door behind them and cloaking them in darkness.
"Please don't," Ana whined as she heard a buckle bounce onto the cold floor.
"You asked for it," Simon muttered, grabbing both of her legs and once, and tugging them straight. Ana shrieked, and scrambled against the ground, scratching at the walls for any support. Her nails shredded across the damp rocks. Pain flooded her fingertips, but she ignored it and began to use her fists to punch Simon's chest. He sat on top of her legs effortlessly, pinning back both of her hands against the wall with only one of his. Then, he made sure to gently pull her pants, breathing alcoholic air into the small space. Ana continued screaming, since her body was incapacitated. She continued screaming until she felt pressure in her lower extremities, then a searing pain as Simon shoved himself into her. Her ability to breath dissolved as tears flooded from her eyes. Her body went limp, succumbing to Simon's touches and movements.
Agonizing minutes passed until Simon pulled out and finished in the corner of the room. Ana lay motionless, and had it not been for her quiet sobbing. Simon might've thought she was dead.
"Negan will get you," Simon muttered before leaving the cell. She heard a click behind him, and understood that she was locked in.
Once again, Ana made her way to the corner as she continued to cry, feeling her body melt into a puddle of despair and despondency. Immense sorrow washed over her like constant waves, as the sudden realization that Simon wasn't afraid of doing this locked into her head. He knew he was safe, he knew there was no way Negan would believe her –he wouldn't let the evidence stack up. She would be stuck here, reliving her definition of hell over and over again.
A/N: wow this chapter was hard and disturbing to write, and I didn't go into much detail for a reason. But don't worry- Ana will be okay and things will soon get better!
Replies:
Every review makes my day and inspires me to write more. Thank you to all of those who have time to let me know their thoughts on the story :)
I'm a Nerd and Proud: I totally feel you, I feel like the second half of this season is too slow, and I hope it picks up soon. I don't blame you for not watching it :). As for the OC idea, I'm totally up for it. Just PM me the character's name, description, and brief personality- I'd love to work with her!
StTudnoBright: Negan's going to be in the dog house for an unbelievable amount of time...although it might not seem obvious. Since Ana has to play to Negan's desires, it might seem to him like she doesn't care about his wives. But he might never earn her trust back.