Beth had woken up to the sound of arguing. Her hair was sticky with blood, and when she went to move a piece of it out of her eyes, she found her arms were bound to the chair she was sat in. Her heart kicked up a fuss, telling her to run, but she couldn't run. She was trapped.
Think, Beth, think.
There was very little light inside of the room. Beth immediately noticed the window across from her, but someone had draped a sheet over it. By the faded brightness coming in through the cotton, she could tell it was almost night time. How long had she been out? She tugged helplessly at her arms, half-hoping the ropes would just dissolve - or she'd wake up back in the funeral home...
The funeral home!
Daryl!
Her chest tightened, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Beth couldn't imagine he had made it out. She had just been doubling back to help him when everything had went dark. How could she let herself get taken when he needed her? Beth banged her head against the back of the chair in frustration, trying to banish the tars that were threatening to spill; panic and grief were not conducive to escaping. They all had their jobs to do - and Beth's job was to get out and find someone, anyone, from the prison.
"The girl..." she heard a man say, muffled through the door, then, "sweet..." from another. "...virgin?"
Beth grimaced. Her mind chanted for her to get out. Get out and run. Far away. But she was stuck. Bile rose up in her throat. Her daddy had always warned her about men like this, even before the virus spread, and though she didn't want to believe it was true, that people could be so sick and so depraved, she knew they existed. And now it seemed like they had her.
She tried to quickly go over all the things she had been taught about fighting. Daryl had made sure she knew how to defend herself - at least the basics. Beth guessed he had never thought she'd really need it, with him around. What would Daryl do?
Stay alive.
That's what Daryl would do, Beth thought, he'd stay alive - no matter what.
Suddenly the door swung open. The light coming in from the open windows in the next room made her blink against the pain. When her vision cleared she saw three men - one with long hair, another balding, and the third wearing a cowboy hat that made her strangely nostalgic for the farm.
"Looks like sleeping beauty is up," said the balding man, shoving his chubby elbow into the side of the man with the long hair.
"Easy, Jared," he commented. "Girls don't like 'em too eager."
"Ain't like she has a choice in it," said the man in the cowboy hat.
"Well, honey, you gonna say something, or are you mute? That's gonna take a lot of the fun out of having a pet."
"I-I have people looking for me," Beth stuttered, her mouth drying out even more, if possible.
"Naw, you don't," said Jared. "Mark wouldn't have took you if you did."
"That's right," said the man with the longer hair. "We never take the ones from groups. More trouble than they're worth. But our last one, well..."
"Plumb wore her out, I'd say," said the cowboy.
"That's one way to put it, Tommy," said Jared, dumb grin on his face.
"Listen, I don't want nothin' to happen to you guys. You seem p-plenty nice, I'm sure. You just need to let me go, that's all. If you'd just let me go..." Beth started.
"Honey, if you can't stop lying we'll find something better for your mouth to do," Mark said with a chilling smile.
Beth immediately shut up. She curled her lips under her teeth and hoped they would untie her, even for just a second. If she could just run - she was fast - and if they caught her, better a fast death than what they had planned for her.
"Tell you what, since you think we're plenty nice - we'll even let you choose who you want breaking you in first," said Mark.
Beth said nothing. She wondered if they would beat her when they found out she wasn't really a virgin. Beth had once had a sex life, though not exactly active, given the circumstances. Mark was staring at her hard, waiting for her to speak. When it became apparent she wouldn't answer he strode across the room and grabbed the back of her hair hard, fingers digging into the tender flesh of her scalp.
"I said choose, bitch."
"J-Jared. Him," she said, jerking her head toward the balding man. He was soft. Older. A beer gut that would've been hard to keep up with the state the world was in now. He would be her best chance for escape. She just needed him to let his guard down.
"Why they always choose Jared?" Tommy complained.
"They can't keep their hands off me," he said with a dark smile.
"They just think you'll be the fastest - probably remind a few of them of their dads."
"Is that why they call me Daddy?" he asked, walking forward, unbuckling his belt.
Mark and Tommy closed and locked the door behind them, leaving Beth alone to face the man that was more monster than any of the walkers that had almost killed her. She dug her nails into the arms of the chair and willed herself to say something, anything.
"Please don't do it," she whispered.
"Shut up," he snarled, standing in front of her.
"Please, mister," Beth said, tears starting to drip down her face.
"I said shut up, blondie!" Jared shouted as he drew his arm back, slapping her hard and quick across the face.
He pulled a knife - her knife - and cut her loose. As he made her undress, she told herself to think of Jimmy. His soft, clean hands. They were the ones touching her. But his hands had been clumsy and gentle, and they hadn't made her want to die.