"She tastes like strawberries!" Jared shouted through the shut door.
Beth curled herself up small against the wall; all thoughts of escape fled her mind and were replaced with a darkness she could not name. Her body was sore. She could feel the bruises blooming beneath her skin. Beth wished for a shower that would be hot enough to burn his touch away.
"You know that, kid?" he asked, looking down at her as he did his belt back up. "Damndest thing. After all this time, you taste like strawberries."
Beth raked her nails frantically against her wrist, as if trying to scratch off the memories; his lips, and teeth, and hands. His reek. His vile. She said nothing. Could not find her voice. She felt like she should cry, but nothing came - just a heavy, sick sadness.
"You were fine, sugar," he said. "Don't look so heartbroken. I was good to you, wasn't I? I know we got off to a rough start, but I didn't hurt you - not really."
She broke her gaze away from his. Imagine the farm, she told herself. Maggie. Pa. But her past turned to pictures left in the sun too long. The details faded away into white. Nothing left. There was nothing left. Beth began to shake, her bones rattling around like spare change in a pocket. Is this what happened to those who were left - for those who chose to live in this world?
"Hey," Jared said, crouching down in front of her and pulling her hair at the back of her neck. Having no choice, she looked into his face. "You ain't got no idea what's waiting for you, sugar. I once saw Mark cut off a girl's hand for scratching him. And Tommy - well, you ever seen Deliverance?"
Beth said nothing. He pulled on her hair harder, showing his displeasure. She shook her head no - Daddy had never wanted them to watch violent movies.
"Well, it's one of his favorite movies. There's this scene - it's so funny - where this guy is getting it up the ass, and the dude forcing it on him makes him squeal like a pig. You know how to squeal, girlie? You ever been near a pig? - I asked you a question."
"I-I-I..." Beth started, voice sticking on the sides of her throat, "I grew up - I lived on-on-on a farm."
"Oh, Tommy will like that," Jared said, gently moving a piece of hair out of her eyes. "If you play your cards right, we'll keep you around a while. You could be our new pet."
Beth swallowed as he stood up, towering over her. Jared picked up his stained t-shirt from the table and put it on over his head. He put the knife back in his pocket. He seemed to be waiting for something, but Beth didn't know what. Hadn't he done enough?
"Say thank you, blondie," he commanded. "You ain't gonna get far without manners."
"T-th-thank you," Beth stuttered out. She squeezed her eyes tight against the burn behind them, and when she opened them he was at the door.
"Tommy'll be in later, probably. Mark likes his girls cleaned up, so Tommy will bring you something to wash off with when he's done."
When he exited Beth collapsed into herself. The tears that had long been absented rushed forward. She sobbed hard, long and jagged, unable to catch her breath. She wanted to stop - each gasping cough seemed to rip straight from her core and made her want to throw up. Beth felt herself being shaken and looked up swiftly -
"God damn it, Beth! Snap outta it, girl!" Daryl shouted, shaking her shoulder.
Beth felt herself snap back into consciousness with a start; she gasped, wincing at the soreness in her throat. She had woken up crying, her face felt wet and red. Daryl moved away from her as she wiped her cheeks with the backs of her shaking hands.
"Was I screaming again?" Beth asked.
"You were doin' a hell of a lot more than that!" Daryl snapped. "Screamin', crying'... talkin'."
"Wh-what did I say?" Beth asked, part of her not wanting know.
"Jared," Daryl hissed out between his teeth. "Thank you. You were beggin' for him to stop. God damn it, Beth."
"It... Daryl, it was just a dream. It's okay," Beth tried to assure him.
Suddenly Daryl pulled their new ride over to the side of the road. They had been driving most of the night after he had hotwired it. Beth must have fallen asleep. He ripped the door open and stumbled out onto the road. He kicked a tire, hands fisted tight at his sides - just begging for something - someone - to swing at. His anger was a tangible thing; it burned hot and alive.
"Just a dream, Beth?" he shouted. "You think I'm a God damn idiot? They touched you, didn't they? DIDN'T THEY?"
"I don't - I don't want to talk about it," Beth shouted back. "You said I didn't have to talk about it!"
"Well you gotta, Beth! You gotta fuckin' tell me! I listened to you... God, Beth... where the fuck did they take you?"
"I don't remember," Beth lied. "I don't know."
"Well which is it - do you not remember or do you not know?"
"What's it matter?" Beth demanded.
"Cause I'm going back. I'm gonna fucking trail them til I either find their corpses or turn them into corpses!" he punched the car with such force the door dented.
"Stop it!" Beth shouted. "You're scaring me, Daryl!"
"Jared... who are the other two? You said there were three - who are the other two? Who died? Beth - where were you?" he shot his questions at her in such a rapid fire that she swore her head started swimming.
"I'm not tellin' you anything, Daryl Dixon!" Beth screamed at him. "And I'm sure as hell not gettin' back into that car with a madman."
Beth stormed back over to the car and pulled out her bag. She slung the pack over her shoulder and began marching straight past him down the middle of the road. Beth heard him cussing behind her but didn't stop. Her body was still shaking; she gripped her hands tight to the straps of her bag to steady them.
"Beth! Get back here!" Daryl demanded. "I'm getting awfully tired of chasin' after you!"
"Then don't!" she shouted back without turning. "You were the one that basically forced me to go with you. Well, guess what - you're free! So go!"
"Damn it, Beth!" he said as he ran after her. "Would you stop for a second? Jesus!"
"No, I will not!" Beth said. "This is exactly why I was better off on my own. Listen, I don't need someone to rescue me - maybe I did then- but I don't now. It's over. It's too late. The villains won, okay? The story is over. And just because we were forced to co-exist before all this happened doesn't mean you're responsible for me - or that I'm responsible for you! Okay?"
"Beth -" Daryl started.
"No! Okay. I know you don't like being alone, so don't be alone. Go find someone else. I'm done with this, Daryl. Done with you. Done with this whole damned world."
"Would you -" he started and she spun around on him.
"You wanna know their names so bad? Fine. There was Jared, Tommy, and Mark. That help? You know exactly where they are now? Do you?" Beth asked. "We drove 'til it was morning. We went north. There was a cabin in the woods. I'm not sure exactly where. Some small piece of shit town, just like every other small piece of shit town, okay?"
"Stop," Daryl said quietly, as if all the anger had drained from him.
"Bet you heard a lot of that in the car, right? Stop. No. Please. I was pathetic, wasn't I? Always crying and whining - begging for my life, as if it would be worth anything when they were done with me. Well, I'm not that girl anymore - God, I'm not anything! Don't you get that, Daryl Dixon? I'm nothing."