The green chalkboard seemed to be laughing at me, mocking my every swipe of the chalk across it. Frustrated, I began scratching my nail against the chalk as I looked at the scribbled-on board. The plans on the board weren't sitting well with me at all, I had to think of something quick or else all the protection would fail.
I looked up as a young blonde girl came walking in the room, two beers in hand as she smiled at me in greeting.
"Any change?"
"Some, along the back wall, but I don't see a point anywhere if you don't think it's worth it." I took the beer from her and popped it open on my holster, "The front is too damaged to really build anything solid.
"We never got much action from the dead anyways. We're a long way from civilization." She shrugged. "Luckily the fence was up when we got here in the beginning seven years ago."
"Fuck, it's already been seven years?" I stared at her and she laughed.
"Time flies when you're having fun, sister." She toasted in celebration and looked to the board again with me.
Four of the seven days had gone by, day five was looking more and more hopeful for my first solo run though. Jameson and I didn't have any trouble getting into the run-down school, we had been met at the gate by the blonde, Carolina and her guard Derek who welcomed us in with open arms. Only a group of four, hardly enough to keep supplies coming in for the Saviors. I had decided from the first hour they'd be better off at the Sanctuary but this place was a good checkpoint that Negan could use when going on long missions. The place just needed to be revamped for protection against well, everything.
Carolina had held this place together, a spitfire of a blonde…she almost reminded me of myself when I first came to Sanctuary, no doubt Negan would be pleased at the loyalty they'd provide.
Jameson had pointed out that there really was no one for miles around, already he had gone on several recon missions out to scavenge himself. The school would hold up, now I only hoped it would please Negan.
I put my beer down as Jameson crackled over the radio, interrupting my thoughts.
"Go ahead, Jameson."
"Walkers spotted near the east fence, couple of stragglers I was gonna take them out."
"Need backup?"
"I'll help him." Carolina got off her seat and went out of the school building, keeping my rifle close to her body.
"Carolina's going out to you, stand by." I sighed and set the chalk carefully down, shaking my head at the plan I had drawn. I needed to start over again in the morning.
I walked outside to the doors of the gym, nodding hello to Derek as he stood guard. Inside I walked to my cot and began unlacing my boots for the night. I looked up as an older woman came in carrying towels and walked towards the far corner where another girl sat. I followed silently, my feet making no noise on the ground.
"Macy how are you doing?" I spoke softly, crouching down to the ill girl as Meghan wiped her face from the sweat.
"Sickness is kicking my ass for sure, I'm pretty sure I've sweated through the ground." She smiled, her teenage face crumpling in pain as she held her stomach.
Meghan helped lay her back on her cot, shushing her and trying to get her as comfortable as possible. She was young, younger than Carl…and had a forced abortion a week ago and the infection from the poor tools was spreading throughout her body. Negan had packed small boxes of first aid and some morphine but that hadn't stopped the girl from slowly dying in front of us. I worried Macy would be too gone by the time pickup was supposed to come.
I got up, leaving them to it and shoved my boots back on and walked outside, needing air. Derek joined me quietly, offering me a cigarette as we walked to where Carolina was shining her flashlight.
"Gets to you too, huh?" he smiled as he lit the paper up for me, "I hate being inside, so much pain for one little girl."
"I've seen everything from walker bites to heads getting bashed in but watching a girl slowly die? That's different." I agreed, and Derek's dark chocolate hand gripped mine for a moment, "You ready to head out in a couple days?"
"More than you know, sweetheart."
"He went over by the time I got here, I can't hear him anymore." Carolina rolled her eyes as we came up, I blew the smoke in the air and looked to where the light was shining, "Does he always do this shit?"
"He's an asshole, always was." I sighed and turned my walkie back on, "Jameson, do you copy?"
No response, frustrated, I tried again but there was only static.
"He couldn't have gone far, for fuck's sake this isn't what we needed." I handed the stoge to Derek and laced up my boots, "He couldn't have gone far, I'll head in. fire three times if there's trouble, I'll fire three if I'm in trouble, deal?"
"Aye, aye captain." Carolina nodded and helped hoist me over the fence, I ducked into the woods quietly.
CAROLINA
Carolina looked at her shoes as they waited for Melaney's return with her asshole sidekick. Derek was looking at her funny as he finished the cigarette, grinning like he knew something. She stared right back, raising an eyebrow and he shook his head in amusement.
"So, what do you think her story is then? I can't pinpoint the girl down." He tossed the cigarette on the ground, "I haven't met someone as brave as that to just go running into the woods."
"She said she came from a place called Sanctuary, some big ass base and she came with a shit ton of guns and food, so I know they're not struggling."
"No, I mean before that. Who do you think she was?"
"You think too much, not everyone needs a tragic backstory." Carolina rolled her eyes.
"But, I mean, if we go back with them and they're like crazy killers or something then what?"
"Like I said, you think too much and focus on the negative." She shook her head, shining the flashlight around the woods in front of the gate, "I don't know, Derek. Jameson is probably some asshole at the sanctuary like he is here and Melaney probably oversees stuff, you see the way she holds herself and talks to Jameson, she's gotta be important there too."
"Maybe she's the leader, she has the right aura for it."
"Aura?"
"Shut up." He laughed, and Carolina sat down on the ground to wait.
"Look Derek, no matter who they were before this and who they are at Sanctuary they have at least a hundred other people there and there's food, shelter and god knows what other good things. It's more than we'll ever have here for sure and I'd rather deal with Jameson everyday than spend the rest of my little life here at this school."
Derek nodded his head at that, agreeing wholeheartedly with that statement. Carolina knew she was right, they had tried to grow crops and things here, but it just wasn't working. They had to take the chance, Melaney even said there were two other communities the Sanctuary ran so if Sanctuary wasn't for them they could be transferred. Carolina jumped as Melaney came on over the walkie.
"Hey, you two, found Jameson knocked the fuck out, no walkers though and I don't hear anything. If I could have some help dragging his sorry ass back that'd be great." She was breathing hard, probably attempting to drag Jameson herself.
"Knocked out how?" Carolina stood up, eyes wide as Derek jumped the fence and ran in as they saw Melaney's light flashing in the distance.
"Don't know, I'll have to ask when he wakes up."
"Derek's on his way." Carolina muttered, feeling her heart race and palms get sweaty at the news.
This wasn't good at all, Carolina turned as Meghan came walking outside with a walkie in hand as well…looking as pale as Carolina felt.
"They're coming in now, they attacked Jameson." Meghan stood next to her and Carolina gripped the rifle tighter.
"We have a week and a half left before they come for us, hopefully they won't come any closer until we're long gone in a couple days." She whispered as they heard Melaney and Derek coming closer.
"I hope you're right." Meghan shook her head before the two women helped cut a hole in the fence to drag Jameson through to safety.
MELANEY
I found myself staring down at a dazed Jameson an hour later when he woke up, we were outside guarding against the dead and crickets as he sat on the stairs and held a lukewarm bottle of water to his split lip. Carolina had mentioned nothing was out here for miles but that obviously wasn't the case anymore, and now I had a threat to protect my new people from. Whoever attacked was obviously human or else Jameson would be a walker by now but who attacks someone and just runs away without killing them or taking their weapons off them?
"Tell me again."
"Sounded like a couple dudes." Jameson looked up at me before staring back at his boots, "I turned around and bam, lights out."
"They didn't even take your shit off of you."
"Maybe they thought I was a walker, I don't know Melaney they knocked me the fuck out I couldn't exactly ask what they wanted from me." He was annoyed, and I sighed bitterly.
They could have been the men Carolina had traded with several months earlier for supplies, but she had said they stopped sending stuff over, so she figured they died or picked up and moved on. Something wasn't right, if being with the Saviors taught me anything it's that if you knock someone out, take their shit and move on. Only a few more days though, I could keep them safe here I just had to convince everyone to wait it out. there was no way in hell I was radioing into Negan to pick us up earlier because we were scared. I faced off against Alexandria in a gun battle, I could handle a few men roughing up Jameson.
"We should go on a hunt tomorrow, see where these guys are at and stake them out if they're still around."
"Calm the fuck down Melaney, the people are long gone by now probably." Jameson tapped his gun pointedly, "We're armed remember? What are they gonna do when they see a tiny bitch strolling up to them thinking she's got a dick bigger than theirs?"
"Don't talk to me like that."
"Just because Negan-"
I kicked the water bottle out of his hand easily, sending it flying across the lot and Jameson just sighed and stared at his empty hand for a moment before dropping it.
"Know your place, I'm in charge and you'll fucking listen to what I have to say. After all, I wasn't stupid enough o let myself get knocked out." I turned around and went back inside, leaving him to go and find his water bottle in the dark.
I sat myself back in the same classroom from earlier, erasing all the mess with my hand before picking up the chalk and drawing a new plan. If there was a threat what would Negan do? He would kill it, maybe confront it first and then squash it? Rick was more about giving second chances and talking it out, but Negan was way more hardcore than that. The question was, which method would work best and have no one get killed? Both sides get people killed because people were assholes these days but still…there had to be a middle ground for me to walk on and decide. I stepped away and looked at the new drawing thoughtfully, we had the firepower to take on a couple dudes, but if there were more hiding out then they'd be screwed. I set the chalk down right as I heard a loud slam come from inside the school building.
I unhooked my machete from my belt and peeked outside the room, spotting a dim light coming from another classroom, everyone was supposed to be in the gym by now for the rest of the night. I moved out quietly, keeping my back to the wall and crouched as I came on the open door and closed my eyes to focus and listen. I could hear Carolina, Derek and Meghan all conversing quietly.
"-that shouldn't matter." Carolina was saying heatedly, "The quicker we get out of here the sooner we don't have to deal with them."
"It's been almost nine months, they're going to get antsy Carol."
"They already have with that happened today! If it wasn't for Jameson they'd be in the gym right now!" Carolina replied, and I heard movement as Derek cleared his throat.
"She promised us safety with the Saviors." Meghan chimed in softly, "But how do we know they're not like them? How can we trust the entirety of the base based off her and Jameson?"
"Well they don't look like they're dying or in trouble do they? She said she came to scout us out for a reason, either help or go back and I'm way past the point of staying here." Carolina answered, "They've got guns and food, that's enough for me to go by on."
"I say we take the chance, maybe get her to leave a day or two early, I doubt they're a bunch of pussies there, we could get them to help us get some payback on those assholes." Derek seemed convicted, I could picture him smiling, "Besides, Melaney looks like she doesn't take shit from anyone, she could help us kill the men that took our other girls away from us."
I felt sick, they were talking about the group they used to trade with, I know it…and it didn't seem like it was anything good. I stood up, straightening myself as the others whispered more. A part of me was mad, furious they were whispering in the dark about this.
"Why are you guys awake?"
I came around the corner quickly, scaring them all and making them jump. Derek raised a bat in retaliation but once they recognized me they let out nervous laughter. I eyed the bat for a moment, not smiling back…the bat needed some barbed wire around it in my opinion. I looked over them and sheathed my machete but kept a hand on it as they relaxed.
"We were talking about Macy, we didn't want her to hear us." Meghan smiled, I nodded through the lie.
"And, how is she?" I walked around the room slowly, tracing a hand over upturned and broken desks.
"Fluctuating. Listen we were thinking- "Carolina started but I looked up interrupting.
"So was I. she needs more antibiotics, something I don't have on me and something that'll take a while to get here from Sanctuary." I circled them, coming around to the chalkboard, "Which makes it harder on me to figure out what to do."
They all looked scared, probably trying to continue the lie between them somehow. Now I knew what it felt like when Negan caught others in a straight up lie.
"That group you used to exchange with, you said they would supply medical aid sometimes." I looked to Carolina who nodded but opened her mouth to protest, I raised a hand to silence her, "I have things I'd be willing to part with, some pistols to be exact, to help Macy until Negan arrives.
Keep going, you have them right where you want them, baby girl. I could hear Negan in my head as I watched Carolina's face drain of color, I was feeling giddy as they shifted uncomfortably, eyes wide.
"They're gone by now. I've told you." Carolina's voice cracked.
"Not really, who would've attacked Jameson then? Look, Macy's life is on the line from infection, soon she'll be a walker and one of us is going to have to kill her. I've only been here a handful of days, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Why are you opposed to this?"
Carolina clenched her jaw and Derek looked away, defeated. Even Meghan looked done with the conversation, Carolina was the only one meeting my eyes.
"The men don't know you."
"I'm good at making friends. Besides they shouldn't see me as a threat at all," I walked over and clasped Carolina's small shoulder, "If your going to be a Savior then you need to understand that we look out for each other. We head out in two days, make it a close call with the Saviors coming to grab us. You guys should get some sleep though, no use wandering around at night."
They left instantly, muttering goodnight and taking their candle of light with them. I watched them in the hall, waiting until they opened and closed the doors before leaving me in darkness. I went back to my chalkboard room, writing things down again as the anger coursed through me. Jameson had an hour left before I was to take over, secrets covered in secrets.
I was about to find out what the fuck was going on here, and I was ready.
Negan's eyes wandered over my body as I sat comfortably in his lap, sipping a beer as Simon and the others played pool. He ran a hand over my neck and dipped into my shirt, his eyes were glassy from the drinking, but his breathing was even.
"do you know how fucking good it feels when I touch you and I can see you don't hate me for it?" he asked, kissing my collarbone, "For you to look at me and not want to kill me? You make me so fucking happy baby girl."
"I can't promise I'll be a Savior forever Negan," I sighed and set the beer down, "But my place is with you, I know that now. In Alexandria I didn't fit in but here? You have me, and I promise I'll try my best to protect you from everything like you have for me."
Negan smiled and kissed me in the meeting room and I closed my eyes, happy.
I threw my bag into the backseat of the truck as Carolina hugged Derek and Meghan goodbye up at the school doors. Jameson was next to me, watching the exchange as well as I double checked my bullets.
"Negan's going to be pissed you gave up guns." He looked at the pistols and I shrugged.
"That's the thing, I plan to negotiate then kill them anyways so it's a good thing he ain't here." I looked up to find him making an impressed face, "What?"
"Maybe I misjudged you." He offered a smile and I frowned.
Okay, weird. I waved to Derek and Meghan to come over as Carolina sulked to the passenger door with some food in hand.
"We shouldn't be gone long, Jameson's in charge but I really want you guys in the gym until we get back. I'm going to build a relationship first and then see where that goes," I shared a look with Jameson quickly, "Just stay safe, stay on the walkie but don't contact me unless it's an extreme emergency. Or the Saviors get here before we get back, so like two options."
"Good luck, we'll be waiting for you." Derek held up my old shotgun.
I nodded and hopped in the truck, not paying attention to Carolina's attitude as I started up the truck and waited for Meghan to open the gates. I would have preferred to take Jameson, but I needed bait and Carolina was perfect for it, especially if she had dealt with them before. We hit the dirt and went north, about a ten-minute drive.
"Have any pointers in dealing with them?"
"I can talk to them." She offered quietly, staring out the window but I shook my head.
"I'll talk, make up a story of the community and have them think I'm in charge now. Besides, if they believe us I can pitch the Saviors to them, we could use the extra muscle."
"I don't…seems like a far-fetched plan." She sighed in defeat and I raised an eyebrow at her, "Look we never even met them face to face, they don't know what I look like or anything please, can't we just wait out for your group?"
"That's great, it works to my advantage then if they've never seen your faces before, all they know is that they've been trading with you guys, they might as well have been trading with me." I watched her shift nervously, eyes darting back and forth on the road.
"Just leave them alone Melaney, Macy's feeling better anyways her fever broke, and she drank water today."
"Really."
That was another lie, I had seen Macy this morning covered in her own vomit before Meghan had gotten to her to help clean up. Macy was going to be a walker soon, shallow breaths and tinted yellow skin, I saw it in her eyes that even she knew she was going to die quickly.
"Even so, it'd be helpful to have some extra medicine around for us in the end." I shrugged and pulled onto a dirt road as Carolina pointed.
We pulled up to a run-down house a few minutes later, surrounded by a couple trucks with White Power flags sticking out the trunks. Carolina gave me a knowing look as I took it all in, I laughed uneasily as I laid into the horn, making my grand appearance.
"Different from what I expected for sure." I grabbed a pistol and tucked it into my pants as I saw movement in the house, "Just follow my lead."
Three men came out of the house wearing wifebeaters and holding axes. For a moment I wished for Lucille, but in a way my machete was my Lucille. I hopped out of the truck carefully, hands up and away from me as Carolina sunk into her seat.
"Who are you?" One of them asked, for a moment I was reminded of Abraham's gruff exterior as I looked between them.
"My names Negan, I'm from the community down the road." I smiled, hoping Negan would be proud of me, "I've come to talk about a trade and introduce each other. I understand we haven't traded in a while and well, things are hard."
"You're the leader of that shit hole?" One asked skeptically, and I looked back to Carolina who was peeking over the dashboard carefully, "What about that girl in there?"
"I'm the leader, she doesn't have anything to do with this. Hey, grab the bag." I hit the side of the truck, making Carolina jump, "I'm sorry I haven't come sooner to introduce myself before.
Carolina got out, slinging the bag over her shoulder before coming next to me, keeping her wide eyes on the ground. I watched the expressions on the men and found no surprise, I found anger on their features. They knew each other, another white lie right at my face. This was going to be more difficult than I thought. The men played along though, acting like they didn't recognize the small blonde behind me.
"hand over your weapons."
"With all due respect, you don't know me, and I don't know you, so I say we keep our weapons to ourselves, safer that way." I let my hands drop and they seemed to agree.
"Come inside then. Hands off weapons." He nodded, the other two men dropped the axes to their belts.
Carolina gripped my hand as I followed them inside the house, trying not to notice the amount of hate scrawled across the walls. It smelt like dirt and sweat as soon as we stepped inside, and we were surrounded by another four men and a man was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at us. Carolina stayed close as the men eyed us up and down, I stood taller and tried to remember how many knives I had on me and how I'd be able to throw them without hurting the smaller blonde.
We followed the first man to the kitchen where a bearded, bald man was sitting, eating soup. He barely looked up as the man spoke in his ear. He flicked two fingers in the air and we came forward into his line of sight, I grabbed the bag from Carolina as the door was shut, trapping us in the kitchen with the older man.
"Negan and Carolina, what can I do for you? My name's Clay." He leaned back in his seat and I stiffened at the names, "What can I do for you?"
"Nazi?" I nodded to the flag above the fridge and he shrugged.
"That a problem? We stick to what we know in this shit world."
"Just don't wan to overstep my boundaries, sir. As long as all of us walk out of this unharmed I've got no problem with your beliefs."
Fuck yeah, I had a problem with it, Negan killed skinheads even if they were helpful.
"Smart lady." Clay responded and pushed his bowl away, "So what the fuck do you want then?"
"See if we can trade some weapons for some medicine like we used to." I dropped the bag on the table and he seemed impressed, "Some pistols, knives and ammo. Ransacked a bigger base three hours away for them because we need medicine. There's more shit there too if we can get this trade up and running."
I eyed the shadows dancing behind the closed door as Carolina refused to move away from behind my back, Clay was staring hard at me, looking like he wanted to eat me. His eyes flickered to Carolina, but I unzipped the bag as a distraction as I felt my nerves getting the best of me.
"How far you been for these you say?"
"Three hours."
"and this place, just let you in?"
"I know a few people there from before I branched out on my own."
"Big place you said. Any women?" he smiled lewdly, and I felt disgusted.
"Gender doesn't matter there as long as everyone pulls their weight, we have about a hundred people there. We trade with others, hence why I was at the school." I tried to keep my answers short, not liking the way this man's eyes travelled over me.
"We don't like strangers." He looked right through me where Carolina was silently standing, "Messes up what we have going for us. We're pretty fucking quiet and like to keep it that way, we don't need guns and we don't need help."
"Well- "I stepped forward, but Clay stood up, all six feet of him.
"We need something that we've acquired a certain taste for to get by in this world." He zipped the bag and shoved it to me, eyes tracing down my shirt and Carolina gripped my belt where my gun was.
I thought of Lenoi as Clay stared down at me, I remembered the horrors I went through and Clay was wearing the same exact grin, but his eyes promised more than pain.
"This is something not everyone still has, something we can work with." Clay's eyes shifted to the fridge and Carolina began backing up to the stairs, dragging me with her, "Sweet little virgins like you two, could make a good fucking collection."
I kicked the fridge door open and covered my mouth in shock as two heads rolled out and smacked on the ground like a wet bag. Carolina finally cried out in fear and shock, falling up the stairs as the doors opened and other men came in at the noises.
"What the fuck!" I pulled the pistil from my pants and aimed it at Clay who was still grinning, "I never told you her name."
I pulled Carolina up and shoved her up the stairs as the men slowly advance, some palming themselves through the front of their pants as Clay grabbed a hammer from under the seat. I felt heat and rage flare up in my body and spread through my limbs as Carolina waited for me at the top with the bag of guns.
Two women's heads laid at Clay's feet and he kicked them aside nonchalantly.
"You women, always so slow to pick up on shit, you've been a naughty girl, Carolina! Fucking up our arrangement and seeing us before the baby is due!"
"Baby…Macy's baby?" I questioned, and Clay seemed pleased he had an audience of me now.
"We fuck the virgins one by one, take the baby and eat it then fuck up the virgin because hey, who wants easy seconds?" Clay smiled, and I stood up, face blank as I stared at him, "We keep the important parts around."
Carolina was crying hysterically upstairs and the men in front of me looked like they were getting turned on because of it. I looked up as another man entered the room and I almost dropped my gun in surprise.
"Jameson? What the fuck are you doing here?!"
Jameson smiled as Clay turned and then clapped him on the shoulder, looking ecstatic. Jameson didn't turn from me, eyes hard and angry.
"Her name's Melaney, she's Negan's bitch." He informed them, "Man I was so fucking sick of you bossing me around so when Negan said I was going by my old house? With my old group? I couldn't suck up to him faster."
"Your old group?" I couldn't fucking believe it, everything was such a mess in my mind, but it did make sense.
Jameson was attacked, they let him walk. Everyone was scared these men were coming closer. Macy had to be a virgin and they raped her and her abortion…her abortion, oh no. If these men found out Macy wasn't going to make it, nonetheless without a baby for their fucked-up needs…
"I'd happily slaughter you and the others to get the fuck away from Negan, and he replaced me with his whore?! You?!" he shook his head, "Clay, the chick's dead. She had an abortion a while ago."
Clay grew silent at that before he slowly looked to me, face twitching in anger.
"My meat's dead?"
"Stop fucking walking or I'll blow your head off." I raised my gun, slowly backing up the stairs as Clay silently fumed.
He flipped the kitchen table in rage, sending the bowl and remnants of his food everywhere on the floor. I couldn't let these men go, I had to do something. If they made it back to Sanctuary somehow…oh god, if they got ahold of the wives. I tried not to picture them using them just as brood women and meat fucks.
I fired at Clay without warning, hitting him in the chest before I fled upstairs. Jameson shot after me as I dived into an open room with Carolina. We shoved a dresser against the door and then ducked as Jameson yelled and shot through the door. I returned fire blindly, splintering the wooden door as Carolina crawled away from the line of fire.
"Why did you lie to me!?" I shouted over the fire, reloading and Carolina shook her head crying, "You could have mentioned they ate fucking children you know! I heard the fucking conversation the other night, maybe should have let me in on that!"
"How could you still bring me here if you knew anyways!" she cried back, and I stopped for a second, point taken.
I unloaded rounds into the splintered door before diving across the room and kicking out the window. Jameson was outside now, trying to get a good shot as he hid behind a truck. I hid behind the safety of the house as the men joined Jameson, shooting BB guns at us. I slung the bag on and Carolina grabbed the canisters of gasoline and matches from it as I managed to get two in the head.
"We jump out, I cover you." I pressed an extra gun as well as the keys into her hands, "Run to the truck and get back. Load everyone up. The map to Sanctuary is in the truck, we're going on short notice."
WE ducked as Jameson yelled at us, trying to climb up on the side of the house.
"But- "
"Or we can stay here and die and everyone else dies at the school." I grabbed her by the shoulders as I heard Jameson make his way up on the roof slowly, "Get there before me, that's all that matters. I'll hold them off and pick them apart I the woods. Don't worry about me alright? Go straight up the road to Sanctuary, tell them I sent you and ask for Simon or Negan."
Carolina's tears streamed down her cheeks as she gripped my hands.
"I won't leave you Laney."
I pulled the smaller girl in for a hug as someone pounded on the door with an axe, screaming at us. I closed my eyes for a second, if I didn't make it out of here I prayed Negan treated her and Derek and Meghan right.
"Go. I'll cover you."
We hopped out of the window and landed on the second story roof, I ran over and kicked Jameson square in the chest as he finally got up, he fell back on the ground with his gun flinging away from him. Carolina hopped down to the ground and killed three others as they chased her. I ripped a piece of my shirt and stuck it in the gas can, lighting it on fire and throwing it into the open window.
CAROLINA
"Derek! Meghan!"
Carolina ran up to the school, not even bothering to park the truck as she raced to the gym and kicked the gym doors open. They shot up from sitting on the floor as Carolina heard gunfire in the distance. She grabbed her bag and Melaney's rifle as Derek ran to her.
"What happened?"
"We need to leave, they're coming! Jameson, he was a part of them!" Carolina spotted Macy's body in the corner and felt her legs crumble.
Derek helped her up as Meghan raced around, grabbing their things, Carolina couldn't tell where the blood stopped and ended on the young girl's body. Derek was shouting at her, but she could barely hear him as he dragged her across the gym and away from the teenager.
"DEREK!"
Carolina and Derek raced through the gym and into the hall of classrooms when an explosion rocketed through the whole building. They ducked as gunfire broke over their heads.
Melaney stumbled through the front doors of the school, bloodied and beat the hell up. She limped backwards as a bloodied brute of a man came thundering after her. With one swift swipe, her machete sliced through his head and he dropped like bricks on the ground.
"Melaney!" Carolina ran to her, Melaney limped into her arms for a brief hug smiling despite the pain.
"Managed to jack a car, crashed it though." Melaney looked at Derek and Meghan, a cut on her eyebrow forcing her to keep one eye closed, "Get to Sanctuary, get out of here. I'm going to end this."
Carolina handed her the rest of the automatic weapons and nodded, handing her a box of matches as she hugged the strong brunette. Carolina had never met anyone like her before, so much fire and fight in this girl's eyes, she wondered who Negan was for a moment and why she was so loyal to that group of Saviors.
They left Melaney there, running the other direction to the back door. Carolina opened the door and then everything went white as they were blown backwards off their feet. Carolina landed hard on her leg, and she faded out for a second as another explosion of fire went off behind her.
Derek was out next to her, face hidden in rubble. Carolina looked up through the smoke on her back, coughing as Clay walked in, clutching his gaping hole in his side.
An axe helped him limp up to her and stand over her body.
"You ain't going anywhere pretty little thing."
Carolina let out a breath and closed her eyes.
A/N: hello everyone, sorry this hasn't been updated. i'm on AOO3 now, so it will be updated there first before i post to FF. check me out under the same username on AOO3 if you want the quicker updates. :)
hope you've been enjoying it so far!