I'm glad a lot of you are enjoying the first chapter of this story. So I'm treating you with the second chapter the very next day, which doesn't happen very often anymore! Anyway, if I keep this story, you'll be seeing another update from me shortly. But it all depends on how you like this chapter. Review away and let me know!
When Beth had first been grabbed, she thought it was a walker. She tried to get free, but when her attacker had ripped her backpack off, she knew it was someone who was alive. She turned to fight, but her hurt ankle had rolled and she collapsed to the ground. She thought to Daryl inside the funeral home, fighting to get to her, but she might not be there to find. But if she was going to be taken, she'd leave something behind to let Daryl know she didn't leave. Those had been her last words to him in the end.
Her arms were wrenched backwards as a blindfold and gag were slipped onto her face. Whoever was doing this seemed to have planned this out in advance. Beth fought to get free, but it was no use. The man handling her was too strong. Before she knew it, she was being shoved into the back of a car. As they pulled away she could hear Daryl calling her name. It pained her to hear the panic in his voice. But he would never catch a car no matter how fast he could run.
She ripped her blindfold off and untied the gag. She glanced down to her hip, her knife still secure in her sheath. It gave her a little sense of security. At least she had something to defend herself with. "Why are you doin' this?" Beth demanded. She couldn't see her captor's face in the dark, but she could tell he was not much younger than Daryl. She heard the small sound of spitting and the clink of hitting plastic. It enflamed her with anger that he was being so nonchalant about everything. He had just kidnapped her and he acted as if it was no big dead. "Take me back," she sneered.
It also surprised her how nasty she had become in just a short span of time. She had gone from writing a thank you note to demanding her freedom from a complete stranger. "No can do, sweetheart," the man drawled, spitting another seed into the cup, placing it back into the beverage holder. Beth noted that the man didn't seem stunned that Beth had taken off her blindfold and gag. If he wasn't worried about it, why put them there in the first place?
"Why not?" Beth shot back, her hand curling around the handle of her blade. They were driving too fast and too far for her liking. If Daryl had any chance of finding her, she'd have to stop this car somehow. She knew he could track people, but not if they were moving in a car. Beth took a settling breath, waiting for the man's answer. "Why the hell not?" She urged again. She wasn't taking any bullshit from this man. Not today, not tomorrow.
He sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "We got strict orders ta follow. Can't let yah go," the man spewed at her. He spat another seed into the can, licking his lips. Beth tried to catch a flash of his face in the rear-view mirror, but could only see the wrinkles on his forehead. Slowly and quietly, Beth unsheathed her knife. This was as far as she wanted to go. Even this far from Daryl, she thought she could make it back to him. Or they could meet halfway; she knew he'd be looking for her.
It was really was a bad move for this man to leave Beth's wrists unbound. She may look like nothing, but she was still surviving in this world just the same as anyone else. And in the past weeks, Daryl had taught her more than she had learned in the years she had spent at the prison. Beth braced herself against the back seat and kicked at the man's jaw. The heel of her boot connected with his face causing him to swerve before ultimately crashing into the embankment on the side of the road.
Beth's face smashed into the back of the man's headrest, her vision turning blurry and a headache taking up rent in her forehead. She knew she had little time to get free but she didn't expect herself to be as dazed as she was. The only thing she could register was the fact she was still clutching the knife in her hand. She quickly sheathed it again, not wanting to lose her only weapon. She reached for the door handle but the man had already scrambled from the car. He had taken up the liberty of opening the door for her.
The damage of Beth's actions was stunning. Her boot's heel had sliced open a gash along his chin and was now gushing blood. His forehead had opened up from his head bashing into the steering wheel. A stray sunflower seed clung to the scruff in his beard. This was the first time she had time to gaze upon her kidnapper. But she didn't have time to register his features for more than a few fleeting moments.
The man had bunched a fistful of Beth's shirt in his hand and had dragged her forward. She had caught glance of his pulled back fist, but never thought he would strike her. But Beth was wrong. He cracked her along her cheekbone, catching her nose in the process. Her head whipped towards her shoulder from the impact. Her nose had immediately started to gush down over her mouth and chin. Beth didn't cry out from the pain blooming throughout her face, she had learned better than that. "Just repaying the favor, bitch," the man sneered, dragging her completely out of the car.
Beth still had fight in her and she wouldn't go down without one. She spat in his face, the crimson saliva searing his eyes. Beth tried to make a break for it, but the world dipped away from her. She fell to her knees, but didn't get far. "Enough," the man growled, his hands rough against her wrists. He had found her blindfold inside the car and bound her wrists together over her bracelets. "Yah can't escape. Yah already proved that."
The man jerked her upwards. Beth scrambled to get her feet steady underneath her, but it was hard with the world swimming in front of her. The man's punch had done damage, that much she couldn't deny. They had to move quickly. The wreck had caused walkers to drift their way. That was what scared Beth the most. Her wrists were tied together behind her and she had no way to defend herself from the walkers like this.
He kept a brutal hand around her elbow, making sure she wouldn't make a run for it. He doubted it intensely with the way she was stumbling over her own feet. They ditched into the woods, hoping to make the job of being tracked by walkers even harder. Beth hated the way his hand felt against her. She had become so used to the feeling of Daryl's hands on her body, not this man's. Where Daryl was gentle, he was rough. As they walked, Beth's head cleared, everything in her vision staying where it should. She couldn't shake the metallic taste in her mouth and she knew that was from tasting her own blood.
It had dried on her face, painting her chin with a crimson beard. She was a sore sight. The man knew he would be in deep shit for bringing her back this way, but he was told at all costs to bring any blonde woman he found back. Blondes were few and far between, but where he saw an opportunity, he took it. He hadn't bargained for this one being feisty. She was small and almost frail looking, but whomever she was with was doing something right. This girl could defend herself against walkers, but men were a different story.
Beth gazed around at her surroundings, trying everything in her power to not look at the man whisking her away to God knows where. It was just plain woods. She doubted that anything or anyone would be out here, especially this late at night. Everyone would be hunkered down to avoid the dead. Beth's thoughts drifted to Daryl. She knew he wouldn't be far behind. But she figured he would need a little help, not that she doubted his ability to track. She just wanted to assure he was on the right path.
She worked her wrists back and forth, trying not to alarm the man holding her elbow. She had many bracelets on her wrists, if she could just slip one of them off, it would secure a path for Daryl to follow. She continued to roll her wrists, the bracelets falling farther down her arm and past the restraints. She tried to keep the smirk off her lips when her fingers found the elastic and beads that made up her favorite turquoise bracelet. Maggie had gotten it for her as a birthday present years ago, but Beth adored it. She wasn't sad to see it go if it'd keep her alive that much longer.
The bracelet easily slipped over her hand and now dangled precariously in between Beth's fingers. With a deep breath, Beth let the bracelet fall from her hand – the last tie to her sister was left in the dirt. Beth then became aware of the turf underneath her feet. It was soft mud and grass. It was easy stuff to track in. Beth dug her heels in, making her tracks deeper and easier to follow. Anything she could do to help Daryl, she would.
The signs are all there, yah just gotta learn how to read em'. Beth remembered distinctly Daryl telling her that, but now, it was Daryl's turn to learn. With one clue, there would be more to follow. She knew Daryl would figure it out; she would just have to keep supplying the clues. That couldn't be too hard, could it? For hours it seemed they kept walking, but Beth knew it hadn't been too long. The sky still remained dark overhead.
He jerked her forward, catching sight of something in the distance. Beth peered through the encroaching darkness to find the outline of a cabin. It would have to due for the night. But she knew they wouldn't be staying long. They would be heading off in the morning to wherever their destination was. The feeling in Beth's gut told her it wasn't a good place. If it harbored people anything like this man, she was dreading it.
The man jerked her up the steps, Beth dragging her heels against the edges of the steps. The mud clumped on the heel of her boots was now curled on the steps. Just another sign to give Daryl that she entered this cabin. The man pulled a gun from his holster, aiming it inside the darkness. They eased into the abandoned cabin, waiting for anything to attack them. Beth could almost roll her eyes at this man's stupidity. She almost wished there was a walker inside to attack him. If it were Daryl, he would have made a ruckus and let them come to him, not the other way around. But she had no choice to follow behind.
The man cleared room by room, each of them coming up empty. Beth sat down on the arm of the sofa, watching the man carefully as he tucked his gun back into his holster. As if on realization, his eyes drifted to her own hips, taking notice of the knife resting against her thigh. Heat prickled Beth's skin as he moved towards her, anger taking up residence in his eyes. He unbuckled the sheath, unthreading it through her belt loops until it was free of her body. He held it up for her to gaze upon, a cruel smirk dancing on his lips. Beth couldn't help but glare.
An uncomfortable silence had fallen over the pair. "I'm hungry," she said, breaking it. "And I have to pee." The man looked at her as if she were delusional. Beth cocked her head out of irritation. "What? You're really not gonna feed me or let me go to the bathroom? How're they gonna like that? Starving and having pissed my pants?" She asked. She had no idea who he was taking her to, but she hoped she was right. She hoped that whomever it was didn't want a girl with urinated pants and ravenous. Not to mention her face was a bloody mess.
The man ran a hand over his face, an action that belonged to Daryl. Beth flicked her gaze away, trying not to think of him. "Fine, fuckin' go pee while I find somethin' to eat," he said turning away to find the kitchen again. Beth cleared her throat. He turned with raised eyebrows. This girl was really starting to annoy him. He was starting to regret grabbing her, but he had his orders and he would obey. Beth gestured to her wrists behind her back. "No, I ain't untyin' yah. You'll make a run for it."
Beth rolled her eyes again. "N' how am I supposed to get my pants off? Magic?" She sneered. "Stand guard if you're so scared I'll bolt," she suggested. She waited for him to make a decision, but her pressing bladder wasn't so patient. He shook his head but agreed with her plan. They made their way to the bathroom, pausing outside of the bathroom door. Beth gestured to her wrists again, the man's fingers deftly undoing the double knot.
"Go on, n' hurry up," he said, jutting his bruising chin towards the dim bathroom. Beth walked into the darkness, flicking the switch on, praying that it would work. The light flickered on. Beth moved to close the door but the man's hand had jammed it open. There was no way that she was going to the bathroom with this man watching her. That was not part of the agreement.
Beth grit her teeth, glowering up at the man. "Door closed," she growled, tugging on the door. "Or I don't go." The man kept her glare even but eventually let his hand fall from the door. Beth quickly shut it in his face, clicking the lock for good measure. If she had half a mind, she'd stay holed up in here until Daryl could find her, but there was no way this man would allow that.
Beth turned to the bathroom around her. She quickly did her business and turned to the vanity drawers. If she could find any kind of weapon in here, she'd be lucky. But she needed to defend herself with something. She quietly opened each of the six drawers on either side of the sink, rummaging through them quickly. Three sharp bangs came on the door then. "Hurry up in there!" The man bellowed. His patience was wearing thin. She opened the last drawer, finding exactly what she wanted.
It was a pair of scissors used for cutting hair. They were small, but precisely what she needed. She slipped them into the waistband of her jeans, hiding them behind her shirt and cardigan. She would have slipped them into her boot, but she wanted them at easy access. Beth was almost finished in the bathroom. She had one last thing to do. She steeled herself before focusing her gaze on the mirror. A gasp ripped from her throat upon seeing herself.
Her blonde hair was a mess, curling from the frizz-inducing heat. The blood was eerily contrasted against her pale skin. Her nose had swollen black and blue from the man's strike earlier. She didn't even look like herself. The harsh knock's came again, Beth jumping from the interruption of her thoughts. He screamed obscenities from the other side of the door, but she ignored them.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind. Beth bent down to her boots, scraping any last bits of mud from the soles, leading Daryl to where the next clue was. Beth blew a hot breath against the mirror, the condensation making the reflective surface wet. Beth quickly scrawled a message to Daryl and let it fade back into nothingness.