I'm actually quite pleased with this chapter and how it turned out. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did writing it! You get a little more insight as to why Beth was taken and to where they are going.
When Beth was finished in the bathroom, the man did not bind her wrists again. It was stupid on his part, really. She wouldn't try anything tonight in means of escaping. Even Beth knew that this was a safe place to spend the night; she wasn't going to jeopardize that in any way. He grabbed her roughly by the elbow again, dragging her towards the kitchen. "Gotta keep yah fed," he said, shoving her into a chair by the table.
"N' why's that?" Beth huffed, crossing her hands over her chest. The man threw open the cupboards, looking for something suitable to feed to Beth. He had strict orders. Bring the girl back in one piece, fed, and not to let her escape. However he got her back was up to him. A little bloodshed was not going to hurt anyone. The man grabbed a jar of jelly and tossed it to Beth. It brought back painful memories of her time spent with Daryl not too long ago. She thought of him shoveling the jelly into his mouth with his fingers. There was no way she was going to eat that. She set it down on the table, awaiting the answer from the man in front of her. He only sent her a glare. "Can you at least tell me your name then?"
The man shot her another glare, but threw a box of granola over his shoulder. It landed at Beth's feet. She stooped to pick it up, his voice sliding over her skin and causing it to shiver. "Murray," he told her. He really didn't want the girl knowing his name. For one, he didn't even know hers. Beth hadn't expected much. But Murray did seem to suit the man. She turned to the box in her hands, scooping out some of the granola and shoveling it into her mouth. "Ain't yah gonna tell me yours?" He growled, sitting down across from her with a bag of pretzels.
Beth fixed him with an even scowl. It only seemed fair that she, in return, told him her name. "Beth," she said around the food in her mouth. The rest of the time they ate in silence. Murray had looked at his food with disgust, but ate it anyway. Beth finished off the rest of the box of granola, leaving the jelly sit stagnant. Beth crumpled the box in her hands. "I'm tired. I want to go to bed." The man crunched on another pretzel, clearly annoyed by Beth's request. He would have to live with her now, he had taken her. He only wished he could find a blonde fitting into the specifications he was to be looking for.
Murray threw his bag of pretzels aside and erected himself out of the chair. He motioned for Beth to follow him. Quietly, Beth scurried behind him, placing the jelly back on one of the cupboard shelves for Daryl to find. They ended up back in the living room – her wrists and ankles both bound together this time. He was making sure that she wasn't going to be running off in the night. And if she tried, she wouldn't make it far before the walkers got to her. Beth stared at the ceiling, listening to Murray snore on the sofa diagonally from hers. This was her first night without Daryl since the prison fell. She couldn't help but let a tear slip down her cheek.
In the morning, Beth was woke roughly by Murray. "Gotta get movin'," he said. He unbound her ankles and wrists and jerked her into a sitting position. Beth was determined to weasel any information out of Murray that she could get. The more prepared she was going into this, the better. Together, they broke out of the cabin, the sun baring down on them. A few days and the cold would start to set in. Beth could only wish that Daryl would find her by then. Murray gave her the creeps and not just because he had kidnapped her. Beth followed behind Murray silently, only the sounds of the forest to keep her company.
Like always, her thoughts had drifted to Daryl. She wondered how far behind her he was. Maybe he had already found her bracelet, or maybe he had only discovered the wreckage. There was no other option. He would have to be somewhere on her trail, she knew it, she could feel it. Then an idea sparked in her mind. If she walked slower, it would give Daryl more time to catch up. Murray would have to stay by her side and he would have no other choice but to slow their pace.
Beth dragged her feet, slowing down just a fraction to not alarm Murray. She would go in increments, eventually until they were at a leisurely pace instead of speed walking through the forest. Murray stayed by her side, not giving it another thought as to what she was doing. Hours had passed by in silence. Beth had slowed their pace down tremendously and Murray still didn't seem to notice. Beth's stomach growled painfully and her tongue was dry. She'd have to have something to drink soon or she might pass out. "So," Beth drawled, shooting Murray a sideways glance. His shoulder tensed, causing Beth to smirk. She was glad she made him uncomfortable. "When yah gonna tell me 'bout where we're headed n' why yah took me?"
He cleared his throat and wiped at his bruised chin with a wince. "You'll find out soon enough," he groused, grabbing her elbow and shoving her forward again. Beth bit the inside of her lip. Murray was going to play hard to get. But his stubbornness only lit a fire in Beth. She was going to find out as much information as she could. Anything to prepare her for what she was walking into would help. Beth slowed her pace again, side-glancing at him.
She spanned her arms out in front of her. "Why can't I find out now?" Beth asked. "There's no one around for me to tell," she smirked. Though, she knew in a few days time there would be. Daryl would find what she left behind. Anything she could get, she'd leave for him. A word, a message, a direction; anything. "I wanna learn about where you're taking me, why you took me. Why couldn't you just grab anyone?"
A silence stretched between them before Murray sighed, running a hand over his tired face. He hated children. He didn't know why he was charged with finding the girl. He didn't think a little information would hurt. But there was no way he was telling everything about Terminus. His boss was the one who wanted to do that. He wanted to give her the world. "It's a place called Terminus. Those who arrive, survive," he recited their motto. Beth processed the information slowly. Any place that sounded as good as that would always be too good to be true to her.
"Terminus doesn't sound too friendly," Beth quipped. Murray furrowed his brow. But before he could reply to her, Beth moved onto her next question. "So, why did you take me specifically? I know for a fact that there are plenty of other girls out there. I was with someone," Beth growled, biting back her yell. She wanted to punch this man, cause him more damage than she already had. But if she wanted to get more information, she'd have to control herself.
Murray smiled a sick grin. "Our boss, leader – if you will, has a thing for blondes." Fear prickled Beth's skin. "He's been looking for someone small, cute, blonde. I've seen yah a few times 'round with that man a yours," Murray said. "But he ain't here no more. There ain't nothin' yah can do. You're here to pleas Gareth, and that's what you're gonna do." He sucked in a breath, he has said too much already. Gareth was the one that wanted to tell her that, or show her, rather. Beth felt like her world melted away. This man had been searching for a play toy. And Beth was exactly what he was looking for.
Just then, a sound had snapped both of them out of their not-so-friendly conversation. Off in the distance, two walkers had lumbered into view. Beth stiffened. She didn't like being unarmed. She had become so used to havin Daryl's knife at home in her palm, but now it was around Murray's waist. "Ah," Murray mused. "Looks like we got friends. Let's see how tough yah are, girl," he smiled sinfully. He hooked his fingers into his belt loops, watching Beth as the walkers approached.
Beth shot him an incredulous look. "I'm unarmed!" Murray only nodded. The least he could do was have some fun for going out of his way to bring Beth back to Gareth. He wouldn't let any harm come to the girl, but she didn't need to know that. Beth shut her eyes quickly, thinking of what Daryl would do if he were in this situation. Which, he probably was once in his life when he was out by himself. Her eyes shot open, searching the ground for a rock of any size.
She found one just as the walkers descended upon her and Murray. He only kicked them away towards Beth while he laughed. Beth took no time in bashing the first walker's head in after she kicked its legs out. She felt the fingers of the second walker curl around her shoulder. A small whimper of surprise escaped her lips. She whirled, striking out at the woman with the rock. It only stumbled backwards, but it gave Beth enough time to get to her feet again.
She kicked at the woman's knees until one of them cracked and she fell to the ground. Beth kicked her once more onto her back, keeping her foot on the woman's chest as she bashed her head in repeatedly. She almost half thought about turning on Murray with the rock, but that would be stupid for the both of them. Murray's clapping had brought her back to reality. "Wow," he praised. "That man a yours must a taught yah well." Without another word, he grabbed Beth's wrist, wrenching the rock out of her hand and tugged her onward.
Murray and Beth walked until the sun started to descend. Beth found it weird that they had been walking for two days and they still weren't at Terminus. She wandered how far it was. Beth wanted to get as far away from Murray as she could, but as much as that was; she didn't want to meet Gareth even more. He was the leader of Terminus. That was never a good combination. Beth equated him to the Governor. The Governor scared her, intimidated her. And now someone of the likes of him wanted to make her his.
Beth ran into Murray's back. She hadn't anticipated on him stopping so abruptly. She was just about to ask why they stopped when Murray answered her question. "We're gonna stay here for the night," he said, shucking off one of his heavy shirts. He laid it on the ground and sat down upon it. Beth looked around. She didn't know what made this place so important that he chose it to stop. But it didn't matter to her, she was tired and her feet hurt. She lay down on the cold ground, not daring to take off any articles of clothing around him. She wasn't that stupid.
Beth eased the scissors out of her pants when Murray's eyes weren't on her. She would have to get this done before he bound her wrists and ankles again. She pressed the blades on the bark of the tree towards the ground, scratching in the word TERMINUS. She knew Daryl would find it. She still had faith in him. Beth yawned, slipping the scissors back into waistband. "Alright," Murray said, rubbing his eyes quickly, trying to hide it from Beth. He had pulled out the rope again and was getting to his feet. The sight of the rope again had frightened Beth. She didn't know if it was the new information she had learned or going through another night bound out in the open.
"Wait," Beth said, pulling her knees into her chest. Murray rolled his eyes, cocking his hip out to the side. "I have to pee. Just let me go quick before yah tie me up 'gain," she conjured up. She wanted a few moments to herself before she was bound. Maybe she'd pray once she had privacy. His patience wearing thin, Murray huffed out in frustration and motioned for her to go. He instructed her not to wonder far or she'd never make it to Terminus or anywhere else for that matter.
Beth trekked a little ways into the woods, making sure that Murray was not watching her. She didn't have to go to the bathroom. She had nothing in her body to expel except for the granola she had ate that morning. In the silence she sought, the weight of the scissors blade became heavy against her sensitive skin. She told herself she wasn't going to do anything earlier, but now – she was starting to doubt herself. They were outside. Anything could happen. Beth slipped the scissors out again, debating with herself in her mind. Without another thought, she started back to their pitiful camp.
Murray had started a small fire, which Beth knew wasn't the best idea. Her and Daryl had made fires before, but she trusted Daryl. She didn't trust Murray. He hadn't heard her approach. Beth took a deep breath before charging forward, sinking the small blade into Murray's fleshy shoulder. He yelled out in surprise, but threw his elbow backwards, catching Beth in her ribs. Pain shot throughout her torso. He whirled, ripping the scissors out of his shoulder and throwing them to the ground. His hand found Beth's neck as he rammed her up against a tree.
Her head rebounded off the rough bark. A gasp ripped from her lips as she felt the blood trickle down the back of her head. "Where'd yah get them, huh?" Murray asked through gritted teeth. He couldn't hurt the girl too much, but she had attacked him. Beth didn't answer him. The best she could manage was a tearful glare. "Yah thought yah could take me down with a pair of scissors?" He laughed. He ignored Beth's fingernails digging into his forearm.
He slipped the rope out of his pocket again, binding her wrists together again behind her back. He then stooped down to her ankles and bound those together as well. He heaved Beth over his unharmed shoulder and carried her back to the tree he had claimed as his own. He flopped her down, hitting her tender head again. "You move one fuckin' inch n' you're not gonna see the light a mornin', yah hear me?" He threatened. Beth managed a small nod.
Murray sat down next to Beth, nodding off rather quickly. Beth stayed awake for a few more hours, quietly crying. She cried for Daryl, she cried for herself and she cried for what was to come. But soon enough, she had cried all the tears that she could and fell asleep. She was woke roughly in the morning. A smack to the face that she had earned rocketed out of her slumber. Murray hadn't said another word to her, but deftly undid the bindings around her ankles. He didn't touch her wrists, but heaved her off the ground and pushed her in the direction they were headed.
They walked in silence for hours. Beth shivered in her bindings, the cold finally setting in. She didn't think she could survive another night out in the open. "C'mon," Murray grunted, grabbing Beth and hauling her towards the road. Beth started to panic. Daryl couldn't track on asphalt. She'd do anything to stay on the soft grass. But after what happened last night and the fear that he had instilled in her, her options were slim. Beth sighed as Murray led her towards the road. But before they had made it to the abandoned roadway, she slipped another bracelet off her wrist, letting it fall to the ground as her last hope.
So, what do you guys think? Some chapters may end up not alternating Beth-Daryl-Beth, if that's all right with you? Leave a review please. Tell me what you think! It always brings a smile to my face!