ATELOPHOBIA. . . the walking dead

III

MAGGIE RHEE'S face was ingrained in Lilith Smith's mind. Every time she closes her eyes, she finds herself looking into the barrel of the pregnant woman's gun. For the first time, she genuinely has no idea what would've happened. She has absolutely no clue if Maggie planned to kill her. And it killed her.

Days after the incident at the satellite, and the teenager still obsesses over it. She asks herself questions of what she could have done differently and what did she do right.

Her father tells her everyday that they will get them back but everyday they do nothing. She waits and waits for something to come up, for news from anywhere saying WE FOUND EM but to no avail.

Lilith becomes agitated.

Marching down the hall, past the Long Table and the wives, she busts into her father's bedroom.

Negan lays on the couch, one wife on either side with his arms around both. He looks up alarmed as his door hits the wall behind it.

"Get out." Lilith orders the two older women.

They obey her immediately. Most likely itching for an excuse to leave anyway.

Lilith fakes a gag once the door closes. "I hate the way you are," she mumbles just loudly enough for her father to hear. Sitting in a chair across from him, she leans forward with her elbows on her knees. "It's been a week. We've made no progress."

"Darlin' listen, we're trying-"

"Well try fucking harder. We need to find these people. Now. I hate the fact that they're probably back wherever they call home, laughing about just how successful their murder spree was. I'm sick of it. You weren't there, so you don't get to tell me to be patient. I know I complain about your violent tendencies sometimes, but right now I need 'em so please work faster."

Negan stares in awe, his eyebrows raised and lips parted ever so slightly. He snaps out of his dazed state, bringing a hand to his mouth. "Well shit honey," he starts, "I'm sorry, you're right. I'll get more people on it and we'll get you closure, ok?"

Lilith thinks for a moment, "I'll believe it when I see it." She stands up and walks out of the room, but not before turning back to her father and giving loving middle finger.

"Love ya too!" She heard echo behind her.

This is how they've always been. They don't get soft with each other. Since Lilith was a baby, her parents were her best friends. That may make her sound like a loner, a freak, a weirdo, but she just called it family oriented.

However, since her mother died, Lilith had felt the need to soft with her father, the same way she did with her mother. But it never works. He tries to listen and be there but he doesn't understand her anymore, and he never will. Her father is still there in some ways but he's no longer the man who raised her.