Forever Unfinished // Carl Grimes

Chapter 14

Carl walked through the hallway feeling as though a weight had been placed upon his shoulders. He had tried to convince himself that he didn't love her, but deep down he knew that he always would. He hated that he couldn't just forget. His emotions controlled him and at that moment when he walked out that green door, he was broken. No, he was worse, he was shattered.

Carl was missing half of his heart.

He found it stupid that he was so attatched to one person. His whole life with Lauren sounded like one stupid soppy love story. He couldn't have happiness for more than a little while before it was ripped from his grasp and torn to shreads infront of him.

No, they dont.

Carl felt like ripping out his hair, strand by strand, the pain would numb him, distract him from the aching heart he carried with him. He was a guy, he wasn't supposed to be sensitive, soppy or broken. He was supposed to be strong. He had to be.

I can't do this anymore.

Carl couldn't let Lauren go, it would rip him apart. He couldn't let her fly, he needed her. But she didn't need him.

Carl didn't fight when he felt pairs of arms grab at him. He was punched, kicked and beaten, dragged down the hallway and down the basement steps. He didn't try and stop them, he was too tired, too drained to carry on. He only let out a small groan every time he bumped into something or recieved a kick from his abductors. He couldn't see anything through the thin black-plastic bag that now covered his head, slowly sufficating him. He hoped that they would kill him, that his pain would end because he didn't know how much more he could endure.

He didn't know if this time, he would get back up.

"Not fighting, huh?" A voice goaded him when they came to a stop. Carl recognised that voice as the one that caught him outside the place. Brooklyn? Ben? Brian? Something like that. Carl didn't bother to remember. He couldn't care less.

"I knew you were weak," He pestered, luring Carl into the grasps of his anger. "No wonder she didn't want you."

Carl snapped, hot consuming fire blinded him, sucking him into his dark side. He kicked out towards the voice, his outburst earning him a groan of pain from his assailant. He forcefully ripped the bag from his head and looked the black-haired boy straight in the eye. He was bent over, clutching his stomach, but he was smiling. A mischievous, insincere smile.

"Leave him Ed," Bennett finally said, making Carl finally notice the other presence in the room, ready to defend Bennett. "I'd like to see what he's got."

Bennett stood up straight and took a defensive stance, ready to fight Carl.

"Have you got anything?" Bennett asked Carl, smirking. "Or are you just as worthless as I thought?"

Carl swung at Bennett, but his move was easily avoided. Bennett punched Carl in the ribs, making him stumble and fall back onto the cold concrete. Carl coughed squeezed his eyes shut to try and numb the pain that was coursing through him. Bennett had an unfair advantage, hitting Carl in one of the spots he had bruised when he grabbed him.

"Just what I thought," Bennett smirked, kicking Carl just to add to his pain. "Who would want someone as pathetic as you?"

Carl didn't care if he would get hurt. He  didn't care about himself. He lunged at Bennett, wanting blood, he didn't care who's. Carl knocked the boy down to the ground and released all his pent up anger out on him. Carl punched, catching Bennett's cheekbone. He retaliated, releasing an unavoidable punch that planted itself on Carl's jaw.

He welcomed the pain as his jaw began to throb. He spit out the metallic red blood that pooled in his mouth and smiled at Bennett's already reddening eye.

"Not so pathetic now, am I?" Carl spat, reveling in the fact that Bennett was in pain. Carl was too, but it didn't affect him, it only fueled him. Bennett smiled, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the concrete ground.

"Enough of this," Bennett nodded to his lackeys and Carl was knocked to the floor, but not by hands. His vision became blurry as he looked clutched his stomach in pain. One of Bennett's guards held a shiny metallic aluminium baseball bat in his hands. "Tie him up, I need to talk to him."

Carl knew it was useless to fight them. He was pulled to his feet and dragged over to the back wall of the concrete boiler room. Every exaggerated movement caused an explosion of pain to course through his veins. He came to the conclusion that he had a broken rib if not more, a missplaced step could easily result in a punctured lung.

Carl was propped up against the wall, clutching his side in a desperate attempt to lessen his pain.

"You aren't as weak as I thought you were," Bennett chuckled, spitting out another mouthful of blood. "Maybe that's why she liked you."

Carl didn't answer, he just glared at Bennett. His heated gaze full of hatred. Carl haden't even wronged Bennett, what did he want with him?

"What do you want?" Carl's voice came out as a croak, his sudden exertion causing him even more pain.

"You're useful," Bennett said, Carl watching every facial expression. "Leverage, and you have information on Blade."

"Why would you need information on Lauren?" Carl asked in confusion before the final pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. He let out a loud, exaggerated laugh and smirked up at Bennett. "You want her, don't you? But she dosen't want you."

Bennett's jaw clenched in anger. Carl had hit a nerve and he hated it.

"Did you tell her? Did she reject you?" Carl took Bennett's silence as an answer and laughed humourlessly. "I would pity you but you're the reason I'm tied up here. Does it anger you that she would choose me over you?"

Bennett gripped Carl's throat and smashed his head up against the concrete wall. He squeezed Carl's throat and Carl clawed at his hands.
"You forget your place."

"I don't have a place." Carl said as Bennett finally released his throat. He coughed and breathed in, the movements causing more pain.

"I'm better than you," Bennett spat, glaring at Carl through hate-filled eyes. "You don't deserve her."

"I know," Carl let out a humourless laugh and sighed. The door abruptly swung open to reveal the raven-haired girl.

"What are you doing?" The girl asked, her eyes darting between Carl and Bennett. "I can hear the shouting upstairs."

"Nothing, Ayana." Bennett snapped. "How about you move along."

"Shadow," She snapped, correcting him. She didn't use that name anymore. "Blade will have your head on a pike Bennett."

"Not if she dosen't find out." Bennett countered, glaring at Shadow. She rolled her eyes and took at step forward, unfazed by Bennett's threatening words.

"You know I have to tell her," Shadow said. "Even if I don't, she'll find out. You can't pull the wool over her eyes, Bennett, and you should pray that she dosen't kill you when she does."

"Hop, skip, jump and fuck off, Ayana." Bennett retorted, turning back to Carl with the intent on causing him more pain.

"You know what?" Shadow spat. "Fuck you, Bennett."

With that said she left the room, leaving Carl, Bennett and his chosen deciples. His followers soon left, obviously choosing being on Bennett's bad side rather than Lauren's.

Carl was drained. Bennett laid kick after kick at his bad side, each torment deepening Carl's intent on killing Bennett. He knew right then that only one of them was going to survive. He waited patiently, hoping that Lauren cared enough to end his torture.

With that, the boiler room door flung open.

~•~

I already miss Larl, that poor ship has been dragged through the crap over and over again XD

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