𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 6 ~ Hiding Under Dirty Clothes

We lied down in the floor of the back of the car, huddled up together underneath a pile of old clothes Owen had found in the floorboard. I tried to steady my breathing but I was terrified. What if this was it? What if we died today? All of these months, I'd fought to survive, lived through trauma that I still had nightmares about. And to what end? To die like this?

Killed by some gun-toting maniacs? For the first time since I'd been captured, I was glad to have Owen's company. At least I wouldn't have die alone if that was my fate. His dark eyes turned to face me in the backseat of the car and he took in my fearful state. All of a sudden, I felt his arms encircle me and he shushed me gently, running his fingers over my hair. I buried my head in his blood-stained t-shirt and tried not to cry as my heart pounded in my chest.

His dark brown hair tickled my cheeks as it hung in my face. The mens' footsteps could be heard now, their boots crunching the leaves as they exited the woods and walked onto the road.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" they jeered, their voices loud and menacing.

I whimpered and Owen's fingers started to make small circles on my back to soothe me. I clung to him tighter, my fingers digging into his sides desperately. My chest ached from anxiety.

"Shhh, it's okay..." he whispered gently in my ear, giving me goosebumps on my skin.

From outside the car, I heard them yanking doors open on the other vehicles, metal creaking as they did. Empty tin cans rolled on the pavement after being kicked by their heavy boots. One pair of footsteps came closer and closer to our car before suddenly stopping right in front of it. The metal handle slowly started to turn and I felt my heartbeat speed up. Just as it was about to be wrenched open, walker moans came out of the woods. The man cursed before shots rang out again.

More moans came but then were immediately silenced as the men killed them. A sigh emitted from one of them.

"Well, what now? Where'd they go?" one man grumbled.

I looked up into Owen's cocoa-brown eyes and I was surprised to see a hint of fear there. Suddenly it dawned on me, he didn't know who these men were.

"Forget about them. They don't matter. They had nothing of value anyway," who I assume to be the leader declared.

There was a wave of mutters from the group of men.

"Come on, boys, Negan's waiting on us." he ordered.

My eyes flicked over to the window above where lay and I saw flashes of colored clothing as the men passed by. Their feet crunched on the cracked pavement. It was loud at first and then the footsteps faded away as they trekked back into the woods. We waited a few minutes before Owen let go of me and sat up to look out of the window.

"They're gone." he said softly, turning to look at me.

I breathed a sigh of relief and I smiled at him. He smiled back and lifted himself up to sit down on the backseat. I joined him and rested my head against the scratchy material. As he gazed at me, suddenly I remembered what had happened whilst the fear had gripped me - the way he'd held me in his arms, the feel of his fingers on my back. I blushed scarlet and quickly tore my eyes away from him.

"So who's Negan?" I asked suddenly, hoping to divert him from the subject about to be brought up.

He bit his lip, his grip still tight on the pistol in his hand, "I wish I knew."

That wasn't a good sign. If Owen didn't know who he was, we didn't know who we were up against. And there was a strong possibility they could come after us again. All of a sudden, Owen hissed in pain. My eyes snapped to him and I saw him clutching his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. I just had time to cry out his name before he passed out.