Three Empty Words

Preview

Thea's PoV

Numb. The only word I could think of that describes how I felt. My entire being...numb. Yet, things weren't over, not by a long shot.

I was still knelt down on the cold, damp earth. My legs tingled from lack of use. My breath came out in white puffs, the cold night air chilling me to the bone. For the first time in my life, I felt utterly...helpless.

Nothing on this earth could save me from being stuck in a line where my friends, my family, were being mentally tortured. Nothing on this earth can erase the images of my friend being beaten to death from my brain. Not even the boy next to me, who I came to call home. This was the beginning of our inevitable demise. None of us were walking away from here unscathed, if at all.

No one spoke. Whimpers and sobs for our fallen friend was the only sounds. My own cries had ceased, leaving my throat feeling raw and sore. I wouldn't be surprised if I had lost my voice. I couldn't gauge Carl's features or reactions through all of this. He hasn't turned to me since the victim had been chosen, all in fear of Negan seeing and punishing us further.

His father's breathing hadn't slowed at all. His shaking had settled down as he realization began to sink in through his brain. He turned his head up to Negan, blood that had splattered on to his cheek and across the bridge of his nose from the assault, glinting tauntingly in the measly light provided by the headlights of the many vehicles around us.

"What? Was the joke that bad?" Negan asked, stopping his pacing and settling in front of Rick.

"I'm going to kill you," Rick muttered out hoarsely. Negan kneeled down in front of him slowly.

"What? I didn't quite catch that. You're going to have to speak up," he asked, but it was quite clear that he had heard him. Rick took in a deep breath, looking into Negan's eyes. I shook my head. This was no time for him to be getting brave now.

"Not today. Not tomorrow. But I'm gonna kill you," Rick finished, speaking up for everyone to hear him clearly. An amused smile spread across Negan's lips. The two men studied each other, but Negan was quick to break the silence.

"Jesus," he paused. "Simon, what he have?" He asked, not taking his eyes off Rick. "A knife?"

"He had a hatchet," Simon told him, his voice low and smooth. Negan's smile grew as he glanced behind Rick and at, I'm assuming, Simon.

"A hatchet?" He asked in disbelief, but mostly amusement.

"And an axe," Simon continued. Negan chuckled and swiftly swiped his tongue over his lips. I shuddered in disgust.

"Simon is my right hand man. Having one of those is important. I mean, what do you have left without them? A whole lot of work. You have one? Maybe one of these fine people still breathing?" Negan questioned. My breath hitched in my throat when Rick broke eye contact. Negan seemed to smile in victory.

"Oh. Or did I..." he trailed off, clicking his tongue as made a hitting motion with Lucille, the blood of our friend still staining the wood and barbed wire. A new set of tears spring up in my eyes as yet again, the scene plays out in my head. Negan sighs heavily when he doesn't get an answer. "Sure. Yeah. Give me his axe."

Simon's footsteps crunched against the ground as he approached Negan and handed over Rick's weapon. Negan held onto it, holding it just under his chin. The two continued to scrutinize each other. The tension in the air seemed to grow. Negan's face became stony, his smile completely disappearing. He eventually stood back up, sliding the axe into his belt. He quickly grabbed Rick's shoulder and dragged him up.

"Be right back. Maybe Rick will be with me," he growled and drug Rick behind him as he began walking away. Rick couldn't get his footing. "And if not, well just have to turn these people inside out, won't we?" He stops and turns back to all of us. "I mean, the ones that are left." With that, he hauled Rick inside the RV and let the door slam shut behind them, the two of them disappearing from view. The cries of my friends grew louder now that Rick was in danger.

"Dad.." Carl whispered. My eyes widened. His father was in there, not having any clue as what is being done to him. His shoulders began to shake. He's already witnessed plenty of his family members dying in his presence. If he lost his dad, I might just lose him. It would break him beyond repair.

Despite all the warnings and threats, I scooted my body closer to his. I wrapped my arms around his torso. I heard him choke back a sob, but he returned my hug, careful of my bruised stomach. Though I couldn't give a damn about that now. He buried his head into the crook of my neck, his tears warming my skin.

Negan taking Rick finally put things into perspective, for all of us. Without him, our leader, we were nothing. Nothing could save us. We were going to die here, all of us. I've never felt more terrified. I was afraid of losing everyone and everything. I was afraid of death.