AFTERMATH

part three

             Daryl, with crossbow at the ready, slowly makes his way through the woods behind the house They are staying at. An all to familiar sound hits his ears. "No....no way!" A whistle grows louder and louder. Daryl turns and makes a run for the house. He slams open the front door. "Everyone grab what you can! We need to leave. NOW!" Everyone starts packing up everything they need, Carol comes over. "What did you see?" Daryl clears his throat, looking towards the door. "Its not what I saw. Its what I heard. I heard Negan's whistle. I know it can't be him, but, maybe the saviors. I just know we need to get out of here! The back door opens. "Well, well, well. Where are you guys off to in such a hurry?" Negan leans against the wall, Lucille in one hand. Rick and Daryl stabs in between Negan and the others. Rick is clenching both his fists and teeth. "You're Dead! I saw your body!" Negan just laughs. "That was a decoy. You don't think I would be stupid enough to walk right into a trap like that?" Enid runs out and down the hall to the bathroom. Negan looks in her direction. "Is she okay?" Rick gets into his face. " No, she is NOT okay. She is pregnant with Carl's baby. My grandbaby. She has to raise this baby without it's father. If we hadn't been fighting you, Carl may have been here to raise his son or daughter." Negan shakes his head. "This isn't on me. You failed to protect him, just like you failed to protect other members of your group. You, Rick, are a failure." Maggie comes over. "Don't let him get into your head, Rick. He's just an evil man toying  with our emotions. " Negan laughs. "You think you got me all figured out, don't you." He takes a few steps inside. "You don't know shit. Here's what's gonna happen. Daryl here, he's gonna come back where he belongs. And Enid, you'll be coming with us. We need to make sure Carl's baby is healthy. You know, I had a soft spot for that kid, I really did. He could have been something. I had such high hopes for him. Anyways. Daryl, Enid, we gotta go." He snaps his fingers and several saviors grab Daryl and Enid. Rick grabs his gun, aiming it at Negan's head. He just laughs. "No Rick. That's not how this ends. You will work for me. If you know what's good for you and your group." They turn and leave.

             What seems like an eternity later, Enid and Daryl are dragged into a large building, surrounded by a tall, metal and stone fence. Daryl is put into one room, much nicer than the one at the sanctuary. Enid is put into one down the hall. The door closes and she looks around. A nice comfy bed, a refrigerator, which she opens, it is well stocked with milk, fruit, vegetables, all sorts of healthy food. "What the...." The door opens, Negan comes in. "Well? Are the accommodations to your liking? I did the best I could, considering. Nothing but the best for junior." Enid backs away from him. "Let us go. Carl didn't want any of this. He wanted us to try to get along. He wouldn't want you holding us prisoner." Negan laughs. "That's what you think I'm doing? Would a prisoner have such a nice bed?" He sits on it, bouncing a couple times. "Or a refrigerator with good food and water? I just want you and the baby to be safe. He, or she, might just be just like their father. We need more people like him." She slaps him across the face. "You don't get to talk about him! Go, leave me alone!" He smiles. "Wow, that kid is gonna be awesome! You have just as much fight in you as Carl did." He gets up and heads to the door. He turns towards her. "I will chalk up that outburst to hormones. Do it again, and there will be consequences." He leaves, locking the door behind him. Enid flops down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
         Meanwhile in Daryl's room, he is pacing back and forth, anger building up inside of him. He punched the wall, putting a fist sized hole in it. "Damn you, Negan!" He lies down, fantasizing about many ways to kill Negan. The door opens. He sits up, a woman comes in with a tray. He hits it out of her hands. "Tell him I ain't eating. I'll never work for him." She picks up the tray and food. "The best thing for you to do is do whatever he says. Resisting him, will only get those that you love killed. Daryl scoffs. "He's already killed a lot of my friends, and all the family I had left. My remaining friends, they will kill him. He needs to be stopped." The woman shakes her head, as she exits the room, locking the door behind her.
         Back at the house, Rick is pacing in the kitchen, Carol, Maggie, Michonne, and Jessie are sitting at the table. Rick sits at the head of the table. " we need to figure out where they went, They headed West of here. Hmmmmm....." Michonne gets up and goes into the other room. She comes back in with a folded paper. She unfolds it on the table. Its a map of the area. "Here we are. Let's see, West of here.....there's an old military compound, it's probably pretty secure. I'll bet that's where they went. Its probably got generators, and food." Rick nods. "That's where they went. But, before we go, we need to find some more people to help in the fight. We are not strong enough at the moment." He pounds his fist on the table. "That man should be dead! He killed my family. Why does he get to live?" Michonne hugs him. "Come on, you are exhausted. Go get some sleep. We'll start making a plan in the morning." Rick shakes his head. "We need to get started right away." He almost falls over. She helps steady him. "No! You need rest, first." They all agree, and head into their rooms.
             The next day, they all get up and gather in the kitchen. Rick looks around. "Where's Jessie?" Maggie comes running in. "She went to confront Negan!" She hands a note to Rick. "Damn it! She's gonna get herself killed, or Daryl and Enid." Michonne shakes her head. "Don't think that way. He would never hurt Carl's baby, and, he likes Daryl. I don't think he'd kill him. Jessie though, I'm not too sure about. Lets go West. There is a couple of places along the way that may have survivors. We can try to get them to help. They gather up their supplies. Rick grabs Judith, and they take off.
        A few miles down the road, they come upon an old bus. Rick checks out inside. He sits at the drivers seat. He tries to start the engine. He keeps on trying until finally it starts. "Come on, get in!" Everyone likes into the bus. They take off, heading further West.
       Enid takes some food out. She makes a sandwich, pouring a glass of milk. She sits down and eats. The lights flicker. She jumps up. The door opens. Dwight walks in, closing the door behind him. "What the he'll do you want? " he sits on a chair near her. "I'm not working with Negan. Please, you have to believe me. I'm trying to help get you out of here." She rolls her eyes. "Just go. Please." He gets up and heads to the door. " just so you know, I admired Carl. He saw the good in people. I know he was a good kid..." Enid throws her pillow. "Get out!" She starts crying. She lies on the bed and cries herself to sleep.