My body trembled. Something I couldn't control no matter how much I tried to clench my teeth and tighten my muscles. I was terrified. Hell I was beyond terrified. Not even a few hours ago there was a gun pointing to my head and now I sat in a chair, tied by rope, with a man standing by the door.
The room that I sat in smelled of rust and the unmissable scent of blood. I didn't know if someone had died in here; how many at that, or what, but the smell was making my stomach churn. I would give anything to just be back at the prison, tucked away and safe in Glenn and I's cell. I would do anything to feel the safety of being with my group right now. But life isn't always so easy for me.
My head pounded against my skull, the side of my teeth biting against my cheek. The pain was the only thing I could concentrate on to make sure the urine I was holding in didn't come flowing through my pants. Because if I didn't have the little bit of courage I was still hanging onto, I would have pissed my pants by now and been left with the humiliation of it.
I bit down on my bottom lip, turning my head to look at the dirty brick wall. I know Glenn was on the other side, I had heard him talking to the man who kidnapped us in the first place, Merle. Him and his men had separated us into separated rooms as soon as he pulled Glenn and I out the truck.
I continued to stare at the wall, wishing it would just vanish so I could get one glimpse of Glenn. One look to know that he was alright. One moment to feel at ease to know that he was still here with me, that he hadn't left me alone in this world. One last memory of him if this was going to be my last time seeing him.
Because deep down I could feel it. I could feel that something was going to go terribly wrong. It's eating away at me to know that something is going to happen to Glenn or me.
This is your end. That's all the voice in my head kept repeating and I honestly believed it. There was no reason not to with how things have turned out so badly.
I flinched in my seat as I heard a blade scrap across something between the thin walls where Glenn was kept. My body seemed to freeze as I tried to listen on what was being said but the way Merle's voice was, it all came out to gruff and low for me to understand with the pounding headache I had. Yet I still try to listen in on as much as I could.
"Looks like you're struggling to mind your own business sweetheart."
I averted my gaze from the wall, snapping my head back to look at the man who was no longer by the door, but walking towards me. I squinted my eyes at him, biting down on my tongue to keep myself from whimpering. I was scared. That was something I couldn't deny, and he knew it. But I wasn't going to completely cower from him just because of that. I was not going to seem so weak so quickly.
The man stopped in front of me, leaning down so he was eye level with me -a sadistic smirk on his face. "Bet you wish you were right there in that room with him huh," he taunted. "Actually I bet you wish you were just about anywhere but here."
I only frowned at him, flickering my gaze away from him. The only movement I could do to try to get him to take the hint and leave me the hell alone. It was getting harder and harder to keep my thighs pushed together so I wouldn't end up pissing myself.
"Hm, I'll help you listen a little closer since you're never getting out of here."
I yelped as I was yanked up, almost losing my balance as I was dragged closer to the wall and pushed up against it. The cold of the bricks made a shiver run up my spine, my cheek pressing up against the indents. I stood stiff, forgetting the man was holding me up as I could hear the conversation clearly now.
"No?" I heard Merle question.
My hands pulled against the ropes behind my back, desperately trying to pry myself free. I wanted nothing more then to strangle Merle, a man that was nothing to me hours ago, but was now the man that brought me somewhere against my will. I wanted him to die painfully and as slow as possible for putting Glenn and I through this. If he knew Glenn from before, how could he do this. Glenn was the kindest person that I still know in this world. He hasn't let it destroy him and he looks out for everyone else before himself.
"Well maybe the pretty girl that was with you would help me out," Merle seemed to taunt. My blood seemed to run cold as I heard his words, my head seeming to pound more as the room spun.
Hold on Claire. Stay alert.
I clenched my fist behind my back, closing my eyes for a split second as I tried to keep my composure, but I could feel the cold sweat beginning to form on my forehead and the back of my neck. A hand clamped over my mouth, muffling the shriek I let out as I was pulled back to the chair and forced to sit down in front of the wooden table again. Everything seemed to be more quiet, almost as if before there was a noise that didn't let me hear Merle's voice. But now, now I heard every word he spoke as clear as day.
"Tell me something-" Merle spoke, the recognizable taunt in his words. "When she's scared and she's holding you close, and her trembling skin is close to you, her soft lips are touching you here, all over here."
My stomach churned at his words, bile rising in my throat that I quickly had to swallow back down as I looked towards the ground. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I wasn't going to let them fall. All I could concentrate on once again was not accidentally peeing on myself.
"And over here, feels good don't it," Merle continued. A small whimper left my lips as I watched the man that was in the room with me open the door and walk out, closing it behind him. "I remember you, yeah. You're the sneaky one, the one with nerve, you don't scare easy, do you? I like that."
My bottom lip wobbled as I had no choice but to listen. Every word that Merle spoke only made me want to end his life more and more. To see his end was the only thing I wanted right now.
"Now, I wanna know where my brother is." I squeezed my eyes shut, flinching in the chair I sat in as I heard Glenn's grunts. My mind screamed at me to get up and help him, but what could I do. I was tied down in the room next to him with no weapons. "I wanna know, where the sheriff is." Merle continued, his voice demanding.
I jumped, my eyes opening as I heard something crack. I didn't know if that was Glenn getting hit or Merle, but it left me staring at the wall in panic.
"Oh God," Merle yelled out. His grunts were the only ones that I heard after that, letting me relax just a little bit. Glenn must have got at least one hit in, but he was still in there and I was still in here. Merle yelled out, the sound of furniture being kicked afterwards.
I winced as I began to hear someone getting punched, silent tears falling down my cheeks as I knew it could only be Glenn. Bile rose back up my throat, leaving me no choice but to hunch over and puke down by my feet.
"Now I wanna know where y'all hiding, where your camp is, and I wanna know now."
Another brutal punch reached my ears, making my squeeze my thighs together. I don't think I'd be able to hold it much longer. I was beyond terrified. I was losing my courage with every punch I could hear Glenn receiving.
Glenn. Glenn was getting hurt and I had no way to stop it.
Merle's screams mixed with his fist colliding with Glenn, and Glenn's grunts made my breath pick up. I had to help him before it was too late. I can't stand for him to be hurt anymore. I don't want him to be hurt ever again.
-------------------
I stared straight at the door, my heart beat racing as the only thing I listened to was Glenn grunting as he struggled against something. I wanted to call out to him. I wanted to hear him say at least one word to me, any word, but I was too scared to open my mouth. I was too scared to look anywhere but at the door because I knew, sooner or later someone was coming back in here and I wasn't ready for it.
The door in the next room banged open, making me jump in my position as the snarls of a walker followed. My thoughts ran circles around each other as my eyes widened in realization. Merle's grunts followed the walkers noises, letting me know he was the one who had it and he had brought it near Glenn.
"All righty, I want you to imagine how I felt fighting my way off that roof," Merle shouted. I wanted to scream. I wanted to protect Glenn. I wanted to rip Merle's throat out and feed his body to walkers. I wanted to do something, but I couldn't do anything. "One hand, losing blood, walkers chomping down at me every step of the way. Last chance, where's your group?"
Nothing came from Glenn's mouth, leaving me with my mouth agape and tears in my eyes. He could just tell. It would save his life. Rick would understand. We'd all understand. I can't lose Glenn.
"All right, suit yourself. You're a pretty big snack for this fella. But you know what they say, he's gonna be hungry again in an hour." My heart seemed to squeeze in my chest, a cry leaving my lips. "Go, run boy."
Glenn's grunts sounded again as the walkers snarls drowned in my ears. I couldn't hold myself back anymore as I felt the warm liquid flow down my legs, tears streaming down my face as I heard something smash through the walls. My heart ached in my chest, my lungs feeling as if they were closing up on my as I struggled for air.
I shook my head, opening my mouth to call out to Glenn multiple times as noises of a struggle sounded in the other room, but no words would come out my mouth. Just spit and choked back sobs. I couldn't lose Glenn. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I wouldn't want to be on this earth anymore if he wasn't here.
All I could hear was the walker, Glenn's shouts, and things being knocked around. All I could smell was the same smell of blood as before but it was mixed with my own urine and puke, making me hunch over and throw up again. My head hung as Glenn shouted, leaving me with no idea if he was okay or not. For all I know he could be bit.
And I could do nothing but sit here and cry.