Indigo's eyes flicker open groaning, a throbbing pain on her head. She couldn't see anything but darkness, there was what felt a piece of fabric around her face, a blindfold. She began to move but didn't get very far realising her hands and feet were tied.
"Ah, you're awake." She heard Merle's voice beside her say. Indigo breathed at a fast pace trying to untie herself.
She began kicking the chair with both feet like a dolphin that got beached, "untie me! Right now!"
"Chill the kid down, Merle! I'm trying to drive!" Someone from the front said, she felt herself get pushed back into a sitting position. It was quite hard so she took that as a warning to settle down.
"Have Stevens prep the infirmary." She heard another voice say, this time with more authority hinted in it. She assumed that was the leader from back in the woods.
A man came through a radio, "How many?"
"Four." The leader counted from the top of his head, "One with multiple fractures and severe burns. Another in and out of consciousness, probably shock and dehydration."
"And the third?"
"She's fine."
"Female?"
"Three. One male as well. Found them hiding in the woods." Indigo gathered he was talking about them, "Bringing a homework assignment for you, so open the lab."
"Do tell."
"At the gates in five minutes, get off the radio." The leader told him.
"Well, what is it?"
"Now, Milton!" He ordered and static was heard from the radio. Indigo grew impatient pushing herself off the seat, in the process managing to slip off her blindfold, her arms felt like jello and her head was heavy.
She squinted her eyes looking around the vehicle before being dragged back up onto the seat by Merle. She managed to get a glimpse outside of the window, she couldn't see many cars, but there were men with guns guarding a wall. Indi tried to take in as much as she could. Her eyes still blurry turned her attention back to her surroundings within the car looking for her friends. Her eyes were only to be met with Merles. He replaced her blindfold so the girl couldn't see anymore. Indigo felt frightened, exhausted and hungry with a fading willpower to try and escape.
~~~~~~
Indigo fiddled with the marble Michonne gave her nervously. She placed it in her pocket looking around the room, it was white reminding her of a doctors office. The ones her mumma took her when she was sick. Indi looked at her hands, they were all muddy with smudges of blood stained into her skin. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open, a woman entered quietly.
Indigo didn't speak just in case they used whatever she said against them. She had not seen any sign of her group since back at the crash site and she sure as hell didn't like being alone. The woman examined her quietly shining a torch into her eyes. Indigo cautiously watched her. She grabbed a bandaid printed with cartoons and covered her cuts as if that was going to make her feel better.
"What's your name?" The woman asked and Indigo didn't answer. The woman noticed her reluctance to speak.
"We won't hurt you." She said, "What's your name?"
Indigo shifted away from the woman. wE wOnT hUrT yOu.
'I guess I just fell and hit my head.' She thought bitterly.
The woman sighed placing down her equipment moving back towards the door. There was a brief moment of murmured talk outside the door, arguing even, when Merle strolled in. Indigo bit her tongue staring at his good arm, a bandage wrapped around it.
"Bet you was wondering if I was real!" He told the small girl, "Probably hoping I wasn't. Well, here I am. I guess this old world gets a little small towards the end, huh? Ain't so many of us left to share the air right?"
Indigos blue eyes followed Merle who fiddled with the sharp weapon on his stump. She was confused at what he meant.
"You know, when they found me, I was near bled out, starving, thinking to myself, a bullet might make a good last meal. Take myself a nice long nap after, wait for Daryl on the other side. You seen my brother?"
Indigo didn't reply. She didn't know how.
"You know, you better start talking or you and your friends ain't gonna make it far."
Her eyes flickered down quietly, "I don't know your brother."
"Stop playin' games kid." He muttered, "Have ya' seen my brother or not?"
"I'm not playing games." She spat, "I don't know who that is or who you are?!"
He smirked sending chills down her spine, "Look, kid, I don't want no trouble. I just want to know where my brother is?"
"Ask Andrea." She replied angrily, "I don't know any of you people."
Merle stood there silently, his mind racing. He was puzzled, even a little amused at the little girls forgetfulness.
"Fine. If ya' don't want to tell me, you can sit here until ya' memory comes back."
"That won't be for a long time, mister."
"And why is that?"
"I lost my memory, Einstein." Indigo stated bluntly, "Andrea keeps telling me about her group, that I was one of them but I don't remember being apart of them."
"Makes two of us." He mumbled.
Indigo leaned back in her chair, "So yeah, it won't be for a long time, mister."
Merle was speechless. He remembered this girl from the rooftop like it was yesterday, she was timid but strong. The girl in front of him now was a lost soul as he called it. Reminded him of himself.
"So ya' don't remember anything from the rooftop?" Merle asked her and she shook her head, "You were the only one who didn't want tah' leave me kid."
Indigo found herself staring at his handless arm, "So that's how you got that?"
He examined it for a few seconds before laughing, "Yeah, I guess you could say not all of me got away that day."
Indigo flinched. Merles face grew angry, "Yeah... Rick. He's that prick that cuffed me to the roof top."
Indigo picked up on that name again, Rick. Was he...was he bad? Only bad people leave people behind.
"So my brother is dead then..." he mumbled.
Indigo was quiet fiddling with the worn out fabric that she sat on, "I don't know that for sure. Andrea said we got run off by a herd."
"How long ago?" He asked the girl.
"Seven, eight months." Indigo stammered. Merle looked at her shocked, "I got...hurt...separated from the rest of them, got left behind. I know what it feels like." If she could try and earn his trust maybe they could get out of here right. She could find Nevada, Michonne and Andrea and they could make a run for it.
Merle showed his hand, "I doubt that."
Indigo lifted up half her shirt revealing both the bullet and stab wound. Merle was taken back once again by the innocent girl he once knew from the rooftop, "the end of the world changes you."
Merle sat down on a nearby seat. Indigo watching him warily, "What do you want from us?"
"Andrea asked the exact same question." Merle chuckled bitterly.
"Where are they?" Indigo whispered out of concern for her friends.
"Oh they're fine darlin'." He replied examining the small child trying to figure her out.
Indigo frowned at him when the door to the room opened. It was the leader. He whispered something into Merles ear.
"Sure thing." Merles husky voice replied.
Merle walked over to the girl holding her arm, "Let's go little one."
Indigo didn't like any of this and wanted out and soon, "Where is Andrea?!"
"You'll see em soon."
Indigo followed beside Merle keeping her eyes at the ground. The leader scared her, he just didn't seem right.
"Wait." He told Merle grabbing Indigo by her arm. She froze.
"Keep her here." He stated, "I need to ask her questions."
Merle looked at Indigo, "Governor, she's a kid."
"She is still an outsider." The governor told him, "Stop questioning me and go do what I said."
Merle huffed, hesitantly letting the girl go. Indigo nervously stood there in front of the man. For the first time she didn't like not seeing Merle. She could remember little memories of them all after chatting with Merle, she couldn't visualise them but she remembered. Merle reminded her of someone, tough on the outside but deep inside, he was a good man.
"How you feeling?" He asked her and she eyed him.
She didn't answer making him chuckle. That sent a chill down her spine.
"You aren't the talking much type are you?" He stated looking at her. She was quite small for her age, sandy blonde hair covered in mud. She looked like she had been through hell and back.
"Why are you keeping me locked up in this room?" Indigo whispered.
"Oh she speaks." He smiled, "You see any bars on the windows? You're being cared for."
Indigo eyed the door, silhouettes of men outside, "Under guard."
"To protect our people, we don't know you." He replied, "or your friends."
"What am I going to do?" Indigo huffed.
"Stab people in their arms." Indigo looked down in anger.
"Now, you're not a prisoner here, nor are your friends, you're guests." The governor reasoned, "But if you wanna leave, as I said, you're free to do so. But we don't open the gates past dusk. Draws too much attention. And you especially, you need a solid night of sleep. You wouldn't last another day out there in your condition, especially your friend, Andrea."
Indigo did feel exhausted and Andrea is almost dying, but she didn't want to stay here. She felt trapped.
"I'll have you and your friends brought over to my place in the morning, hand over your weapons, extras ammos, food for the road, some meds, keys to a vehicle if you want one." He told Indigo, "Send you on your way, no hard feelings."
She felt confused by the man. He was being so...fair but he didn't add up to her, none of this did. He walked towards the door waving her over. Indigo hesitantly walks towards him, his hand on her shoulder. She stepped out of the room greeted by two other guards who examined the small girl in front of them. She saw Nevada first.
"Indigo!" He hugged her tight. "I need to talk...once we are alone."
She nodded eyeing the Governor. She could see Andrea and Michonne come out of another room.
"Oh god. I'm glad you're okay." Andrea whispered bringing Indigo into a hug. She was glad to be out of that mans grasp.
Michonne looked at her head where she had been hit with a rifle, "Thank god. Them bastards."
The governor opened another door, the small group exiting to be hit by a wave of fresh air. It was a gift considering they had been stuck in those rooms for hours. There was a city as if the dead hadn't even come through here. It looked completely untouched.
The Governor smiled, "Welcome to Woodbury."