Tiptoe Through the Tulips

There had been a convenience store, we had reached wider roads, travelling along the outskirts of another nameless town not too far away. Daryl thought it was too good an opportunity to give up. He, Glenn, Maggie and Andrea had all gone inside, leaving me with Beth and little Sophia who was again dozing against Beth’s chest. Andrea had come out, a basket full of canned food and had placed them into the boot of the large car, a long, unhardened gaze on the two youngest members of the group. She had shot me a smile and gone back inside, closing the heavy door behind her in case there were anymore Walkers on the inside.
And that was the last I had seen of them.

I breathed out slowly, my hands bound painfully, the tugging at the rope had made my wrists burn and bleed. Beth looked horrified, her eyes wide, skin pale and sweaty. I moved my hands so they were on top of hers, glaring at one man as he went to move my hands away.
“Don’t need you two trying to get away.” Sophia’s cries still echoed in my ears, they had made us leave her, the man tossing her as if she was a doll back on the car seat.

One had appeared, limping from the back of the shopping centre, begging for help, he had collapsed and like a fool I had run over, telling Beth to get the others when more appeared, a gun at Beth’s throat and one at my own.
“You guys on your own?” I had kept silent, I hadn’t known whether to lie or tell the truth, what if they hurt the others, they were oblivious, probably cheerful at the amount of food they were collecting.

I should have screamed, the man may have hurt me but they would have rushed out, would have saved Beth, kept her and Sophia safe. Instead I had kept quiet, watching as Beth sobbed, her eyes fearful as she shook her head at me, her sobs quieted by a slap across the face.

“Leave her alone.” I had spat, the gun pushing into her temple bothering me far too much than the one against my own, poor sweet Beth. “Please, just leave her here, what do you want?!”

The man chuckled, dragging me to a car we had assumed was abandoned, “We were just on our way back to base darling,” he slurred, pushing my hair back with one filthy hand, “Thought we’d drop by and get some food, but this is so much better.” He was covered in blood, small cuts aligning his filthy arms. He had tied my hands up then, the other doing the same to Beth and shoving her in the car, brushing past me as he went to our open boot and grabbed a bunch of food.

Why were they taking so long inside? Oh God, reality set in. They were going to take us, take us somewhere, probably kill us, or, judging from the way the man looked at me...worse.
“Please just take me, please, just leave her here, let her stay here.” I had begged, tears finally pouring from my eyes as he shoved a rag in my mouth, pushing me down next to Beth, Sophia’s’ confused cries as she grew cold were all I could hear, my arms pulling against the rope.

The man saw my eyes stuck on the doors and muttered to the other man who checked his gun, heading towards the store. If it was clean of Walkers they would be talking, they would be stupidly ignorant to danger.

They should be out by now, they should be.

But then, everything had happened so quickly, it couldn’t have been more than three minutes since I had seen the first man. This was my fault, I had handled it all wrong, just hoping.

I was so stupid.
Another man I hadn’t seen climbed in next to Beth, smirking at the men in the front as the car started, “Not bad boys.” My eyes widened as I noticed his lack of a right hand, a weird metal tube covering the stump, he kept his gaze on me a bit longer before he chuckled,
“No way, hey, Earl, I recognise this one from just after I lost my hand, one of those stupid college kids that were hanging in the hills.” I shook my head. “Where’s your little friends Barbie?”

I knew who he was, he had the same southern drawl, he fit the description he others had given, Glenn had been horrified when I had mentioned my first meeting with him.

“Please,” I tried to scream, my voice muffled beyond recognition, “I know your brother, I know Daryl. Merle, I know Daryl,” he only rolled his eyes at my screaming and eventually I grew silent.

“The Governor ain’t half gunna be pleased,” Earl said, sending a whole new wave of fear through me, Merle chuckling as he noticed, “Been gone for a fortnight, got him a whole village clear and a couple of sluts.” I winced visibly at the words, Beth still in a daze.

We were going back. Back to the man who had slaughtered Lori, Hershel, Carol. Back to him and the lunatics who followed him blindly. How were the others going to find us, I prayed they would be safe, the four of them against one man, but they had no clue where we had gone, they would never guess we would be driving straight back into hell.

I couldn’t breathe; I was choking on my fear. My hands clasped Beth’s again, trying to run any plan I could through my head, any way out of this. There was nothing.

I glanced at Beth and decided one thing at least.

I would die to keep her safe.