The Woman at The End of The World. (Daryl Dixon)

thirteen.

(Trigger warning - rape)

Daryl POV

Hershel and I follow Rick into the adjacent room to our cellblock where we held our three new uninvited guests.

I survey and scrutinize each one individually. The first one had skin like dark chocolate, with braids that hung down to her lower back. She's sitting away from the other two. Her dark eyes narrowed, watching us cautiously.  I bring my attention to the other two. A male and female. I note that they both have pale skin. The girl had long black hair, dark brown eyes. Piercings and tattoos liter her face and body. Her style reminds me a lot of Vanessa. The male had shaggy brown hair, and brown eyes. He had a piercing next to his eyebrow, like the girl next to him. They were hunched together in their own conversation, not realizing that they had company. The tension around them is thick.

Rick turns to face the woman in braids, "we can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water, and then send you on your way with your friends. But you're gonna have to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula."

She observes him, eyes following his body, before replying, "the supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with two pretty girls. These two say they know the one with blue hair." She motions to the other two in the room. "Had to stop 'em from going after them."

Surprised, Rick and I spin around, looking at the other two. "You know Vanessa?" Rick inquires.

The girl looks up at me, then back to Rick. Her dark eyes sad, "She's my best friend. My brother and I came down looking for her." Worry etched deep in her face. "I saw her as she left in that truck." She glances down. I watch as she wipes a tear from her eye.

The male next to her wraps his arm around her, "We will get Nessa back, Char."

What the hell happened to Vanessa? Glenn? Maggie?

Wait. Char? Best friend? I piece it together from the conversations I've had with Vanessa. Viewing her in a new light, "You're Charlee." Her eyes meet mine, nodding.

Vanessa's best friend came down from Ohio. Is she gonna take her back? Uncomfortable by the thought, I try to swallow it down.

"What happened?" Rick drags our attention back to our other guest.

"Were they attacked?" Hershel questions from behind me.

"They were taken." The girl with braids defiantly looks at the three of us.

I feel my body go cold. My heart skips a beat. Vanessa got kidnapped. I swear under my breath. Rick looks back at me for a second, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Taken? By who?" Rick's tone growing inpatient.

"By the same son of a bitch who shot me." She snaps, black anger swirling in her eyes.

"Hey, these are our people. You tell us what happened now!" Rick gets on her level, grabbing her, as I tighten the grip on my crossbow.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" She snarls.

I step forward, bringing my crossbow to her face, "You'd better start talking. You're gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound." Venom and the promise of violence drips into my tone. I need to get to Vanessa. I need to get to Glenn and Maggie.