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Ch. 1 - Curtain Raiser

We hit a series of bumps on the ride from Alexandria to the Savior's base. The only light in the back of the truck creeps through the crack in the door. I'm next to Daryl, resting my head on his shoulder.

"What do you think they'll do with us?" I ask him. He grabs my hand in his, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "Whatever they do, whatever they say, we'll get through it," he tells me. I nod even though he can't see. "We'll be home in no time," I say. The truck seems to slow, which is confirmed when we come to a halt. Multiple truck doors open and close, including the doors on our vehicle, shaking the truck slightly.

The back door of the truck swings open, exposing Daryl and me to harsh sunlight. We must have driven a few hours, because we were intercepted by the Saviors in the middle of the night. The two silhouettes in front of us become clear, Negan and a man with a nasty scar on the side of his face. Daryl told me his name is Dwight, and they met before Negan's curtain raiser. The pair shift their gaze to mine and Daryl's intertwined fingers. We release our grip.

"Well, well, well," Negan says, bending backward. "Aren't you two just adorable?" He pauses while grinning, showing his teeth. His face fell serious again as he said, "Now get the fuck out of my truck." Daryl slides himself toward the end of the truck before hopping down onto the gravel road. He turns towards me and extends his right hand. As I work toward the end of the truck and reach for his hand, Negan steps forward and pushes Daryl's hand down with his bat, Lucille.

"Nuh-uh-uh," Negan taunts, "allow me." He reaches out to me with his vacant hand, covered with a leather glove. I stare at his hand, look at him, then back to his hand before jumping out of the truck. "Get back in the truck," he snarls. I look at him and raise an eyebrow. "Now!" He adds sternly, smacking Lucille against the side of the truck. I climb back into the back of the truck, then turn around to face the exit once more. Negan emphasizes his extended hand, so I reluctantly take hold before exiting again, dropping it quickly. "That wasn't too bad, was it darling?" He chuckles.

We are quickly escorted to the entrance by a pair of Saviors. "This," Negan opens his arms, "is The Sanctuary." The Sanctuary? I think to myself, what next? Does he call his room 'The Chapel?' The fences are lined with walkers, accompanied by men in beige outfits with large orange letters on the front and back. As we pass by, I notice the men have large sticks and seem to be herding the walkers to specific stations.

We enter the large grey building and take in our surroundings. People are working, eating breakfast, walking around, and kneeling before Negan as we walk past. The Saviors lead us down a dim hallway with blue tile reaching halfway up the wall, met by a lighter blue paint. There are doors about 10 feet apart from each other. Negan opens one of the doors, shoving Daryl inside and down on the floor.

"Lookie there, Daryl! Your very own room," Negan grins. "Do you have anything to say?" Daryl keeps his head down and mumbles. Negan squats down at eye-level with Daryl, "what was that?" Daryl looks at him, muttering a disingenuous "thank you." Negan rises from his squat, slams the door, and yells "you are so welcome!"

We continue down the hall until we reach another door, just two down from Daryl. Negan unlocks and opens the door, gesturing inside. "I'm not pushing you," he says, "that's no way to treat a lady." I step inside the cell and turn to face Negan. "I don't believe I caught your name, sweetheart," he tilts his head quizically.

"Jade," I say after a beat.

He hums while leaning backward. "Jade," he whispers, "that is a beautiful name. Do you have anything you'd like to say to me, Jade?" I clench my jaw before offering him a quick "thanks." He closes the door in my face and locks it before his footsteps disappear along with his men.

I call out for Daryl, but he must not hear me as I get no response. I sit in the dark room and listen to the same song being played on a loop. I have to get out of here.