"𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥."
It was a chant Madalyn Taylor told herself every day. Every day since the world ended. She didn't believe it most times, but if she said it enough times it had to come true at some point. Right?
"𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦."
...
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"They're here."
Those words had Madalyn running out of the house and down the road to the front gates. The Saviors couldn't be here yet. It was way too early. Negan had said a week, but it had only been four days now. But when she approached the front gates and saw Negan using his bat to take out a walker, she wondered why she believed he would stay true to his word.
She slowed to a stop and edged around the car parked at the front until she was only a few steps behind Rick. The Saviors had brought a load of trucks, presumingly to put half of their stuff in. Madalyn's hands clenched into fists while her eyes narrowed at Negan.
He was grinning. He was always fucking grinning. Did this man just find joy in everything?
Her hands itched to grab her knife or sword. Her gun would've been far more effective, but they had taken it from her when she was knocked out. She'd gotten all of her blades back, but she hadn't gotten her handgun back. The handgun Daryl had given her back at the prison.
Madalyn had been drowning in grief for days and she still was, but now, she was mad. Mad was probably an understatement. Pissed. Furious. Angry. So full of rage she wanted to run forward and drive her sword into Negan's chest, regardless of the consequences. But then... her eyes landed on Dwight, and all of her hatred was pointed directly at him.
The worst part was who was standing behind him.
Daryl.
Madalyn swore her heart skipped a beat. Daryl's face was bruised, his eye swollen. And he looked so... defeated. Whatever they had done to him, what they were still doing to him, it wasn't something that would leave his mind easily. Her heart ached to look at him, realizing he refused to look at her. His gaze was cast toward the ground or watching Rick, but he never once looked at her.
He had been kidnapped by these psycho Saviors and was now brought back to his home, and for what, punishment? Because Madalyn knew he wouldn't be staying.
Her nails dug into her palms, her gloves protecting her actual skin. She had told Dwight she was going to kill him, but she truly knew now that she was going to end his life. She was going to make him suffer just like he was making Daryl suffer.
She wanted to run over there right now to kill him, or just grab Daryl and shield him from all harm. But Negan's voice had her snapping back into reality, and she was still too scared of him to act out of line.
