The Devils Daughter

56

"Stop!" I yell standing up and running over towards them, my sneaker slips on some gravels and I hit my knees on the ground just inches away. "No, leave him out of this. Take my arm. Take mine!" I beg.

"Fellows will you gracefully put my daughter back in the line." The men nod their heads as the drag my kicking and screaming body back to its original spot and plops me down. The place their guns across my chest holding me back from moving as I reach my hand out towards Carl.

"Please don't. Don't make me please." Rick says as he starts to sob, this was his breaking point. Rick has been broken. My dad just smiles, and bends down to face Rick as he continues to sob and beg.

"I know you're going to have to process that for a second. Still, I'm gonna need you to do it. Or these people die, then Carl dies. Then the people back home. Well.. they die. Then eventually you. I'm going to keep you breathing for a few years just to let it all sink in." I watch his lip twitch as he tries to hold back a smirk fighting its way onto his face.

I notice Michonne moving around in my peripheral vision, I watch her open her mouth then shut it. She shakes her head and finally speaks up, "You don't have to do this. We understand. We do. We understand." Her voice on the edge of breaking.

I watch my dad stare up at her still wearing a smile as he tortures us. "You understand. I'm not sure Rick does. I'm going to need a clean cut right there on that line." He laughs before he speaks again, "Now, I know this is a fucked up thing to ask but I'm going to need it to be a clean cut, salami style ya know? Forty five degree angle. Don't worry we have a good doctor the kid will be fine. Now hurry up. Chop chop."

Rick looks around before snot begins to pour from his nose from how much he's crying. "I-It can be me. It should.. It should be m-me." He sobs out as he looks around, as if there was someone who could possibly help him. We are all far too weak to even lay a finger on these people.

"See Rick now that's not going to work. This is the only way. Now pick up the axe. Not making a decision is a big decision. Do you really want to see these people die? You will." He says as he steps slightly on Carls back. 

"Dad! Fucking stop! Haven't you done enough? You prick!" I say grabbing the guns in front of me, I keep my grip as tight as I can as I stand up. "Let him go." I say sternly as I stare him down in the eyes.

His eyes never once leaves mine as he continues to talk to Rick. "Are you going to make me count? Fine." He says, Rick continues to beg and cry but my dad ignores his pleas not looking away from me once.

"Three." He says, I clench my jaw tightly, my knuckles already turning white from my grip I hold on the guns. A small breeze picks up blowing my hair slightly in front of me and covering my face.

"Two." Rick pleas become louder, his face mixed with blood, snot, and tears. Yet, my father doesn't let up, but neither do I. The sun finally begins to poke through the trees behind me casting my shadow in front of me.

"Here it comes. One." He whispers, I push the guns forward out of my way and run as fast as I could toward Carl. But before I could even make one more step I'm grabbed and pulled back to my spot.

"Dad. Just do it. Just do it." Carl mumbles as he lays his face against the dirt covered ground. Rick shakes his head as he faces the ground continuing to sob.

"You work for me, you provide to me, you answer to me, you belong to me." Dad says greedily, "Right?" He asks, Rick doesn't answer which makes my dads smile disappear as he scrunches his face up in anger. "Speak when your spoken to! Right?" He asks again.

Rick nods his head vigorously "R-right." He says, his voice on the verge of breaking off. Dad smiles and pats his back while laughing.

"That's the look I've been waiting for! I wanted to see it. We did it." He chuckles, "Even the dead guys on the ground. They get the spirit award." I scrunch my face up in disbelief. Disgusting. I start to say something but stop because I didn't want to make things worse.

"Today was a damn productive day!" He smiles, "Now I hope, for y'all's sake. You understand now, you understand how things work. Things have changed. Everything you was working for it's over. It's all over." He points at a man with a messed up face.

"Dwight." Dwight steps up on his command. He points over at Daryl. "Load him up. He's got guts. Not like some little... bitch I know. I like him." He pauses waiting for any reactions from us before continuing. "He's mine now."

"Dad please." I beg as I wipe my tears with my sleeve. "You've already taken so much from them just s-" He walks over and puts his finger to my lips cutting my sentence off.

"You'll speak when spoken to." He leans back up still wearing the same smile from before. "Welcome to the new beginning you sorry shits!" He walks slightly away from me. "I'm going to leave you a truck. Keep it. Use it to gather all the shit you're gonna give to me. We will be back for our first offering in a week. Don't disappoint." He closes his mouth and smiles. "Until then." He holds up his hands "Ta-Ta."

The men all stand up and make their ways to their trucks and cars. Dad holds his hand up and motions me to follow him. I stand up and wipe my hands on my already dirty sweats before pushing my hair behind my ears.

"No." Carl says standing up and grabbing my hand. "You took Daryl you're not taking Sarah too." He says as his grip tightens just enough to hold me in place. I pull my arm gently away, before my dad can come back towards us. "Sarah?" Carl asks hopelessly.

I jog a little to catch up to my dad, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and ruffles my hair while laughing. "That's my little bunny. Come on get it." He says as he opens my door. I turn back and look at Carl who was standing with his mouth hung open in betrayal.

"I'm sorry."