Day's End [ABANDONED]

Liar, Liar

Rose's eyes fluttered open, and the pain from her wound rushed back raw and anew. She heaved herself up from her place on the floor with a grunt, placing a hand on her side for stability. The woman raised her shirt and braced herself for what she might see; a bloody bandage wrapped around her stomach.

Rose lifted the bandage and studied the stinging bullet hole. "I don't think you want to be messing with that, Rose," a voice sounded.
Her head whipped up, and, panting, she caught sight of a strange man. "Who are you? Where am I?" Rose asked, wildly looking around her cell like a cornered animal.
"You're in good hands. For now, at least."
"How do you know my name?" She brought her knees up to her chest, which brought a new wave of pain.
"A friend of yours, if he's not lying. We have him."
"Who? Who do you have?"
"His name is Sidney, correct? I believe he'll be just fine here. He did take my fancy, after all."
"Sidney?" Rose lurched forwards to the cell bars and looked up at the man. "Why am I in here? Where is Sidney?" Her voice grew more panicked by each word she spoke.
"He, like you, is in good hands. He has found his father."
"His father? I thought his father was gone.."
"Doesn't feel good to be lied to, does it?" The man mocked.
"Lying?" Rose's grew raspy in desperation. "Sidney wouldn't lie to me!"
"Wouldn't he?" The man backed away from the cell bars and, taking one last glance at Rose, whispered, "Think about it," before exiting the cold, dark room.

Rose shivered and sunk back into the cell corner; the men had taken her jacket and weapons. Fragile light streamed through a small window just outside the cell's bars; barely enough to alight anything but dust that floated through its path. A rattling noise alerted Rose, but it came from the darkness; she beat on the bars, which uttered another rattle and a groan.

From the darkness burst a hand into the light, stained with old blood and flesh torn off to reveal some of the bone. It scratched the concrete floor, leaving subtle marks before retracting back into the dark.

Sidney rejected their father's advances, pushing him roughly away. "Sidney what has gotten into you?"
"You abandoned me and left me to die, and I would have died if it weren't for Rose! I want to go see her!"
"You can't right now, Sidney. She's wounded and needs help."
Sidney bit their father's arm that had been wrapped around themselves as a restraint and shouted, "She's only wounded because of you fuckers!"
"Sidney! Don't you-"
"Actually, Mr. Ross, your son is free to go visit her, but, being yourself, I'm sure you'd like to accompany them?"
"Of course, yes. Sidney, let's go," the father gently grabbed Sidney's arm and redirected them.

Sidney, however, yanked their arm out of the other's grasp and walked on ahead, even if they didn't know where they were going. Their father's large stride helped him catch up with his son, but he didn't dare to speak to them now. "In here, Sidney. I think they put her in here." After a pause, he added, "Her name was Rose, right?"

Sidney ignored him and barged into the room, exclaiming upon the sight of her, "Rose!"
Rose shuffled up to the bars. "Sidney! Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?"
"That one asshole kick me a bunch of times, but yeah. Did they hurt you?"
"No. Other than the gunshot wound, I think I'm fine."
"Sidney watch out!" The man shouted, pushing the youngster out of the pouncing walker's grasp.
"What the hell? Why are there walkers in here?" Sidney demanded. Thankfully, the chain around the walkers neck flung it back to the wall.
"I don't know, son, but you two need to move quickly."
"Why? What for?" Sidney questioned, frazzled by the swift man.
"I'm getting you two out of here. This is where we usually put wounded," he paused and continued with a bit of remorse, "to turn them. I have the keys to this cell, being the only one with medical experience, in case something happens to the brain."
"Then hurry! Get her the hell out of there!" Sidney urged.
The man finally managed to unlock the door despite his shaking hands, and Rose wasted no time in hobbling herself out.
"Are you okay? Are you sure you can walk?"
"I think so," Rose grunted, pain wracking her side. "But we have to move slowly for my sake."
"Yeah, sure."
Rose looked up at the man. "What's your name?"
"Joseph. Joseph Ross."
"I'm Rose; Rose Tristen."
"When you're out," Joseph put his hands on Rose's shoulders, "take good care of my son."
"Of course. It's what I've been doing since I met them," Rose assured with a smile.
"I can tell. Thank you, Rose, for everything with Sidney."
"Not a problem, Joseph."
"You two should go on now; I'll keep watch for you."
Rose looked back from the doorway Sidney was all-too-eager to get through and said, "Thank you," before being rushed out by Sidney who didn't bother to say a word.

Rose held onto Sidney's hand as she creaked open a door to a room. Evidently, the man inside noticed and spoke, "Someone there?" He got up and strolled towards the door, and Rose jumped up and pushed him against his desk at just the right moment.