The Anti Hero ⥤ Rick Grimes

[9] Isolation

"Anything? You agree to do anything in order to get out of here?" Tarzan questioned. I blinked, taking in a deep breath. My lip quivered as tears prickled at the corners of my eyes.
"Yes." I broke out into more sobs. "Anything." I closed my eyes, shaking violently. I feel Tarzan wrap his arms around me, hugging my empty shell of a body whilst lifting me up.
"Then I think we can come to an agreement."
I was carried, like a rag doll in his arms. My body was too weak to move.
When everything stopped moving, I was placed on a couch. In a bedroom.
"First things first, who do you belong to?" Tarzan asked, sitting down beside me. He turned, so that he was facing me.
I didn't answer, trying to catch my breath.
"Me. You belong to me."
I stared at the wall, my lips sewn shut.
"Say it." He growled.
Days and days in solitude had ruined me. It was going to keep ruining me. This was about survival.
"I belong to you."

Rick left me and I shifted my place, staring into the forest in front of me. When the black silhouette of the trees became an endless void, I stood.
Rick wanted me to stay- so I'd stay...

I walked along the dirt, using one of my feet to pry off the boot from the other one. I then took my other boot off. The soil beneath my feet was damp- and my toes wriggled around in it. I entered the forest, grazing my fingers against the tree's. There were countless times when I'd been in the forest- so close to the moment I left Rick after Joe and his group had attacked them. Then there were times a lot more sinister. Like my first time running from Tarzan. I hid beneath the trees and sheltered myself within them- but it was never enough. I found Cal, one of Tarzan's sidemen, in the woods. Or rather, he found me. That was the first time I tried to escape. I say tried because I'm still not sure whether I'm free yet. When I found Cal out here I feared myself more than him- because I knew there was no limit of what I would do to stop Cal from telling Tarzan my location, or to stop him from taking me back. I would have done anything.

But it wasn't then that I was really desperate. That I really would have done anything. It was when Tarzan caught me and put me in isolation that I was desperate. Everyday I longed to lie down on the dirt, surrounded by towering trees. Instead, I lied on a cold hard floor, with darkness surrounding me.

Rick Grimes wanted me to stay- so stay I would. But before I could really be in his group- I had to know, deep within myself, that I was free.

I lied down on the dirt, my shirt rising to show the bottom half of my torso, the breeze hitting me. I spread out into a star, staring at the sky. The moon.

"Hurry. He's coming out now."
"Quickly. Be quiet."
"Don't make a sound."

I leaned forward, staring down the dirt trail I followed, squinting my eyes in the direction of the voices.
"Damn. I was hoping for a girl."
"He'll do. Hurry, grab him."

I shuffled back, staring at the small group of people standing barely visible to my eyeline. They weren't talking about me either. They were staring at the church.
"Why don't we just kill them all right now?"
I enlarged my eyes, backing up further, until my back hit a tree. I stood, clenching my hands into a fist. As I went to step back, my foot became entangled in a tree root, and I fell.

I must have been loud. Of course I was- because the group were now all staring at me.
"Is it a dead one?" They questioned. There were more of them than I could possibly take on.
"No! You idiot. It would be coming after us by now."
A second passed- and they all began sprinting in my direction. I turned around, yanking out my foot and sprinting too. I ran as fast as I could, dodging tree's and ditches.
They were further behind with each step- and I continued to run. No way I was dying tonight.
I entered a clearing, and sprinted through the streets of a small bundle of houses. I kept running- zigzagging through the back of houses. I made my way to the end of the town, trudging into the woods outside of it. I peered behind me, letting out a gasp when I saw I was no longer being followed. When I went to step forward- my foot went straight into a hole- and I fell down into it. I hit my head on a rock- and immediately everything went black. The darkness only lasted for a second - and the sound of dead men shook me awake. No- just one, and it was limping straight for me. I took out my knife, stabbing the walker and letting it fall on top of me. I lied there- with the heavy walker on top of me.

I don't know how long I was there- but by the time I crawled out from underneath the walker, the sky was a lighter shade. The sun was rising. I squinted my eyes, staring at the bottom of the pit. A large net was draped on the inside of the hole. This wasn't just a ditch in the ground- it was a trap.

I sagged against the wall, reaching for the top. It was over my head. Of course it was. Who wants their prey to escape?

I opened my mouth to scream but shut it, my heart beating faster at the sound of walkers. This time, more than one.
Then I heard something incredibly weird.
Music, loud music. It began circulating in the pit, blaring from some source. I cursed to myself, running to the far end of the pit, following the sound. I dug my hand into the dirt, wrapping it around the circular item and pulling it out of the dirt. I threw the speaker onto the ground, stomping onto it. Plastic flew everywhere as the music abruptly stopped.
"Fuck my life." I cursed, taking out my knife. I usually tried to keep my swearing to minimum- but honestly? I was in shits creek.

Four or five walkers came tumbling into the pit. I stood still, gripping my knife and watching as they picked themselves up and went for me.
The first walker grabbed at me- and I killed it. The second too- but more and more kept coming.
I shut my eyes for a second- backing up.
What do I do? I can't take all of them on?

I go to take the third walker but it falls- along with the sound of gunfire. I slide down, shielding my face from the bullets.

When they were all dead on the floor, I turned to look at the man on top of the ditch, pointing a gun at me.
I let out a panicked breath, feeling the blood rush to my face. I gulped, his name sliding off the top of my tongue as easy as butter on a frypan.

"Cal."