Shattered sights ( temporarily on hold)

Its a Cult

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"Stop! Stop." I cry, unintentionally. My palms pressed against the cold gravel. I shake my head, sucking on my lip. I shouldn't have said anything.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't hear you." Negan glides across the gravel, swinging the bat- flinging blood and brain around. Some splatter on the ground in front of me.

The rain drowns out everything but the sound of my heart as it plummets into my stomach and then my stomach drops too. I take a deep breath "I said stop. Ya asked for half our stuff. If I join ya , will y'all leave ma group alone? They don't gotta work for ya, they go free." I look up again. Rain slithers down my spine. He's to close for comfort. I can see the individual strands of hair in his hair line clearly.

"Half go free. But I'll stop." He bargains.

I shake my head. "They all go free. But we gonna give ya half. right now." I point a finger to the gravel. Bartering with him feels like making a deal with the devil himself.

A grin splits across his face, creasing his cheeks. "You, my dear have got yourself a deal." He holds out a hand offering it to pull me to my feet. I take it. Once on both feet the rest of the group rises slowly. All watching nervously. Their bags and other belongings are dumped across the gravel by the saviors. Into puddles and spraying blood.

"Which ones yours?" Negan bows His head to whisper in my ear. His hot breath raises the hair on my neck. "It's in ma truck. Sumwhere." point vaguely back into the trees. He nods. "I'll grab it after."

As the saviors begin to rifle through belongings and Negan strides around calmly whistling a cheery tune; I slide across the gravel to Mateo.

"Auntie D, can we trust him?" He hugs my stomach, the wet fabric sticks to his cold skin. I bend down to him. "We're gonna have to. I want ya to stay with someone, remember everything I taught-ya." I nod wiping the rain off his face. "You want to split up? What if I never see you again?!" He demands desperately, tears pooling in his eyes.

"Hey, what've I told ya bout 'em tears. They're pointless out here. I don't want ya to come with me because I don't know what they'll do to me. I won't risk them hurtin' ya. I'm gonna see ya again, they're never gonna keep us apart for long. Keep your radio ready. Midnight, every three days, channel six. Don't kill the battery."

"Let's go!" Negan shouts. I press a kiss to mateos head, then jog across the gravel to negans side. Splashing water up my already soaked jeans. He grins again.

"Welcome to the club." He jokes. I laugh, casting a backwards glance to Mateo. He stands frozen in the rain, watching me walk away from him.

"He your?" Negan asks me. His dark eyes cast on Mateo. I shake my head. "Nah, ma nephew." I admit, attempting to pry my denim jacket from my skin.

"He can come too. I may be trying to create a new world, but I won't split up family." Negan offers pointing the baseball bat back towards Mateo's fading shadow.

"Nah. I ain't gonna drag him into a mess I created. I've made my deal. I'll suffer the consequences." I growl. Negan stops, catching my soaked jacket as I continue walking.

"Stay." He orders. The saviors stop. We watch Negan March across the gravel, stomping through puddles as he goes to Mateo. They share a short conversation. Negan makes several large gestures, and waves the baseball bat a few times. I stand anxious, wishing I could tell Mateo to run. Run and never look back.

Negan pats Mateo on the shoulder. Mateo smiles uncomfortably up at Negan, then sprints through the rain to stand in front of me.

"Negan says I have to come. We'll escape auntie D. I promise." I squeeze him. Pushing mateos face into my shirt to prevent him from seeing the 'promise of a slow death glare' I send Negan.

Mateo pushes ahead while I wait for Negan to stop in front of me. "I didn't see anyone stepping up to claim the kid. These people are going to scatter the second we're gone. Your nephew won't stand a chance. I did you a favor."

I kick my toe into the mud.
"Thank you." I answer. He's right. I knew that from the start this group wasn't a whole. Mateo would have been left for dead in minutes. Or killed.

"Your welcome. Now come on. Let's go grab my truck." He wanders towards the trees, away from his men. I stop.

"We ain't goin' with them?" I point towards the dozen trucks fanned out between the trees. Their headlights make the rain glow.

"No. You said you're shit was in my truck. Let's go." He points the baseball bat towards the location I vaguely pointed to when he asked where my stuff was. But why is he calling my Truck his?

"Your truck? Sorry I don't think I heard you right." I shake my head. Does he think he owns my truck or somethin'?

"All you stuff belongs to me now. But I'll make it fair. You can earn your truck back. Work for it. Every job you do, you earn points. Like old world money." His tongue darts across his lips as he walks, dampening the dried skin. "I'm trying to keep the order. Keep the system. Break the rules there will be consequences.

"Rule number one. Do not harm another savior.  Don't kill, don't rape, don't assault. None of that shit flies. Rule number two, do your part, do it you earn points. Don't, you lose points. Rule number three. kids, most endangered thing on this planet. We need them, again harm them we're gonna have a problem. Rule number four. When I come into the room I expect you to get to your knees until I tell you otherwise. Rule number five. You are Negan," he claps his hands together. His wet leather gloves squeak and squeal against each other. "That it. Follow the rules, you can work your way up to the top, live like a queen. Break them, you will pay the price. That goes for you too kid." Negan points to Mateo.

I flatten my hair down the back of my neck. "Excellent, I joined a god damned cult." I grumble watching the soaking leaves.

Up only a few strides away, something rusts under the blanket of leaves. The single metal tooth protrudes from the earth. I knock my boot against mateos leg. Mateo stumbles to a stop as I grab Negan by the back of his leather jacket and shove him to the right. He stumbles backwards into a tree trunk.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He bellows as he regains his footing. He draw his bat backwards, lining up for the knock out shot.

I jump up, breaking a branch down from the same tree. I shove the stick into the middle of the trap and watch the jaws snap shut; breaking the stick with a satisfying crack.

"What I'm doing  is Savin ya from your own ignorance! Watch where ya walk. There's gonna be more. Y'all lucky parked ma truck closer, we might get out of here without anyone fixin' to loose a foot." I fume. Taking only one step I spin sharply on my heel. Pointing one, numb, pink finger at Negan. "We're even." I growl before continuing on my path to my truck.

Not only have a joined a cult, the leader is and ignorant narcissist. I'm going to die!