Renegade |Negan|

Prologue: Oh, Mama

I was in my Junior year of high school when the world went to total shit. I had a part time job as a waitress in Richmond Virginia,  and I had already started to look into colleges. Of course, none of that mattered when walkers broke into my house and took everything from me. It was a good thing that beforehand, I'd started taking lessons on self defense, just a few, but they helped.

I awoke to someone shaking me awake and immediately shot up, ready to punch whoever it was in the face. I felt my heart relax as I saw that it was just my father, and smiled at him a little. I had no idea what was going on in the outside world.

"Hey, dad," I said quietly, rubbing my eyes before stretching. We had always been a close family, me, him, and mom. He looked worried, terrified even as he looked around. "What's going on?" I asked after a quick moment and he cleared his throat.

"Listen to me close, honey. I need you to run to the safe and grab as many weapons as possible. Then I need you to pack a bag, nothing much, just essentials. When you're done, hide under the bed and don't come out until you hear me tell you to. Understand?" he asked to make sure I knew what I was doing. I quickly nodded in understanding and he nodded, walking to the door. He very slowly turned the knob, careful not to make a sound. I didn't know what was going on, but I did know that if dad was being careful, then I needed to be extra careful.

He looked out the door and after a quick moment, walked out, urging me forward to go to the safe while he himself walked to the main floor of our house. I stopped focusing on him as I got to the safe, reaching above it to get the code before imputing it. It unlocked and opened and I grabbed as many weapons as could fit in my arms before making my way stealthily back to my room. I threw them in a bag and pushed them under the bed, then emptied my book bag and packed it with clothes and other things, along with a cassette tape my mom had given to me when I was younger, her favorite playlist. I then grabbed a pair of fingerless leather gloves I'd received for Christmas and my uncles dog tags, putting them on and tucking the tags in my shirt before pushing my other bag under the bed. Before I could get fully under the bed myself, I heard slow footsteps outside my door.

My breathing hitched in my throat as I quickly slid under my bed, covering my mouth to muffle the sound of my breathing. The door opened and in walked someone. I couldn't see anything but bare, pale and gross looking feet. It took me a moment before I realized that I recognized the pajamas they were wearing.

"Mom?" I breathed out and their footsteps immediately stopped. My eyes widened as she got on her knees and looked under the bed, except it wasn't the mom I remembered.

Her skin was bloodied and there were what looked like bites almost all over, specifically a big one on her cheek that was still bleeding. Her eyes were pale and bloodshot along the ridges of the iris's. Her hair looked greasier than most hair should. She made what sounded like inhumane growls and I felt myself reaching for the weapons to defend myself as I let out frightened squeals and screams. Instead, I accidentally pushed them out from under the bed.

She began reaching her arm under, reaching for me as I backed up. If I tried to reach for the weapons now, I'd surely be caught. She began climbing under to get to me, and I didn't have time to get out from under.

Before she could get to me, however, someone grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her back out. I then saw a knife go straight clean through her skull and my eyes widened as I covered my mouth to keep from letting out a scream.

"Don't touch our daughter." I heard my dad's voice as he gently kicked my mom's broken body away from my bed after taking his knife back. "Lou? It's okay, you can come out now." he said, his voice softer this time and I nodded though he couldn't see. I crawled out from under the bed, pushing my bag out and grabbing it before straightening up. I tried not to show my fear as I looked up at my dad, but I knew the horror must've been all across my face.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked fiercely, swallowing my fear.

"The end."

Oh, Mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law.
Law man has put an end to my running and I'm so far from my home.
Oh, Mama, I can hear you a cryin'; you're so scared and all alone.
Hangman is comin' down from the gallows and I don't have very long.