Greek Tragedy | Daryl Dixon

Chapter 12 | She Did This

In the days following Dale's death, things quietened down a bit as everyone moved into the house. Cassandra did not know whether from the grief or just because the group got tired of fighting. But it was nice to have peace. In honor of their old man's memory, Rick had decided to act as he would, working together to prove they were not broken and trying not to kill the living. In other words, Randall was still her charge to feed and water. She went to him every morning after breakfast at the farmhouse, after lunch and just before the group went to bed. So when, late afternoon on the day Daryl and Rick were going to take Randall out again, she got a visitor to her job, she was not at all prepared.

"Here," Cassandra said gently as she held a cup of water to Randall's lips. "Drink this."

The captive said nothing and obeyed the kind girl as usual; he was parched. It seemed no one else was willing enough to go near the boy they had captured in town except for her. So, under her own steam, the red-haired girl had brought a glass of water and some pieces of toast to their 'guest' every morning in the week since Dale's tragic demise. And every morning, without fail, Randall kept talking to her. He kept telling her how nice she was compared to everyone else. She knew what he was doing, of course: trying to get her on side to release him. She was aware and was immune to his charms and the boy was only just beginning to realize she might not actually be his way off the farm.

This particular morning was the day Rick and Daryl were to take Randall back out and leave him to fend for himself. It was his last meal in this shed and today he wasn't particularly talkative.

"Look, Randall," she started as she took the cup from his lips. "I know you've been trying to cozy up to me and I get it. But they're gonna let you go today so it doesn't matter. You'll be fine if you play it smart. Believe it or not, I was in exactly the same position when I got here."

"You were?" He turned to face her, going by the sound of her voice from the blindfold over his eyes.

"Yep. And Shane was still an asshole." Randall chuckled a little at that. "He wanted me dead same as he does with you now. Course, the circumstances were a bit different but they won't kill you just for being there. Rick's taking you back out again today."

"Thanks, that's nice to hear." He paused for a second before stuttering a bit more fearfully. "I-is Shane coming too?"

"No," she reassured him. "No Shane this time."

The sound of the door opening and closing behind her caused Cassandra to turn around. She stood when she saw Shane standing in front of the door, his back to her as he locked it behind him. That was odd.

"Are Rick and Daryl ready to take him?" She asked, confused; it was so early in the day. "Shane?"

He said nothing as he turned back around. She sighed and assumed he wanted another beating session with the prisoner and, knowing better than to deny the volatile man, she picked up the plates and headed towards the door.

"Well, I don't know why you locked it. I'm not gonna stay and watch while you beat on him again."

But as she reached the door, Shane hadn't moved to let her pass. He just stood there staring her down.

"Shane?" She said, a slight tremor in her voice. He rolled his neck as if relieving an ache then fixed her with a particularly vicious glare. "What's going on?"

Without a word, the big man reached into his back pocket and retrieved what looked to be a dirty rag and a 3-foot piece of bailing twine. He stepped forward abruptly, causing the girl to stumble back a step only to be stopped by Shane's grip on her upper arm.

Cass realized she was in danger and lurched towards the ladder into the barn loft. Carl had gotten in that way, maybe she could get out. Halfway up a fire erupted in her scalp as Shane tangled a fist in her curls and yanked her down. The girl landed with a crash on her back, wheezing for breath. It was in that moment that Shane towered over her and came down, shoving the rag into her gasping mouth and wrapping the twine tightly around her head twice. She grunted and grappled with his big hands as he pulled her up, keeping her facing away from him with the ends of the rope rather than tying them together behind her head.