Arrowhead ➳ Daryl Dixon

n i n e t e e n

Six days past.

Presley sat against the wall of her bedroom, anticipating the day. Stefan hadn't been all that thorough with his instruction, but he did inform her that somebody would be meeting her on the other side of the grocery story; hidden from the party.

She was nervous, thinking of all the things that could go wrong. She tried to assure herself that it would all work out, but she didn't know for sure.

Worse came to worse, she knew she would have to get Mika out of there before herself. She closed her eyes, mentally scolding herself for her own selflessness. Her father would have been both proud and ashamed of some of her choices.

"Please let this work." She pleaded to whoever was listening. Whether it was the Ghosts or a God, she prayed that somebody would get her out of this mess.

- - -

The party couldn't come fast enough. The girl anxiously paced her room, running her fingers through her black tendrils of hair so frantically she was afraid it would all fall out in clumps.

At last, somebody entered her room. She turned to face the man, and then stopped. It wasn't the Governor- it was the man she had beaten. She had found out his name was Marcus. His eyes glared at her, raging. He came into the room, but kept his distance from the girl.

"Wear this." He dropped an article of clothing onto the ground, followed by a pair of shoes. "Governor's orders."

"You look like you've been hit by a train." She remarked. He glared when she smirked at him.

"You're lucky he has you reserved for yourself." He spat. "Otherwise I'd have your head dangling out the window right now."

She smiled again, bitterly. "Good luck with that." With that, he stomped out of the room, leaving Presley to change. She approached the article of clothing, a frown creasing her features. It was a small red dress, quite short and appearing quite tight. She didn't want to wear it, but she feared the consequences. She changed into the clothing, wishing she had a mirror to look at herself. She could see her breasts pooling out, creating a fine line of cleavage. The dress wasn't as short as she thought, coming down to about the middle of her thigh. It hugged her curves, making them appear even more dramatic.

"Gross." She muttered as she looked at the simple black flats. She would be running today- she knew that. She frowned when she saw a black purse she had looked over. When she opened it she was surprised to find a small note.

There's sneakers and a long coat under the box next to the grocery store. You'll know when to grab Mika.

-S

The letter was short and brief, and directly to the point.

Presley leaned down and moved her pillow, looking at the sharp shard of glass she had saved from the mirror. She knew it would come in handy tonight, otherwise she would have repeatedly used it to cut out the Governor's eye. She wanted revenge, but she knew that there would be a right time for that. She raised her chin as she dropped the shard of glass into the purse. Moments later, a man came into the bedroom. Not Marcus.

- - -

"Be a good girl tonight, Presley." The governor cooed in her ear. She hated the way her name rolled off her tongue. It disgusted her. He disgusted her. She closed her eyes, holding back a sharp remark. She couldn't afford to mess anything up tonight.

She had to get out.

"Presley!" A voice exclaimed, making the girl turn around. Mika ran at her, dressed in a white floral dress. Her hair was tied up with a ribbon. She looked so... Innocent.

"Mika." She said softly, crouching to embrace the small girl. Fear reflected in her small eyes when she looked at the Governor. Her eyes ducked to avoid eye contact with the man.

Presley stood, but the small girl still grasped her hand. Presley stole a glance at the Governor, but he was busy looking elsewhere. "Behave." He said without looking them as he marched off. Automatically, Stefan appeared at her side. Her eyes glistened under the white Christmas lights they had draped off the buildings.

"Get me out of here." She whispered, only loud enough for Stefan to hear. He said nothing, simply guided her around the party in silence. Mika clung to Presley desperately, shying away whenever a stranger got too close.

The women looked at Presley in fear, knowing what she had done to Marcus single handedly. The girl held her head high, making eye contact with every one of them she caught staring. They would hold her gaze for a while before turning away, pink splattering over their cheeks. Not many could ever beat her in a staring contest- not even ignorant males.

"Just a while longer." Stefan whispered, turning to speak to one of the men. Mika tugged on her arm, eyeing Stefan with a worried expression.

"Who is he?" She asked, eyes wide with worry.

"A friend." She said simply, giving the small girl a comforting squeeze with her hand. She angled her eyes towards Stefan, who was carefully eyeing his watch. Oddly enough, she found the way his forehead creased to be adorable. His brown eyes met hers, and comfort swept through her. He looked at her with a smile.

He mourned the word she had been waiting for all night.

Go.