Wilted

t h i r t y

Negan takes us back to Alexandria. From there he leads us to our own house. I glare at Carl, letting him know that I want an explanation for his little trip at somepoint.

When he nods and mouths 'I'm sorry' to me, and I only shake my head before turning my attention back to Negan. He puts Lucille against the glass of our door and begins to knock. After a moment, Olivia opens up; a look of shock lacing her face.

Negan waltzes into our home whistling, almost like he owns the place. I suppose he kind of does now. 

"Carl where's-" Olivia asks in a hushed voice. 

"Enid's fine." He cuts her off as Negan looks around our living room. 

"Great, great, great, great, great, great!" He says ecstatically before turning to face the three of us. "Where's Rick?" 

Olivia begins to stutter out an answer before Negan replies with "Don't care" in a sing song voice. 

"Where's Rick?" he repeats.

"Um, out scavenging for you." Olivia says timidly. 

"Cool," Negan says with a large grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "I'll wait."

"Um, he went out pretty far. They might not be back today." Olivia explains. "We're running really low on everything. Practically starving here."

"Starving?" Negan says with a bewildered look on his face. "You? By 'practically' you mean 'not really'." 

Olivia's face contorts, and she begins to cry and I stomp over in front of the woman facing Negan. 

"You're a real asshole you know that?" I snap looking the man with the bat straight in the eye. Olivia covers her face with her hands and turns around behind me.

Negan only ignores me and turns to face Carl with a chuckle. "Really? You people seriously don't have a sense of humor." Olivia continues sobbing behind me as Negan speaks to Carl more. "Especially the women, yeesh." 

He turns around once more and looks at Olivia who is still behind me and slowly composing herself. "Excuse me. What's your name again?"

"Olivia." She grits out putting her glasses back on her face. 

"Right, Olivia." Negan says reaching out and gently touching her arm. She tenses up and turns around slowly. "I am sorry for having been so rude to you just now. And it looks like I'm gonna be here for a while, awaiting your fearless leader's return. And if you'd like, I think it would be enjoyable to screw your brains out. I mean, if, you know you're agreeable to it-"

Olivia cuts him off by slapping him in the face. I gasp and look at Carl who seems to have the same reaction as me. Negan doesn't respond for a while, before leaning in to whisper into Olivia's ear.

I can't hear what he says, but judging by the look on Olivia's face, it was something disgusting. Negan then turns around and begins to speak louder, his voice echoing through the quiet house. "All right, well, I'm just gonna put my feet up and wait for my stuff to get here. Olivia, would you be a lamb and make us a little lemonade? I know I left y'all some of that good powdered stuff."

"Well, I'm supposed to be with-" Olivia is cut off by the man wearing leather. 

"Make it." He snaps. She looks towards me with almost pleading eyes and I nod. 

"It's okay Liv, I can stay." I say softly. 

"Make it, take your time. Make it good." Negan says before Olivia rushes out of our home. Then Negan turns around and looks at us with a grin on his face, my own is set with a scowl. 

"All right kids! Take me on the grand tour!" 

And thus, it begins. Once more Negan is in charge and we have no choice but to lead him around our home. It feels like he's mocking us, he wiggles his toes on our carpets, plays with the water faucets, uses Carl's dart board, and my heart stops once we reach Judith's room. 

"How about this one?" He asks reaching for the door knob. 

"It's just a water heater-" Carl sats trying to hide his baby sister.

"Are you serious, kid?" Negan asks opening the door. "Come on."

"Oh my," Negan says staring at Judith, handing Carl Lucille. The look on my fiancee's face is pure terror as the man who killed our family nears his little sister and picks her up. "Look at this little angel."

Judith whimpers once she's in the mans arms. Almost as if she knows the deeds and murders this man has committed. My blood boils and I want to do something, anything to get Judith out of his arms and into my own. It sickens me knowing that this murderer of a man has his hands all over the girl I consider my own sister. 

Negan carries Judith outside to our front porch where we sit on the rocking chairs and he observes the daily life of Alexandrian's. 

"This little girl is precious. " Negan says humming. I sit next to Carl, holding his hand as it grips my own. I rub my thumb over his knuckle in an attempt to calm him down, but I'm too on edge to even calm myself down. "Hey neighbor, why don't you come by later. We might grill out." 

I watch as one of our people walks across the street, looking back in shock at the sight before him.

"Oh, I like it here." Negan says. "Mm-hmm, I might just have to stay here. You know, I was thinking about what you said earlier, Carl. Maybe it is stupid. Keeping you and your dad alive. I mean, why am I trying so hard? Maybe I should just bury you both down in one of those flower beds. and then I could just settle into the suburbs. what do you think about that?"

He's speaking to Judith at this point, and when he's finished with his little monologue he presses a kiss to Judith's forehead and I stand up abruptly, feeling vomit rise in my throat. I hurry inside, breathing heavily as I race to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. 

I truly did think we had some sort of upper hand here. I was wrong though, Negan finding Judith just establishes that even further. I lean over the toilet and begin throwing up in a cold sweat. I hear voices come back inside and Negan's loud one echoes down the hall. 

"Better go find your girlfriend." He tells Carl. "I'd hate for her to miss dinner." 

Footsteps sound from down the hall and the bathroom door opens showing Carl from behind it. 

He kneels down beside me, holding my hair back as I continue puking into the toilet. "You okay?" He asks and I shake my head. 

"No." I mutter collapsing into his arms. "But you should be with Judith." 

"She'll be okay, he won't hurt her." He assures and I nod slightly as he presses a small peck onto my temple. 

"We don't have any control." I whisper. "He just keeps taking and taking and taking. We have nothing left, it feels as if he know's everything about us now." 

"I know," He whispers. "Trust me I know. But, we'll figure out something. I promise." 

"I hope so." I whisper looking at the closed door thinking about the man who is just beyond it and taking over our lives. "I really do."

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Word Count: 1232

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