"In my darkest hours I had a choice to make. I could be a victim or a victor." Wynonna Judd
(PRESENT)
"Ellen."
"El."
"Hey, come on, everything's gonna be okay."
"Ellen, wake up, come on."
"Shit."
Ellen felt a rough grip on her shoulders, shaking her awake. Pain seared through her entire body. All the blood in her hands seemed to seep downwards, rendering her temporarily immobile, the circulation in her wrists cut off by her shackles.
"Ellen... Are you...?"
Ellen winced when she felt the harsh shaking again. She felt the heat building up in her eyes and she sobbed.
When she opened her eyes, she realized she could barely see out of them, as her face had been beaten badly.
"Hey!"
She clumsily struggled to move, to get away from her assailant, but slipped on the puddle of blood beneath her bare feet, wincing when the chains tore at her arms and confined her to her spot. She hung there limply, completely helpless.
The tears poured from her eyes and she winced at the salty pain they caused.
"Just kill me already you fucking bastard!" she screamed.
"El, you're okay, it's me. I'm bustin you outta here."
Ellen whimpered when she felt something jerking on her shackles, bumping at her raw wrists. She opened her eyes to see what was tugging at her chains, but blood clouded her vision, caked and matted to her eyelids.
Suddenly the entire ground was ripped out from beneath her and she grunted when she hit the cold, hard floor.
"Shit, sorry. Hey, it's gonna be okay," a soft, rough voice grumbled.
She trembled, and tried to wipe her eyes, knowing the effort was futile. Her breath hitched in her throat when she actually was able to touch her face. The shackles around her wrist fell to the ground with a thud.
"Can you walk? We gotta move, we don't have a lot of time."
A sudden warmth draped itself over her body. When she opened her eyes, she felt more tears burst through.
Daryl, the man from Alexandria, crouched in front of her, wrapping a large flannel around her shoulders. He had dirt and heavy bruises covering his face, and his tired eyes darted around the room, a hunted look in them.
"Daryl, you need to get out of here. If he catches you in here, he'll kill you," she sobbed.
"I'm not leaving you," he growled. "Can you walk?"
Trembling and shaky, Ellen used him as a crutch as she struggled weakly to her feet. To her dismay, they fell out from under her. Daryl caught her before she could stumble to the ground, wrapping one arm around her for support.
Before they exited the room, Ellen sniffled heavily. "Wait. My gloves."
Daryl met her eye and wordlessly nodded, scooping them up and stuffing them in his pocket.
"Hey, what are you--" Ellen protested for a second, as he reached down again and she was hoisted into his arms.
"This'll be quicker," he stated quietly, peeking around the door.
YOU ARE READING
Outcast (A TWD Fanfiction)
Horror(DarylxOCxNegan) A medium prior to the apocalypse, aggressive outsider Eleanor has always had an abnormal connection with the dead. But in this new world, Ellen is forced to rely on her survival skills and nerve to withstand another monster entirely...
