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[ season two, episode eight ]
A flicker of fear rippled through the small group at the worrying sight of two strange men bursting through the bar's flimsy front doors. The overwhelming concern felt by the Atlanta group was not to the same extent and severity of that now coursing through Marley's blood like thick, bubbling, searing tar. It seeped into her stomach, pooling at the bottom of her gut until she felt positively sick.
She didn't like the look of the strangers. At all.
"I'm Dave," the slim-man introduced himself. He had taken a seat on a circular table in the far centre of the room that had been pushed aside slightly. "That scrawny-looking douche bag there is Tony."
Marley followed Dave's pointer finger. A plump-man was slouching on one of the bar-stools, shotgun propped up beneath his wide arm, a lopsided hat strewn over his head. He wore the largest shit-eating smirk Marley had ever seen in her life . . . and he didn't look all too friendly. False. False smile, false friendliness, false charisma. Not to mention, she also didn't like the way Tony's beady eyes lingered on her far longer than any of the others.
It made her skin crawl.
Tony leaned back and huffed a laugh.
"Eat me, Dave."
"Hey, maybe someday I will." Dave retorted. He reached for the shot Rick had poured him only a few moments prior. "We met on I-95 coming out of Philly. Damn shit-show that was."
Glenn huffed a short breath of laughter. He was relieved that these strangers did not show any signs of hostility. "I'm Glenn. It's nice to meet some new people."
Rick grabbed a shot from the bar and jutted his chin slightly in greeting. "Rick Grimes."
He passed the small glass of alcohol to Tony.
Dave swept his eyes across Marley expectantly, but she kept quiet. They didn't need to know her name. She didn't feel like sharing; it wasn't at all necessary. Friendship was not on her mind, and the chances were, it wasn't a prominent factor on these strangers' conscious either.
Still, Dave pointed at her, "You got a name, kid?"
She nodded. "I do."
The silence was supposed to be filled with an echo of the name she was assigned at birth, but Marley's lips stayed sealed. It was unexpected. She crossed her arms to prove the secrets he was seeking out were staying caged inside.
Dave chuckled lightly, a vibration that leapt away from his chest and disrupted the dust floating around the dimly-lit room. From the left-hand side of the bar, Tony watched Marley intently.
