Penance (Book One): Daryl Dixon x Sage Wilson

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A carousel spins in front of me. It's lights were slowly flashing, blinding my vision.

All around me were roller coasters, some sort of amusement park. But each one of them were shut down. Why was the carousel not?

The horses on the carousel were made of cheesy ceramic, and the music was like a lullaby.

What is this?

I step closer, the lights on the ride starting to get faster and faster, along with the horses themselves. It picks up in speed, the horses now becoming impossible to clearly see. It was a dangerous speed for a carousel.

Suddenly, the yellow flashing lights glow red. Bright red. I look up to see blood dripping down the ride, as if it was under a blood shower.

I step back, unsure of what I was seeing.

"Who's here!" Someone surely had to be here.

The ride whirs as it spins even harder, the blood now splattering everywhere.

I turn around, starting to run. I needed to get out of here.

The same exact carousel appears again.

"Hello, Sage." I squint inside of the bloody mirage, and see a familiar face. One I cannot point out.

I step closer. "Who the fuck are you?"

The figure steps closer, revealing a face I never wanted to see again. He was wearing torn clothing, and was covered in blood from head to toe.

"It's me, you fucking bitch!" The man steps closer and closer, my body falling onto the concrete as I crawl backwards.

"Stop!" I yell. This can't be real, or can't. He's dead, he's dead.

"I'm going to come back and feed you to the dead myself- that is, after I have a little fun." Mickey stares straight down at me, a height and dominance difference I have succumbed to over the years.

I could feel my chest tighten, and my heart was climbing up my throat with each breath. Mickey reaches down, his hands in a familiar position to strangle.

I turn my head; I needed to escape, but my mind was caving in on itself inside of this nightmare. I feel hand snake around my neck, the pressure slowly applying harder and harder.

"Sage, hey!" I startle awake, holding my throat and trying to catch breath that never escaped.

Daryl was patting my cheek, trying to wake me up for lord knows how long.

"What the hell was that?" I gasp, leaning into the shelf and sliding against the floor. My body felt like mush, like it ran a marathon of some sort. I close my eyes, trying to pray it was just a dream I'd forget in a matter of minutes no matter how hard I try to remember.

"You had some sort of nightmare; been tryna wake you up for five minutes. You were kicking, screaming.. the whole deal." Daryl flips over and sits next to me, his hands rested on his knees with his head up as he lifts a cigarette out of a carton.

"Let me have one of those," I gesture to the small rolled paper, and he gives me a small look of confusion.

"Thought you don't smoke?" He questions as he hands me a cigarette.

"Yeah, well maybe it's good for my health now." I put the cigarette in my mouth and lean it over the flame Daryl provided.

My lungs inhale the all too familiar hazy smoke, a burning feeling traveling down my body. I close my eyes, my chest still tight from the nightmare and my heart rate still trying to maintain a steady pace.

Would I ever be able to escape you Mickey?