"I've done things," Charlie said, looking up into his eyes full of disappointment. "Things that I am not proud of. But everything I've done, I've done to survive...And I did. I survived."
"And are you happy?" Daryl asked, using all his power to stop...
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song: Tom Odell - Another Love
The first rays of dawn pierced through the trees, casting an eerie light on the horrific scene. The forest was still, the air thick with a silence that felt unnatural, as though the world itself was holding its breath. Charlie knelt on the cold, hard ground, her knees aching from the pressure, but her mind barely registered the discomfort. Her eyes were glued to the earth in front of her, unwilling to take in the full scope of the carnage around her.
Her gaze flickered briefly to what remained of Glenn, and she felt something inside her break. Abraham's bold, defiant words still echoed in her ears—the last remnants of his unbreakable spirit. A sob threatened to rise in her throat, but she swallowed it down, too terrified and exhausted to cry. Her body felt like it was betraying her, but the fear had drained all the energy from her bones.
The distant rumble of an engine echoed through the still forest, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned slowly, her body numb as she watched the familiar silhouette of the RV appear from between the trees. Her heart sank like a stone. Negan was back.
Rick stumbled out of the RV, pushed roughly by Negan. His face was pale, his eyes hollow—he looked like a man who had been to hell and back. Negan followed him, swinging Lucille over his shoulder with a smirk that twisted Charlie's stomach.
"Miss me?" Negan called out, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. His eyes swept over the group like a predator surveying its prey, the gleam of satisfaction sickening. "This trip was about the way you looked at me. I wanted you to understand," Negan said to Rick, shaking his head. "But you're still looking at me the same damn way... like I shit in your scrambled eggs. That's not gonna work. Should I give you another chance?"
Rick's broken voice answered, "Yeah... Ye-Yes."
Negan's grin widened as he gestured with Lucille. "All right. And here it is... the grand-prize game. What you do next will decide whether your crap day becomes everyone's last crap day or just another crap day. Get some guns to the back of their heads."
Charlie dropped her gaze to the blood-soaked earth beneath her knees. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of her head, the metal biting into her skin. The sensation should have terrified her, but all she felt was a numb, hollow coldness. Glenn was dead. Abraham was dead. What more could they do to her?
