Fighting for our Future {TWD Daryl Dixon}

29: Intervention

Two Months Later

"I'm sorry... I'll try harder to find them next time." I apologized to Hudson for not being able to find more cigarettes for him while I was on my last run. I was originally happy I couldn't find them, because him having them only meant me getting burnt with them more. However now that he doesn't have those cancer sticks on hand, he'll have to find another way to hurt me. And I know it'll hurt like hell.

"I asked for one little thing Nora! I bet you did find them! You probably gave them all to that husband of yours and his brother." Hudson accused while wrapping a hand around my neck.

"I d-didn't." I managed to choke out as his grip got tighter around my throat. 

"What did I tell you about lying to me?" He asked me in an evil voice.

"I'm no-" My words were cut off when he tightened his grip again.

"Or maybe you didn't bring some back because you're tired of hiding the burn marks I give you from your husband?" I shook my head as much as I could while being choked. I was tired of hiding the new scars from Daryl though. It's hard hiding something like that from the man who has seen every inch of my body. He knows when something wasn't there before.

The last two months have been hard. At least twice a week Hudson has been tormenting me like this. Originally Hudson wasn't after me much. All of this started with him only wanting me to talk to Gwendolyn more, and not get them kicked out. However it has evolved into how it used to be growing up. Now if I just look at him wrong, I'll be punished.  

Now I have warning if he wants to punish me. He'll send Gwendolyn to find me, and have her be the bearer of bad news. We now have a meeting spot. Cell block A. Death row. Cell thirty. We cleared it out a while ago, but nobody ever wanted to go into that block because of what it was. I don't blame them, I want desperately to be out of this block.

You probably think I'm crazy for letting this continue to happen, but if you remember the threat Hudson made two months ago, that he will hurt my kids.... That's still true. In fact his threat has gotten worse. It went from if he gets kicked out he'll hurt them, to if I tell anyone or if I don't show up to receive my punishment then he'll do it to the kids, and I can't let that happen.

I've thought of letting Daryl know many times what's going on. I know he would put a stop to it. But how fast would he stop it? Would he be able to stop Hudson before he reaches Soph or Sebastian? That fear is what keeps this happening, and Hudson knows that. Growing up I had nothing to lose, so I tried to fight back. But now, I have everything to lose.

He threw me to the corner of the cell we were currently in, and stomped his way over to me while pulling something out of his pocket. It was a roll a duct tape. "I learned from last time that no matter how many times I tell you not to, you still scream. This will muffle you so I don't need to worry about anyone hearing."  He ripped off a piece of tape, knelt down on the floor in front of me and placed it over my mouth. "Good now-"

"Mae?" Daryl called out. Shit! How'd he know I was in here?  "Mae, ya in here?"

Hudson glared at me and pulled his knife out of his waistband, and sat down beside me. He placed a finger over his mouth to tell me to keep quiet. He then held his knife to my throat as an added threat to make sure I stay quiet. 

We are in a cell up the stairs and furthest from the door, but because of how empty this cell block is, I can hear everything going on downstairs. Daryl isn't alone.

"Are ya sure she came in here little brother?" Merle asked. 

"Don' know. Thought I saw her come in." I could hear the worry in Daryl's voice. I've been going on a lot of 'Midnight walks' lately, and everytime I get back from them Dare can tell something is wrong with me. I try to assure him that I'm okay, but he knows I'm not.