BATTLEFIELD

Chapter 1: Flashbacks

⚠️⚠️⚠️TRIGGER WARNING!! ⚠️ ⚠️⚠️
Mention of self-harm, drugs, alcohol, and mental health.
I love every single one of you!

Rhea Knight

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I see something I swore I'd never become. Damaged. Broken. Lost.

"You lied to me!"

I close me eyes. Dean...

"You were my best friend!"

I let out a sob. Paige...

"How could you do this to us?!"

I sniffle. AJ...

"We promised we could tell each other anything!"

Seth...

I open my eyes and see myself in the mirror. I didn't like who I saw. It wasn't me. She's a clone.. a destroyed clone of myself.

"We weren't friends! We were blood! We grew up together... Why didn't you just talk to me?!"

Roman...

I let out a cry as I punch my mirror.

"Octavia?!" Dad calls.

"I'm fine, dad!" I call back.

"Octavia, open the door." My mom says.

I open the door.

"Octavia." My mom gasps at my hand.

They get to work on my hand. Dad hands me my medication.

After that day, I fell back into some bad, dark, old habits that I was in, in high school. The same habits that my father and wrestling saved me from... Cutting, drinking, starving myself, and drugs,

I also found out that I have post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder.

I take my medication and then dad lifts me up in his arms. I hug his neck.

"You lied to me, you stupid whore!" Dean yells in my face then hits me with Dirty Deeds.

I sob and cling to my dad. He shushes me and cuddles me into his chest. I sniffle.

"It's gonna be okay, Octavia." He says.

"No it's not. How can I go back after that?" I ask.

My dad stays silent and carries me to the garage. He opens it and then sets me down on the bed of his truck. He sits next to it and we look out our garage and into the field of our ranch house.

"Remember when I came home.. and I found out all that stuff was going on?" Dad asks.

I nod.

"I brought you out here and we talked til the sun came up. You opened up and told me everything. But I lied to you about something." Dad says.

I look up at him.

"I wasn't mad but I didn't.. not know how I felt about it. Cuz I was scared. I was scared to death at how many times I could've lost you. Every time I talked to you, saw you, I should've noticed something. But you were alive and next to me, right here. But now, I'm making damn sure to be here every step of the way. You are my daughter, my everything. I'm not supposed to have favorites but I've connected with you more than any of your other siblings. I love you all to death but you... you and I have been like this since the day you were born." Dad says.

I felt tears falling down my cheeks, hearing my dad say these things.

"No matter how old ya get, or who you're with... you're always gonna be my baby girl. I'll always worry sick about you. I'm always gonna be there. Always." Dad says.

I let out a small smile and he smiles too.

"There's that smile I've missed so much." Dad says.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"You wanna know why I think you can go back? Why I know you can?" Dad asks.

I look at him.

"Cause you're strong. Why do you think everyone says you're just like me? You have the ability to turn it all off and focus on one thing. Work. No one else matters. You go in, kick some ass, and ya dip. No one can hurt you then." He says.

I look at him. He moves my hair and wipes my eyes.

"Tuck your heart away, use your brain. Protect your heart, keep it pushin. Stay cold, show no mercy, and raise some major hell on those asses." He says.

I smile. A real smile. I lean my forehead on his.

"You'll always be my little girl. You go back there and you show them that they didn't break you." He says.

I nod.

"I'll make you proud, pop." I say.

"You've always made me proud." He says, hugging me close and kissing the top of my head.

We stayed cuddled on the back of his truck staring at the stars in the sky and talking about all the good memories before going back inside.

"I'm gonna go to bed." I say.

"Okay, sweetie. I love you." He says.

"I love you, too, daddy. Thank you for never giving up on me." I say.

He cups my cheeks and leans down to place a kiss on the top of my head.

"Never." He says.

My mom comes out and gives me a tight hug that I needed. I hug her back just as right before pulling back and kiss her cheek then go to my room and actually go to sleep.

...

..

.

That was a year ago. It's 2014, now and things have been great for me. Career wise, anyway.

"Cut!" I hear and put my machete prop down and helping the actor playing a zombie up.

"You good?" I ask.

She nods and thanks me before walking off.

"You did good." I hear and turn to see my co-star and on-screen love interest, Norman aka Daryl Dixon.

"Thanks, babe." I joke and he laughs.

"Come on. Let's go grub." He says.

"Don't gotta tell me twice." I say.

Yep. I got a role on The Walking Dead and I love it. Season 4 has been out and we've received so much love for it. Producers said having me on the show was a huge bonus and gained more fans.

And apparently the fans love and ship me and Norman, which we all get a kick out of. I mean the man is handsome but they all know my situation and have my back.

It's refreshing and nice to have people believe me, for once.

But I still plan to go back to WWE and finish business.