The Peak of Insanity

Act XV

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 20XX; 6:30 P.M. CLOUDY SKIES ALL DAY
HALLOWEEN NIGHT

THE FINALE

MARION'S P.O.V.

Moxie's party starts in half an hour; I got to Negan's house around 6:15, and we've been sitting in silence for the majority of the time I've been here. I think we're all feeling the nerves hit like a ton of bricks, and we're all uneasy and on edge about it. Clint, Negan, Nick and I all sat on the couch, leaving space between us both. I checked the time on my phone what felt like every two minutes from the anxiety that engulfed my core. Negan noticed the fidgeting and called me out on it.

"Hey, relax. Today's the day. You need to keep your head in the game, and any minor distraction is guaranteed to fuck your head up. Just take a deep breath, put your phone down." He says, leaning over to pat my shoulder reassuringly. He flashed me a quick smile, too, nodding at me.

I let out a nervous sigh, running a hand through my hair as I looked towards him. "I'm cool, I'm cool..." I lie, leaning back against the couch.

Clint spoke up next, getting our attention by clearing his throat obnoxiously. "We have to leave in five minutes. Mentally prepare yourselves, 'cos there ain't no turning back once we get on the road." His tone was stern, and unwavering. It's like he wasn't nervous even a little bit -- it kind of ticked me the wrong way, just a little.

Those five minutes passed so quickly, because before I knew it, we were all headed out the door. We were taking Negan's car -- a 1972 Lincoln Continental mark IV, that was purple with a black top -- and we piled in, with Negan driving, Nick in the passenger seat, and Clint and I in the back. I fidgeted with my hands as we got situated in the car, then Negan put his key into the ignition, the engine revving loudly as he did so. He pulled out of the driveway, heading off on the road. I honestly forgot where we were going, so I decided to stare out of the window, trying to keep my head clear.

Soon enough, the car would slow down as we approached another one; Mason's Cougar was beside the Lincoln, and both driver-side windows were rolled down. I finally snapped back into the moment when I heard Mason's voice. I saw Neko sitting in the passenger seat, all dressed up, along with Mason.

"You guys heading to the party? I heard that there's going to be a ton of alcohol and attractive people there." He says, his attention turning towards me, since I sat right behind Negan, and it wasn't really a secret that I was there.

"...Listen, there's something we have to deal with, right now." Negan says to the two in the Cougar; apparently the look Negan gave Mason -- one of which I couldn't see from where I was sitting -- indicated something to him, because I watched Mason shift in his seat, reaching down on what was most likely his waist, and he pulled a gun off his belt, wrapped it up in a bandana, and put something else into the bandana along with the gun before he passed it to Negan through the window.

"Use it well, you know how much I value that thing. It's got six in the chamber right now, I put four extras in the bandana with it." Mason says, lowering his voice as he spoke. His expression was firm, and it sent an odd chill down my spine. I watched Negan nod before turning his gaze ahead, and we drove off, Negan hadn't uttered another word to Mason before we left.

Suddenly, Negan reaches back with the gun wrapped up in the bandana, trying to hand it to me. "I know Mason's gotta trust you with this a hell of a lot more than me, and besides, I've got a feeling you're gonna need it more than I will."