ꜰᴏᴏʟ'ꜱ ᴍᴀᴛᴇ || ᴛᴡᴅ

135: ᴀ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ

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Danny woke up in the sun. 

Leah sat in front of him, and raised a gun to his head as soon as she saw his eyes open. He thought it was funny, her sitting waiting for god-knows how long. 

They were in an old cabin, plants having grown throughout it, windows broken. A part of him thought it would be nice to bring someone here. Like he and Enid used to do. Just go to old houses, find books and such, hang out. 

He was tied to a chair, and Leah sat in a chair in front of him. But the way he was tied was stupid. Yes, the rope was tied and would take a minute to get out of, but he could easily get up. Maybe she wanted him to. He was tied up, but not to the chair. Maybe she wanted a fight. 

"I have waited for this moment for a long time." He read her lips, and wondered what the fuck she was one about. He'd never met her. "You're Sami's little brother. The one who killed most of my family."

Now it made sense. Revenge on Sami by taking what he took from her. But she was emotional. Too driven by her revenge. Danny wasn't. Now that they were in the sun, he might be able to work a way out of this. Maybe not. 

Even the fact that he wasn't dead yet showed how all over the place she was. If she was just going to kill him, it'd be done. Maybe it was to do with the one Sami beat to death. Maybe she found him, and wants Sami to feel what she felt when she saw him. The confusion of not knowing if this is really your brother. The terror of realizing it is. The thoughts that followed.

"I'm going to make him feel what I felt." She confirmed. "When I'm done, everyone he loves will be dead. You. His wife. His daughter. I'll kill every last person, and then when it's over, he'll still be here."

Danny had no doubt about Sami still being here. but he also knew that this woman was just another one of many who wanted to kill his people and would fail. Everything they'd survived . . . and yet still there were people who thought they could take them all out. 

It was an expensive, risky way to think, but it was what came to mind anyway. A cockiness, which Danny might've hated himself for. His people were too much for her. Too strong. It would take much more than her to end them. 

He tilted his head at her.

"Not gonna say anything?" She questioned. 

He lifted his foot to a pocket on his right calf, tapping it. She looked from the pocket to him, and curiosity took over, making her carefully reach into the pocket, and take out his notebook. 

There wasn't much in it. Maybe something from the conversation with Joel on the lookout a few nights prior. But on the front page was something Sami made him write years ago. 

"Here's the thing." Sami signed, as they made their way through the woods. Danny was 14. He'd been learning how to hunt, but both he and Sami felt too bad. "I've been taken and tortured, all that shit. I choose not to talk. But you? You can't."

"I never would." Danny signed.

"I know. But . . . if you say nothing, it can make it worse. So just write it in the front of the notebook, keep it with you. Not just for torture, other shit, too. I just think it would be useful."

"You're deaf?" Leah questioned, reading the front of the notebook. "Can read my lips, but can't talk back?"

Danny nodded. 

"Hm." She tossed the notebook on the ground. "You know what I'm saying?"

He nodded, and lifted the hand he'd managed to get out of the rope, and lifted it to his neck, pointing to himself before pulling his finger along his neck.