ꜰᴏᴏʟ'ꜱ ᴍᴀᴛᴇ || ᴛᴡᴅ

144: ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ

●～●～●～●～●

Rachel was woken to yelling, and heard Ezekiel yell. 

He was dragged out of the barracks by soldiers, more of them yelling at everyone else to get up, and follow them across the old farmland to the foot of the windmill, where flood lights were set up. 

Grace was being dragged out, too. 

Rachel ended up standing beside Princess, who kept an arm over her. She wasn't sure why she did it, but she found in comforting in the cold. 

"There is a traitor in our midst."

The redhead from before walked out, and Rachel forgot if she'd called him Gingerbread or not, but knew now that people call him Warden. 

He stopped in front of Ezekiel, who was being held in front of everyone else, as a large group of workers was now gathered, all silent. 

"Someone who thinks he's above the rules." He continued, as Negan was dragged out by more guards. "This prisoner has admitted to spearheading a rebellion."

They stopped Negan in front of a wall, and Rachel could see the blood and bruises on his face, and now the blood and bullet stains on the wall behind him. It made her feel sick. 

"Any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt." The Warden continued, now pacing back and forward in front of the large group, slowly, and his eyes fell on Princess, Rachel, Kelly. "I trust that they were not acting of their own free will. So only he!" He pointed at Negan. "Will be punished."

Negan spit blood out of his mouth, and smile, hands tied in front of him. 

"But it is important that you're all here to see. To remember."

A gut-wrenching scream was heard, but guards were already holding Grace back, though Rachel suddenly remembered her as a part of the Saviors. How terrifying she was. Or maybe she wasn't. Maybe she just reminded Rachel of her own mother. Maybe Grace was always this weak.

"It's okay." Negan smiled at her. "It's  okay. I love you."

The Warden looked at him. "Get him on his knees."

The guards did as he said, and Grace kept yelling.

"This is what happens when you forget your place!" His voice echoed. "Take your positions!"

"Don't!" Grace screamed, as they put him on his knees, and a man stood in front of him, rifle in his hand. "Please, don't do this! Please stop him! Don't do this! I'm begging you, stop!"

"Ready." Warden said. "Aim."

Negan smiled at him, and it was as if something shifted on his face. 

"There are no martyrs here."

He walked forward, and Negan's smile dropped, before the Warden grabbed Grace and pulled her forward. 

"No. No!" Negan roared. "That wasn't our deal!"

He tried to get to his feet, but he was held down as she was forced to kneel beside him. 

"Take me! Take me!"

"You will feel this punishment!"

"That is not what you said! No! Take me!"

"Ready."

They raised their guns.

"You!" Negan pleaded with one of the soldiers. "you! You have a family! Please don't do this!"

"Ready!" 

Rachel thought of Glenn. Of Abraham. She thought of what they'd told her of the night that they died. That Negan had forced them all to their knees. That he'd killed Glenn as Sami held his pregnant, crying wife. That he'd taunted Rosita after killing Abraham. 

She thought of all the things that Danny had told her about his Mother. Of the places he used to sleep. Of the things he'd gone through. The things she was supposed to protect him from. 

But she thought of Danny. Of Abraham. Glenn. Rosita. Sasha. Carl.

She couldn't build everything back up on a families blood. 

She hadn't even noticed she was standing in front of them, hands raised, with Ezekiel. She wasn't sure how they got that far. She saw the guns trained on her. She felt fear rise in her chest, which only became worse when the rest of their people walked forward, standing with them. Kelly beside her, Magna on her other side. Princess. Everyone. 

And then more workers, people they didn't know, standing behind them, around Negan and Grace, who were on their knees.

And the aim of the guns faltered.

"I admire your bravery, prisoners." Warden said, as snow began to fall and melt upon their faces. He looked at the soldiers. "Shoot them all."

The workers who were still behind teh soldiers, watching, protested but didn't do anything. The soldiers hesitated. The group packed closer together. 

"You don't have to do this!" The King spoke, arms spread wide, now in a protective way rather than surrender. "This world is broken, but we don't have to be."

The Soldier that Negan had been speaking to lowered his gun, first, and turned to the others, who slowly followed his lead, meaning there were no guns on them. No soldiers to fight. No one but the Warden.

He raised his gun on the warden. 

He quickly reached his hand out, and grabbed Rachel, as she was the smallest and closest, and held a gun to the side of her head, holding her close against himself so they couldn't shoot him. 

She clawed at his arm, but it did nothing, as he pulled her up off the ground, her legs flailing but doing nothing in her panic. 

"Stop!" He yelled, as the group began yelling, holding up weapons, trying to work out a way to get her back. "Stop!"

"It's okay!" Rachel yelled at them, as someone began calling her name. It didn't feel okay. "It's okay!"

There was the soft sound of a blade, and the arms holding onto her let go, the Warden's body fell beside her, and she dropped to the ground. 

She turned around, seeing Daryl standing behind her, holding a bloodied knife, Connie beside him. 

She wrapped her arms around him, tightly, as he did the same. 

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, though she wasn't sure what she was sorry for. "I'm sorry."

"You're okay. You're okay. You did good. You're safe."

Her throat felt dry, and she couldn't bring herself to let go. How could she? What if he went away again?