A teenage girl by the name of Ayla Meadows is held against her will and experimented on by a crazed scientist. Although she manages to escape the horrors with the help of a sheriff and his group, she is forever haunted by the memories of her torture...
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"A'hello again' after the final goodbye is sometimes harder than just keeping the goodbye as it was." - Jessiqua Wittman
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Darkness has always frightened Ayla.
It's not the darkness itself which scares her, no, it's more the unknown of what lies within it. That incapability to see what's surrounding her sends a chill down her spine as if some unseeable figure has dragged a crooked fingernail down the soft skin. One thing which increases her fear of the darkness so much more is when she experiences it trapped within enclosed spaces as there is no way to escape what lingers within the unknown and unfortunately for her, that is the exact situation she finds herself in now.
The group glance around the container as they try to find a way out but none can be found. Even if there was one, she doesn't think they would have the ability to see it anyway. The container is pitch black with the only exception being the glimpses of light coming from the tiny cracks in its exterior. Ayla asses the area more intently and this time, she spots the vague outline of people through the darkness.
Panic rises in her throat and she stumbles back slightly. Her mouth parts in order to speak but before she can, one of the unknown figures steps out of the blackness. "Rick?" The man whispers and Ayla realises with a startled squint of her eyes that it's Glenn.
"You're here." Rick mutters in shock.
Time seems to come to a stop because if Glenn's here then that means...that means-
Suddenly, more figures begin emerging from the darkness. Most of them are unrecognisable to Ayla but then Maggie steps into the light and she can't help herself as a small cry of joy slips through her lips. The noise seems to catch the woman's attention because her eyes slip over to Ayla's. It takes a few moments for Maggie to register who is standing in front of her, but when she does, her eyes widen in disbelief.
"Ayla?" Maggie whispers and it doesn't take long before tears fill both their eyes as they take each other in. They stare at each other for a long time and Ayla watches as Maggies mind races with any viable explanations for her impossible presence.
Carl had explained to Ayla earlier in the day that mentioning her name in the months following her death had become sort of like taboo. After Ayla 'died' it was left to Carl, Rick, and Hershel to inform the others on what had happened. They gave the basics, answered any questions, and apparently, that was the last time she was outwardly mentioned.
The news of her death brought devastation to the group and the amount of sympathy Carl received from doting peers caused him to retreat within himself. For months he wouldn't talk to anyone about anything revolving Ayla and out of respect for the grieving boy, the group made the silent decision to not bring up her up anymore as to cause him any further pain. Maggie was another who was greatly affected by her death. Just like Carl, whenever Ayla's name was accidentally slipped into conversation by Lori or Carol, she would have to excuse herself from the room.
