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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"In the end, you have to choose whether or not to trust someone." - Sophie Kinsella
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"What the hell is going on?" Abraham grits through his teeth as he slams his fists against the wall.
It's obvious that some type of bomb went off outside but who triggered it and the reason why they did it remains unknown. "Maybe our people got free." Sasha suggests to the group as they all scramble around trying to find a way out, the franticness of their search increased as the danger of the situation grows stronger.
Eugene begins to fiddle with the door in an attempt to escape and as the group move over to help him all Ayla can think about is the walkers quickly approaching. Of course, it's not herself she's worried about.
She knows that the walkers would simply walk past her with no acknowledgment, allowing her a quick and easy escape route out of the complex - if anything, the walkers provide a great benefit to her rather than an inconvenience. However, the fear of what could happen to her family terrifiesher. There is no way in hell that she could fend the monsters off in enough time for everyone to escape and the image of being able to do nothing as they are torn apart before her eyes flashes to the forefront of her mind.
The conversation of the group around her is a blur as she is lost in her own head. She watches as Carl and Maggie step forward with calm faces, obviously trying to deescalate the situation. Their mouths move in what she knows is reassuring words but she can hear none of it due to the ringing in her ears. Eugene seems to be getting closer and closer to prying the door open and everyone surrounds him with eager expressions; like starving lions finally finding their prey after months of searching.
Scenarios of what could happen if that door opens flood to Ayla's mind until suddenly it is all too much.
"Stop!" She shouts and the abruptness of it startles not only herself, but also every other person in the room. They turn to face her all at once and when Carl catches the look of trepidation on her face, he shoots her a worried glance. She uses the opportunity of having their attention to urge them to reconsider, not caring about how desperate and crazy she sounds. "Leaving the container with no inkling of a way out is not an option. There are too many walkers, if we go out there unprepared we will die." It is stated as a fact, not a possibility. "We will be too worried about finding our people and making sure they're safe that our compassion will be the death of us. Our best option is to prepare for our people to return with an idea of how to escape. In the meantime, we should continue making more weapons for when we inevitably have to fight our way out."
Dubious looks are shot her way at the words. It's obvious that for strong willed people like Abraham, the idea of not pummelling headfirst into situations with no thought is foreign and will take some time to adjust to. The man seems to be practically vibrating with agitation and he goes to say something but Carl cuts him off.
