⋆ ★ REQUIEM FOR THE ACCUSED ⋆ ★

DREAMS

"oh, my life is changing every day in every possible way." - the cranberries

the sun's rays filtered through the prison windows, glaring against the cold metal tables below. the once-silent halls echoed with the faint murmurs of distant voices. salem sat beside jack on his cot, her eyes fixed on his face as the color slowly returned to his cheeks. despite the chaos outside, this moment of quiet between them felt like a brief respite.

jack sighed, breaking the silence. "i could use a vacation." he said with a weary grin. salem managed a small smile, the weight of the past few days pressing heavily on her. "yeah?" she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. jack turned to face her, propping himself up on his elbow. "you know we haven't really had a chance to talk about my dad. are you okay?"

salem nodded, her fingers absentmindedly picking at the dirt under her nails. "are you... okay?" she asked, her voice wavering as she avoided his gaze. the memories of her uncle still lingered, a painful reminder of what they had lost. finding this place, these people had been a big change, and she couldn't help but wonder how they would go back to just the two of them after this.

jack offered her a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "i'll get through it. we always do." his tone was firm, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. "what do you think of this place?" salem whispered, her voice barely audible as she tried to gauge his thoughts.

jack glanced around the empty cell, the cold stone walls and the faint smell of must lingering in the air. "i think it's nice, the people here are nice." he replied, his voice steady. "nice enough to want to stay?" salem pressed, her curiosity getting the better of her. jack hesitated, his gaze shifting to the barred window. "i think it's safer for us here. i wouldn't be able to take care of us on my own."

salem scoffed, her disbelief evident. "you could if you wanted. plus, we don't need anyone else we have the cold ones, they always protect us." their conversation was abruptly interrupted by maggie's sudden appearance at the cell door. salem jumped, startled, unsure of how long maggie had been listening. "here, morning meds." maggie said, stepping into the cell and handing jack a small cup filled with pills.

"thank you." jack responded, swallowing them all in one go. maggie offered them both a kind smile. "of course, we're all in this together now. you two are stuck with us." she said playfully before exiting the cell. jack turned to salem, his expression serious. "you don't need to be afraid anymore, salem. we're safe now."

salem nodded, though doubt gnawed at her insides. she wanted to believe him, but in this world, no place was truly safe. people died; that was just how it was. her thoughts were suddenly shattered by a deafening explosion.

the walls trembled as the ground beneath them shook violently. stone crumbled from the ceiling, filling the air with dust. salem's heart raced as she jumped to her feet, jack grabbing her hand as he climbed off the cot.

"are you okay to leave?" salem asked, her voice laced with concern. jack nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. together, they raced down the steps, bursting through the doors and into the yard where rick, daryl, and a few others were already gathered. "who are they?" jack asked, his voice trembling as his eyes darted to the line of cars parked at the farthest fence.

"rick! come down here! we need to talk." a man's voice boomed from beyond the fence. "it's not up to me! there's a council now; they run this place." rick shouted back, his tone edged with frustration. "is hershel on the council?" the man demanded, and as if in response, one of his people yanked hershel out of a car. maggie's gasp was audible, her little sister beth's silent tears mirrored in her own.

"what about michonne?! she on the council too?" the man continued, dragging michonne out next, her expression stoic as ever despite the situation. "i don't make decisions anymore!" rick yelled, the desperation in his voice unmistakable. jack and salem exchanged confused looks, the tension in the air thickening with every passing second.