Safe and sound, Carl Grimes

039. NEVER BE THE SAME

Chapter thirty nine

"Never be the same."

Katniss was lying on the floor of a cage, as she woke up, she groaned, sitting up "good your awake. For a second there I didn't think you would." Gareth said, as Katniss looked around seeing she was alone with him "where are.." she went to ask "your people? They're fine for now. In they're own special cage. Not as nice as this one." Gareth shared, as Katniss pushed herself up "why?" she asked, crawling over to the wall nearby "because your a dangerous person. Even more so when you and Rick are together." Gareth shared "so your gonna kill us?" Katniss asked.

"No, no, at least not you. Your in here because I'm offering you a new beginning." Gareth shared, as Katniss furrowed her brows "to become an animal like you?" she asked, as Gareth sighed "we all are, one way or another. We didn't exactly have a choice. We were starving. And it seems you and your friends didn't have a choice either. Possibly killed people or at least Rick did." he shared "he was defending himself!" Katniss voiced, standing up "he was defending you. But you know that or else you wouldn't have stepped toward's him out of everyone in your group when I came toward's you." Gareth shared.

As Katniss turned away from him "I was testing you. Cause everything I thought when I saw you came true, your a natural leader. Your smart, loyal, but most importantly violent." Gareth shared, as Katniss scoffed, turning to him "you don't know anything about me." she told him "but I do. Why do you think I let you keep that knife that's in your left boot?" Gareth asked, as Katniss crouched down, looking into her boot and seeing it still there "cause I know that if I let you out, you'll stab me with it. But you won't use it stuck in there, cause you won't be able to get out then." he shared, stepping toward's the cage.

"But I can let you out of it, I mean we could use someone like you. I mean you saw Alex, he's pathetic." he shared, chuckling, as he put his hand on the cage, Katniss walked toward's the cage "we could make this place better. Together." Gareth told her, as Katniss put her hand next to his, Gareth put his hand on her's and when he did, she grabbed it and twisted his wrist "ah!" Gareth voiced, as Katniss reached for the keys on his belt, they fell to the ground "no!" she voiced, as Gareth pulled his arm back and banged her head into the cage, as Katniss fell over "maybe..maybe another nap will set your mind straight." he said, grabbing his wrist, as he turned walking out of there.

But soon gunfire had been going off outside and an explosion had hit, as Gareth ran in, he brought the keys up, as he unlocked the cage, he swung open the door and ran in, going to grab Katniss off the ground, Katniss turned stabbing him in the shoulder "ah!" Gareth voiced, as Katniss pulled her knife out of him, shoving him off of her, she got up and began running out of there "Katniss!" Gareth voiced, getting up and running after her.

Katniss ran outside but as she did, her eyes went wide seeing walkers, she turned running to the left and as she did, she pushed open a door to a room and as she did, there was a bunch of candles around, as she put her knife in her pocket, she ran up and grabbed one of the candle holders, as she hid in the shadows, she waited for the door to be open, and as Gareth walked in "I know your.." he said, as Katniss swung the candle holder, hitting him in the head with it, she began running off to the other door.

"You've seen the walkers! If your looking for your friends they're all gonna be dead! Even Rick!" Gareth voiced, and as he did, Katniss stopped running, and as she did, Gareth chuckled "see? See you get it! It's just me and you now!" he voiced, getting up off the floor, Katniss pulled her knife back out of her pocket "and I'm gonna teach you what it's like to be one of us." Gareth shared, as Katniss turned and ran at him, she stabbed him in the stomach, as Gareth grabbed her by the arm and threw her on the ground hard, he then kicked her in the side.

And as Katniss rolled over, Gareth got on top of her, holding her hands above her head "no!" Katniss screamed "don't be afraid." Gareth told her, as Katniss screamed again, Gareth shushed her, bringing one hand down from her hand and putting it over her mouth and as he did, Katniss grabbed the candle stick nearby and swung hitting him in the head with it, and as she did, Gareth fell off of her, Katniss turned running out of there, not even turning back, as she headed outside and into the walkers "Katniss!" Gareth screamed, getting up off the floor.

Running outside, there was a walker in her path, as Katniss swung the candle stick, hitting it in the head, the walkers blood got on her, as she hit the next one and the next one, making her way through them, where when they got too many, she dropped the candle stick and ran off but they didn't follow her, focusing on the fire and the gunshots in the distance, she headed toward's the fence, climbing up it, she threw her body over it, as she fell down on the other side of it, breathing heavy, she pushed herself off the ground and began walking.

Where when she did, the others had already escaped, as Carl saw her walking through the woods he went to run over to her, as Michonne grabbed his arm "wait, wait.." she told him, looking to Rick "Rick." she told him, as Rick turned to them, Michonne motioned ahead and as she did, Rick looked from Carol and behind her seeing Katniss, he began walking over to her, and as he did, he put his arms around her "no, no! Get off of me! Get off!" she screamed, hitting his arms.

Rick turned her toward's him "it's me." he told her, as Katniss was still hitting him "no!" she voiced "it's me." Rick told her, putting his hands on her face "look, me." he told her, and as Katniss saw him she stopped hitting him "it's me, your safe." he told her "he tried to.." Katniss told him, as Rick pulled her into a hug, holding onto her, Katniss hugged him "it's okay, babygirl. I got you." Rick told her, as he looked to the others, he nodded.

As they began to follow Carol out of the woods and down the road, they came upon a log cabin and as they did, Tyreese was standing outside of it with Judith, as Rick looked to Michonne, Michonne nodded "I got her." she told him, taking Katniss from him, Rick began running off with Carl, as Michonne looked down at Katniss, she knew she'd never be the same, they all were standing there for a while taking a breather, as Carl was holding Judith "I don't know if the fires still burning." Rick shared "it is." Carol told him "yeah, we need to go." Rick shared, walking over to Michonne "yeah, but where?" Daryl asked "somewhere far away from there." Rick told them, putting his arm around Katniss.

They all began to head out, walking back on the railroad tracks, Glenn and Maggie were leading the way, a girl Katniss didn't recognize walked behind them followed by Michonne and Carl who was holding Judith, Daryl and Carol walked behind them, then Sasha, Tyreese and Bob, where in the back Katniss and Rick were walking next to three people she didn't know either but she assumed if they were with them they had to be good people, as they passed one of the signs for terminus, Katniss stepped towards it, crouching down she grabbed mud and put it all over it to where it said, no sanctuary, as her and Rick then headed into the woods with the others.