Keep Close

A Covering Darkness

Flashback

Negan raised Lucille again, ready to strike. Glenn's hair was already damp with blood, his breathing heavy, his ears ringing. The cries and screeches reaching Glenn's ears were only faint calls in the distance. His vision blurred with the blood dripping down his face, he tried getting up again. Though he could barely see anything, he could still see his beloved Maggie reaching for him as Saviors tried holding her back from him. He had to fight for her, for his unborn child.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Glenn's perception of time slowed down.

"I've just been shot. I'm on my way out!" he thought. His thoughts screamed, "Maggie!" even though he physically couldn't even mouth words.

He nearly closed his eyes after dropping to the cold ground again, thinking his death might be less painful that way, or maybe it was his knees gave way. Further in the distance, a ruckus slowly faded from his hearing. For a moment, he was staring into a tunnel of darkness before the darkness covered all light, and Glenn shut his eyes.

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"No!!" Maggie screamed as Negan struck her husband over the head.

Tears streamed down her face. She attempted running to his assistance but was held back by some Saviors. Everyone was yelling.

Carl's eyes blurred with tears. He hadn't cried since the time he thought his dad had turned. Snot began running down his nose from the salty mess. He looked around and saw that the others were either having the same reaction or just staring bullets at Negan with their mouths wide open.

Within the darkness of the night, something even darker brewed. It wasn't hatred. It wasn't revenge. It wasn't fear. It was the broken heart of a woman. Maggie's once cheerful spirit had turned black as death. She watched as her husband was being brutally tortured and murdered by a purely evil creature. Negan was no man to them. He was a monster. Maggie was no longer Maggie, either. She'd become a different creature entirely. If she had her way, Negan would pay back everyone he'd taken anything from. Then, he'd receive the same treatment he'd given to the innocent, now dead, but instead, she had to stand by and watch this wicked monster beat her better half. Her heart was being ripped in half and shoved down her throat.

"Dang! You look messed up!" Negan laughed.

Glenn was trying to form words as his mind began crumbling. Gurgles and soft cries came out instead. His vision was darkening as he attempted to sit up.

"You are one HECK of a sport! I just hit ya so hard your eyeball popped out!" the monster slithered.

More gurgles tumbled off Glenn's shaking tongue. "M-ma-"

"Listen!" Negan joked. "I think he's tryin' ya say somethin'!"

"Mm-Mag-ggie," he coughed. "I-lll f-find y-you."

Maggie sobbed and tried to not look away from her beloved.

"You know what?" Negan said. "I think I'll leave him alone."

A sigh of relief came from all of them.

"I think I'll do something else...I think," he laughed as his eyes darkened. "I think I'll just... punish someone else!" He flipped around and whacked Eugene. Blood gushed everywhere.

There was no sound but the crickets and the cries of the semi-circle, mourning the brutal loss of their friend...their family.