Forever Broken // Carl Grimes

Chapter 27

Waking up to kiss you and nobody's there
The smell of your perfume still stuck in the air
It's hard
Yesterday I thought I saw your shadow running 'round
It's funny how things never change in this old town
So far
From the stars

And I want to tell you everything
The words I never got to say the first time around
And I remember everything
From when we were the children playing in this fairground
Wish I was there with you now

'Cause if the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you
Drive highways and byways to be there with you
Over and over the only truth
Everything comes back to you

This Town - Niall Horan

~•~

Carl could see her laboured steps, and the pain that flashed behind her eyes in every step she took. It killed him. Those words she uttered from her lips, he wished for nothing more than for them to be lies. She was broke into thousands of tiny pieces. Her eyes didn't show him that she still loved him, or even remembered him. She was gone.

"I told you she wouldn't be Lauren," Negan chuckled, planting a large callused hand on Lauren's shoulder. She didn't flinch, didn't move, "She's my Little Viper."

"What have you done?" Carl's voice was cracked, her eyes lifted to his, and they flashed with the slighest sliver of pity. She was in there somewhere and he had to help her. He had to find her again, like they always promised.

"I saved her," Negan swung Lucille in his hand, "She knows who to trust now. She knows what happens to girl's who aren't good."

Carl could see the way she shut her eyes and the way her body tensed. Negan had done something to her. He had tortured her until the person he wanted bent to his will. He had forced the strong leader deep into her, so far that she could no longer remember who she was. He felt tears sting his eyes, a hollow empty feeling in his chest.

"What do you want?" Rick stepped up beside Carl, a small grace of a father to his shattered son.

"This isn't finished," Negan growled, the man that killed Sam coming forth, "I'm only getting started. I told you I'd break her, I don't make empty promises. So here's your leader, if you can even call her that."

Lauren only blinked when a man came forth and knocked Negan to the ground, landing punch after punch on his body. Before she could even intervene, the Saviors had pulled him from their leader, subduing the angry man. Lauren studied him, her eyes searching past the long hair and scruffy on his chin. Images flashed before her eyes and she launched herself forward.

"Daryl?" She ran her hand down his face and the burly redneck stopped thrashing.

Negan had grabbed Lucille and he strode towards Daryl with the bat held high. She could hear the screaming as she placed herslef between Negan and Daryl.

"I know him! I remember him!" She held her hands up before Negan, as blind rage fueled the man, "He's my cousin. Please."

Negan growled and turned away from Daryl.

"Get them down on their knees," He spat, pacing back and forth along the group of people forced to the ground. She was confused. Her head hurt with the amount of pressure she used to remember the slighest details that continued to escape her.