Negan's Daughter

Chapter 3

NEGAN'S DAUGHTER
Chapter Three
"Sing Me A Song"

"What? No." Carl said, the silence broken.

My dad was cruel, greedy; rapacious, if you will. But he'd never done something like this before. He'd never try to make someone crack my singing a song.

Especially not to a child.

A song strung in my head, and I felt the urge to sing it to make up for the men Carl killed. But my dad gave me fierce eyes noticing what I was about to do.
The look gave me doleful eyes, and I lowered my head so I couldn't see Carl's face when he sang. He was traumatized, after all, he wouldn't sing well.

"I said sing me a song!" My dad snarled, his bat aimed at Carl.

I looked up to see a shivering Carl was bitterness in his eyes, his soul, his heart. His pale face noticed me staring and he looked up at me. He looked relentless, his eye just staring at me while his lips quivering.

I nodded to him, signaling him to begin singing.

He looked at the ground and began:

"You are my sunshine...."

His voice was scratchy, and I could tell he was just dreading his future. He sounded petrified, but I would make him not be.
I would sing with him.

"My only sunshine," he continued.

My dad stared at the boy, his eyes not looking off one second. All he did was smile.

"You make me happy..."

This was my chance.

"When skies are gray," I whispered, and the look on Carl's face brightened as he faced me. I saw his lips still quivering but this time the bitterness seemed to go away.

"You'll never know, dear, how much I love you...." I said as my heart fluttered with millions of thoughts.

Carl just stared at me like he was amazed, and I didn't even dare to face my dad.

I loved this boy.

"Please don't take... my sunshine away......" We sang together, are eyes locked and our hearts beating faster by the second.

There was silence.

I felt my heart beat start to increase as the silence broke, my dad started to clap. I looked up at him, as did Carl, and there was evil in his eyes. His nose scrunched up and his shoulders laid back he smiled at me. At us.

"Well, well. Look at this, why don't ya?" He laughed, then came over and spit on me. "My little daughter.... singing with the enemy."

My dad crouched in front of me, and his eyes locked on mine. My heart beat increased, this was it. This was my time. I'd gotten the heads-up, the rules, how he'd crack me. He just did. My dad tricked me. He didn't want to crack Carl, he wanted to crack me.
My dad flashed a smile, and I could hear Carl begin to cry behind us, his breath heavy.

"That's just not how this works," my dad said, his voice cutting through my neck and slithering in my heart. He took Lucille and placed the tip of her on my neck, my head rose up and my breathing increased. Yet I didn't cry. But my eyes widened at my father, the look of pity stung him.
I looked at Carl, who stared at me with wide eyes as well, I could tell he angry. Not just with my father, but maybe with me, too.

"So this is your plan?" I asked my dad through the only soft whispers I could manage from my wavered voice. "Get me to save a kid's life then you crack me to pieces and finish me off in front of him? Just like you did with mom."

No. Why did I say that? I'm going to die!

My dad's eyes widened and the bat slipped away from my neck, I let my head drop to my chest as tears ran down my cheeks.
"Daddy, I'm sor...."

His hand clutched around my neck, his grip tightening by the minute. I felt my lungs closing in, and no air could escape to my nose or mouth. I started hearing myself letting out yelling noises, gasping for air. None would enter. My vision grew blurry as I looked at Carl, his face was tightened with anger and he seemed to almost punch my dad.

But that's all I remember.

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I woke up in my closet, my blanket over me. My eyes stung and my neck felt the same pain. I stood up and felt myself turning the doorknob. My heart rate increased as I stepped out, but no one was there.
Not daddy.
Not Lucille.
Not Carl.

My eyes turned bitter and I began to stumble over to the door, when it swung open. There was my dad, and the boy. Carl!
Carl was being dragged by the arm, and he looked like he had been beaten. Tears escaped his eyes and there were small bruises all over him. Especially one around his damaged wound where his eye was.

"Well, well, hey there sunshine!" My dad said with a smile. "I have an idea."

My heart rate sped up as my dad Through Carl on the couch. Carl laid face down, his fists clutched and his cries noticeable.

My dad smiled at me. "Dear Salem, a precious little soul..." he whispered. "I'm leaving you with this boy, you keep him steady, okay? I'll be back in thirty minutes, I'm going to pick up some deliveries. Don't do too much, k, Salem?"

I snarled. "Yes, dad."

"Don't you use that tone on me or I'll kill him!"
My dad shouted, his feet and terrifying voice shifted to the boy as he lifted him and put Lucille to his throat. "Don't you ever."

Daddy pushed Carl to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth. He slammed the door and I immediately ran over to him.

Blood puddles were on the floor, and I lifted him and sat him on the couch. His eye was filled with tears, and he seemed to be bruised badly. I ran to the bathroom and dabbed some wash clothes in cold water.

"This might sting," I whispered, and as I lifted the washcloth to his eye he began to shake.

His whole body did it, and his breath grew heavy.

"Carl?"

"That's..... that's wh... that's what h.. he said t.. to me.... that's what he said t.. to me bef.. before he... he.... before he...." he spattered and mumbled his words, and I couldn't understand him clearly.

"Shhh, it's okay...." I whispered and dabbed the washcloth on his wounds. He flinched a little, but allowed me to do it.

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We sat on the couch side by side, the bandages I had all over his cuts and bruises when he finally began to speak to me. His mumbled whispers were enough to assure me he'd be okay.

"I have to get home," he croaked.

"Can I come, too?" I asked hopefully, but remembering my father's words, I shook my head. "Never mind."

He ignored my comment like I'd just said nothing. "You forgot a wound," he said after moments of silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Let me go get some more..."

"No. You can't heal it with water and bandages," he said softly.

"Then what can you heal it with?"

Carl took his hand and touched my thigh, I flinched and felt my body tense up. He leaned into me, and his head rested on my shoulder.

"How do you fix it?" I whispered, my eyes full of curiosity.

Carl, his hand still placed on my thigh, sat his head up and met my gaze with a simper.

"Like this..." he said and leaned close to my face.

Our lips touched.

The door slammed open.

But we stayed as we were.