waiting for the light that never comes »» #wattys2018

16

NO SANCTUARY
(PART ONE)

Karen kept her distance from the others. She carried Judith in her back strap and she would once in a while check to make sure she's okay.

After what had happened last night, she didn't want anyone's pity. And she was just as surprised as everyone else that Judith actually slept through that. Carl noticed his girlfriend being a bit distant and walked over to her.

"You good?"

Karen looked up at Carl before looking at her hands; not responding which made Carl worry.

"I know what happened yesterday was scary, but—"

"Carl, have you ever been in that situation before?" Carl shook his head; making Karen give a sarcastic laugh.

"Well, let's just say it wasn't the first I've been in that situation." Carl's eyebrows furrowed as he stopped.

"What do you mean?" Karen looked at him with the 'you really don't know?' look before she looked back at her hands.

"What happened yesterday happened multiple times before. And a few times, my father watched it happen. And did nothing." Karen spatted which caused Carl's blood to boil.

"He watched the entire time?" Karen nodded before she balled her fists.

"I begged for him to tell them to leave me alone or at least get them off me, but he just sat back, smirked, and watched me get raped! He was my father...fathers are suppose to protect their children...he didn't do SHIT!!" Karen snapped before tears erupted from dull green blue eyes. Carl, feeling extremely angry and hurt with what he was hearing, pulled her into a hug and held her tight.

She sobbed quietly into his shoulder, the hurt, the pain, all be brought to the poor girl. All Karen ever wanted was someone to listen to her. Now she had it, from someone who really cares for her.

"I'm sorry, Karen. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. I promise." Carl said as he pulled away. Karen let tears run down her face before she wiped them away and smiled.

"Thanks, Carl." Carl smiled before pecking her lips and walking down the street, hand in hand.

~

"This is it." Karen stated as they looked upon Terminus, which didn't exactly look like much except an old warehouse with the word TERMINUS written on the windows.

"Y'all sure about this?" Daryl asked as Rick sighed.

"Honestly, I don't trust this place one bit. But if it is a true sanctuary..."

"Well, let's go."

"We can't. At least not from the front." Karen turned to Rick and nodded before they all huddled together.

"Okay, here's the plan, we go around back and see if they're telling the truth about this place. If they are, we'll stay until the rest of the group hopefully gets here."

"And if it isn't?" Rick looked at Michonne then at the bag of weapons they collected last night from those men.

"Then, we kill them. I'll leave these here and get them if it goes south." Rick said as he began to dig out a hole. Jane helped him out and they eventually made a hole big enough that fit the bag's size.

"Alright. Let's go that way." The ohers nodded before they headed off, but not before Rick piled the dirt on the bag.

~

Karen broke the lock from off the door and opened it; pulling out her gun before entering in. Carl followed behind closely, making sure that he got what even comes at that them or her.

Daryl, Michonne, and Rick followed after and they ended up in a communication area. They came face to face with a man who approached with his hands raised.

"Woah! Hey! It's okay! We're all friends here!" He said with a smile on his face. Karen cocked her gun before aiming it at his head.

"We are not friends. Now, who the hell are you?" The man slowly lowered his hands before speaking again.

"My name is Gareth. I run Terminus. We hold supplies, food, water, clothes, we help the people who need it." Karen still not convinced kept her gun aimed. Gareth's voice faded out, all was muffles after that.

She watched Gareth slowly, his body language, his expressions, she felt something was wrong about this place. About their people.

"...n?...ren?"

Karen continued to stare; anger beginning to overcome her. Something was definitely wrong with Terminus. It isn't what they thought it would be.

"KAREN!"

"What?" Karen snapped when she heard Rick call her; her eyes never leaving Gareth, her gun still aimed.

"Put the gun down." Karen didn't move. Rick slowly walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Karen, put the gun down." Carl intervened as he placed a hand on the gun and began to force to put the gun down.

"Thank you."

"Shut up! Nobody asked you to say anything!" Karen snapped before guns were heard and they were aimed at Karen. Carl pulled out his gun and aimed it and the nearby person.

"If you want to shoot her,you'll have to shoot me first." He said as he pulled the gun off saefty. Gareth yelled for them to stand down which they quickly did before approaching the five.

"Sit all the weapons you have on the ground and I'm going to have to pat you down. Just to make sure you don't have any more weapons than what you have." Karen glared before they all threw down their weapons. All of the weapons they had.

Gareth, of course, started with Karen.

"Put those hands anywhere they don't need to be and I'll hurt you so badly you might see the walkers and the Devil himself." Karen said as Gareth began to put her down. Carl watched closely, his glare never leaving Gareth as he patted his girlfriend down.

Karen felt his hand go a little too close to that area and grabbed his arm, threw him over her shoder and began to twist his arm.

"I told you! Touch me anywhere you're not suppose to and I would hurt you! Don't put your hands anywhere where they shouldn't be or don't touch them at all! Got it, Gareth?" He quickly nodded before Karen stomped on his back and backed up, panting softly as she slowly tried to calm down.

"Okay, if nobody's going to say,I'll say it. That was hot." Daryl said as Karen smirked at him.

"Well, come on. Let's get a move on."

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