The Ruins Part 2 (Sequel to The Ruins)

Chapter 38

The rest of the morning Mal was quiet. She stood inside Gregory's house as they discuss the issues towards Gregory's fault. Hammer was let in and took four children, and the rest. Even though Mal is shutting herself down from everyone else she could her the frighting yells from Negan, threatening them dangerous with Tom to calm him down. Afterward she hears bits and pieces on what to do next, to find the area of the KillGames. They'll be going tomorrow or two days later and set out in the mountains.

Negan had planned the trip very carefully, or at leader carefully as a journey through largely unknown territory can be planned. There was a a few rest stops along the way, places Tom called "safe houses." The first was Brother David's way station, and the next was an old hotel called Wawona.

"If anything weird happens and we get separated," Tom said. "We head there for a break."

"Could, but since rumors are spread that the rebuilt KillGames are close around the area. We go to Wawona and check if it's there and burn the fucker down. If not, group up and scout around."

Wawona was likely to be the safest place along the route. Before Black Night, the small town had been home to about 160 permanent residents and a few thousand campers during the tourist seasons. The only survivors who used to be there were a grizzled old forest ranger, his two young nephews, and a couple of women a scientist visiting from the San Diego Zoo. The ranger still lived up there, and he was often referred in the Famous Infected Card, the Greenman. The others had gone to live in the towns. Apparently the ranger had become something of a deep-woods mystic.

Nowadays the old Wawona Hotel was a traveler's rest and temporary storehouse for scavenger goods, and there were always a dozen people at the hotel. Rumor had it that a fire-and-brimstone evangelist named Preacher Jack had taken up residence as well. He was happy to share his version of the word of God with everyone who passed through, and was even reputed to have tried to convert and baptize some Infected.

Mal didn't like how people barely knew little of Preacher Jack, but that wasn't her main concern. She listened, but wasn't with them. She kept going on with the imagine of Charlie. Charlie, smiling at her, his red eye gleaming at her tauntingly, and his army of Infected wonder and not care about him. Mal was very clearly a ball of nerves as she waited on the plan on going to find the KillGames and finish it once and for all. She stood fitfully, and Mal could feel Negan eyes on her as he watched her suddenly sneak off. She can't handle of staying much longer; her thoughts were violent and with this vengeance, she will never let Charlie slip by her alive.

Mal went back to Tom's house to back everything in her pack she needed for tonight, leaving the Fairview and into the Ruins. A canteen of fresh water, canned food, snare and wires, rope, ammunition and a tarp. She tense when she wrote a letter to everyone to read this, about leaving and met them at Brother David's way station then leave to Wawano for reason. Her last letter goes mainly to Negan- he only reads it- and tells him why she'd left without notice, seeing the man who turned her into someone she hates, the pain and torment through the year, and she will find him and finish him like Negan used too to save Mal. She finished Negan's note in a hard notion, fingers clenching to calm her emotions. When she came back from the infirmary of a .25-06 rifle, she notice her colt gun is gone. She remembered leaving it on the kitchen counter; where the hell did she left it.

Checking every door and room, she found nothing when she opened the spare room. Negan laid on the bed, and when the door opens he had a gleeful smile, raising both hands up like he surprised her. And in one hand he has her gun.

"Surprise." Negan said.

"Ah, shit." Mal breathed, turning away as he comes towards her.

"Little birdie told me you're packing a lot of stuff. Getting ready for something, baby?" He raised his eyebrows, slowly licking his lip.

"Give me my gun." She said under her teeth. She didn't have the time for this.

"Not until you tell what's going on."

"Fuck it. I have a rifle anyway" Mal ground out, pushing Negan out of the door frame.

"What?" Negan asked. "Mal? Wait the fuck up."

"Just go." She spat.

"No, I'm not. Mal? Mal?!" He follows Mal down the steps, not too far from her.

"Please leave me alone."

"I'm not going to leave you alone with your dumbass teenaged shit. Mal?" His anger then burst out as soon she grabs her bag. "For fuck sakes, MAL FUCKIN' MALENIE STOP!"

Mal jerked at Negan calling her full name in such serious and threatening tone. Negan regretted on screaming her head off, she doesn't need Negan to be a dick to her now. "Please," he pleaded. Mal turns to look at him. Soft brown eyes met her own, the sorrow in them burnt at the anger inside of him, melting it away. "What's going on, Mal?"

"I... don't know if I'm losing my mind and saying this to you, you'll think I'm crazy. I alway had nightmares, they've come back and I know it's not real. Last night when I pass through the herd, I saw something- someone. Seeing him felt so real. I know for goddamn sure I wasn't asleep or imagining things. But... Christ... I can't believe it. He's out there, smiled at me, laughing at me, and I can't stand it. I don't know how he's alive. I can take all the beatings, the rapes, the stupid fuckin' comments, but I could not take on him being somewhat alive." Her voice trembled over the last words, her rising emotions getting the better of her as she thought about him being still alive and the one running the KillGames. "I saw him. I... s-saw Charlie. I saw Charlie."

"Oh, Mal..." Words just weren't enough, not now. He leaned forward placing a soft, lingering hand around her back and wrap himself around Mal. Taking a moment to just exist with the man, forget the horrors of the night. Mal leans on his chest, eyes closed, her ear hearing his steady heartbeat.

"I believe you, Mal. But promise me this. You stay with me when we get to the way station. You can go off into your badassness, but you fuckin' promise to come back, and stay with me until the end." He leaned into her, enjoying the scent in her hair. "I'll let you kill Charlie, alive or undead, but promise me, Mal. It killed me to ever lose you. Swear to me."

Mal opened her eyes to the world.

"Okay."

He lets her go, brushing a strand of hair on her ear before giving him a small kiss on her forehead. He leaves to attend on dealing with Gregory as Mal drops her back on the floor.

She then grabs the letters and threw them into the fireplace.

She'll keep her promise to Negan.