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One hundred and eighty-two days since the world ended. It had been one hundred and eighty-two days since I had lost hope of finding my brother. I don't even know why I'm keeping count of how long it's been since those things took over, it just felt like something of importance. I’ve learned a lot about those creatures in these last six months. They can only be killed with a hit to the head, fire does almost nothing unless they’re in it for hours. But the most notable thing I’ve learned about them? No matter who they used to be, kill them. They show no remorse, no emotion. Their only goal is to kill and to eat.I’ve never liked the thought of killing anything, human or not. The thought made me sick, but I always knew I would do it if needed. And that knowledge came in handy during the end of the world. I had to help protect my family after all. My little sister was with us, her and both of my parents. I'm glad to not be alone here. I know how to survive, but I still would rather not be wandering around the forest with flesh-eating creatures on my own. We've tried our hardest not to let Kamari see us kill the Dead-ones, she didn't need to experience that at her age.Kamari was only eight. All of this was so much more than a kid her age should have to deal with. Luckily, she wasn’t old enough to remember me and Rhory finding Nick. She was only a baby when that happened anyway. I know I'm not much older than her, but she still shouldn't have to handle all of this. We’re trying to keep her sanity as much as possible, even if it costs us our own.I think that's why I'm keeping track of how long it's been. I'm just trying to keep myself sane. I try to talk to Mom about it but she just tells me it's going to happen and there's nothing you can do about it. I used to not understand when people in those serial killer documentaries would say that men went mad from killing, but I do now. It changes you, even if you're doing it because it's the only way you can survive. I try to ask Mom if there's gonna be an end to this, but I never get a response. I think she's starting to forget I'm only a kid. I know Dad has. He treats me like an adult, but he doesn't hurt me anymore. Well, not as much.Speaking of Dad, he's currently out trying to find us more supplies. Winter had finally passed and now we had to find more food since we hadn't been able to scavenge much during the colder months. We had been living in our van during that time, watching as the Dead-ones came closer and closer before we had to take them out. Kamari and Mom were in the van, Dad was in a store not far away, and I was standing outside the van, keeping watch over my mom and sister.I wonder how mad my father would get if I went to that hunting store that I saw. It's only a few yards away, and I know how to shoot a bow. Most people we’ve seen have only had guns, not once thinking about the logic of a bow. They were so much quieter than guns, and if you know how to get the right supplies, you can make your own arrows if you run out. But if I left Mom and Kam, they could get hurt. Then again, our van was so covered in guts it smelled almost as rancid as one of the dead ones. But Dad would be pissed if I left them. I can just ask if I can go when he gets back, I can see him starting to walk back anyway.My wonder quickly turns to panic as I see Dad sauntering back towards the van, alcohol bottle in hand and about four Dead-ones following him. He's not looking at me, I can't signal to him. I can't yell, he’d just get mad at me. I can only watch in horror as the dead scramble closer, one grabbing a hold of him and causing him to drop the bottle he had found in that store. Even with the distance, I could so clearly see the dead one digging its teeth into Dad’s shoulder. I wanted to scream, to cry, but I didn’t. I turned, quickly getting back into the car and turning it on.“Kal, what are you doing? Where’s your father?” My mother asked, the confusion evident in her voice as I just started driving away. I never liked driving, I wasn't even old enough to where I was supposed to know how. But Dad taught me in case he ever left us like he just did. I didn't know how to explain it to Mom without just basically telling her and my sister that he was dead. I just stayed silent, not responding but I knew Mom would understand why I was doing what I was. I had one destination in mind, one that should be able to keep us all safe.
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Five hours since I was shoved in this car. Five hours since this stupid burlap sack was shoved onto my head and I was forced into their stupid car. I have no idea where they are taking me, but I know it is probably not good. It's never good when they have to move me. The last time they did I was shoved in a basement with the only excuse being ‘Zombies’.They had yet to prove this whole ‘zombie’ thing, and until they did, I wouldn't believe them. In my mind, they were just coming up with new bullshit excuses to move me around all they wanted. However, this time felt different. The guard who was always with me had been trying to talk to me more, making sure the small taps wouldn't interfere with him telling me how many hours had passed. He had told me that I was going to a new place, that I wouldn't be in that damned facility anymore.I should know better by now, it had been four and a half years since I had been taken-—if Reon was correct about his timeframes-—and not once had they done something genuinely nice for me besides the few things that Reon did. But he didn't have the power to decide something like this. Either way, the idea of possibly not being trapped in a pitch-black room anymore gave me a glimmer of hope. But, again, I should know better.The ride has been as boring as I had expected, but at least I get to stretch out my legs and talk to Reon. He had taught me Morse code a couple of years back, making it so he could secretly speak to me without getting in trouble. That was how I even knew his name. I got to learn quite a bit about him, he used to be one of their ‘test subjects’, but he had managed to get promoted to be a guard when he showed enough good behavior and when they found out that their tests had stopped working.Reon was in his mid-thirties, and he was ex-military—--hence how he knew Morse code and was able to teach me. He also had a kid at one point. He never told me their name, but he said that they died from some of the testing these people put them through. The part that hurt the most, though, was that the kid was my age when I got here, and died only a few weeks before these people took me.He was the only reason I’m still somewhat sane here if I'm being honest. He had no reason to, but he’s helped me so much. He made sure I still had some form of education, making sure I could understand what was going on when I ‘finally escaped’ as he said. And I’m lucky that he gets to stay with me at this new place.I was pulled from my thoughts as another knock sounded, signaling that another hour had passed. A few moments passed and I just sat there, but then the tapping started back up. It was a warning from Reon.“This place is not much better. The leader here is strict, but he only has two main rules. No rape, and don't defy him. His name is Negan. He will not hesitate to hurt you. Be careful.”
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I didn't stop driving for miles, only taking a break when there were too many dead ones to keep going or for bathroom breaks. I needed to get as far away from that damned winery as possible, but I also needed to find another hunting store. We didn't have anything that could kill the dead ones at range, if we did, my father would still be alive right now—no matter how much of a dickhead he was. My mother got the gist of what was going on quite easily, quickly making a viable excuse to tell Kam.I didn't know what else to do. All I knew was that I needed to find someplace safe, find the proper supplies, and keep what I had left of my family safe. I had already lost three people, I had two left. I couldn't lose them too. That was why I just kept driving, kept watching the sun set until I finally found an old Bass Pro shop. They had bows and arrows, I could easily loot them. But that store was huge, and it wasn't one to go into alone, but I also just couldn't bring my mother and sister in there and risk them like that.I would have to go in alone. But that needed to wait til morning. Walking around on my own was dangerous enough in the daylight, it would be ten times worse in the darkness. I parked the car in the greenery, making it so I could easily hide it if need be. I wouldn't risk my sister and my mother. I couldn't.As it was quite often recently, my night was filled with fitful sleep, waking every few moments at the slightest noise. After what I assumed was about an hour, I stopped trying to sleep, curling up in the driver's seat with a random book I had grabbed when the world ended. I couldn't even focus on the words littering the pages, my mind was running with far too many thoughts for me to be able to read.This all was so much for someone of my age to deal with. I was only thirteen and I had still killed more of those creatures than some serial killers had killed people. I was just a kid. I shouldn't have to deal with things like this. I didn't even register that I was crying until I felt a tear land on my thumb, narrowly missing the page of the book. I closed the book, placing it on the center console before I buried my face in my knees.I shouldn't be crying right now, not when I could easily wake up my sister or my mother. I wouldn't even be able to explain to them why I was crying. But the tears kept falling as I continued to quietly sob. My father was an asshole, and if he saw me like this, he would yell at me and call me weak. But that didn't mean I didn't need him. My mother wasn't built for this world. She wasn't built to be a killer. My father was. And now he was gone.I was the one destined to fill his shoes. My sister couldn’t, she was only a child. But, so was I. I was only a child, but I was still older, therefore I was now the man of the metaphorical house that we all lived in now. That was an awful thought. But there was no time to dwell on the fucked up reality of this world—even if I could barely tell what was even reality anymore. I didn't have the time to be sitting here and crying.I didn't remember anything after that. It was just that at one moment, and the next I was covering the car with leaves and the instructions to my mother and sister to stay in the car as I went to the store. My mind was almost blank as I walked through the parking lot, quickly stabbing any dead ones that were lingering around.The store was surprisingly empty, only about a dozen dead ones total and the store was huge. It wasn't that hard to find the section where the bows were, and with only a little climbing, I was able to get three of them down after testing their drawbacks to make sure my family could use them properly. I grabbed the right size arrows for each one too, shoving them all in a cart along with a few other things I thought were necessities.The cart was loud as I pushed it through the store, but most of the dead ones were already gone and by the time they found where the noise was coming from, I was already long gone. I was just pushing the cart full of weapons towards where I had left the van when I heard the screaming. I couldn't tell who it was. All I could see was the vines over the van moved to let one door open and a dead one feasting on someone.
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The screams seemed to echo throughout the empty parking lot, each sending a shiver down my spine and another crack forming in my heart. I still couldn't see if it was my mother, my sister, or maybe even some random person who was screaming. My legs moved before my mind, abandoning the cart as I ran towards the dead one eating. I needed to know just who had fallen victim to this reanimated corpse.The closer I got, the more clearly I could see those black locks of hair I knew so well, ones that were much straighter than my mother's own. A sob ripped itself from my throat before I could stop it, the sound overtaken by the screams echoing in the air. I had lost my father only two days ago, and now my sister was gone too and there was nothing I could do about it. I wanted nothing more than just to be able to pinch myself and wake up from this horrid nightmare I was living in.I knew I couldn't do that though, this was the sad reality of my world now and I wouldn't be able to escape it that easily. Nothing felt real anymore, but I knew it was. No matter how much I didn't want to believe it anymore, I was stuck here. I came back to my own body when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, stopping me from running any further towards the dead one feasting on my sister. I half expected to feel a set of teeth digging into my shoulder, but that sensation never came. I whipped my head back, expecting the face of a dead one or of my mother, and I was met with neither. Instead, I was met with the sight of a man.The man had longer black hair and a dark scar across his forehead. That was all I paid attention to before I panicked. I had never been a trusting person, not even before the end of the world, so a random man holding me was a cause for concern. I started to thrash, trying everything I could to try and escape his hold but he didn't let up. I was silently praying to whoever was willing to listen that these people didn't find my mother, but my thoughts were cut short when I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head and my vision went black.When I came back to myself, I was in a place that looked to be a garage. But it wasn't a garage in a house, no, this was a car shop. My hands were bound to a bed, my clothes changed and I was stripped clean of weapons. I hated that more than anything. I could handle people taking me, tying me up. But the fact that I was in new clothes meant one of them changed me. One of them saw me bare, and the entire time, I was unconscious. They could've done more to me and I wouldn't even know.There was no point in trying to escape, but I could try and collect as much information as possible. I closed my eyes again, listening silently until I heard the sound of a door opening and three voices. It was two women and a man, the only distinction between the two women being their accents. One had a Spanish accent, the other was American.“The woman woke up like ten minutes ago, he should have done the same.” The unknown man spoke, a slight hint of worry in his voice. Had they found my mother? Did they take her too?“Aye, caballero, for the last time Darius. The boy fought. We had to use more force, he's going to be out longer than she was.” The Spanish woman huffed. I fought? I don’t remember anything that happened after I saw my sister being torn apart by that dead one.I continued to listen to them talk for a little while, learning all three of their names. Eventually, the conversations stopped and I finally cracked my eyes back open, roving them over the plain grey room I was in. The Spanish woman—Alicia, I had learned—was by my side in seconds, making sure I was actually alert before she started to speak to me.“Mornin’ dormilón. You were out for quite a while.” Alicia spoke, her voice coated in a sickeningly sweet innocence that anyone with a brain could tell wasn’t real. I didn’t respond, just continued to try and examine the room around me. I wanted to know if they had my mother.I was asked a few questions, basic ones you would expect from most anyone taking in new people. I hated the idea of these strange people knowing my name or anything about me, but they hadn't made a move to hurt me yet. Everything they had done had been in defense. It was something that made me want to respect them. They were cautious, but they still were somewhat welcoming.It took a few hours but eventually, I finally had my knife returned to me and I was untied. I was able to walk around, exploring the garage as I listened to Alicia talk my ear off about this place and how good it was before the world ended. Apparently Darius used to work here and he was kind enough to let them stay. I dont know why I was able to remember all that, but all of my confusion fell the moment I locked eyes with my mother. I ran forward, pulling her into a crushing hug before pulling back to check her for injuries.She was okay, luckily. But it didn't stop my worries. I dont know enough about these people to trust them. I couldn't let them see me with my guard down, it was just too much to risk. I stepped back once I was sure she was okay, my hand flexing at my side. It had been so long since I was last not doing anything with my hand, having been driving or holding a knife almost at every moment.It took almost an hour of talking before the people finally seemed to lower their own guards, just enough to no longer look as threatening but not enough to become weak. It was a few moments before the American woman from before—Regan, I think—spoke again, a grin appearing on her face as she did so.“Welcome to The Myriad.”
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I quickly understood what Reon meant by his far too cryptic message. At least in the old facility, my room was padded, almost like a solitary confinement cell. But here? I was stuck in a tiny concrete cell, barely any room to stretch out my legs in the confined space. It was pitch black in the cell, almost as if the bag had never been removed from my head. I didn't know where Reon was either, all of his communication had stopped the moment the car stopped.The first while wasn't all that bad, lying in the cramped cell each day and night, with nothing to do but attempt to scrawl things out on the walls. I was used to being bored, so it wasn't hard to accept the all-too-familiar feeling. I did miss being able to talk to Reon. Conversations with him always took me out of my own thoughts, making it so I didn't have to sit there and wonder if my family was even still looking for me.I never liked to dwell on those thoughts, those haunting dreams that always came back to try and tell me that my family didn't care that I had been taken all those years ago. Those dreams came far too often, always recurring more and more often whenever I didn't have the time to talk to Reon.I quickly shook myself from those thoughts as I heard a set of footsteps coming down the hall. It wasn’t time for my daily ‘feeding’-—a feeding that just consisted of a poor excuse of a sandwich that was really just two pieces of bread and a can of dog food.-—so I didn’t know why anyone would be coming into my cell.A man with a forehead larger than my will to live was standing outside the door when it opened, a man I had learned was named Simon a while back. Simon threw some kind of fabric at me, barking for me to get changed and saying that he would be back in ten minutes—not that I had any concept of time. The moment the door was closed, I did as I was told, trying to make sure I didn’t get in any more trouble than necessary.And Simon didn't lie. At least, I don't think so. It felt like ten minutes later when he returned to the door, opened it, and grabbed my arm to yank me out of the cell. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the much brighter atmosphere of the hallways in comparison to the darkness of the cell. I followed along behind Simon, barely listening to his incessant rambling until I heard a name far too familiar Negan. He was bragging about the plans Negan had,I could barely pay attention to its specifics, but Simon kept mentioning how ‘the boss was going to love’ me. It made me honestly uncomfortable, sounded too much like something else. But again, I didn’t want to dwell on that fact. We kept walking, but eventually, we ended up in front of a door. Simon knocked, and a few moments later a new man stepped out, one I had never seen before.The man had a beard, not a long one but it was there nonetheless. He had this leather jacket on, one that honestly seemed quite appropriate for the weather I had felt earlier. I could get much more thought in before I heard him finally say something.“Well, shit. Wasn’t expecting you so damn soon, doll. Woulda had my wives clean up a bit more if I did.” The man chuckles, the words causing a slight sense of unease to settle into my bones. The man was intimidating, enough so I felt the need to take a step back, only to be snatched right back by Simon.The man spoke again, but this time there was a slight softness to his voice, one just barely there but still noticeable. “I shoulda introduced myself before gettin’ all loud like that. I’m, Negan, though I’m sure you've already heard that from a few people.” He chuckled again, signaling to Simon to finally let me go. Simon took a step to the side as Negan started to circle me, inspecting me as if I were some kind of wild animal.I wasn't the most comfortable with the inspection, but this was the person that Reon warned me about, this was the man who wouldn't hesitate to hurt me if I broke his rules. I just let him circle me, watching me to see what kind of move I would make as I just hunched in on myself. Eventually, he lifted his hand to grab at my jaw, causing me to try to flinch away as he brought my face up to look into his own. “Rhory, was it? Welcome to the Sanctuary. You're gonna love it here.” Negan spoke, a wolfish grin spreading out across his face as he moved to wrap an arm around my shoulder and started to walk, dragging me along. “C’mon, Doll. We’re goin’ on a tour.”
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Life had been easier with the people of The Myriad. Me and Mom were safer, we had an actual place to stay instead of just camping out in our van all day and all night. We met the other members soon after we were welcomed, and there was a thought in the back of my mind the entire time I was around one specific person. Kamari would've loved Darius. He was someone who was somehow able to still be so sweet yet he could still show that he was capable of keeping himself and others safe.He was a good man, the type of man I used to wish my father could’ve been. But there was no need to dwell on that. I was given the opportunity to show my mother, Darius, and Valentin how to use bows properly. The Myriad had taken my cart full of items that I had taken from that pro shop once they saw what it was.I wasn't yet trusted to go on runs, but I was still allowed to have a weapon and train people on how to use it so I assume that meant they trusted me at least somewhat. I still didn't trust any of them fully, but we had been here at least a week now and they hadn't done anything to hurt me or my mother yet.The training was easy. I had always known how to use a bow, especially to hunt. And taking out dead ones was practically another version of hunting. My mother had also heard me talk about it enough to know some things, though she still needed to be coached. But she and Darius got the hang of the bows fairly quickly. Their aim still wasn’t the best, but the two of them were able to hit the target with nine out of ten shots.I went to bed after training, it was getting late anyway and Regan didn't like it if we were up too late after dark. She wasn't even here right now but I still felt the need to comply with her rules. Darius came by a few hours after I went to my room, coming in to do his daily check-up on me and Mom. I still didn't understand why we needed these stupid check-ups, but Darius was tolerable and therefore, I never minded the company. He usually stayed in to talk for a few moments after he was done making sure I was okay.Today was different, though. Instead of the normal, lighthearted look on Darius’s face as he spoke to me, it was replaced by guilt. I wanted to ask him about it, but he left far quicker than normal today. He was gone after only a few moments. I shook it off as nothing, settling myself back into my bed for the night. Normally, I was quite a light sleeper, one who would wake at the slightest noise and be unable to fall asleep for hours afterward. But, apparently, that hadn’t been the case tonight. I woke up about two or three hours after I fell asleep, at least that’s what it felt like with how exhausted I still was. I had no time to think about that as I heard the soft breaths of someone else in the room with me.My tiredness immediately disappeared as I heard the breaths. I tried to sit up, wanting to reach for my knife. I stopped as I felt a hand push down on my spine, the weight of the person behind me heavy and pressing me into my own bed. I was trapped, stuck under some person and I couldn't do anything.I could feel the cold air hitting my bare thighs, proof that someone had taken my pants off along with my boxers. I didn't know who this was, and I didn't know what they were trying to do but I knew it wasn't good. I knew what sex was, but that's not whatever the hell this is. This was not something wanted, not agreed upon. I knew nothing about what was going on besides the feeling of something long and slick sliding across the curve of my bare ass. To my own horror, I could also feel the wetness pooling between my thighs.I went to speak, to try and yell or plead but the moment my mouth opened to form words, there were fingers pressing against my tongue. I tried to pull my head away, tried to get away from any of these sensations but it only caused the person behind me to shove their fingers farther into my mouth, causing me to gag around them. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, this entire situation taking me right back to the first time I saw my father do something like this to my mom.Bile rose in my throat as I squirmed underneath the person, trying my hardest to escape. After a few moments, I heard a grunt, one that sounded all too familiar. It sounded like Valentin. The thought alone of him doing this made me see red. I don't know where the courage came from, but I bit down on the fingers inside of my mouth hard enough to taste blood. Valentin drew his hand back with a yelp, and I took the advantage to throw myself backward, effectively throwing him off of me.I didn't know just how far Valentin would've gone if I hadn't stopped him, but I could see the plot in his eyes as he lay on the ground. He spoke before I could, his voice coated in that sickeningly sweet innocence just like Alicia’s had that first night we got here.“Kal.. Baby, what was that for? I'm trying to help you, help us both. I know you’ve been stressed lately cariño. I just want to make you feel good.” He purred, that honey-coated voice annoying as all hell but so damn sweet it sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't tell if he was lying or not.I had been stressed recently, enough so that almost anyone could see it. He could be telling the truth. Apparently, I had gotten lost in thought because the next thing I knew, I was being shoved back against my bed, Valentin moving his hand to the back of my neck to press my face into the mattress. I couldn't breathe, couldn't see as tears clouded my vision once more when I felt a burn between my thighs, the feeling of the intrusion an extremely uncomfortable one.I could do nothing as I listened to him take what he wanted, whispering soft words into my ears to try and convince me that I wanted this. The hand that wasn't pressing down against my neck had my wrists pinned above my head. I was completely helpless, at Valentin’s mercy. It was only about five minutes until he was done, but each one felt like an hour with the brutal pace that Valentin had set up. He left me there with a warning not to tell anyone. I didn't do anything, just crumpled down onto my knees and sobbed.
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The assaults kept coming after that day, almost every night when Valentin would come into my room. I got used to it after a while, listening to all of his ways of trying to convince me that what he was doing was okay. I grew desensitized over time, though there was still this part of my brain screaming that something was wrong with what was going on.Several months later, I had stopped counting the days since the world ended. I had lost all hope of finding Rhory that day when I saw the dead walking again, there was no point in keeping track. If we couldn't find him when the majority of the world was alive how would we be able to find him now?I didn't even keep count of how long Valentin had been parading me around as his ‘boyfriend’. It didn't matter to me anymore, it was just how I had to be so I could stay there. My mother knew something was off with the whole situation, it was clear on her face any time she saw me with Valentin. I couldn't say anything about it, though. I would lose my place here, I'd already been warned of that.It was another one of the nights that Valentin was in my room, leaving me completely at his will with nothing to do. I tried my hardest to tune everything out as I felt the slide of flesh against my throat, the sound of groans above me. I’m tired of this. But I knew I was supposed to just sit there and ‘take it’. I dont want to though. I'm only thirteen, I shouldn't be doing this.I know nothing is the same in this world anymore, therefore, why would it matter what a ‘normal’ thirteen-year-old should be doing? But I couldn't handle this anymore, I needed to end this, to stop this abuse. It was too much like my father, and the worst part was, that was all I could see whenever I looked at Valentin during this. Every time I looked into his eyes, it was my father staring back at me and that just made me feel sick.I screwed my eyes shut at that, a strangled, forced moan coming from my throat as I felt the man above me tug at my hair. It was one of the few times I was glad I still had short hair—less for people to grab onto. I felt his pace pick up, his groans getting louder, and it finally set me off. With a sudden surge of confidence, I snapped my teeth closed around the intrusion in my mouth, causing a loud yelp from the man in front of me. His grip on my hair tightened to the point of being painful, and the next thing I knew, I was being thrown into the glass table that was next to us.The table shattered upon impact, sending the shards clattering across the concrete floor and into my skin. My left eye screwed shut as I felt the glass stab into it, causing a scream to rip from my throat. I could feel the blood streaming down my face and arms wherever the glass had punctured. I heard a quiet curse above me before the sound of a belt being put back on. Footsteps thundered down the halls as my right eye went blurry, Valentin crouching down next to me and acting as if he had just found me.The last thing I heard as my vision finally went back, was the sound of my mother screaming my name. When my eyes opened again, I wasn't in the garage with the Myriad anymore. I was in my house, the one from before the world ended, but I wasn't in my own body. I was watching my younger self, out on the swings we had in our backyard with Rhory. It was one of my favorite memories, one where me and my brother were finally getting to just be kids for once. I didn't know why I was recalling this memory, but I wasn't mad.I watched my younger self try and jump off of the swing as he got high enough, only for him to fall and scrape his knee. I had to hold back my laughter as little Rhory’s started up. I watched the memory replay, a fond smile on my face as I saw Rhory go to fix up little me’s knee. And then a scream rang out, the sound of my younger self screaming out for my older brother as he didn't come back from where he went to get something to bandage my knee.My younger self's scream faded into my current one as I felt the glass being plucked from my eye.
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I wasn't able to scream for long, my eyes opening to see Darius above me with a pair of tweezers that were holding a bloody piece of glass and Camryn standing above me with a cloth. Only a few moments after I was able to open my eyes, the cloth was pressed against my mouth and I was once again out like a light.I was back up in only about an hour. My left eye hurt like hell when I tried to open it, and I only became more confused when the left side of my vision was still black. I was still loopy, so the words I tried to spew out just came as an unintelligible mumble. I saw Darius still there, but Camryn had left at some point, replaced by a very pissed-off-looking Regan.Once I was more lucid, I slowly pushed to sit up, wincing as I felt the sting of a few cuts littering my forearms and biceps. Darius came rushing over, helping me sit up safely while also explaining what happened.“Valentin told us you managed to trip and fall into the glass table, it shattered. I was able to get the glass out, but... I couldn't save your eye. I'm sorry Kal.” Darius spoke, his voice like honey compared to that fake, sickeningly sweet tone that Valentin always used.“I.. what.. I didn't fall..” I tried to explain but was quickly shushed by Regan. She made a motion that had Darius scrambling out of the room in seconds, the pissed expression on her face only getting worse than what it was when I first realized she was in here.The moment Darius was out of earshot, she spoke—more like yelled. “You fucking bit Valentin?!” There was no questioning just how angry she was right now, it was clear in her voice. Apparently, she got the mostly true version of the story while Darius got some made-up bullshit.“Yeah.. I did.. he was fucking violating me.” I snapped, my head pounding from the conflicting sounds around me and the force with which my head was slammed into that table. I was concerned with myself, a feeling arising that I had never experienced before.I didn't know what got into me, but there was one thought on my mind that was shoving its way forward from all the others. Kill. I wanted Valentin dead. I only ever thought of killing like this when I was around the dead ones, but now? Wanting to kill a human? That was new.I didn't even register anything that Regan was saying, my already limited vision felt shrouded in red, an unexplainable lust for blood making itself known. I looked up, seeing Regan in a rant about what I did, and then I looked to the side, seeing the scalpel on the tray. My hand was moving before I could think, shooting out to grab the blade as I stood on wobbly legs.By this point, Regan was no longer facing me, making it all the easier to just hobble over, reach around, and slash the blade across her throat. Her rambling was cut off with a strangely satisfying gurgle, the sound some kind of sick music to my ears.I still couldn't see fully, my right eye hazed over and my left ruined from the glass. That didn't stop me from continuing to limp my way out of the makeshift hospital room, scalpel still in hand and my clothes stained with blood that was a mixture of Regan's and my own.The first person I ran into was Alicia. She hadn't hurt me that much, hadn't coerced me into much. Her death was as quick as I could make it, a clean slash across her throat. That wonderful sound of someone gurgling on their own blood reached my ears once more, and it sent a shiver down my spine.I wasn't hunting Valentin yet, but I did have a plan for him. Instead, I was heading towards my room, planning to collect my things and make these kills all the more personal. I also still had to find my mom, I needed to get her out of here before those fuckers turned.Once I got to my room, I didn't bother changing. I'd just get more covered in blood anyway. I'd grabbed my knives, bow, the pistol I got when The Myriad decided they trusted me, and the katana. I couldn't leave that katana. It's the last thing I have of my brother.I grabbed a few other necessary items, and I went back to my hunt. I ran into Dawson next. He didn't get the luxury of a quick death, he'd been just as bad as Valentin was when it came to those repeated assaults. I was about 30 feet from him when I found him, so I pulled out my bow, strung an arrow, and shot him straight through the stomach. It was a good thing I sharpened my arrows.By the time I found Camryn, all thoughts had left my head as I stumbled through the makeshift halls of the garage. The only sounds coming through to me were the sounds of their screams and the gurgling of them choking on their own blood. Darius was given a quick death and one that made sure he wouldn't be turning. A simple gunshot to the head. I didn't want to kill him, but he was with them. He was still a threat.Valentin was next. He deserved as painful a death as I could muster. And I had the perfect idea. The still somewhat sane part of my brain reminded me to keep my steps light as I approached him, making sure not to startle the man.His death would be the most fun. Once I got close enough, I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, holding my hunting knife against his throat with just enough pressure to draw blood, but not enough to kill. Luckily, I knew where The Myriad kept the rope.Even with him being a good foot taller than me, I was able to manhandle him into their storage room and tie him up. I got him settled against a wall, running my knife along his skin, leaving the smallest of cuts every now and then. I wouldn't give him the mercy of listening to his desperate pleading.I dragged my knife along the seams of his clothing, revealing a body I had unwillingly grown to know far too well. I didn't give him an explanation, just leaned down and slashed across the base of that useless thing he called a dick. The rest of his limbs went similarly, a scream erupting from his throat each time until he finally succumbed to blood loss. I left his mangled parts there for the dead ones to find, he wasn't worth keeping anyway.In my bloodthirsty haze, I hadn't heard the voice of the woman sneaking up behind me. I hadn't even noticed she was there until her hand was on my shoulder, and by then, I'd already spun around and plunged my blade into her abdomen. It was only when I finally registered that I had already killed all the women of The Myriad that my vision cleared, and I was met with the sight of my mother, her shirt drenched in her own blood as she gasped around the crimson liquid.
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It had been months since my transfer to this place that everyone called ‘The Sanctuary”. Months of the same routine meals and being glued to Negan’s side like a shadow. Months of being paraded around as Negan’s child, months I’ve spent drawing down that man’s walls and nestling my way into his prickly heart of thorns. Months of lying in wait to finally fulfill my purpose here. To kill, not Negan, but whomever he sees fit.“Ooh, Tinyyy~” Negan sing-songed, his voice ringing out through the halls outside his wives quarters where I typically resided. Hearing the call, I perked up. The moment Negan strode into the room, I could see the women tensing in their seats as they awaited orders that never came. Instead, he just surveyed the room until his eyes landed on me.“Ah, there you are, Shorty. We’ve got rounds to do, kid. You can come back and flirt with the girls later, c’mon.” The words made me cringe, Negan once again blindsiding the fact that I have made it crystal clear to him that I have absolutely no interest in women—especially not his wives—ever since what happened at the facility I was transferred from. I could tell he noticed my distaste towards his words, but he said nothing about it. He just placed his hand on my shoulder and started to steer me out of the room.We walked silently through the halls, traveling an unfamiliar route. The one thing I was able to recognize was a door he had never allowed me to enter before. We stopped walking in front of the door, Negan proceeding to pull a ring of keys from his pocket and sifting through them to find one that seemed almost pristine, showing just how little it was used.“Your little guard friend got transferred here permanently last week,” his words seemed to echo in the empty hallway, startling me a bit. “Got to visit that facility, too. God, was that place a shit-hole.. Dunno how you lasted there, kid. Made me nauseous, some of those rooms, ‘specially those cells.” I shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the cells back at my old facility, the place that had become my home for what felt like centuries.Negan stopped his talking there, looking towards me before he started up again. “You avoid talkin’ about that place like its the goddamn plague—like they did some shit to you, kid.” Negans face was barely discernable, the dimly lit hallway casting shadows across his features, though I could narrowly make out the way his expression softened when he saw the way I flinched at his statement.“What.. what did they do to you, Tiny?” His tone was dripping with concern as I remained silent. For a moment, I debated whether or not I should reveal the true extent of the things they had done to me there. After a few moments, I stepped into the flickering light of the hall, my back to Negan as I lifted the hem of my shirt to reveal the scars that seemed to litter my body from head to toe. All I heard was a sharp intake of breath before I felt hands on my shoulders, turning me around and pulling me into an embrace.I rested my head against the cold leather of his jacket as we just stood there for a few moments. Once it felt like the embrace had lasted longer than it needed to, I began to wonder if the embrace was more to comfort me or him. I shifted in his grasp, and Negan took it as a sign to finally let go. He sighed before returning to the door, opening it up to reveal a much larger space. I peered into the room, my brows furrowed in confusion as I looked back to Negan.“I told ya you’d have your own section in the compound at some point, kiddo. Just had to get it fixed and cleaned up before showin’ ya.” Negans voice rang out, echoing around the high ceilings. “Feel free to request anything you want in here, Tiny—hell, you could start making nuclear bombs, and I wouldn’t stop ya.” He was right behind me now as I took a step into the room, surveying the space.“There's a room off to the side for ya to turn into your livin’ quarters. Just—have fun, yeah? I'm always here if you need anything.” There was a twinge of sadness in his voice when he said those last few words, almost sounding broken. I took a moment more to look at the room before I turned around, facing him.I took a few steps forward, wrapping my arms around him in a hug as I spoke the only two words I had said to the man in months.“Thank you.”
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If there was one thing that anyone feared more than anything, it was Negan’s wrath. But that wrath only increased tenfold when someone hurt Rhory.Early that morning, Negan retrieved Rhory from the wives’ quarters, as per usual. Almost as if it were routine, they heard that sing-song tone that always meant he was calling for his ‘Tiny.’ However, something strayed from the routine today. This time, Negan said his hellos and then just left Rhory with the wives, and he departed almost as quickly as he arrived. They barely heard what he spoke into his radio as he was leaving, and soon it all made sense.“All hands on deck, motherfuckers. They hurt Rhory. They. Hurt. Our. Tiny.” Negan’s voice was laced with so much anger that no one even questioned what was going on. “Who?” Simon’s voice called over the radio in response. It was only seconds before Negan replied. “That little fucked up science facility we checked out last week. The one Tiny came from.”“The Cure? They’re the fuckers that hurt Tiny?!” Arat called, her voice laced with just as much malice as Negan’s. “The Cure. They fucking hurt him.” Negan snarled. It was less than an hour before Negan’s men were rallied, all of them just as enraged as Negan. These fuckers were sick enough to hurt a child, let alone hurt Rhory, of all people. The kid was only sixteen, for fucks sake. He was still a child, yet these entitled assholes felt it was right to mold him into this ‘idealistic’ soldier. When Negan demanded his share of the soldiers he was training, he never expected to be given the scrawny thing that they all knew now as their little pocket rocket. Their Tiny. Their Rhory.The drive to the facility felt like it took years and only seconds at the same time, the silence so loud it felt like Negan’s ears were ringing. Everyone was so enraged they didn't even want to speak. They just wanted to complete their new mission of wiping this place like the piece of scum that it was.Negan though? Negan was irate. These people thought they could hurt his kid and nothing would happen, nothing would come back at them for hurting someone so innocent. He let his rage fuel him as he and his troops swept the building, leaving no guard alive or even able to come back to life. He couldn't let this place get overrun, not if there could still be people here. Every room was ransacked, each and every piece of furniture flipped and checked for anything they could find on the bastards that put their hands on their Tiny.The sound of Negan’s whistling echoed throughout the blood-splattered halls of the facility, gazing around at all the doors left ajar from where his men had already cleared. He wandered the halls, continuing to peek into the doors until he heard a voice call out a few doors ahead of him. “Uhm.. Negan, you might wanna take this one..”“Jesus.. Why is it so damn hard to just clear a room? What is it that makes this one so special, huh?!” Negan snapped, his anger taking over as he walked the few steps towards the room, stopping in his tracks when he heard the troops' response. “It's the records room, sir. It seems to have all the information for every soldier that has been trained here.. Rhory and that guard, too.”The halls were silent for a moment. After what felt like an eternity, Negan hummed an affirmative, the sound of his boots echoing throughout the halls as he took those final few steps toward the records room. His thoughts were both running a mile a minute and were completely silent, a constant indescribable buzz in the back of his mind.All of his men who were huddled around the door moved the moment he approached, letting him into the room without a question. He surveyed the room, quickly finding Simon standing next to a large filing cabinet, one of the drawers opened, and the man sifting through some of the files. “Negan.. This place is fucked.. They.. they brought in kids.. These soldiers.. They were only.. Nine, five, eleven, twelve.. They were all kids when they were brought in... These assholes were training children to be soldiers.”Hearing those words, Negan’s breath hitched, so many thoughts replacing that buzz that had settled into his mind at a rate that made his head pound. How old was Rhory when he was brought here? The thought alone made his heart hurt and his stomach lurch.; the kid was probably no older than twelve.“Get the files and get ‘em in the truck. All of ‘em.” Negan’s voice was barely loud enough to travel across the room, but his men heard it either way and got to work immediately. They pulled out the drawers, hauling all three filing cabinets worth of medical files and experiment detailings of each and every ‘soldier’ that had been facilitated here.“Negan? Negan, do you copy?” A voice called from the radio, snapping him out of his temporary stupor. “Yeah. Copy.” He responded, listening for what the savior on the other end needed.“We have the sick fuck behind this shit, or at least one of them. He keeps mumbling about some boss ‘n how she won't be happy. How should I proceed?”“ Tie ‘im up and knock that fucker out. Put him in containment when we get back. He has info we need. For Rhory's sake.”
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I paled as I looked up at the face of my mother, a thousand thoughts running through my mind at once, the voices of my family screaming at me that I’ve just royally fucked up. “Fuck–no, no—you’re gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay..” I rambled, quickly taking off my overshirt to wrap around the wound on my mother's abdomen. It was a lost cause, I should’ve known that by now, but the rational part of my brain wasn’t working right now.The only response I got to my words was a strangled gasp, the sound almost gurgling around her blood. I didn’t have the right knowledge to help her, couldn’t fix the things I’d done. The voices of those I've lost echoed around in my brain as I slid down the wall next to my mother. My father’s voice seemed to echo in my head the most, his reminders of how everything I loved seemed to die feeling like they were trying to be burned into my mind more than they already were.I sat there with her the entire time. It felt like hours, but I knew it was only minutes. Even after she had gone still and cold next to me, I didn't move. I sat against that wall and I sobbed. What had I done..? I’d just killed six people—seven. And the only person I felt even an ounce of remorse for was my mother.I stayed against that wall until I heard a quiet groaning next to me. Only then did I move, plunging my knife into the skull of the dead one that used to be my mother. I had no purpose in that place anymore, so I left.— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —I didn’t even know how long it had been since I had left the garage that used to be where The Myriad lived. All I knew was that every step through the forest felt both silent and louder than anything I had ever heard. I felt like I was overheating, yet I could hear my teeth chattering among the other sounds of the forest. Everything I ate came back up in what felt like less than an hour, but I kept moving. I had no idea where I was going. I didn’t even know where I was now.I just kept moving. What remained of my left eye hurt like hell, but the one thing I didn't raid from the Myriad was the medical supplies, so the only thing I had to help with that was the random bottles of alcohol I could scavenge. Those only did more harm than good.The days became repetitive. Walk a few miles, kill any of the dead ones around, find an animal to hunt, eat it raw—fires drew attention, I wasn't trying to be found—and keep walking. The only thing that changed was whether or not I got to sleep that night or whether I scavenged that day.I was slowly growing weaker and weaker, barely able to pull the string of my bow back anymore due to being unable to keep down any food. My thoughts were blurring together, any coherent thing in my brain slowly fading as time went on until the only differences between me and the dead ones was that I was alive and didn’t eat people—yet.I became a mindless being, traveling through the forest with no real intention but to kill and get revenge on the monsters that were the reason I no longer had a family. All I had left of them were faint memories, a Polaroid, and a katana with my brother’s name carved into the hilt. That was all that was left of them besides their rotting corpses withering about on these roads somewhere.The trees became my shelter, the only way to stay safe when there were just too many dead ones around. I climbed them, quickly using my gun or the katana to take them out before I continued my endless trek throughout the woods. Eventually, I became so covered in grime and gore that I was able to walk among the dead ones without them realizing I wasn’t one of them. That just made my goalless journey easier.I didn’t bother to stop by any buildings I passed, knowing that by now, everything was probably already ransacked. The only ones I even thought to stop and search were the occasional bars I passed, along with any smoke shops. Smoking was an old habit of my fathers, and I remember always complaining about the stench of his cigarettes whenever he smoked around me. But now, I understand why he did it. That burn in the back of your throat being just enough to distract your mind for a second.It was peaceful out in the forest. Once I could walk among the dead ones, I didn’t need to worry anymore. I was able to lie down against a tree and rest whenever I wanted without having to worry about not waking up the next morning. It was one of those afternoons when everything changed.“Wait– this isn't a walker... what— Holy shit, it's a kid..”
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Excerpt from: Medical files-Rowan Alexander Milburne
Full Name: Rowan Alexander Milburne D.O.B: 11/28/1997
Sex: Male Eye color: Green Hair color: Brown
April 3rd, 2009.
The subject is timid in nature, yet still standoffish and puts up a fight. Sedation was a bit of a struggle but got in either way. Desensitization will proceed next week, training will proceed directly after.
When Negan left, it was around mid-afternoon. He took his crew out to go do something, what? I had no idea. I knew better than to ask about it when he got back just in case things didn't go the way he wanted. I knew to stay out of his way. Part of me knew that he wouldn't hurt me, not intentionally at least, but just the thought that he could that held me in that chokehold of worry.Several hours had passed, the day fading into the evening as I grew worried. Collection runs never went this long. Where is he— The squeal of the gates opening tore me from my thoughts. He’s back! I quickly made my way out of the compound, standing next to the main door as the cars and trucks passed by, waiting to see Negan.The moment I saw him step out of his truck, my heart stopped. His clothes and bat were drenched in blood, the difference between what was his own and what wasn't his almost indiscernible. I rushed forward, wordlessly checking over the man for injuries, but to my surprise—and relief—there were none. However, that only caused me to question more.When my eyes met Negan's, it was impossible to miss the amusement in his gaze. He took a few steps forward, reaching up to ruffle my hair as he let out a quiet chuckle. “I'm fine, kid. Promise. Nothin’ more'n a couple scratches at most. Shoulda seen the other guys.” .I started at him with an unamused expression for a moment before quickly moving forward to capture him in a hug. I would never admit it to anyone, but I was terrified. Every second he was gone, I grew more worried, more scared that i would be alone again or that I would be sent back. That was one of the things conditioned into me, though. Fear is weakness, fear makes you a target. Targets die.He shook me out of my thoughts with a pat to the head, causing me to grumble slightly. “Y'know, I forget you’re just a kid sometimes Tiny. And I hate that.. but it's times like this that remind me.”— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —When I finally got a moment of quiet, the only thing I could focus on were Negan's words from the night prior. Just a kid. I stared up at the ceiling unblinking for what felt like ages, only snapping out of my stupor when I heard someone in my room clear their throat. I sat up, only to see Negan perched on my desk, waiting on me to realize he was there.“Mornin’ sunshine. Welcome back to earth.”I didn't respond to that. “No? Okay, then. We're goin’ on a lil’ side quest today, Shorty. Takin’ a truck just in case.” That made me perk up, the chance to leave the compound being a rare one. In the months I had been here, I'd only been out of the complex once—and that was weeks ago.I darted forward, scanning through the selection of guns, bows, and other weapons before stumbling upon katanas. I ran my hand over the smooth metal, taking in all the imperfections from years of use without proper care, before taking the hilt into my hand, giving it a few testing swings. I look back to Negan, where he watched my every movement.
“Ready?” I nodded.I followed behind Negan like a lost puppy as he made his way to the armory, a slight pep in my step along the way. When we got there, he opened the doors like it was something new for me to see, even if I had already seen it so many times. “Pick whatcha’ want, Tiny.” He spoke, the amusement in his voice not masked.The moment his words registered, I was moving. I'd seen the armory before, but I had never gotten the chance to truly explore it. I scanned the walls of weapons as I walked, my eyes eventually falling onto a sole two katanas perched below the axes. I reached out, running my hands along the smooth metal, taking note of how some parts of the blades were rolled from use. I barely wasted a moment as I picked them up, rolling the handle in my hand to get used to the pattern of the ito.Negan watched with an amused smirk, watching me take a few test swings before he finally spoke. “Ya’ ready, kid?” And to that, I nodded.— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —My mind was racing the entire car ride, causing those maybe ten minutes to feel like centuries. I was drawn from my thoughts by the truck screeching to a halt, a quiet curse coming from the man next to me.“Dammit.. there's a small herd ahead. That's gonna fuck shit up. Goddammit there's people. They're screwed. They're gonna get fuckin’ killed if they don't get outta there.”Looking out, I saw what Negan was talking about. There was a small group of lurkers, about eight or ten, but still enough to screw with those people out there—especially the one with the person on his shoulders. I tore my gaze away from the outside, turning it onto Negan instead with an expectant look, silently begging him to let me loose on the undead.“Kid. No. I am not letting you go get your ass handed to you by a bunch of those ugly fuckers—don't you look at me like that ya’ little shit—Dammit. Fine. But you stay by me, and you do not interact with the people. Got it?”I nodded gleefully as I turned back to face the windshield, pulling my mask up to cover my face. Once everything was settled, I pulled the door handle, shouldering the thing open and hopping out of the truck.I heard Negan hop out of the car as well, the quiet thud of his boots meeting the pavement barely audible over the growls of the undead. He let out a quiet swear before addressing me.“Dammit—there's more than I thought. Oi, Pocket Rocket?”The sound of my nickname had my attention in seconds, my focus quickly snapping onto Negan. I sent him a look that was a silent question, wondering what he needed.“Go handle that while I have a lil’ chat with our new friends, yeah?” There was only a second of time for me to nod before I was darting forward, katanas in hand as I slashed through the undead.