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O'Death

Chapter Twelve

The weather started to make a change out of the real blue. Angela thought she was imagining it when she felt a nip in the air that morning. She wore her tank top over a long sleeve and her usual gear on as she met up with everyone. Angela was informed Daryl was questioning Randall, being kept in the laughter barn. She was the last to be given the information, being at Daryl's camp when they got back. The thought of another possible threat made her unable to eat breakfast. She shoved her hands in her pockets, trying to keep calm and not grow fearful for possibly no reason.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Lori asked pouring a warm drink of something to Carl. The sudden chilly temperatures seemed to affect everyone. They wore long sleeves and jackets. "We'd all feel better if we knew the plan."

"Is there a plan?" Andrea asked, walking the fire pit.

"We gonna keep him here?" Glenn asked.

Shane and Rick gave each other looks, as if they were debating it themselves. "We'll know soon enough." He told, nodding in the direction behind them.

They all turned as Daryl finally arrived back in warmer gear as well. "Boy's got a gang, thirty men." He told, Angela instantly took notice of the red blood smudged on his knuckles against his dark clothing.

"They have heavy artillery n' they ain't lookin' to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. N' our women, they're gonna…" His eyes fell about on the women present, lingering over Angela before falling back to Rick. "They're gonna wish they were."

Angela swallowed hard, bringing a hand to her mouth to hide her frown. Jesus, people like that somehow managed to ruin everything, don't they?

"Anything else from him?" Rick asked, lowering his head to indicate to Daryl of what he meant.

Daryl looked at him, debating how to answer. He just shook his head, with a low 'no' to answer.

"What did you do?" Carol said, spotting his knuckles.

Daryl dropped his hand from sight as he made his way past them. "Had a little chat."

Angela shook her head as he dismissed his obvious injury. Beating him to a bloody pulp, that explains the answers he got.

"No one goes near this guy." Rick announced to everyone.

Lori got to her feet, approaching her husband. "Rick, what are you gonna do?"

Rick took in a deep breath, not wanting to admit the truth of what was needed to be done. "We got no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat."

Out of the entire group, Dale was the one to speak up on this hinted suggestion. "You're just gonna kill him?"

Eyes went to Dale who was appalled by the mere thought of doing such an act. "It's settled." Was Rick's response, his stare showing he wasn't backing out on the idea. "I'll do it today."

Rick left as Dale followed after him, more or less to argue about it. Everyone looked to one another, Angela watched as the two discussed. Dale was always trying to see things on the kinder side, but she herself didn't know what to think on the matter. Her attention shot to Daryl who was making his way back to his camp without another look to the group. She sighed with sagged shoulders, she just left there and she had the need to check his hand.

With a roll of her eyes, Angela cursed to herself and jogged up to catch up with him. "Daryl! Wait!" She called, he threw a look over his shoulder but didn't stop. She growled in aggravation and got around him, holding her hands up to stop him.

"You're hurt, let me wrap your hand." She offered, motioning to his knuckles.

"I'm fine." He growled at her viciously, catching her off guard.

"What? You're bleeding, at least let me clean it." She reached over.

But before she could touch his fingers, Daryl yanked his hand away and stepped back. "Get off me!"

Angela blinked, stepping back herself at his loud tone. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothin', just leave me be." He demanded, walking around her and marching toward his camp.

Her chest tightened with pain, the rejection she received was out of nowhere. With how he was yesterday, why the sudden hostility to her today? Maybe he slept badly and it aggravated him? Angela decided to give him space for today.



Trying to find anyone to agree with him was more difficult than proven necessary. Dale didn't want to see this young kid die, and the fact Rick saw it the only way disturbed him greatly. Rick changed, and Dale knew that. He would always be against killing the living, it separated them from people like this. What kind of path was Rick riding down with this choice?

Deciding to get others' thoughts, he ventured all the way out to Daryl Dixon. He may not be a good person to voice out for help, but he saw how Angela and him interacted. Maybe he would agree in some magical way. Dale noted to get Angela's opinion on the situation as well, he can't see her condoning this as well. He tried with Andrea and should have expected to agree with Rick- or as she put it Shane- when asking her to keep guard for the kid's sake. Now it was the hunter's turn.

"The whole point of me comin' up here is to get away from ya people." Daryl muttered when he spotted Dale approaching him.

The redneck was setting up his newly made arrows, which he struggled as they were much longer than his usual ones.

"Gonna take more than that." Dale mused.

"Carol send ya?" Daryl asked.

"Carol's not the only one that's concerned about you, your new role in the group." He told, propping his foot up on a rock watching him.

"Oh, man, I don't need my head shrunk." He grunted at him, not batting an eye to him. "This group's broken. I'm better off fendin' for myself."

Dale blinked at his words, Daryl stood straight and grab his vest and long sleeve throwing it on. "You act like you don't care."

"Yeah, it's 'cause I don't."

"So live you die, you don't care what happens to Randall?"

"Nope." He told, adding the sheath of his knife to his hip.

"Then why not stand with me and try to save the kid's life, if it really doesn't matter one way or the other?"

"Didn't peg ya as a desperate sumbitch." Daryl reached down picking up his crossbow.

"Your opinion makes a difference." Dale said sincerely.

Grabbing more handmade bolts, he turned away from Dale ready to make his leave for a hunt. "Man, ain't nobody lookin' at me for nothin'."

"Carol is, I am, and most of all Angela is. Right now." Daryl stopped and turned back at the bearded man when mentioning Angela. Dale took a few steps towards him. "You obviously have Rick's ear."

"Rick just looks to Shane." Daryl snarled. "Let him."

He turned back around, but Dale was persistent. "You cared about what happened to Sophia." With a roll of his eyes, Daryl was back to looking at Dale as he continued. "Cared what it meant to the group. Torturing people? That isn't you, I know you're out there to look for Kaylee for Angela's sake."

Daryl looked away, not wanting to even try and correct him of the discovered fate of Kay. His knuckles burned as he tightly gripped the strap of his bow.

"You're a decent man, so is Rick." He rose up a finger. "Shane, he's different."

"Why's that?" Daryl asked, taking a few more steps. "'Cause he killed Otis?"

Dale stared at him, "He tell you that?" he walked right up to hear as Daryl's voice got lower.

"He told some story. How Otis covered him, saved his ass. He showed up with the dead guy's gun." Daryl shook his head. "Rick ain't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's 'cause he didn't wanna."

Dale shifted his footing, raising the same finger up. "But you see the danger he is, look what he did to Angela." Daryl's narrowed eyes watched the anger in Dale's expression. "She's terrified he's going to kill her, the safest she's felt is with me or you."

"Then why ain't ya there with her?" He asked.

Dale didn't answer, he sighed. "You know what I'm telling you. We can't let Shane win this over and kill that kid."

Daryl chewed on his cheek, his eyes in the usual narrow but they held a meaning this time. "Ya wanna know my opinion on this shit?" Dale nodded, the hunter rubbed his chin. "I think he should get what's comin' to him."

The man's eyes went wide at the opinion given to him. "Ya know why? It's 'cause he killed Kaylee."

Dale had to shake his head at that shocking news, when was this established? "He what?"

Daryl nodded at his disbelief. "Found her shirt, covered in blood in his bag. How do ya explain that?"

"We-we don't know if he did it himself. Maybe he found it or-"

"Now yer just lookin' for any excuse." Daryl stepped back, shoving a thumb in his pocket. "Angela don't know it. But if she did, she'd side with dealin' that kid herself. I wanted to beat him to death, but I didn't. It's not my decision to make."

"You don't know that." Dale said softly.

Daryl scoffed, "It's like I said- Group's broken." he turned finally leaving to get some hunting done today.

Dale sighed, shaking his head at this news he was informed. Daryl was on the side of execution, Dale still believe the kid was innocent. It was one out of three, including Shane and Rick. He had to talk to the others for more sides on sparing Randall.



"Carl said what?" Angela asked, shocked to hear the boy would say such a thing.

It was informed from Lori to Angela that Carl had been acting up as of late. He would distant himself from the group and recently he just spoke out rudely to Carol. Why Lori was telling her this, was her real wonder of this discussion.

"He's been different, ever since that barn incident." She told, folding her arms with stress creased in her features.

"It's affected him greatly, but he's taking it in a different way."

"Not the right way." Lori insisted.

Angela nodded, "No, but I understand." Lori's questioning look got her to continue. "Kids who deal with things differently, need to talk it out. You or Rick talk to him?"

Lori nodded. "Rick did, but I'm worried he's going to get himself into something." She shrugged, not carelessly, but not knowing what to say.

The stressed mother sighed as she watched her son play with sticks under a tree, kicking the roots now and again. Angela followed her gaze, seeing where Lori was going with this. "He just needs to adjust what's happening. He'll come around. Same as how everyone copes with things differently."

"So, we should let him do his thing?" Lori asked, looking exasperated by her suggestion.

"No, what he did was very wrong." Angela didn't want to be in the middle of this. Not today. "Look, I may have been a teacher and worked with many, many kids before this all hit." She told, rolling her hand up in the air to emphasize. "But, I can't correct him like that." She told, snapping her fingers.

"I don't expect you to." Lori tried to convince. "But-"

Angela shook her head, "I'm no child psychologist, Lori. If Rick talked with Carl, then he got something through his head."

Lori seemed aggravated by her words, "You helped Beth."

Angela rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't. I tried, and didn't which lead to her with stitches in her." she shook her head, stepping back ready to end this conversation. "Just- Leave him be."

The dirty blonde walked away, just not wanting to deal with this. There was enough going on that she didn't need any more problems. A possibly innocent kid was about to be executed, Daryl was being distant with her again, and now her mind was troubled with Carl's attitude. He wasn't her kid, so it wasn't her problem. That's what his parents are here for, they just need to handle it better.



When the sun finally started setting, it was then the meeting would be made on Randall's fate. Everyone gathered up at the Greene household, the same place they decided the first time on what to do with him. Carl wanted to hear about it, but Lori insisted he go with Jimmy while they talked. Angela at first didn't feel right going, and no one approached her on it like before. She just followed all of them inside to see how this would end. She followed behind Carl who hesitated to leave. Once all eyes were on the boy, not a word to be said, he gave up and left to find Jimmy. Angela sighed, glancing to Daryl and just leaned against the archway opposite of him.

"So, how do we do this?" Glenn asked, looking over at Rick. "Just take a vote?"

"Does it have to be unanimous?"

"How about majority rules?"

Rick raised his hands up to stop the questions. "Let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options." He suggested, leaning on the back of a couch.

"Well, where I sit," Shane started. "There's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him, right?" Dale questioned, eyes watching everyone as he felt his endeavor all but useless now. "I mean, why bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the winds blowing."

"Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know." Rick told him, rubbing his brows at the stress already rising from Dale.

"Well, I can tell you it's a small group. Maybe just me and Glenn." Angela was surprised by that count, only two people wanted him spared? Though that factor was just resulted to one when Glenn had a look of hesitance.

The Korean shook his head, trying to reason on his sudden change. "Look, I-I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this-"

"They've got you scared." Dale told him, extending his arm at the group.

Glenn did the same, though away from the others. "He's not one of us. And we-" He dropped his hand in his lap. "We've lost too many people already."

Dale wrung his hat tightly in his hand, looking around for anyone else to side with him. They fell to Maggie, who has been against any killings so far on the property. "How about you? Do you agree with this?"

Maggie could hear the desperation in his voice, deciding to try and help. "Couldn't we continue to keeping him prisoner?"

"Just another mouth to feed." Daryl told, catching Angela off guard as he was dead silent in the last meeting.

"It may be a lean winter." Hershel informed.

"We could ration better." Lori suggested.

"Well, he could be an asset." Dale told, looking to Rick. "Give him a chance to prove himself?"

"Put him to work?" Glenn asked, seeking the answer from Rick.

Said man shook his head at the notion. "We're not letting him walk around."

"What about an escort?" Everyone turned to see Angela had finally spoken up. The sudden attention made her shrug weakly. "Keep him in line, make sure he doesn't try anything."

"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane asked, eyeing her up.

"I mean, I'd be fine keeping an eye on him." She told, pointing at herself. Shane sniggered at the mere idea.

"That ain't happenin'." Daryl denied instantly, shaking his head at the idea. Angela give him a look.

"I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy." Rick told thinly.

Lori agreed, "He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

Andrea rose her shoulders seeing this was growing worse to find a solution to. "We can't exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labor."

Angela stepped up beside Rick and Glenn. "Is this guy even that dangerous? Yeah, he has or doesn't have thirty guys, but so far he's shown no sign of escaping."

Shane scoffed, adjusting himself against the fireplace mantel. "Look, say we let him join us, right? Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his thirty men."

"How do we even know if he's telling the truth of having thirty men?" Angela questioned, her eyes locked onto Shane while her voice was to everyone. "Did he show any signs of attacking you when you guys tried to let him go?" She paused, her eyes shooting to Rick who didn't answer.

"Even if he had thirty men, he knew this place before we met him. He could've brought his men at anytime he wanted." Dale extended his arm out to her in thanks for her reasoning. "I-I think we should let him live- not leave. Just, see if he can join us."

Shane shook his head, if only she knew. "Ya want to be lettin' this guy sleep within our area, possibly escape and kill us in our sleep?"

Her face scrunched in anger at his absurd assumptions. "Oh, you're really pushing this now."

Dale backed her up. "So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" He exclaimed.

"Oh, he's committed something." Shane muttered, earning a sharp look from Rick to silence himself. Angela looked at him quizzically, Daryl shifted his footing.

"If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization." Dale continued, Rick watching him as he tried to convince them otherwise.

"Oh, my God…" Groaned Shane, rubbing his head at this desperate act.

"Could you maybe drive him further out? Leave him like you planned?" Hershel asked.

Lori shook her head, "You barely came back this time. There are walkers, you could break down. You could get lost-"

"Could get ambushed." Daryl muttered.

"You're right. "Glenn spoke. "We should not put our own people at risk."

"If you go through with it, how would you do it?" Patricia surprisingly asked. "Would he suffer?"

Rick and Shane shared a look, he shrugged. "We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck."

"I thought about that." Rick told him. "Shooting would be more humane."

Angela was shocked to be hearing this. These people, these good people, were debating how to kill someone as if they were debating what to have for dinner. She looked to Daryl, who looked away from her watching the others discuss this. He showed no sign of in or out of this, but was clearly against having him around.

T-Dog asked the next question. "And what about the body? Do we bury him?"

"Hold on, hold on!" Dale yelled, waving his arms. "You're talking about this like it's already decided."

"You've been talkin' all day," Daryl spoke, now giving himself a small pacing in his spot. "Goin' 'round in circles. Ya just wanna go 'round in circles again?"

Angela spun on her heel at him. "At least he's trying- We're trying to save a life here."

"Exactly," Dale told walking over to Angela's side. "This is a young man's life, and it's worth more than a five-minute conversation!" Daryl sighed, leaning his arm on the dresser. "Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him?"

Angela turned to Dale then to Rick. "What was the point of saving him, stitching him, healing him- then kill him? That's like finding some doll, fixing and cleaning it up, only to throw in the trash in the end."

Shane shook his head. "We all know what needs to be done. And ya-"

Rick stopped him again when he pointed a finger at Angela. "No, Dale is right. We can't leave any stone un-turned here."

Another voice came out, then another, two more- soon arguments were being thrown around the room. Everyone was questioning what to do, what not to do. What was right, what was wrong. Angela's voice was heard through the many voices, but deaf upon some ears.

"Stop it!" Carol suddenly yelled, earning the attention to silence everyone.

"Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this." Her voice cracked, clearly not wanting to even be at this meeting at all. "You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide, either of you, both of you. But leave me out."

Dale didn't like her choice of words to this. "Not speaking out or killing him yourself. There's no difference." He told, throwing his arms out.

"Dale-" Angela told softly to calm him down.

"Alright, that's enough." Rick barked at him, looking at everyone. "Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance." Ricked stepped back, ready for anyone to speak their mind.

Maggie and Patricia sat down, not wanting any further questions to this. Hershel stayed quiet. Shane, T-Dog, Andrea, and Glenn didn't say a word. Lori and Daryl kept silent, it seemed no one wanted to speak. With a deep breath, Angela stepped up in front of Rick.

"I just want to ask everyone- Did he harm anyone? Raise a gun in anyone's face? Put a knife to anyone's throat?" She looked around, some looked to her and others looked away. Angela couldn't help but let a chuckle out. "To be honest, I thought he'd be accepted more than when you all first met me. I rose a gun up at Shane, just wanting to continue on with my sister. Instead, you all offered to help us both."

Angela swallowed, pausing before she continued. "He helped Rick and Shane escape those walkers, proving he can be helpful and useful. He begged for help, not aiming a gun at Rick, Glenn, or Hershel when they got him off that fencing. Hell!" She exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air. "Randall's so called 'thirty man group' frickin' abandoned him to die, they have no idea we have him. He's probably dead to them, so why bother freaking out at all?"

Angela looked around seeing some have looks of guilt of thinking of killing him. She saw Maggie nod in the corner, a smile stretched Angela's lips. "So," Though it faltered when Shane spoke up. "Ya wanna keep a killer with us?"

"Shane-"

"We don't know if he's killed anyone. If he did, maybe it was self defense. As far as I would guess, he was following what those guys were ordering." She argued with him.

Shane let out a smug laugh, rubbing his chin. "No one told ya?"

"Shane." Rick said more sternly, stepping beside Angela.

Her brows furrowed, looking between Rick and Shane. "Told me what?"

The man across from her moistened his lips, eyes shooting to Rick who had a warning stare. Shane ignored it, shifting his footing as he looking down to the ground and looked up the smile now gone. "Kaylee, she's dead."

Angela instantly rolled her eyes, leaning her palms onto the back of the couch in front of her. "You've been telling me this bullshit for about week. Say it one more time, asshole, I swear-"

Shane scoffed, pressing his hands to his chest. "I ain't lyin'! Ask Rick himself."

"Rick, what the hell is he talking about?" Her narrowing eyes shot to Rick, who refused to make eye contact with her. Her face faltered at his stillness. "Rick?"

He looked down to his boots, sighing before looking to her with a low soft voice. "We were gonna tell you."

"Randall killed her." Shane told, before Rick could utter a better way of telling her. "We found her shirt, covered in blood in his bag. I'm sorry."

Her eyes blinked rapidly at his supposed apology. He had to be making some sick joke from this. Her sights shifted to Rick. "He's kidding, right?" she asked, not believing a word uttered from Shane.

Rick's eyes held sincere empathy, they almost seemed glassy as he stared at her. No words needed to be said, she stepped back at his restrained response. Her head softly shook, then shot between Rick and Shane. They hid this from her? The fact not only there was proof of her sister's death, but that the killer was right there? The killer they let her defend!?

"Angela, I'm sorry." Dale softly muttered, Angela shot to him.

Wait, Dale knew too? Her eyes glared at him, making him retreat from any attempt to comfort her. "Who the hell else knew this?" She hissed, looking at every individual in the room. Once her green eyes pierced Daryl, he shifted and looked away.

"You knew too!?" She screeched, marching up to him. He kept his eyes downward, unable to look at her hostile gaze. His hands just knotted together, she stepped closer trying to get him to look at her. His blue eyes never crossed over.

"So, you didn't have the goddamn heart to tell me?" She spat at him.

"We didn't know how to tell you, Angela." Rick spoke, turning to maybe move her from possibly lashing out on another person. "I didn't want it to be like this."

She turned her attention back to the group. The ones who held the expression of shock and sorrow clearly didn't know. Carol and Maggie covered their mouths, so they didn't know. Andrea was looking away, she possibly knew. It was honestly hard to tell if maybe every single person was holding this from her for various reasons.

Angela's head shook slowly, as she stepped back from everyone now. "You all hid it, for a different reason. It wasn't-it wasn't to make it easier for me to know or to tell me privately. You-" She gulped as she threw an accusing finger at Rick. Her teeth clenched as her eyes welled up with tears.

This group- Rick's group were not the kind of people she thought they were. They trick people, keep people for their own safety and work ethic. Her brain scrambled to find reasons to keep this all from her. Maybe, when Rick saw how good of a shot she was, it made her an asset to the group. If she found her sister, she'd have no reason to be here.

"You-" Her voice cracked, as tears fell down her cheeks. Her hand fell as she shifted back, shaking her head at the man who tried to approach her.

"Angela, please-"

"Stay away from me!" She screamed, causing the others to jump or stand. Daryl was spotted to closing in at her peripheral. Angela shoved him away as she stepped back more, letting out a pitched groan in the effort. "Get away from me!"

"You need to calm down." Rick told, raising his hands up in a motion to do so.

Angela bit her lip, more tears poured from her eyes. Kaylee, her precious baby sister. All the times she had complained about her whining. Wished she'd shut up at the most crucial times. Told her to grow up when she tried to crack jokes. Insulted her on being so stupid to try and trust people- like the ones standing before her.

"It's not my fault I can pitch a tent and you can't."

"You know, rabbit would taste better if we added worms as a side dish."

"Lets bet who can count more birds, I bet I'd win!"

"They're are less scary if you give them silly voices. Wanna try?"

"Sick of camping. Sick of pitching this god damn tent."

"They don't look so mean, they got kids with them."

"If you're really letting us join, we'd love to."

"Angie? Angie?"

"Angela?"

Her world was crumbling apart. Everything around her was muffled, her legs felt boneless as she fell to the wooden floor. People scrambled around her as her glazed eyes just stared into nothingness. She was picked up with the help of two people, only to have her weight falter them.

Soon, she felt her feet move as she shoved the two people away from her. Her face felt hot, eyes stung and throat felt tight. Angela bolted from everyone, from the meeting, down the porch and onto the yard from the house. She leaned onto a tree, catching her breath, still feeling the world was a muffled container to her. Hands shook and down on her knees she found herself, staring at the dirt below her. Tears hitting the ground dripping from her eyes and face.

Letting out a howling wail, she screamed and punching the tree in front of her. Blood stained her knuckles, as it covered the bark. Once enough cuts were made on her knuckles, she proceeded with punching the ground feeling the cold dirt both ease and worsen her wound. Her hand felt broken, but not as much as her heart did.

Alone, Angela had no one with her now. Her last piece of humanity, last reason to live, was now gone from her life. Heavily breathing and finding herself exhausted by her actions, her mind clouded on her next decision. Puffy red eyes stared down at her lap, letting the blood soak into her jeans as her hand resting on her thigh. The people she thought she had with her, now felt like back stabbers. Rick, Dale, Daryl- everyone was a back stabber here.

Angela struggled to get to her wobbly feet, but managed to stand. The crust of her dry tears on her cheeks stuck as she looked around. They were still inside, still discussing this stupid plan over Randall.
Randall.

She now had something to do.


Sitting there with the recent punishment was like a second torture given to him. Not knowing what to do what was about to happen. The sounds of the crickets and no sun peeking in proved that night had fallen. Randall felt escaping was not a good idea, he honestly wished he could stay with these people. Yeah, they beat the ever loving shit out of him. But they helped him when his group abandoned him, when he was injured and they fixed him up. They couldn't be all that bad, maybe just scared and paranoid.

The sound of the door creaking caught his attention, raising up to his knees as the chains jingled in response, he found a shadow looming in the doorway. Only light source was the bright full moon out tonight.

"H-Hello?" He croaked out, the stinging of the bruises and cuts making it hard for him to move.
The ground and hay crunched beneath boots as the figure approached. The door shut, a flashlight shined in his face making him squint. "W-Who is it?"

No response was made, the light was waved off of him and onto the table where his bag was kept. Blinking away the spots, Randall saw the figure walk over to the bag, pointing the light into the bag and searched inside. After a few moments of scavenging, something was pulled out of the bag and tossed onto the ground before him. The beam of light shined onto the ground, spotting the bloody shirt he had seen this morning. The light shook, as the figure knelt down, brushing their fingers against the material. Randall heard the person release a shaky sigh, and he swore a soft sob was heard.

"I used to-" The person, now he knew as a woman, spoke at last. "I used to fight with her so much." Her voice was cracked and croaking out the words the best she could.

"She couldn't wait for me to move out of the house, take my fancy room and big screen TV." A sniffle was heard, Randall had then realized the person who died was family to the one talking. "I told her, no way in hell was she taking the room. She said, we would fight for it." A smile was heard through the pausing moments to sniffle or let out a soft cry.

"So, our brother let us knock each other around. It- It become a full cat fight. All over a stupid room." The hand was brought up, more sniffles to wipe something away, than back to the shirt. "I told her, she was the most annoying pest in the world. And she said- she said, I was the biggest bitch ever."

The woman stood, putting the flashlight down on the ground as it pointed upwards to fill the room with light. Finally, Randall saw the broken woman. Her face was puffy and red, crying from a while ago and crying now. Her other hand reached for something behind her, and resting at her side. It was red and knuckles covered in blood, shaking by her side. Something gripping that hand though made him near gasp. It was a gun.

"She was right." The woman whispered, Randall finally met her eyes. "I'm the biggest bitch in the world, because I let you kill her."

His head rapidly shook left and right, as he felt her emotions leak into him. "I swear-" He gulped, "I swear on my grave and my mom's grave, I never killed nobody! Your sister- she- she sounds- sounded like a great kid!"

Angela nodded, tapping the gun on the side of her hip. "She was- so young and knew how to make a day less maddening. Almost made you forget this shit hole even existed." She raised the gun, taking the safety off and cocking it.

"Please, please! I would never do anything to harm someone like that! She- She could still be out there!" Randall pleaded, the chains keeping him there shook and jingled behind him. He pressed himself against the wall, ducking his head as if it would keep him safe. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry about your sister!"

To his surprise, Angela just chuckled. "You think this bullet is for you?" He blinked at her words, slowly raising his shoulders and head. "No." Angela shook her head, looking over her brother's precious gun. "What's the point of killing you,"

Randall watched in awe as her hand rose the gun higher and higher. It stopped once the end was pressed against her temple, finger ready on the trigger. Her eyes were empty, as if they held nothing inside anymore. The pain, anger, sorrow- all of it was drained from her. His eyes went wide seeing what she was really going to do.

"When I can just kill myself?"

Randall jumped to his feet, yanking at the chains restraining him. "No! Stop! Don't do this! It's not worth it!"

A broken smile was presented. "It is, to see my family again."

"No!"

The next sound the was heard was the slam of the door opening. "What the hell is going on in here!?"

The three men to fetch Randall heard the screaming and rushed over to find something they hadn't expected. Daryl was the first to bolt past Shane and Rick, near tackling Angela for the gun. She fought against him, trying to keep the gun from his reach. Rick ran over and ripped the weapon from her hands.

"Let me go! Let me see my sister!" She screamed, as Daryl held her around the waist when she tried to reach for the gun again.

"Hey! Hey, stop it!" Daryl kept pushing her away as Rick eyed the gun in his hands. Angela clawed his grip off and stumbled back from him with a glare. "What the hell were ya thinkin'!?"

"I was thinking of telling this world to fuck off while I opt out!" She spat back, heavily panting. "Why'd you stop me!?"

"Because, it's not the right thing to do." Rick told, as Daryl was panting as well from the struggle.

"What do you know!? You got your wife, kid, best friend!" She told, throwing her bloody hand at Shane. "I don't get that goddamn luxury anymore!"

"So ya decide to put a bullet in yer brain? Do ya have any idea how stupid that is?" Daryl growled at her.

Angela swung her arm as if it would reach to hit Daryl. It only caused her to stumble back more, she approached the table. "Stupid? Would you prefer I killed your hostage instead? Not like it's gonna bring Kay back, is it?"

Randall just sat there, looking terrified of the unleashed situation before him. "At least-" She coughed, feeling herself grow wobbly. "At least, taking myself out would get me to her faster! Go ahead, take my damn gun!" She snapped at Rick, seeing he was shoving the gun in the back of his waist. "I'll just wander out and find a walker to chew me out. Slam my head against a tree, drown in a well- Just let me die!"

Angela finally fell to her knees, her sobs echoed out for the men to hear. Rick sighed, biting his lip at the sight before him. Daryl shifted his feet, kneeling down to her. Rick stepped forward though, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and hoisted her to her feet. Daryl stood and moved as did Shane when Rick lead her out the barn to find Lori and Glenn outside. They had heard the screaming, he guessed. Without a word, the two helped Angela walk as they lead her back to the encampment where the fire pit was lit. Rick chewed his lip, guilt swelling in his chest as he heard her wailing fade away from the distance increasing. He should've told her sooner, but Shane insisted on waiting until this was all done. Shane offered a different story, but none was enough to not have her go out and lose her mind. It was inevitable in the end.

Daryl unchained Randall from the wall and hauled him roughly to his feet. He mumbled something to him, as they stomped over the shirt to exit the barn. Rick eyed the shirt up, only to have Shane break his gaze and remind him of their job.

Randall was still going to die.

Notes

Comments

@DarylsLilAssKicker

If you love this one, check out the sequel; 'I Just Wanna Die Anywhere Else'!

VixxDer VixxDer
8/4/18

Love love love!!!!!