THEY kept hitting me over and over again. I had been stripped down to just a tank-top and shorts while handcuffed to a pipe.

For what I did to Negan, I was punished for it later. I slapped him, but he's letting the other Saviors beat me until I can't feel anything at all. I think that Daryl could hear the beating as, when they dragged me in front of his door and he heard me screaming.

"DON'T YOU LAY A HAND ON HER OR I'LL KILL YOU!" I had heard Daryl screaming and banging on his door from the inside. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"You won't do shit," one unnamed Savior muttered under his breath towards Daryl.

All day long, I have been getting hit over and over again. I haven't eaten or drank anything in two days. I did not feel like I was living anymore. Even the forceful hits began to feel weaker than the last as I couldn't feel anything at all. I wasn't okay. Not even in the least.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Dwight stood there, concern written all over his face. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed and raced inside, immediately coming to my aid. I could barely see him since I had one eye closed and the somewhat open. When he noticed that I was handcuffed to the pipe, he growled and spun around. Saying to the other Saviors, "What the hell are you doing?! Get the hell out of here!"

They all growled under their breaths like a pact of wolves; nevertheless, they left one by one. When they were all gone, he faced me again and began to unlock the handcuffs. As they were the only thing holding me up, I fell down until he somehow caught me in time before I could smack the floor below.

He propped me up against the wall, kneeled down next to my limp body, until he scooped me up in his arms. Somehow, I trusted him enough to place my free hand on chest to his shoulder. "It's okay, Tess," he whispered in my dirty hair. "I'm going to take you to our doctor. You'll be okay. Just hold onto me."

I did not say anything, feeling him walking out of the room and down a couple of hallways. I wouldn't know. I couldn't see anything. I was too tired and hurt. If this is what it is going to be like if I don't join Negan, then... What's the point?

"Dr. Carson," I heard Dwight call out. "She needs to be immediately seen, please."

Wow, did Dwight just say "please"?

"Of course," Dr. Carson replied. "Sit her down here for me, please."

That is when I felt Dwight move again until I was sitting firmly on a bed of some sorts. He had to help me sit up straight because I couldn't do it on my own. Finally, I tried to open my eyes, but only one could open at the moment.

Right in front of my face, there stood a man with a flashlight, shining it in my eyes. Here was Dr. Carson, who would be the Hilltop's doctor's brother. I haven't seen him in years.

"Hello there, ma'am," he introduced, taking the light from my eyes. "I am Dr. Carson, the Sanctuary's doctor."

He probably didn't even recognize me since it had been so long.

"Her name is Tess," Dwight informed the man, suddenly keeping his distance by crossing his arms across his chest. "Is she going to be okay?"

"It's hard to tell," Carson began to tell Dwight just as he traveled to my left side, examining the welps over there. "It looks like that she may have some bruised ribs, but... She's going to need rest for the next couple of days."

"Fine, I'll have to take her back to her cell—"

"She needs a proper bed," Carson immediately countered, cutting Dwight off right in the middle. "That floor will do more damage to her injuries than good. She can stay in here on this bed for the time-being. I won't mind at all."

Dwight took a deep breath and scanned mine and Carson's faces. "I'll have to run it by Negan first," he simply said, which only brought a whole new weight on my shoulders.

"I highly recommend that she stay in here, though," Carson told him again with pursed lips.

Just as Dwight began to open his mouth, a figure suddenly appeared behind him with that same big and smug smile. "There you guys are," Negan said, which caused both Dwight and Carson to kneel before him. I couldn't move and, even if I could, I would not get down on the ground for him. "At ease, gents." They stood up, facing him.

Negan eyed me and did not look happy whatsoever. "Y'know, Tess, you should've just surrendered to me," he began saying, deadly serious. "Nobody would have to die anymore if you would." I remained silent and watched him through my one eye and half, gulping. "Join me, Tess. And, together, we could rule the world."

Still, I remained quiet and just watched him. I could not really find my voice, for once. I had nothing else to say to him. Nothing at all.

"Fine," he simply scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. "D, you best get her back to her cell."

"But, Negan, I—"

"I'm sorry, Emmett," Negan interrupted Dr. Carson. "She will not being staying in here. If she wants to act this way, she will remain in her cell until the day she dies — which, by the looks of it, will only be a few days from now. She hasn't even eaten or drank anything, and she won't until she admits that she is Negan."

Without another word or remark, Negan smiled and walked away, disappearing into the hallway. I was holding my breath while he was here, feeling my chest tightened up. I can't believe this. Hell, I can't believe him, if anything! I know that I have been pushing his buttons lately, but he has got to show me some mercy here.

For God's sake, Negan murdered two of my friends over a week ago. I do not want to be apart of anything that he has going on. Turning on the people who took me in after Gregory threw me out. It does not sit right with me whatsoever.

Just as Dwight and Carson began to talk it over, the doctor's orders versus what the "boss" wants, I tuned them out and began to think about my options here. I thought of everything Negan has said to me lately, most of all.

I want you to be on my team. You could be just like us, Tess. Could you imagine that? You, me, and Dwight — a big old happy family.

You will follow me, Tess. You will follow me to the ends of this Earth, if that is what I want you to do. I am giving you an opportunity here, Tess. You should take this while I'm presenting it to you. Take a chance, Tess. Join me and no more of your friends will die.

You join me, Tess, and none of your friends have to die.

"I'm sorry, Tess," Dwight whispered in my ear just before he scooped me back up in his arms.

Then, he began to carry me back to my cell. It took a minute, but we got there. When I got to my cell, Dwight took a knee and ever-so-gently sat me down in there. Again, he apologized with some of the kindest eyes that I have ever seen before. He had to rise back up to his feet and close the door between us.

I could still see that he was standing out there with the help of the light from out there, showing his shadow on the inside here. He was like a ghost hanging around to haunt me. He was just standing there, probably thinking or hoping that I would say something. And, yet, I finally wanted to say something. More than anything, I wanted to talk directly to Daryl. I wanted to see him.

"I still remember what it's like to smile and laugh," I admitted aloud, now leaning on the door and trying to find warmth with my surroundings. "I still remember Glenn and Abraham, even though I'm pretty sure that Negan wanted them to beat the memory of them out of my head. But, I can still see them and remember everything that I went through with them. I know that you remember me, too, Dwight, and I know that you still have a heart."

Dwight was still so quiet, but I heard him when he took a seat down on he ground and lean on the door, too. So, in a way, we were right there together. Then, the tears started...

"The thing is," I began to mumble out, trying to produce tears with my bruised and heavy eyelids. "Negan keeps on throwing every single thing at me and he's winning. He really is. He is breaking me apart little by little. And, I... He's broken me, D. I'm completely broken because of him." I sniffled, trying to stop the tears, but nothing was helping it.

What I was about to say next would change my whole life, but it was so worth it — if it means that my friends will be safe back at home, as well as Daryl here.

Here it goes. It's now or never.

"I need to talk to Negan," I sobbed out, slightly knocking on the door. "Please? I need to speak to him."

Before I knew it, the door came open and I fell forward, but not before I noticed that Dwight was still sitting there and I had literally fallen in his lap. So, now, I was looking up at him with my hurt eyes. "What do you have to say to him?"

Before I even knew it, I just settled in his lap, bawling my eyes out — non-sexually, of course. I heaved and my back shook with each sob as he just sat there and he rubbed my back. It actually felt nice.

"Dwight," I cried out his name over and over again. "Please, please, please. Please help me."

He knew what I had to say to Negan and it was only a matter of time before I would.

———

"Tess," Negan smiled, noticing me and Dwight entering his office. He sat Lucille down on the table and was without her. For once. "What can I do for you? Come to your senses yet?"

"Actually, Negan, I have," I gulped out, trying my best to make eye-contact with him with my damaged eyes. He would win. He always does.

Dwight came in and shut the door behind us, propping himself up by the door and stood there in silence like before. I glanced back at him once as he peered up at me, but it did not last for long before I looked back at Negan and Dwight right at the ground.

"Oh, yeah?" Negan grinned and literally began to dance around the room, obviously stoked to hear what I had to say. "What have you brought to the table for me today, Tessie?"

I tried not to cringe when he called me that little nickname, so I simply just shut my eyes and let the moment pass. Then, I reopened my eyes and straightened myself up, dusting off my shirt.

Looking him right in the eye, I took a huge deep breath and announced, "I will follow you, Negan." A split moment passed and I felt Dwight's eyes burning a hole in my back. I tried to ignore it, though. "But only if you keep my family safe."

"Really?" Negan smiled, actually not believing me there for a minute. "Which means...?"

I straightened myself up, now that he was right there in my face, and our eyes connected. "I am you. I am the stone-cold, murdering, heartless son-of-a-bitch that does not take no for an answer and who will take anyone down, no exceptions." I paused, but only to think this through one last time. Closing my eyes, I finally admitted, "I am Negan."

With a little dance and grin, he pointed out each word, "Yes. You. Are." He was over-the-moon excited that I had finally decided to follow him, but I was not happy. Not even in the least.

Glenn, if he was still here, would be very disappointed in me. He would probably slap me across the face for doing this, but I had no other choice. If I want the rest of our family to be safe, then I have to do this. I have to become a Savior. More than that, though... I have to be Negan.

"C'mon, Tess," Negan suddenly said, already having Lucille back in his right hand. He placed his arm over my shoulders and began to usher me out the room. Lucille swung around so close to me that it was becoming very uncomfortable. "We have much to discuss."

As we left the room with Dwight following right behind us, Negan led me to high above the rest of the Saviors, who were down below with several workers and prisoners. I felt a lump in my throat as we stood before them all.

"Everyone," Negan called out and they immediately bowed down to him. "I want you all to look up here and see our newest recruit in Tess!"

Still kneeling, they all looked up at us — especially me. I felt like the new kid at school, being taken to prom by the senior quarterback. However, I looked pretty bad for somebody who is going to prom.

"You must treat her like you would any other Savior," Negan continued and I shifted beside him. "She is one of us now. Treat her like so. If she comes to me and says that you have been out-of-line towards her, I will take that personally. So, don't make me hurt you. Or, the very least... Kill you. Now, you may stand and continue what you were doing."

Again, they all did what they were told and stood up, going back to what they were doing before. And, so, Negan turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "First, Tess, I want you to meet one of my top guys here who helps run this place," he began to say and slightly turned just as Alden walked up to us. "His name is Alden and he'll be helping you adjust to your new life here, along with D, of course."

I remained silent, but Negan kept on looking at me. So, I quickly spat out, "Uh... Thank you, Negan."

"Of course," he concluded and nodded, winking. "If you need me, come and find me." Then, he took off and left me with Alden and Dwight again, just like the other day.

"Alright, Tess," Alden nearly choked out, appearing to be either uncomfortable with me or completely pissed off. At the moment, I cannot really tell. "Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life... Hell."

"Um..."

"Alden," came Dwight's warning tone, getting in his face. "You aren't supposed to say that."

"Oh, come on, D," he countered with a smile. "Negan burned half of your face, man, and you're one of his right-hand men."

"Yeah, but you're not suppose to—"

"See, the thing is, man," Alden interrupted and, this is when I started slowly step back, "we can't fool this woman. She needs to know what is going to happen before it does. It isn't easy to be a Savior. You know that more than anyone else."

With a heavy sigh, Dwight rolled his eyes, turning his back on us, and walked away. Alden really pissed him off. Wow...

"Wow. Um," I paused, blinking my eyes a few times. "What the hell was that about?"

"Look, Tess," Alden sighed out. "You are your own woman. Don't let anyone else drag you down here."

Then, within a blink of an eye, he walked away, leaving me in the wind. Who the hell did he think that he was?