CHAPTER FORTY ONE,
the gallows

SAMANTHA HAD ONCE been a girl of trouble and consequences. It was something she took pleasure from when she was younger, her taste for adrenaline and a lust for risk overpowering her senses.

She was used to getting into sticky situations, but for some reason this one made her heart beat heavily.

The afternoon sun slowly lowered itself from the sky and was transitioning to the evening one - soon twilight would fall. The building stood in front of her, and she knew that Elliot was inside and waiting for her.

Samantha drew her bottom lip to her teeth and nibbled onto some flesh, glancing around the streets. Everyone was in their own little bubble, and from what she could tell no one was watching her.

If someone was, she already had all her stuff packed back in her apartment. She just needed to get Nathan.

With a shaky breath she opened the door and entered the building.

It was dim inside, a small lamp in the corner of the room and shining orange into the space around it. Samantha glanced around, looking for the figure of the boy she's risking almost everything for.

"Elliot, it's me."

Her voice triggered a shuffling, and she looked for the source. The boy of fourteen came from behind a wall near the back, his hair messier than it was an hour ago, his demeanor more calm yet he still kept his whole face guarded and ready.

"I got you a bag to put the supplies in," She said, giving a quick glance towards the shelves around them. "We need to be quick and we need to be quiet."

Elliot nodded, and Samantha held the backpack open as he dropped things into the bag, keeping an ear open towards any movements that didn't belong to either of them.

"Why were you crying earlier?" He asked and she looked up at him. His back was towards her, looking through some canned foods.

Samantha shrugged. "I put my trust into someone I thought I knew," She stated, feeling that twinge of sadness when she thought of Merle Dixon.

"He ain't shit then." Elliot stated.

He took some cans and walked over, placing them into the bag and continuing through Woodbury's supplies. Samantha felt guilty that she was stealing, but she couldn't admit the selfish drive that told her that the Governor owes her.

Water bottles piled in, and she felt the fourteen year old's blue eyed stare. She looked up and met his gaze, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"She was my sister," Elliot said slowly, a noticeable crack in his voice.

Samantha paused, her lips going downwards into a deep frown.

"Rachel always hated whenever our dad brought us huntin' for alligators or deer," He was staring at his fist, the blood and the pain still there. "She did like to fish, but I think it was because she liked the silence more than the sound of gunshots,"

Elliot clenched his hand and he winced, and the twenty year old bit her lip before standing up. She found some rags near a sink and ran them under the water, before heading back towards him.

"Even after the dead started rising she couldn't even touch a gun. I hated that about her."

"What was she like?" Samantha asked, running the wet rag on his knuckles and trying to clean the blood away.

"Rachel always like to act like a mom," His lips twitched upwards, but it looked like he was trying to restrain from smiling. "She was so protective of mom and dad, me the most and I-"

A hiss left his lips and he narrowed his eyes at Samantha. She smiled sheepishly and pulled away.

"I never appreciate until after..." There was a sharp breath and he seemed to be far away, trauma coloring his eyes and pairing with a deep internal pain. "At the mall when I saw you, for a second I thought you were Rachel - you kinda look like her,"

Samantha's face fell, feeling incredibly guilty that she reminded him of someone dead. Elliot had some ghosts and demons within him, and she was starting to figure out why.

It also made her realize something, a conclusion she had come up with before but pushed away until this very moment.

"Those men at the mall," She started, slowly meeting his face again. "That was you, wasn't it?"

Elliot was silent, but the look on his face wasn't. That same hatred form the last time she mentioned them came back and clouded his features with darkness.

"Why do you think they were tied up?"

His voice held no sympathy nor any emotion. He was just a black void of nothingness.

Samantha didn't feel horrified, nor was she disgusted - she was just surprised. Humans were capable of very nasty things, very destructive beings.

Rage was a puppeteer that pulled the strings.

It made her stare at him, remembering his family and acknowledging his opposing yet repressed behavior. Then she remembered the bodies, how butchered they looked. That was an act of passion.

Those men did something to Elliot's family - something horrible, and it birthed something inside of him. He was a product of trauma and loss.

Samantha had finally figured him out.

Elliot caught the look on her face, and he himself was surprised that she didn't look scared.

His face fell to the bag. "Before I leave, can I have her locket back?"

Samantha did a double take, her eyebrows rising in shock. How in the hell did he know?

Elliot smirked. "I didn't think you had it until I got to know you. You're observant, you wouldn't miss something that shiny," He stated.

She smiled. "I'm just going to assume you just complimented me."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed.

Samantha pulled out the chain from her pockets and saw the softening of his expression. He carefully took it, caressing the name embedded into the steel. Elliot had a ghost of a nostalgic smile on his face, something that she's never seen before.

"I got this for her sixteenth," He murmured, hooking it around his neck. "She said she hated it, but she wore it every day."

It made Samantha touch Shane's 22, sorrow making her eyes prickle with tears. "This is my brother's, he gave it to me before we got separated."

Elliot frowned. "I hope you find 'em."

She looked away. Me too.

All silence was ripped away from them when there was a loud knocking at the door, the sound of the doorknob twisting violently. Samantha's skin went white and her stomach dropped, the two sharing a panicked glance.

"I know you're in there!"

"Shit, shit, shit," She cursed, zipping up the bag and shoving it into Elliot's arms. "There's a back room with a window. You need to sneak out of there, I'll distract them."

But he looked hesitant, his eyes wide. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to find my best friend, and get the hell out,"

Elliot stood up but before he left Samantha grabbed his elbow, the knocking and her rapid heartbeat syncing.

"Keep your chin up kid, they'd love to see you fall."

Elliot nodded, and he abruptly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, his brown messy hair going into her shocked face.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Samantha patted his head, not knowing she'll ever see him again but hoping he will beat this world. Elliot Sloan deserved his freedom, and he ran after it and left her in the room.

The pounding continued, and the ebony haired woman made sure the boy was gone before hurrying over to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open.

Martinez stared down at her. "What the hell are you doing?" He demanded.

"Were you stalking me, stalker?" Samantha retorted, and seeing his serious expression she forced a sigh out of her body. "I was exploring."

His eyes narrowed. "With the door locked?"

"I like my privacy?" It came out more of a question then an answer.

He shoved her back into the room and she gasped, regaining her balance before she could lose it. Martinez slammed the door shut, gazing around the room with evident allegations brewing behind his eyes.

He turned back to her. "I get that you might like the kid but he almost killed Crowley."

"Whoa, what happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Samantha said.

Martinez stared at her, disbelief written on his features and he looked around the room again. His gaze dropped and his eyebrows furrowed, bending over and picking up the same bloody rag that Samantha had used not even moments before.

His jaw clenched. "Look, I like you - you're cool, but I don't like the lies. The Governor won't be happy if he finds out you helped him."

Samantha sucked her lip in between her teeth, her heart shaking her bones and her mind racing with options and opportunities to get out of the situation she was in.

Her eyes flickered to the gun on his belt, and back at him.

"Maybe I did help Elliot," Samantha said softly, a certain airiness to her tone. "Or maybe I knew you were following me."

Martinez watched her, tucking his fingers into his belt loop. "What are you talking about?"

She stepped towards him, sighing lightly and pulling her jacket from her shoulders, revealing her tattoos that adorned her olive skin. The black tank was not tight but also not loose either, and she wrapped it around her waist with her eyes remaining on him. Martinez stared her down with a ticking muscle in his jaw, his attention flickering from her face to her exposed skin.

"I think we both know what I'm talking about."

Her hand grazed the side of his cheek, her touch soft and letting her fingers trail down to his jawline, dancing on his skin like ballerinas.

Martinez grabbed her wrist, searching her greens.
"This isn't appropriate," He said, swallowing the huge lump in his throat. "I don't like you like that."

Her head tilted, her midnight hair falling from her shoulder like a waterfall at night. "Who said you had to?" She retorted.

His eyes darkened noticeably. "Samantha," There was a burn in his throat, his adam's apple bobbling up and and down as he tried everything to control it.

"Martinez," Their breaths mingled, her face inching closer.

Martinez pulled her against him possessively, snaking an arm around her waist and shoving her against the stone wall, the space between them closing and he pressed his lips against hers hungrily.

Her hands trailed down his back, a string of small breaths leaving her mouth as his mouth grazed down her neck. His hands were rough, gripping and pulling at her shirt and her body, the mighty sin of lust his catalyst. He was desiring to paint her body with his kisses and personal bruises, her breathy moans making him revel and forget all logic and sense.

His lips were sloppy and rough, leaving ghostly trails as he traveled down her collarbone and to her chest-

Samantha took his gun and knocked Martinez out.

━━━━━

When she was a teenager, she used to think seduction was much more deeper than beauty. It was intelligent and mysterious, dangerously exquisite in it's own dark and desirable way.

Seduction was a form of modern art without there having to be a mess of paint.

Dusk was approaching and Woodbury was close to being a ghost town. She was peering out the window, the glow of the evening sun hitting her eyes but she was more powerful, staring into the streets.

Martinez was on the floor, his chest heaving and down and his eyes closed. He had been out cold for at least an hour, tied up with some plastic cable ties Samantha was able to find.

Now all she had to do was wait, but time was running out.

She glanced at Martinez and sighed, still feeling the memories of what had occurred on her skin. She felt terrible, but it was the only way she knew would succeed.

"I'm sorry," She said faintly. "You just aren't my cup of tea,"

He was silent and unmoving, the only sound being the muffled chatter that came from the outside.

Samantha suddenly giggled as if she had told herself a joke. "What am I even saying? I don't like tea."

Giving him once more apologetic glance he will never see, she walked out of the building. The sky was a shades of pink and orange, some stars revealing themselves and twinkling like scattered diamonds. Samantha looked down the street, cautiously avoiding the people that were walking.

Time to get the hell out of dodge.

All her weapons were in that bag, so all she needed to do was grab Nathan and sneak out. Hopefully by that anyone notices Martinez disappearance they would be long gone from Woodbury.

Or hopefully Nathan would come with you at all. Her conscious stated.

He will, he's going to have to. They were best friends until the very end. His loyalty was one of the things about him that spoke volumes.

"You got a target on your back."

She whirled around and met the sharp eyes of Michonne, standing there with a hand resting on her hip.

"What are you talking about?" Samantha demanded.

The older woman eyes narrowed. "Might've heard the Governor talking about you. Didn't sound too pretty."

Michonne's words was like a knife, twisting into her gut and creating a painful wave of fear. Run away. It was a powerful instinct, a bright neon warning sign.

"You told me once that I didn't seem like a stupid girl, but I was," Samantha stepped forward. "I'm not anymore,"

She was silent, scanning her and trying to come up with a calculation. Samantha knew Michonne was a smart woman, but something was holding her back too.

"The Governor isn't who he says he is, but I'm sure you already knew that," The two were facing each other. "I suggest you and Andrea leave too."

The silence between them was thick, knowledge in their eyes and strength in their bones. They were not the same, but they weren't so different either.

Samantha respected Michonne, and she was sure that Michonne was starting to respect her too.

She turned away, but the sound of the other woman's voice made her look back.

"The Bride had one katana," Michonne mentioned. "So do I."

For some reason this made Samantha smile. "Thanks for correcting me."

And with that, the ebony haired beauty continued down the street, the deeply embedded stress making the anxiety weigh down on her chest.

By the time she reached her building her heart was practically to her throat, sweat falling from her forehead and slipping into her brows. Grab the bag, get Nathan, and leave.

But fate had other plans.

One of the Governor's guards walked out with hard eyes on her, his hand resting on his gun and leaning against the brick wall. Samantha's eyes went round and she turned on her heel, but she was met with James.

"Y-you," Samantha sucked in a breath, her words fumbling and trying to keep her composure but everything within her was screaming. "You're going to bring me to him, aren't you?"

He merely frowned, sympathy contorting his kind features and guilt shadowing his eyes. "I'm sorry, honey."

Panic was making the blood in her veins go cold and all her bones going absolutely still. She felt like a statue, stuck in eternity of being trapped in one position.

"You don't have to do this," Samantha tried. "You can just let me go."

"You know I can't do that," He said softly, nodding towards the guard behind her and to her surprise, he left them alone. "I know you won't hurt me, just please," He paused, sighing deeply. "Come with me so I won't have to force you."

Hot tears slipped down her cheeks and left cold trails, her fingers wiping them as Samantha nodded her head.

It felt like she was walking to the gallows, the rope of death being fastened and ready by her executioner.

Samantha glanced at James. He was silent, his attention forward and the stress lines on his forehead making him appear much older.

"Why do you work for him?" She demanded.

James glanced at her before averting his eyes away. "He saved my family," He murmured. "Philip promised to help me find my boy."

"He's not going to help you. The reason why we're in this situation is being he said the same thing to me," Samantha said. "You know that too, but you're denying it because you're scared - I'm scared too,"

James still avoided her gaze, sadness creeping up to his expression and making him appear exhausted.

"I saw that look on your face when you came back from that convoy, you had to kill those national guards and you hated it," She continued. "You're a good man, but he isn't - you need to see that."

James finally looked at her, and Samantha looked at him.

"Keri used to be so sweet and kind before everything, and as soon as that world died so did that part of her," He was struggling with his words, rubbing his face with his hand. "I'm sorry she's so harsh to you. You're a good girl, and you don't deserve any of this."

She fell silent and looked away. They had made it to the Governor's door and without even knocking they entered the room.

The sight of his tall presence made her heart leap to her throat but she kept her chin up, trying to appear tough through the tears that dribbled down her chin. Philip stared at her, not giving any hints of what is going on internally, before looking at his guard.

"You can go," He ordered but the older man hesitated, glancing at Samantha and back at his leader. "James, go."

At the sound of the firmness in his voice, James gave the young woman a weakened smile, and then the Governor and her were alone.

The silence screamed in between them, the tension making her skin crawl and her insides churn. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Samantha wondered what was going inside the dark compounds of his head, but more importantly - she wondered what he was going to do with her.

"You're probably know why you're here," He started, walking past her and into the front room. She could see a broken window with shards of glass on the ground, and she realized that's how Elliot escaped before. "I wanna know where he is."

"Why? So you can kill him?" Samantha asked, narrowing her eyes.

Philip rose his hands in defense. "You think I'm a child killer?" He chuckled. "Sure, there would be consequences but I wasn't going to do that."

"Maybe not you, but some other low life," She stated. "You don't seem the type of person to get your hands dirty,"

He smiled tightly, as if he had lost control of his emotions for a second and that was his way of keeping them at bay.

"Elliot's family is dead - they were his group. I found what you wanted."

There was a glass filled to the brim with alcohol and the Governor took it. "Where is he?"

Samantha watched his back. She wondered how he can have it towards her knowing she could do anything to stab something into it.

"I gave him the freedom you took away," She said. "Now I want mine."

"You let a dangerous person escape, probably even selfishly gave him our town's supplies, and now you ask for freedom?" The Governor questioned, turning to look at her dubiously.

"I don't think he's the real threat here." Samantha snapped, feeling protective over Elliot

"Then who is?" Philip chuckled lowly

"You."

She saw his muscles tighten, the words that came out of her mouth bringing annoyance to his features.

"I thought you were smarter than this," The Governor criticized, the way his head shook in pity making her teeth grind. "It's disappointing that someone as smart as you can be gullible enough to give her trust out."

"It's even more disappointing that I was gullible enough to put my trust into you after two days." Samantha fired back.

"I saved your lives." He claimed through gritted teeth.

"But you didn't," Samantha argued. "The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison - that's Fryodor Dostoevsky if you were wondering."

"Whatever he told you wasn't the truth."

Samantha rose a thin brow. "So, you're telling me that if I walk through that door there, I won't find a bunch of walker heads?"

The sentence made him still, the glass clenched so hard in his hand she wouldn't be surprised if it shattered everywhere. She could see the flames behind his pale eyes, trying to extinguish and repress it but it seemed to only grow.

His eyes were the same shade as Casey's.

His eyes were the same shade as Casey's.

Samantha surveyed him again, a cold revelation creating a shudder that went though her like a knife. The universe had basically given her a red flag, and she had been too ignorant to see it.

"You're a sick fuck," She hissed, her greens glistening and her lips trembling with outrage and fear. "You killed those men who tried to protect this country, you lied to a whole town. You're literally a knock off cult leader, a false prophet with empty promises,"

Samantha staggered back, the tears that wet her cheeks angry. "I want my freedom, asshole!"

The Governor set his glass down, every detail of his features darkening sinisterly. "I don't think I can give you that."

The gravity of the situation crashed down like an atomic bomb, and quickly looking around she found the broken window. She dashed forward, but he was quicker.

The Governor grabbed the back of her tank top and jerked her back roughly, a shard of glass lodging into her skin and Samantha screamed.

She was slammed into the brick wall and her skull bounced off of it, pain penetrating her mind and her vision becoming blurry as she fell to the ground like a doll. She saw the Governor's back towards her, his figure leaving trails of unevenness.

"We all have our demons, Samantha, mine is just a little close to the surface because I know what the new world needs - and that's power," The glass of his alcohol raised to his lips. "You can go ahead and paint me as the villain, no one is stopping you - but I would kill a thousand men if that meant this town would survive,"

Through the black dots that filled her vision, she pulled out the large shard glass that stuck out from her hand and yanked it out, wincing and a small sob leaving her lips.

"Maybe that's what makes me insane, maybe that makes me intelligent," His hand loomed over the gun on his holster. "But wanna know the truth? There is nothing more dangerous in this world than a powerful man."

Mustering any strength left Samantha got up and rushed forward like a soldier going into war, raising the shard of glass and plunging it into his back. His loud scream of pain rung in her ears and he whirled around, bring a fist to her face and she fell back. Blood pooled from her nose and it went into her mouth, the taste of metallic on her tongue as he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her into the wall again.

The Governor gripped her neck with his fingers digging into her skin, her breaths coming out as chokes and her lungs crying out for air. She clawed at his skin, desperately trying to stop him but his grasp became tighter.

Flashes of many faces played in front of her like a movie as the fear for her life swallowed her whole. She saw Nathan, she saw the Grimes family, and even Daryl. Samantha caught a glimpse of Shane, and that's when something in her shifted.

It is fear that brought rage, a burning hot monster that seeks to harm. It dried her skin like a dessert, scorching and licking her soul. She needed to survive, she needed to live.

Samantha managed to grab the back of his head and brought him forward, bringing her teeth onto his ear and biting down hard.

The Governor howled like an injured dog, skin being ripped apart as her teeth tore through like a savage beast. She could taste the blood in her teeth, a good portion of his ear teared off and she spit it out of her mouth like it was dirt. Blood was flowing like a river as he continued to scream, falling to the ground as he clutched his wound.

"Do you have any idea of who I am!?" Samantha bellowed, taking his gun. "I'm a fucking Walsh!"

Blood smeared against her mouth like red lipstick, crowning her as the goddess of red and everything that goes with it. Samantha was enraged and deadly, no calm before the storm.

She cocked his pistol and aimed, wanting nothing but to end him, but it wasn't just her that wanted it - it was the clawing inside of her that yearned for it.

The door opened and out of instinct, she turned on her heel and pulled the trigger.

Everything was in slow motion.

Blood splattered the walls behind him, the gunshot bouncing off the walls and the ringing returned to Samantha's ears. The older man with dreads touched the blood that spread throughout his gray shirt in his stomach area, wide eyed full of shock but there was no pain.

And then James met her face, his body hitting the floor.

The room became cold as the weapon dropped from her hands in horror, a mixture of emotions running through her veins.

Samantha scrambled over to him, placing her hands on his wound to put pressure on it but James let out a pained yelp.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She sobbed, feeling filthy as tears rolled down her cheeks and mixed with the blood. "I didn't think it was you! I thought you were gone! I thought...I thought..."

"It's okay, it's okay," He repeated quietly. "I'm so sorry,"

"I can fix this!" More blood oozed from beneath her hands, nausea rising from her stomach. "Oh, god. Oh, god!"

James placed his hands over hers, no resentment or anger evident on his features - nothing that opposed Samantha. There was just sadness and so much regret behind his kind, but fading brown eyes.

The blood was everywhere, slowly meeting her jeans. She could feel it on her face and her skin. It all felt sickly warm.

"I shouldn't have let you come in here," He begin to weep. "Tell my daughter I love her, tell my son..."

Death had finally come slowly and painfully. Samantha had been the one to send him to the gallows, the one who created his grave.

She ripped a family apart and created orphans. She was an executioner, a murderer.

James barely glanced behind her before looking back.

"Run."

And Samantha Walsh did just that.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟnote

I KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING. THAT WAS A LOT.

but seriously, this probably has to be my favorite chapter. I've been waiting for so long to write it - like since the VERY beginning.

i started reading the comics when i was in middle school, and when i saw michonne do it i thought it was I M M A C U L A T E.

like a whole ass queen in both the show and comics.

i saw another story do this too, and i'm like i have to stan because she reads the comics too?? simply amazing and breathtaking?? please go check out jonnybernthal !! she's literally so awesome and her story serpents tongue deserves so much more recognition.

P.S. if that author sees this, pls have my whole mf heart ily

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