THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU WON'T BE

There was blood on my face, and it wasn't mine

"What? Was the joke that bad?" Negan asked. Rick looked up at him

"I'm gonna kill you" Rick said. Negan crouched down in front of Rick. His bat was covered in blood

"What? I didn't quite catch that. You're gonna have to speak up" Negan said

"Not today.. not tomorrow.. but I'm gonna kill you" Rick said. Negan smiled

"Jesus. Simon.. what did he have, a knife?" Negan asked

"Uh, he had a hatchet" Simon said. Negan looked at Simon

"A hatchet?" Negan asked

"He had an axe" Simon said. Negan chuckled

"Simon's my right-hand man. Having one of those is important. I mean, what do you have left without them? A whole lot of work. Do you have one? Maybe one of these fine people still breathing? Oh. Or did I.." Negan said before clicking his tongue as he lightly moved his bat. Rick didn't respond and Negan sighed

"Sure. Yeah. Give me his axe" Negan said. Footsteps approached him. Negan took the axe and smiled. He then stood up and put the axe in his belt

"I'll be right back. Maybe Rick will be with me. And if not, well, we can just turn these people inside out, won't we?" Negan asked as he dragged Rick to the RV

"I mean.. the ones that are left" Negan said before closing the door behind him and Rick. We all cried. The engine started and and they drove off. None of us could speak. The events that had just happened, replayed in my mind

"I simply cannot decide. I got an idea" Negan said as he walked over to Rick and pointed his bat at him

"Eenie.. meenie.. miney.. mo.. catch.. a tiger.. by.. his toe. If.. he hollers.. let him go. My mother.. told me.. to pick.. the very.. best.. one.. and you.. are.." Negan stopped as he pointed the bat at each one of us

"It. Anybody moves, anybody says anything, cut the boy's other eye out and feed it to his father, and then we'll start. You can breathe. You can blink. You can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that" Negan said before hitting Abraham over to head with his bat. We all screamed in horror. Abraham looked up at Negan as blood poured down his face

"Oh! Look at that! Taking it like a champ!" Negan yelled

"Suck.. my.. nuts" Abraham said before getting hit over the head again. I cried out as Maggie clung to me. Negan hit him again, and again, and again, and again. There was blood everywhere.

"Did you hear that?" Negan asked as he chuckled

"He said, 'Suck my nuts.' Phew" Negan said before laughing. He then hit Abraham again. Abraham was dead. He hit him again and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. You couldn't even tell it was Abraham. It was just mush. Negan laughed

"Oh, my goodness! Look at this!" Negan said before swinging his back. Blood splattered on me

"You guys, look at my dirty girl!" Negan yelled. He then walked over to Rosita and pointed the bat at her

"Sweetheart. Lay your eyes on this. Oh, damn. Were you- were you together? That sucks. But if you were, you should know there was a reason for all this. Red- and hell, he was, is, and will ever be red. He just took one or six or seven for the team! So take.. a damn look" Negan said. Rosita refused to which pissed off Negan

"Take a damn look!" Negan yelled. Daryl got up and punched Negan

"No! Stop! Don't hurt him!" I cried out as the men dragged him back. Tears fell down my face. Negan pointed his bat at me

"No! Oh, no" Negan said as he looked at me. Taylor kept her head down as she silently cried. Her hand gripping my own. Negan then chuckled

"That? Oh, my! That.. is a no-no. The whole thing- not one bit of that shit flies here" Negan said. Dwight ran over and pointed Daryl's crossbow at Daryl

"Do you want me to do it? Right here" Dwight said. Negan grabbed Daryl by the hair

"No. No, you don't kill them.. not until you try a little" Negan said. Negan stood up

"And anyway.. that's not how it works. Now, I already told you people, first one's free. Then what'd I say? I said I would shut that shit down! No exceptions. Now, I don't know what kind of lying assholes you've been dealing with.. but I'm a man of my word. First impressions are important. I need you to know me" Negan said

"Please.. don't.." I breathed out. Negan turned and looked at me with a grin. He walked over to me with his bat pointed at me

"You just interrupted me, I really don't like that shit.. but you seem smart.. so you must have a reason.. so you better spit that shit out.. and if you prove me wrong and you're a fucking dumbass.. I will bash your God damn brains in" Negan said. I swallowed nervously as looked at the man. I had never felt so powerless. There wasn't an ounce of cockiness or confidence in my body. I was truly at a loss

"I can make you drugs.. don't hurt anyone else.. I'll go with you" I said with teary eyes. Negan exhaled with a smirk

"I knew you were smart.. see now this is how you bargain ladies and gentlemen.. unfortunately I said no exceptions.. but don't worry you'll do great work for me" Negan said with a grin as he walked over towards Glenn. I covered my mouth in horror

"So.. back to it" Negan said before hitting Glenn over the head. I sobbed even harder. Negan hit him

"No!" Maggie cried. Glenn got back up. He was gasping. Blood poured down his face. One of his eyes was sticking out. It was truly a disturbing sight to see. Glenn looked at Maggie

"Buddy, you still there? I just don't know. It seems like you're trying to speak, but you just took a hell of a hit. I just popped your skull so hard, your eyeball just popped out, and it is gross as shit!" Negan yelled

"Maggie, I'll find you" Glenn spoke almost uncohearably

"Oh. Oh, hell. I can see this is hard on you guys. I am sorry. I truly am. But I did say it. No exceptions!" Negan yelled before hitting Glenn again. I flinched as I cried. Maggie sobbing. Negan hit him, again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again

"You bunch of pussies" Negan said before hitting Glenn once more

"I'm just getting started" Negan said before hitting him once again, and again, and again, and again. It was all brains and blood. You couldn't even tell it was Glenn. He was mutilated

"Lucille is thirsty" Negan said before laughing

"She is a vampire bat" Negan said. Maggie clung to me as she cried. No one could speak. We could only cry. I stared at the ground

"What? Was the joke that bad?" Negan asked

It was day now. The RV had returned. The door opened and Rick was thrown out. He landed on the ground. Negan walked out and grabbed Rick by the collar and dragged him over to us. He let Rick go as Rick stayed on the ground

"Here we are. Let me ask you something, Rick. Do you even know what that little trip was about?" Negan asked. Rick didn't respond

"Speak when you're spoken to" Negan said. We all stared at Rick

"Okay. Okay" Rick said

"That trip was about the way that you looked at me. I wanted to change that. I wanted you to understand. But you're still looking at me the same damn way.. like I shit in your scrambled eggs, and that's not gonna work. So.. do I give you another chance?" Negan asked. Rick was breathing raggidly

"Yeah. Yes. Yes" Rick said looking at the ground. Negan patted his back

"Okay. All right. And here it is, the grand-prize game. What you do next will decide whether your crap day becomes everyone's last crap day or just another crap day. Get some guns to the back or their heads" Negan said. I heard guns cock. I felt the barrel of one touching the back of my head

"Good. Now.. level with their noses, so if you have to fire.." Negan said before imitating an explosion

"It'll be a real mess. Kid.." Negan said looking at Carl. He motioned for Carl to come over

"Right here" Negan said. Carl didn't move

"Kid.. now" Negan said. Carl got up and walked over. Negan took off his belt

"You a southpaw?" Negan asked

"Am I a what?" Carl asked

"You a lefty?" Negan asked

"No" Carl said

"Good" Negan said before strapping the belt onto his arm, almost like a tourniquet. My eyes went wide. They were gonna chop his arm off

"That hurt?" Negan asked him

"No" Carl said

"It should. It's supposed to. All right. Get down on the ground, kid, next to Daddy. Spread them wings" Negan said as he took Carl's hat and threw it behind him. Carl got on the ground. Stomach down

"Simon.. you got a pen?" Negan asked

"Yeah" Simon said. He took one out and threw it to Negan. Negan caught it and then used his mouth to open it. Negan grunted as he crouched

"Sorry, kid. This is gonna be as cold as a warlock's ballsack, just like he was hanging his ballsack above you and dragging it right across the forearm" Negan said as he lifted up Carl's sleeve. He drew a line on his arm

"There you go. Gives you a little leverage" Negan said before closing the pen

"Please. Please. Please don't. Please don't" Rick begged quietly. Negan looked at him

"Me?" Negan asked as he chuckled

"I ain't doing shit" Negan said before getting up

"Ahh. Rick, I want you to take your axe.. cut your son's left arm off, right on that line. Now, I know. I know. You're gonna have to process that for a second. That makes sense. Still, though, I'm gonna need you to do it, or all these people are gonna die. Then Carl dies, then the people back home die.. and then you, eventually. I'm gonna keep you breathing for a few years, just so you can stew on it" Negan said. I shook my head

"You- you don't have to do this. We understand. We understand" Michonne said

"You understand. Yeah. I'm not sure that Rick does. I'm gonna need a clean cut right there on that line. Now, I know this is a screwed-up thing to ask, but it's gonna have to be like a salami slice- nothing messy, clean, 45 degrees- give us something to fold over. We got a great doctor. The kid'll be fine. Especially with our new medicine maker. Well, probably. Rick.. this needs to happen now- chop, chop or I will crush the little fella's skull myself" Negan said

"It can- it can- it can be me. It can be me. W-w.. Y-you could do it to me. I c- I can go with- with you" Rick stuttered out

"No. This is the only way. Rick.. pick up the axe" Negan said. Rick stayed still

"Not making a decision is a big decision. You really want to see all these people die? You will. You will see every ugly thing. Oh, my God" Negan said as Rick groaned

"Are you gonna make me count? Okay, Rick. You win. I am counting. Three!" Negan yelled. I questioned how much loss I could take

"Please. Please. It can be me. Please!" Rick cried

"Two!" Negan yelled. Rick shook his head as he sobbed

"Please, don't do-" Rick was cut off as Negan slapped him. Negan then grabbed him by the face

"This is it. One" Negan said. Rick yelled as he grabbed the axe. He sobbed

"Dad.. just do it. Just do it" Carl said. Rick lifted the axe into the air. I stared horrified. Negan then stopped him as he crouched down. I breathed out in relief

"You answer to me. You provide for me. You belong to me. Right?" Negan asked. Rick frantically nodded. Negan got pissed and grabbed him by the face

"Speak when you're spoken to! You answer to me. You provide for me" Negan said

"Provide for you" Rick said

"You belong to me, right?!" Negan asked. Rick was breathing heavily

"Right" Rick whispered. Negan smiled

"Right. That.. is the look I wanted to see" Negan said before grabbing the axe and standing up

"We did it.. all of us, together. Even the dead guys on the ground. Hell, they get the spirit award, for sure. Today was a productive damn day! Now, I hope, for all your sake.. that you get it now.. that you understand how things work. Things have changed. Whatever you had going for you.. that is over now. Ah, Dwight.. load him up" Negan said pointing to Daryl. My eyes widened

"No!" I cried out

"Daryl!" Taylor cried

"And as for you, you're riding with me sweetheart" Negan said to me with a grin. Two men grabbed me and dragged me away. Tears streamed down my face as they led me to a truck. I was placed in the passenger seat. The door slamming after I got in. Negan got in the driver's seat. We then drove off. I wiped the tears off my face as I glared at him

"Man, what's the angry face for? Don't worry, you'll love it at the Sanctuary" Negan said with a grin

(2334 words)
01/06/22

Edited: 07/11/22