You want me to say he made me get naked and stand in front of him? He came up behind me. Pushed himself against me. Put his hands all over me. He slammed my head down and bent me over a table. Rape me? No. No. Do you feel better? Either I take off my shirt or he would take off your hand. I just listened to Merle beating the shit out of you in the other room. What could I do?
Inspired by the gym scene in All of Us Are Dead, you get cornered in a storage closet by walkers, devising a plan that will have disastrous consequences. TW: graphic description of blood, gore and death.
All of Us Are Dead spoilers below the cut
The rain was thrashing down. The mud beneath your feet was making your steps unsteady yet you were still powering on. The moans of the undead behind you were relentless, acting as your adrenaline as you propelled yourself further on weak legs. Your legs were burning, the makeshift weapon in your hand swinging wildly by your side. Your breaths were leaving you in large huffs but you still pushed yourself faster, forcing your legs to carry you to the glass doors of the gym.
Rick and Daryl were at the front of the group. Sliding through the mud, they clambered up the steps to the doors, ripping them wide open and ushering everyone inside. You all filed into the shelter, leaving muddy tracks behind you as you stepped into the gym, the dreadful weather outside casting little light into the room. You collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Your lungs felt as if they were on fire. Each inhale was adding to the growing inferno.
“That was close.” Glenn sighed a laugh, sharing a nervous glance with you. You mirrored the action, unable to muster the strength to speak. It felt nice to stop for a moment, your body thanking you for the moment of respite.
“Maybe we can stay here for a…” Rick’s words trailed off as lightning struck. The sudden light lit up the room, giving you all a snapshot of the horror show you had just walked into.
The gym was crawling with walkers.
Your heart stopped in your chest. You prayed that if you stayed still and quiet they wouldn’t notice you; all hopes were dashed as the moment you locked eyes with them, they seemed to look at the group.
Any sense of relief you’d experienced disappeared in a flash. In an instant you were on your feet, kicking the walker closest to you. It tumbled to the ground, giving you enough time to fall behind the rest of the group as they piled into a storage closet, the door slamming shut behind you.
You pressed your back into the door, feeling the shake of the walkers. You grunted with the pressure. You stumbled on your feet as the pressure grew. The door opened a crack, just enough for walkers to poke their fingers through.
Terror flooded you as you realised - this place could be your graveyard. The thought fuelled you to push past the aching limbs and press harder into the door.
Maggie came up besides you, brandishing her knife and chopping the fingers off of the walker. Without missing a beat she pressed her upper body against the door, efficiently slamming the gap closed.
“Thanks,” you breathlessly thanked her, mostly occupied with keeping your feet planted to the ground.
She nodded her head in acknowledgement, her body too being shaken by the sheer force of the walkers.
Casting a glance over your shoulder, you saw Daryl, Rick and Glenn milling around the room, searching the contents. A shot of resentment coursed through you, especially upon seeing Daryl seemingly do nothing.
“A little help would be nice.” You snapped.
“We’re tryna find a way out.” Daryl was equally as snippy. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes.
“Can you at least find something to bolt the door with?” A particularly heavy thud nearly pushed you away from the door. Your arms were shaking with the constant pressure. “We’re struggling here.”
“I got it.” Glenn rushed past Daryl and Rick, a mop in his hand. He manoeuvred between you and Maggie, sliding the mop in the door handle.
“Move on three?” You gestured to Maggie, who nodded in agreement. “One. Two. Three.”
The pair of you took a cautious step away from the door, watching the door with attentive eyes. The door bucked with the beating of the undead, the mop securing it in place.
Glenn appeared in your sight again, rolling what looked like a trolley filled to the brim with balls in front of the door. He engaged the brakes with his foot, smiling weakly. “Just in case the mop doesn’t hold.”
You didn’t want to think what would happen if that was the case. The trolley could only hold them for so long, and between you all, you didn’t have the weapons or manpower to overcome the amount of walkers you’d seen out there.
Tumbling to the ground, you took a moment to survey your surroundings. There were more metal crates of balls lined up against another wall, the balls different colours and sizes. Behind that was a bucket full of hockey sticks. You noted that in the back of your mind for later. A red eagle costume was hung up on one of the walls, a layer of dust having settled into the fabric. The walls were white, bar one that featured the school’s logo. A red eagle with the school’s name was imprinted into the brick. It almost made you laugh.
Despite all of this, there were no windows. You were once again reminded how school was a prison, and ironically long after your school years had been finished, you were captive once again.
You rested your head on your knees. Why did the most simple things have to go so wrong? All you’d wanted was to scavenge the school. It appeared to be quiet outside, leading you all into a false sense of security. Turns out, they’d been waiting for the prey to wander into the trap.
“So… what now?” Glenn asked out loud. You looked up from your knees, seeing him sat directly across from you with his arm wrapped around Maggie. You imagined your face was the mirror image of theirs - empty. You wondered if they’d also accepted their fate. You were mentally calculating how long it would take for you all to brave the walkers outside and die, or let nature do its work and kill you in two days. Either way, you had accepted that the only outcome of this situation was grief.
Rick rubbed his beard, his voice so small even the mice would struggle to hear. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” The words slipped out your mouth without meaning to. There was a venomous tone to it even you were shocked to hear.
“Y/N, give the man a break.” Daryl snapped.
“Oh fuck off Daryl.” You spat, trying to push down your rising anger. “If it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“He’s jus’ trying his best.”
“And his best is going to get us killed.” You sighed, looking up at Rick. “You’re meant to be our leader. So lead. Tell us how the fuck to get out of this mess.”
“If ya gave the man time to think -”
“We might not have that time!”
The pounding started harder on the door. Daryl huffed, striding towards you. Before you knew it he had you pinned against a grate, his hand scrunched up in your shirt. “Are ya gonna keep your loud ass shut or am I gonna have to do it for ya?”
“I’d like to watch you try.” His grip on your shirt tightened. For a second you thought his fist was going to fly into your face: as much as you hated him, you knew he wouldn’t do that to you. Daryl had a code and while you might be toeing the line to get a beating, you hadn’t passed the mark yet.
“They’re just scared, Daryl, let them go.” Rick placed a gentle hand on Daryl’s shoulder. Reluctantly Daryl let you go, looking as though giving in took a huge physical toll. You softly glared at the man, subtly readjusting the shirt he’d just scrunched up.
Glenn wandered over to where Daryl had you pinned, pushing the grate. “Guys, I think I have an idea.” He spun on his heel, counting the trolleys. “If we can tie these together, we can get to the door.”
“Glenn, you’re a genius.” You reached for the nearest trolley, pulling on the grate. It appeared to be sturdy enough, and once the brake was disengaged, you’d be able to move it. The most dangerous part would be the first part - pushing the trolley’s out - as there was no space in here to make the circle, but once the circle was secured? It would act as a fortress.
He smiled shyly. “Thanks.”
“Reckon we could add the hockey sticks to them? Break them so it’s like a javelin and let the walkers walk right into them?”
“It’s a good idea,” Glenn pondered, looking at the others. “It’ll take time.”
“We don’t have time.” You almost rolled your eyes hearing Daryl echo your words from earlier. Of course he would agree when it’s under his own circumstances. “We could flip the lids, crawl through.”
“We’ll get nowhere that way.” You flipped the lid of a trolley up. “It’ll be best for them to be tall.”
“You do know walkers can climb right?”
Instantly your back was straight. You crossed your arms. “Better than taking our sweet ass time by crawling across and having walkers crush us to death.”
“Yer such a dumbass.”
“Excuse me?” That spark of irritation was quickly becoming a raging fire of anger. You could feel your fists clench and jaw tighten the longer you were in his presence. “Want to say that to me again?”
“So not only are ya a dumbass, yer deaf too.”
“Come here you little shit -” You pounced towards Daryl, Rick grabbing you just in time before your body collided. You fought against his grip, trying desperately to get to Daryl, who merely stepped away from your flailing hands. This only angered you further, a growl of frustration ripping from your body.
“Can you two get along for just five minutes?”
“He’s acting like a child.”
“They’re actin’ like they’re hot shit.”
“Either way, one of you is going to be pissed. Let’s vote on it. Agreed?” Nodding reluctantly, you shifted out of Rick’s grip. “If I let go of you Y/N, do you promise not to scratch Daryl’s eyes out?”
“I guess.” You muttered underneath your breath, feeling Rick release your waist slowly. He stood nearby, one eye trained on you as if he expected you to lunge for Daryl at any given moment. You couldn’t blame him really.
As a group, you decided it would be best to keep the lids of the trolley’s high, Maggie and Rick agreeing with your stance. Daryl did little to hide his displeasure at the end result but said nothing. You could sense his foul mood from a million miles away.
You focused on the task at hand, tying ropes to the trolley’s and securing them together. Your hands grew tired of the constant movement and you could feel his searing glare into your back. You tried to pass it off and carried on, the weight of his gaze growing heavier and heavier with each passing minute.
Your fingernails dug into the palms of your hands. Before you could control yourself, you spun around, seeing Daryl staring at your trolley with the lid flipped high. “What?”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“We voted, get over it.” You turned to continue the task at hand. You could sense his annoyance still. This time when you turned on your heel, it wasn’t a threat you were spitting his way, it was a promise. “If it goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility.”
Daryl nodded, seeming content with your response.
The argument now settled, you all continued to fix the trolley’s and put the plan to action. Time flew past, and soon, the plan was ready to be executed. You stood by your crate, your grip on the metal bars slick as your heart banged loudly in your chest. This was the make or break moment.
Rick stood at the front of the line. He cast a glance at you all from over his shoulder, sensing the nervous tension. “Are you ready?”
“Better now than never.” For once, Daryl said something and you didn’t want to punch him. You were grateful he had spoken up, your own words lost to the panic building in your chest.
Rick removed the mop from the door handles. He opened the doors.
There was no going back now.
As a unit, you all pushed the trolley’s out into the gym. Rick and Daryl took out the nearest walkers, rushing back towards the trolleys to form a circle. Hurriedly they tied to ropes together, binding the trolleys together into a circle shape.
Laughing, you smiled at Glenn. For the first time since you stepped into the gym, there was an ebb of hope lingering in the back of your mind. Maybe this wouldn’t be your death day after all. “It worked.”
“Don’t speak too soon.”
Together you began to push your makeshift shield towards the door. Slowly you began to feel resistance from the other side, the smell of the undead quickly becoming overwhelming. Progress started to slow as more walkers catapulted themselves at the shield. You desperately tried to beat away walkers impeding the progress; each time a walker fell, another would take its place.
The walkers were just too strong. They kept pushing over the top, fighting to make their way in. Your arms burned with effort as you struggled to keep the shield intact.
“Make ‘em tall, great idea Y/N.” Daryl snapped, his muscles bulging as he pushed the shield forwards towards the doors.
Anger surged through you. You tried to focus on that, and not on the ebbing strength. “We would have died in there!”
“An’ we’ll die out here!”
You tuned out Daryl’s mumbling, focusing on keeping the grates as close together as you could. With each passing second more walkers were making their way towards the contraption and it was harder to keep them at bay.
The hope you had started to feel was disappearing with each walker. A thin sheen of sweat was coating your body with the sheer exertion of the task. Your body was fighting to stay alive and your brain was convincing you to keep trying, it’ll all work out.
Maggie cried out. A walker had managed to creep through a crack, grabbing her tightly. It tugged her towards the grate, it’s jaws growing closer to her skin. Your body moved before you could process what was happening, stabbing the walker in the skull. It’s grip fell from Maggie. You frantically grabbed the sides of the grates, pulling them closed.
A sharp pain lit up your hand. Instinctively you pulled your hand back; it was too late. The world seemed to stop as you saw the teeth marks imprinted into your skin. Blood poured down your hand. Your death warrant had now been signed and there was absolutely nothing you could do about it.
No one had noticed your turmoil, too busy at keeping the walkers at bay.
“Y/N, get your act together and help us!” Daryl snapped, pushing harder against the grate to no avail. The amount of walkers now swarming the shield was making your greatest asset your greatest weakness.
You smiled sadly at Daryl. Looking at him you saw all of the unresolved fights, the hatred you had towards him. You never could admit the reason you hated him was because you saw so much of yourself in him. And now, you would die without ever having a chance to repent for all the hurtful things you’d ever said to him.
Clearing your throat, you looked at him with blurry eyes. “I said I’d take full responsibility.”
He stared at you blankly as you jumped on top of the crate, pushing the walkers away with your hands. The walkers clawed at you but you didn’t care, your death had already been sealed, there was nothing else that could be done. You felt a sharp tug on the back of your shirt pull you off of the crate. You fell to the ground with a harsh slam. You relished the pain - it reminded you that you were still human.
“The hell you think ya doin’, playing hero?” Daryl snapped, pulling you to your feet.
“It’s too late for me!” You cried out, pulling yourself from his grip. His hands released you, watching with confusion as he noticed how you cradled your hand. Your hand, that had the imprinted teeth marks and dripping with blood. You felt his eyes draw to it. You swore you saw sadness cross his face. Shakily, you smiled. “Just let me help, okay?”
Before anyone could protest, you pushed yourself over the shield. You started dragging the walkers away from the moving shield, watching with a sense of hope as it started to move slowly across the room. You didn’t care about the walkers at your back; your friends were in trouble.
You walked towards the shield, helping pull it towards the doors. A pair of jaws hooked themselves around your shoulder. Your face twisted in pain and yet you kept pulling, your hand tightly gripping the top of the grate.
Another jaw latched onto you. This time you couldn’t disguise your agony as you cried out. Tears streamed down your cheeks.
A hand fell on top of yours. Daryl’s stricken gaze bore into your own as he started screaming at the top of his lungs for them to leave you alone. His grip on your hand tightened. He was borderline hysterical as he watched you be ripped apart, yet still pulled the shield to the door, your movements growing weaker as more blood spurted from your wounds.
More jaws attached themselves to your body. There was no use in hiding your pain as your friends watched you be torn apart.
You prayed he saw the apologies in your eyes, how you wished he would one day forgive you for the unfounded hatred you had towards him. You were grateful that despite everything that had transpired between the two of you, he still comforted you in your final moments on this earth.
“Let’s go home.”
You disappeared into the walkers, using the last of your strength to send a silent plea to whatever higher power was listening.
![What should have happened [2/?]“Beth’s alive.”](https://64.media.tumblr.com/eb70672dd51366cbd83c729b878030bc/tumblr_pht27u6AGW1sl1vh8o1_1280.jpg "What should have happened [2/?]“Beth’s alive.”")
![What should have happened [2/?]“Beth’s alive.”](https://64.media.tumblr.com/37cacb6f5f897050e0f49465b5379121/tumblr_phwdclw4dU1sl1vh8o1_1280.jpg "What should have happened [2/?]“Beth’s alive.”")
