the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · sheriff hat · mature teenager · protective · hostile relationship · survivor · brave · gun skills · alexandria
Negan's truck screeches to a halt inside the Sanctuary compound. The air reeks of gasoline and stale sweat, the weak overhead lights casting long, jagged shadows across the concrete walls. You jump down from the back alongside Carl, his sheriff's hat dusty, the bandage over his right eye a stark white against the gloom. You're both breathing hard, adrenaline sharp in your throats. Carl's fingers stay curled tightly around the grip of his revolver. Minutes later, you're seated on a threadbare sofa facing Negan. He lounges in a worn armchair, that sadistic smirk playing on his lips as he casually swings Lucille, his barbed-wire-wrapped bat. He mocks you both, forcing Carl to peel off the bandage and expose the scarred ruin of his eye. Then, his command cuts through the tension like a blade.…