Finally I'm updating, I don't like this one it could have been better.

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She feels like a mouse caught in a trap. Simply a meal waiting on its end.

Beth moves with restrained vigor as she gathers her belongings into her worn satchel, her mind straining to figure out what the governor's plans were. The man does nothing for no reason, least of all to prove a point. Why would he want to prove a point to her of all beings?

"Chica, move the lead out of your ass, we're losing daylight! They mistake your boney ass for a walker at night!"

Beth sighs and stands, her bones cracking in protest. The young woman moves from the tent, throwing Martinez an irritated glare. He grins at her in return, and begins to head down towards one of the trucks. Beth follows behind him, glancing around her leisurely at camp.

Cheryl had given her a watery goodbye earlier, but was 'busy' at the moment. The governor stands by a tent, watching, simply watching her go. Her insides churn.

(L)

"You don't look very happy, chica." Martinez's voice enters her mind, distracting her from the quickly moving scenery outside the truck. "Is it because you're going to miss me?" He wiggles his brows, gaze still ahead of him.

Beth laughs sarcastically at his joke, hugging her bag to her body. "He's planning something."

"He's always planning something." Martinez offers unhelpfully. "So my best advice to you is don't go through with any of this shit and don't be on his bad side when he finally puts his plan into action."

She gently smiles. "You trying to keep me around, Martinez?" She wiggles her own eyebrows, causing the man to scoff. "Besides, I'm already on his bad side… if you haven't noticed."

"If you haven't noticed, Beth… His little twisted, sick, hatred of you has transformed into a twisted, sick, obsession. If you weren't a little inexperienced snot and dumb as a box of rocks, you could run him, control him."

"Insult me again…" Beth mumbled with a huff. She frowned at him. "What are you talking about?" Control him… run him…

"See what I mean? Dumb as a box…" He gently shakes his head as the truck rolls to a stop. "Get out, this is as far as I can take you."

Beth's stomach suddenly churns. Her gaze moves from the empty road slowly to land on Martinez, expression wary. "What am I supposed to tell them?"

Martinez frowns at her. "You've been living with a bunch of thieves and liars for months… you'll think of something." His left eyebrow rises, "then again, you could always tell the truth. 'The governor let me go because he's testing me, the big meanie!" He mocks her voice, Beth glares. His expression turns serious, "they'll be happy you're back. You believe that?"

Beth stares at him for a while before finally nodding, "of course." Her words sounded unconvincing to her own ears. She threw the truck's door open and shimmed out and slammed it after her.

Martinez gives her a tilted smile before very simply pulling away, going down a little before turning around and heading back down the way they had arrived.

Beth stood still, watching until the truck had vanished. The young woman still didn't move until the first walker stumbled her way.

(L)

Things aren't looking familiar at all to her after nearly thirty minutes of walking and she worries she may be lost. Nothing feels at home with, nothing on her journey forward makes her feel as if she is on her way home.

A grunt escapes her lips as she yanks her blade from a walker's skull, wiping her left hand over her mouth, ridding the blood which had splattered onto her person. Taking her gaze away from the walker, she leisurely scans the trees around her. She was forced into the woods by a small herd of walkers, hence losing her way.

She continues forward, "I'll find it eventually."

She's forced into picking up her speed as more walkers stumble upon her. She quickly jogs, which turns into a full run as they begin to appear from all sides. She curses under her breath.

She can't take them all on at this point, her only option is to run.

Her lungs begin to burn and the muscles in the legs tighten and she's reminded of how she hadn't eaten anything but the burnt beans at the bottom of the cooking pot.

Beth stumbles and falls, a walker is on her in seconds, its boney fingers pulling at her, its teeth snapping at her flesh. She quickly rolls, taking it with her, pinning it underneath her she brings her weapon down on its face, it quits it's reaching for her. She has no time to take a breath and she quickly pushes up, untangling the monster's hands from her shirt. The young woman starts running again, moving quickly around any walkers in her way.

She can hear her own breathing as she tries to escape. Mentally she curses herself for landing right in the middle of a herd, only her luck… No, this couldn't be the end, not when she was so close to going home and seeing her family, not when she had something to prove.

Beth forces her legs to move faster, working her muscles into overdrive.

Only she misses the log laying on the ground and stumbles over it, falls through a clump of bushes and lands on her face. A cry of outrage bubbles inside of her, but the girl forces it back inside her and begins to sit up again, only to freeze, feeling walkers weren't her only threat any longer. Her gaze quickly snaps up, a chill coming over her body… then… a smile.

Weapons pointed at her are three males. One is no longer a kid, but not yet a man either, his gun is pointed at her but his grip is weak and his jaw is slack. Another is closest to her, signature crossbow aimed at her, his brows furrowed deeply, but aim not wavering. The last one… he's balanced on two crutches, a plastic bag under his left arm, hair seemingly grayer, face much more worn. He takes a step forward, his face oddly unreadable.

"Beth…" She can just barely hear him say. The walkers appear, moans tearing through the air.

Beth quickly scrambles up and weapons are no longer pointed at her but what's coming up behind her. She handles the first walker which stumbles out behind her, but an arrow hits the one after it.

Beth begins to back up. "Way too many of them…" She tells them quickly, looking at the crossbow wielding man – Daryl. He glances at her briefly as he quickly reloads his bow. "We have to run." She looks to her left at Carl who is staring at her. "Now people!"

Beth turns, not waiting on their responses and moves to her father. Grabbing the plastic bag from the completely stunned man and grabbing his arm lightly.

She meets his gaze. "Hey daddy…" She gives him a tight grin. "We have to run."

Somehow the tiny group pushes their shock away enough to begin running with her.

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