"I asked God to send a swordsman / and God says 'look at your hands.'" unknown.

season 1, episode 12
better angels

Day 78

"Dale could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave," The morning fog covered the rolling land in a thick wet blanket that diluted the sunlight that wished to bid the fallen man his last goodbye.

Everyone, despite all their differences and anger, stood together at the growing cemetery for the people they lost. Their restless eyes resided on the freshly turned dirt. Dale rested beside Annette and Shawn Greene, and the empty grave for Otis. People he didn't know but were as good as he was. Honest and too good for the world. Alyson wondered who would be next to die. At this rate, they all could fall to God's hand. They were only mortal after all. It was ingrained in them in their creation, to be mortal, allowed. And anyone who continued to live would only get a taste of his curse. Burdened to watch and live on as everyone else died.

"Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us—the truth, who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity."

Alyson wasn't close with Dale. She was too preoccupied with protecting hers and herself to truly see how good of a person Dale was. It would be one of the few things she would regret in her life. Not taking the time in their moments of peace to sit with him, hear his stories of a life when it was worth living. He viewed the world differently than most. He carried wisdom from his years that could have benefitted her and anyone she came across. His view on life could save her for what's to come.

Her hand slipped into Sadie's, who took her without hesitation. Encasing and intertwining their fingers, molding into one. Sadie hadn't stopped crying. Even in her dreamless sleep, tears would slide from her closed eyes. She carried Dale's death on her shoulders as if it was her fault a walker got through the woods and to them.

It wasn't anyone's fault.

In all honesty, Dale shouldn't have died, but it was for the best. He was too good for the group and the world. He would never have survived much longer with the way everything looked. His heart was too big to handle all the pain that was to come in order to survive. He would have grown to rot from the inside out, killing himself with the disease of guilt that would have ultimately taken him. Regardless, he would have died. It was best he died too good than tainted. If Alyson had spoke with him once more, he could have saved her from that truth.

"He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and take control of our lives, our safety...our future."

Alyson met Isaac's darkened eyes. Adorned in clothes left by Adam Greene, drowning within the fabric and his mind. He had shed his tears in private, refusing to let them fall in front of others. When dawn broke the horizon and Dale's death settled among those who cared, he appeared in the tent. His presence woke both girls up to the nightmare of their life. The look in his eyes haunted Alyson's mind. He hadn't slept, eyes red from crying and no sleep, pupils undetectable within the brewing storm inside. He told them something that morning that rang in her mind hours later. Alyson squeezed Sadie's hand, wishing the world had stopped all together before her life changed—a meteor hurled into the Earth, leaving nothing and no one to survive. At least in that moment the world ended, Alyson would be with Sadie in her final moments. Peace is what they deserved.

"We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

He did not die a martyr but would become a symbol regardless. To be better for the sake of what remains of humanity. To be better for the sake of humanity. What did that mean? Truly? To turn a blind eye at evil, or risk lives to bring evil to the light? It was too vague, too many loopholes to dance around, too many chances to mess up from a misunderstanding. To Rick, what did it mean? His word was final in this group without needing a majority rule. Alyson doubted Rick's ability to do what needed to be done to keep the group afloat. Then again, Alyson couldn't see herself doing the same if she was in his position.

Rick was the first to leave the funeral. Then others followed behind him, paying Dale their final respects in their own ways.

In the fading memories of Alyson's mother, she would never be able to forget how often she questioned the world. Grace Quinn would spend days with a book under her nose surrounding her topic of the week, learning the different viewpoints of it all. There were always unimportant topics like how languages formed the way they did, or why the world was the way it was? Questions that did not have one simple answer.

When she died, Alyson was never allowed to question or ponder, to wonder about the world and why it was the way it was. Her brothers never showed the desire to do so like she did. She learned quickly why they never did.

Yesterday was a day to decide the life of a stranger among a group of eighteen that was struggling to stay together.

Today was a day to decide if the trio would stay with the remaining fourteen.

"I said it on the highway, and I thought...I wanted to believe big groups could last," Isaac spoke with , racking his hand through his greasy, brown locks that were beginning to grow longer by the day. "No one listens to each other to understand, they're just waiting for their turn. Rick's gonna try to convince us we can fix the group...but I don't think they can be fixed. Not with him." He stared at the two girls, letting their tired minds process his words. "I've already decided, but if you two want to stay...we can try to make it work."

In the end, you needed to protect you and your own or someone else comes in and snuff out their light. No questions asked because the answer was simple.

"It's gonna be tight, seventeen people in one house," His hands rested on his hips, one leg propped in front of him.

"Don't worry about that. We the swamp hardening, the creek drying up.." Hershel said, defending his idea. He stood tall with his faith to back him up.

Maggie added with a cross of her arms over her chest, "With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell."

"She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago," Hershel told, taking Dale's wishes to his good Christian heart. He ignored Shane's disrespect and reminded himself that he was also human. He was another person who deserved to live as much as the next person despite what Hershel thought of him.

Isaac was fine with letting Rick's hope last for a few days to see if it will work, to see if the trio could live like this for who knows how long. He wasn't in a rush to set off and run if anything he was going to utilize the time to gather supplies. There was no way he—or even Sadie—would allow himself to take back all they have given to the group. . His nose stuck in between the pages and a pen always connected to the pages, writing down things he didn't let Alyson ponder over. They wouldn't need much for the first few days until they would come across a place to loot. Nothing they hadn't done before. Their only issue would be where they went from there if they all agreed to leave.

If they agreed to leave.

This conversation was had before. Sides were switched, but Sadie had never changed her mind about it. She stood by her choice. Until today.

Alyson could see Sadie trying to debate it all in her mind. She was focused on her tasks of taking down tents and putting their extra clothes and personal items in Isaac's van to save storage in the house. It wasn't like all the other times, she pulled away and disappeared into her mind. She was accepting the reality of things. Something had switched in her due to the last few days.

Alyson had always told her that one day she would need to face reality before reality took her out. She didn't realize how much of Sadie would shift from the truth.

And for once, Alyson wasn't if she was either.

The group contained good people who had different skills to aid to any possible outcome. Without Hershel, his girls, or his farm, they wouldn't last without food or shelter. Not to mention their agricultural and medical knowledge, Hershel already declared to train her to aid him with the cattle. Their bodies were akin to a human in many ways than the eyes perceived. The hands would remember the arteries and veins similarly regardless of human or animal the blood seeped out of. And without the people who knew how to fight and the number of weapons, they wouldn't survive if they came across the wrong people or too many walkers to handle. And lastly, Alyson was finding herself close to some of them. That was reality.

She knew the people were a reason to stay for her friends as well.

How Isaac hung around Beth, sharing hushed words and infectious real grins. He would leave if he could for the sake of protecting what he knew. It didn't mean it didn't hurt.

It was he who was the real issue. Shane Walsh.

The way his bruised face turned away from Hershel after the man graciously gave him a roof over his head. He wasn't thankful, he expected it. He believed he earned this right.

Isaac was right, regretfully, as usual. Alyson knew this from the moment she laid eyes on him as he pressed his forearm around Sadie's throat. He threw her against the car with ease, not caring for the life under his hand. For now, he would resort to his head tilts and hard stares at the two girls. Observing them from far away, awaiting the moment when it was the calmest to destroy. Ever since he shaved his head Alyson believed he took his last bit of humanity with his hair.

But then again, it would all fall to Rick to accept the truth about his friend.

"All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road," Rick instructed. "We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines on both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take perimeter around the house."

Rick's goal was to secure the farm for any possibilities of outsiders who could possibly stumble on them. He wanted to believe in honoring Dale. He wanted to forget about all that had happened to set forth a future worth living, a future for Carl and his future child. The Quinn girl knew how it felt. The nagging feeling that crept up her spine as she turned her back on her friends, knowing that blood stained their hands and collected underneath their fingertips.

Isaac nodded to Alyson, signaling to her that it was okay if she helped Both carried items into vehicles for easier transport into the house to later separate and sort. There was no reason for them to change how they interacted with the group just yet. They had time, they needed to use it wisely.

She added Lori in putting items into the bed of the blue truck, purposefully to hear Shane and Rick speak.

"You know that Dale's death and the prisoner—that's two separate things, right."

Alyson did her best to not react to Shane, or let her eyes remain on them longer than it needed to be. She shoved a crate of cans into the bed, turning on her heel for the next item. With her head tilted downward, she felt the eyes of Shane Walsh trained on her as she passed.

"Take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest."

Maybe Rick did see his best friend was a ticking time bomb but was unsure of what to do. He shifted Shane's roles to focus on being in charge of who watches when. He was placing his trust into Daryl, someone who knew more than Shane and wasn't going to ruin what they had for what he wanted—or at least that what Alyson could get from her knowledge on the redneck.

Dressed in clothes too small for Maggie, Sadie wore a leather jacket to shield her from the chilly air. Loose blue jeans with leggings underneath, peaking over her waistband. Her hands fitted with brown fingerless gloves

"What're you thinking about?" Alyson asked, flickering her eyes around to observe. Autumn crept up on them faster than they believed it would. It took over the land, depriving it of its color. Stripped of the life she admired days prior, Alyson wondered if it snowed in this part of Georgia.

Sadie shrugged, holding another tent that was borrowed. She struggled to find the correct hand placement to keep the plastic from slipping. "Daryl's gonna teach me how to protect myself—no guns, just knives, maybe his crossbow. That's a stretch though."

Alyson furrowed her eyebrows. That was the first time she heard of this. "Is that gonna change your answer?"

"No. I just need to convince him to do it soon. He said once Randall's dealt with, but at this rate, it'll be winter."

"You want to leave?"

"No...but if he's still around, after what I did? He watches me, like he's waiting for the right time."

Alyson shifted her eyes down, knowing she was right about Shane. The latter part Alyson never realized. Was he planning something? Rick's speech would only hold the group together for so long. He could believe and believe and believe all he wants but it wouldn't change a thing.

"It'll be good for you...to learn properly," Alyson said to change the topic before the air grew thick. "Daryl'd be a good teacher if he spoke up more."

"He's not that bad, I guess."

"I thought we agreed you have a shit perception of who's good and bad?"

The two followed Hershel's instructions to bring the outside supplies into the basement. Sadie in front of Alyson, leading the way. Alyson noted that Shane drove off with stacks of planks for the watchtower. Some distance from the house, from Sadie.

"We did, but this isn't an initial idea. He...well, I may have gone to see Randall personally—"

"Sadie!" Alyson dropped the tent, staring at the girl in disbelief. She let her continue, knowing this was in the past and Sadie was still standing.

"I just wanted to see for myself. Daryl pulled me out before I could actually talk to him about something worth listening. He called me an idiot and threatened to lock me away, which isn't far from what you and Isaac say."

Alyson rolled her eyes, letting out a chuckle. She didn't like Daryl, but that was because she knew very little about him and he reminded her of her family. If Sadie trusted him—even the littlest bit—Alyson could attempt to see if he was good. They had time. "Just...I don't know."

Sadie smiled at Alyson and her attempt to keep the conversation going. "Have you thought about what he said?"

The brunette nodded, then shook her head. "I still need time."

"No one's rushing you, Aly. Isaac said we have a few days."

"What do you think about it?"

"I think...the group could work. But it's the same way as betting if Randall wouldn't rat us out if we let him go."

Alyson let out a sigh. Sadie smiled once more at her, stepping forward. Her hands found their way into Alyson's; her eyes still filled with hope and wonder. She could see good in all things, even the bad. She saw the good in Alyson despite the bad that swarmed.

If Sadie chose to leave, Alyson wouldn't hesitate to pack their things and leave before the sun could touch the horizon. If she chose to stay, Alyson would make their bed out of nothing and ensure every time Sadie laid her hand on it, she would never toss or turn, or complain about it being uncomfortable. She would urge Rick to do something about Shane to protect Sadie. She would take her own hands to deal with Shane to protect Sadie. Sadie Fontaine a gift from God to remind Alyson he still heard her prayers.

Everything in Alyson wanted to tell that to Sadie. To tell her that she would follow her to the end of the Earth. To tell her that she made Alyson fear the world. To tell her that she was the reason she fought to wake up every day. To tell her that she would burn the world for Sadie if she asked her to. To tell her that she loved her more than anything in the world because the world did not matter without Sadie in it.

Her lips parted slightly. Sadie's head tilted excepting something to escape Alyson. "I-"

"Sadie," Glenn asked, stepping down the squeaky wooden stairs. "Can you help Hershel with the food? He says he doesn't need help, but...He won't say no to you."

Her smile returned with a nod. Glenn receded upstairs, and Sadie's focus returned to Alyson. "We have time," she said as if she knew.

Her lips grazed Alyson's pale cheeks. With one last smile, she disappeared upstairs. Blood flooded to Alyson's skin. Sadie would be the death of her. And she would be content with that.

Tasked with switching guard with T-Dog until dinner, Alyson reluctantly trekked around the Greene house for the man with her handgun in her waistband and axe hung off her belt loop. She left Sadie, knowing she was tasked with helping organize the rooms for more space. Maggie thought it best for the girl after being the first one to find Dale in his agony. Alyson vividly ingrained the memory of Sadie shaking as the other girl aided her in the shower. Seeing her bare and fragile was as if Alyson had seen her bones, the flesh that made Sadie's being. Every piece of her pleaded for help but Alyson didn't know where to touch without fear she would shatter the moment her fingers grazed her.

Alyson quite liked T-Dog, one of the few sensible people around. Not to mention how close he was to his faith. It came as a surprise to Alyson when she learned, but it made sense. Joining her in a prayer over Dale's grave, when they walked back to the camp T-Dog told her the story of how he met Dale. He spent the first few days driving around people to unite families or put them in safety when he ran into Dale and his RV. The elder man helped him get out of the city when his van became gut-filled and unusable. They ran into Glenn, who helped Andrea and her sister He was one of the good ones; a good reason to stay.

Her boots crushed the dried grass and leaves, counting the steps until she reached T-Dog. Coming along the cluster of trees they once resided under, she stopped at twenty-three steps when something moved in the corner of her eyes. She tilted her head at the sight of the shed's door opening.

The first to appear out of it was the prisoner himself, eyes and mouth covered, and hands bound behind him. Skin glistened with sweat, dirt smudged across his flesh. He was being led out by Shane. The man whipped his bald head around to survey the area, beady black eyes scattered across the land for anyone and anything.

Alyson snapped her back against a tree, staring forward and holding her breath as if Shane wasn't a few meters away. She peered out, observing as they headed for the tree line. What the hell was Shane doing? Rick and Daryl planned on taking Randall out soon, just before dinner so they could eat and leave. This couldn't be Rick's idea.

But it was happening because he wouldn't do anything.

She glanced at T-Dog, who appeared from the back corner of the house. He looked around in search of his trade. He saw nothing and went back with a scratch at the nape of his neck. Alyson looked back at Shane, who was just about to enter the forest and disappear. She couldn't risk getting help and losing him. Rick would try to rationalize it if she rushed to him with an outburst that Shane took Randall.

She just needed to see what he was doing and return before Shane did. What she witnessed would put more evidence against Shane. With the whole group's knowledge of what he was doing and why, Rick would have no choice but to act. And the trio wouldn't need to leave. She curled her hand around her handgun, pointer finger rested beneath the trigger. With a deep inhale, she tucked it in her waistband behind her.

Alyson sprinted across the farm, slowing down as she neared the forest. Shane's bald head was visible still and not that far ahead. She kept her eyes trained on him as she removed her axe from her belt loop. Taking the base of the metal in hand, she carved into the nearest tree. A single line to guide her back.

Each step she took, she took with care. Stepping around sticks and leaves, tiptoeing as if she was a ballerina. She attempted to focus on her breathing, too. Steady, quiet inhales and exhales, prepared for a sudden need to hold her breath. Slicing her blade, left to right, right to left, up to down, down to up, diagonally. Signals to the demise of someone not yet known.

Shane was loud. It helped Alyson keep track of him, but he was hustling as if his time was running out. If anything, Shane controlled time. He held the hand and deciphered when it would tick down to the very second to when he would cause ruination. He yanked Randall around like a doll, forcing him to keep Shane's pace. Randall whimpered in fear and pain like a dog; Shane was forcing him to walk with his bad leg.

He yelled at Randall to keep going as he looked around. The amount of times Alyson accidentally slammed her spine against a tree was getting to an oddly high number. Her lungs burned, growing heavy.

Still, she remained close by and undetectable.

Randall tripped on a log, pain shooting up from his injury. Shane pulled him to his knees by his collar, yanking the fabric together as it bunched around the younger man's throat. He took off the blindfold, gripping Randall's hair so he could only look at Shane. "I get it. I'm the last face you probably want to see, huh?"

His voice was low and too far for Alyson to catch everything. She used the thick trees to dance around the two men and get closer.

"Listen, I'm gonna take you up out of here, okay? I'm gonna get this off of you so you can breathe, but I want you to keep quiet. You listen good. Do you hear me? Okay."

Peering around the bark, Alyson stared the scene ahead. Shane appeared erratic, constantly observing the area. His eyes were filled with nothing but darkness. Alyson couldn't help but shrink behind the tree like she would as a child whenever her father raised his voice. Was this a good idea?

"Now your group—you know where they're at?"

"No, I don't. I really-"

Shane slapped Randall then forced him back up. He manipulated Randall's body like a pawn for his own plans. "Okay. Get your little ass up here. Now I'm the only shot of you getting out of these woods alive. You hear me?"

There wasn't any possibility that Shane was going to listen to Randall if he even knew where his group was. If he did, Alyson could only imagine what he planned to do. Would he bring Randall's men to the farm to prove to Rick that his plan of peace would never hope? Would he kill them all and return to the farm as if nothing happened?

"Now you start talking, boy. Where are they at?"

"We had a camp set up off the highway. About five miles from here. Who knows if they're still there?"

Five miles wasn't far if they knew there was a farm nearby with cattle and plants ready for winter.

An eerie smile that churned in Alyson stomach appeared on Shane's face. Sweat accumulated on her palms as she scratched the bark. "Okay. So you're gonna take me to 'em?"

"Why?"

"Because, man, I'm just—I'm done with this group." Shane rubbed his bald head, watching everywhere but Randall. He claimed he had no attachment to the group, but Alyson could feel it in her gut that something was wrong. If he wanted to find those men, he didn't need Randall. "They're doomed and I want no part of it."

Taking slow, deep breaths to ease her body, Alyson gripped her axe. She needed to go back, tell Rick and the others before Shane went too far.

"So, you're not gonna kill me?"

"Come on, man. If I was, you'd be dead." Shane yanked Randall onto his feet and pushed him forward.

This was Alyson's chance. She waited a few moments to let the two get farther. They wouldn't end up anywhere soon with Randall's leg.

She stood up, watching as the two disappeared behind a thick tree. She took one step and snap!

Alyson stood still, staring down at her boot as she lifted it. It was clear. Only a patch of dirt underneath. It didn't make sense. Everything was silent. Just for a moment, everything was still. Not even the birds chirped for they knew when to be quiet around a predator.

Glancing behind her shoulder, Shane looked in her direction, not at her but the area. He paced for a second before ramming his head into a tree. Why couldn't Alyson hear Randall? Where was Randall?

She shifted in her place. This time, she did step on something. Like a deer in headlight, Shane stared. Not a deer. A bull, a bear, a lion, a beast. Beady eyes hyper focused on its surrounds to confirm his worries. He shook his head, muttering something under his breath, but his eyes were trained towards Alyson.

Alyson froze. She was the deer, the bird, the poor butterfly. Like the day her dad walked into her room. Normally she could recognize his footsteps, but her mind was too focused on Sadie's lips. They were soft as she furthered kissed. They were too encapsulating for Alyson to think. Shane was too terrifying for Alyson to think.

Her grip on her axe slipped and onto the ground. If Shane didn't believe someone was there, now he did.

He stomped forward, getting faster with each step. His teeth bared with excitement, hunger, and glory for his prize. He would stain his teeth red with her blood, leaving the only trace of her to be his lack of hunger.

Alyson could only run. It was the one thing her body didn't allow her to do all those months ago. So, she did then. Forgetting about her markers, she attempted to follow her way back by vague memory. No tree was alike, yet every tree was the same. An obstacle in an endless maze made for prey to be caught. He would kill her if they remained alone. His hands would wrap around her neck and snap her delicate bones without her turning a shade. She would remain as white as a ghost; died as if her soul had simply left her body.

"Get back here, Alyson!" his voice echoed throughout the forest.

Images of that day flooded back to Alyson as she flew through and around trees. Branches whipped at her skin, lashing her as a punishment. The way her dad slammed the door open. The way he appeared in front of her, his hand flying across her face. He yanked her by her forearm and forced her into the family room. Sadie followed, pounding on the 200-pound man as if she could make him stop. He sent her into a wall with a simple backhand. American homes weren't built to sustain damage from the inside.

"Who do you think you are?"

"You really think any of them are gonna believe you?"

Alyson skidded into a sharp right, sliding into a ditch she couldn't recall if they came across. Leaves crunched under the weight of her body to decay and be used as nutrients. Her hands scrapped against nature, leaving pieces of her to remain there forever. Before she could get up, Shane was standing above with his eyes cast down upon her. The sun illuminated behind his figure, shadows hiding his facial features. Yet the cold hard stare could be felt from around the world.

Like a child, she remained on the floor. Breath hitched; a tightness wrapped around her throat. Glued to the dying grass and frozen in hopes he would disappear if she closed her eyes.

Her eyes remained open despite the stinging of the autumn wind.

"Listen, kid, I just want to talk. No need to run."

With leaves in her hair, she pushed herself up with her arms. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, pounding to be released from her cowardice. At least run if you're a coward. She kept her eyes on Shane as he moved forward. With a shaky inhale, her hand inched to her gun behind her. Cold metal pressed against her heated skin to remind her she could take control from him the way Sadie did to her dad. She simply pretended to submit.

Baring his teeth behind a smile of greed and glory. Blood traced his wrinkles like rivers on Earth. His voice raspy and low, barely affected under the lack of air in his lungs. "You and I both know he would have come back for us with Rick's plan."

"Rick won't let you come back with what you did."

His smile fell. "What did I do? What did you do?"

Alyson pulled out her gun, knocking it off safety. She pressed on the trigger. As the bullet inched out the barrel, Shane swiped her arm. The bullet grazed Shane's left arm, slicing through his jacket, possibly damaging his flesh. Her gun was sent into a pile of leaves. There was nothing separating Alyson from Shane's brutality.

His beady eyes burned into her soul as his blood trickled down his forehead. Oh, how his eyes reminded her of her dad's as he glared down at her before taking Sadie by her hair to punish Alyson. No one else was there to take the punishment. No one knew Alyson was there. No would ever know how she was murdered under the sun.

Alyson watched as her dad broke Sadie's skin with his fist. Their blood mixed with each punch. His voice grew louder and louder until the older one of the twins got concerned. He acted as Alyson watched. He merely glanced at the two girls. He forced them apart, following behind his lookalike as Alaric entered his safe. There was only so much Alyson's brothers would do to protect their sister. But never would they take the skin off their back for her, only their clothes to cover up the scene.

Her shoulders tensed as Shane just stared and contemplated. Thoughts raced his mind as he debated a conclusion. Alyson knew there was only one ending.

She stood tall in spite of her odds. "Screw you." Her spit landed on his cheek, right beside Sadie's cut.

Shane took Alyson by her hair as he did with Randall. He yanked her up in attempt to leave the ditch. Her hands flew to her scalp, crying out in pain. He pulled her towards Randall. Alyson fought back with her legs. Reeling her right leg back only to shove it right into his shin. Her left hand left her head and scrapped against the ground as she was moved. A rough object grazed her fingertips A stick. She tightened her grip, pulling back her arm then forced the broken part into Shane's right thigh.

He let go of her. It was brief, but enough for Alyson to pull the stick out. Blood soaked and seeped into clothes and the Earth. Shane screamed and threatened like a rapid dog, spit flying from his mouth. Alyson never protected herself or Sadie from her dad. She never had anyone protect her before Sadie. To get bloody and bruised in order for her to be spared. Alyson would do the same, even if Sadie was to be told a fabricated lie. Only if Alyson lied to Shane.

Bucks were crowned with sharp weapons above their eyes; eagles had talons to capture and tear apart; butterflies, delicate and beautiful, poisoned their predators to prevent them from ever hurting another again. Alyson could not let her death go unnoticed.

She thrusted the stick down, aiming for Shane's stomach. It pierced his side as he rolled away from her. He jumped onto his feet. Alyson turned on her heels to run. Shane took the back of her shirt, stopping her. His hand wrapped around the base of her neck, fingers pressed against her esophagus. A single snap between his hands would end her.

"You're gonna wish this was quick."

His fingers slid up to her scalp, underneath her loosened tied up hair. He slammed the right side of her head into a tree. Then again. And again.

Blood dripped over her fluttering eyelids. Black dots covered her vision. Her breathing slowed with her heart rate. Slipping into darkness, she stared up at the sunlight that scattered between the contorted branches.

He pulled her away from the tree to look at her. Her breath stifled; lips parted as blood continued to rush from her wounds. Her vision blurred, she wasn't sure if she was looking at him or passed him. He tilted his head before dropping her.

Alyson had no fight left. She kept her breath in, despite of the burn in her lung and her body's alarms ringing. He lingered over her body before spitting on her. Muttering something to himself, he walked away.

Alyson slowly blinked as the world faded around her. She would die without telling Sadie how she felt because she was a coward. Out of all the things she regretted, that was at the very top of her list.