Newcomers

My eyes blinked open slowly, my pupils trying to adjust to the bright morning sunlight. My vision was quite glazed over at the moment, but I could feel my back rested up against something sturdy. Then the dull ache set in, from the back of my head. I groaned a little, confused by the pain at the base of my neck. Then it all came back to me. My eyes shot open, my breath getting hitched in my throat as I remembered those people. They came out of nowhere. They had me sitting up against a tree, my wrist tied together with thick rope.

I looked around, there was a small campfire a couple of meters away from where they placed me. I counted seven people sitting around it, most of their backs turned to me as they enjoyed their breakfast. They didn't seem particularly worried about me, although none of them seemed to even notice that I had regained consciousness yet.

Then a figure dropped down in front of me, appearing from my right. It was a woman. Her auburn hair falling loosely around her face in tight, natural curls. I stared into her deep brown eyes as a smile crinkled up her face.

"Guys, she's awake," she called out to her group while not breaking eye contact with me. They all turned to look over at me. Before I had time to process what I was doing my brain sent my body into fight mode. With one swift motion, I threw my arms around the girl's head, spinning her body around to shield myself and tightened my bound together wrist around her throat.

"What do you want from me?!" I shouted. The remainder of the group shot up just as quickly as I had the girl where I wanted her, their weapons drawn at me. The girl in my arms raised up her hands to settle the group, signalling for them to put down their weapons. "Why did you take me?"

"Everyone, let's just calm down here," she spoke softly.

"What do you want from me?" I asked again, my grip remaining firm around her neck.

"Nothing. You were alone and in trouble, we were just trying to help," she responded. My eyes stayed glued on the men and women that crowded in front of us. I realized that they did exactly what the woman had said and dropped their weapons. My grip loosened slightly.

"I wasn't alone," I said. There was anger in my tone as I spoke. Thinking about how they took me away from Daryl, the one person from my group that I was able to hold onto.

"Hun, can you let me go and we can talk about this. We're not here to hurt you," she suggested, her voice still remaining soft, calming.

"Untie me first," I argued. The auburn-haired woman reached out her hand to the man that stood closest to her. He stepped forward, placing my knife in her palm. I pushed my hands forward a little, giving her room to cut the rope as my arms resided around her neck. She did what I asked, cutting my wrists free from the binds. I immediately scooted backwards, rubbing the sore skin. "I'm sorry."

She turned around to look at me again, rubbing the skin around her neck. "My name's Veronica but I usually just go by Roni. What's yours?" she asked.

I still felt hesitant, I didn't trust them. Why would I? Good people weren't something you come by in the new world, everyone had a motive for their niceness. I wasn't even sure if there was a good soul left on this planet, myself included. Although, I was once again alone. I hadn't been truly alone since that day up on the rooftop. And to be honest I wasn't sure if I knew how to be alone anymore.

"Scarlett, but I usually just go by Scar," I gave up my name. Roni smiled, satisfied that she gained some trust from me.

She turned to the rest of her group who still had their eyes locked on me. "This is Oliver and his wife Juliet," she pointed to the scrawny ginger man and his equally frail wife. "That's Derek, Lennon, Lyla, Paul, and Rigs on the end."

I looked over the group of people, trying to remember their names one by one. Derek was a big dude, tall and buff, he's the one who reluctantly handed my knife over to Roni. Lennon was average, nothing significant stood out about him. Curly brown hair and deep brown eyes to match Roni's. Then my eyes landed on Lyla, an older woman, much older than Roni and I. She reminded me a lot of Carol. Paul was average as well. Dirty blond, combed-over hair that's thin and near balding, probably from the stress of surviving. The only significance about him was his thick glasses that made his eyes look twice the size they actually were. Then my gaze landed on Rigs, someone here that looked around my age. His light brown hair was long, most of it hanging in front of his face. He was the only guy I've seen with longer hair than Daryl's, but his hair hung loosely around his face rather than clinging to it. His body seemed muscular by just the glimpse I could see from his arms. Starvation didn't look to be something that had worn him down like Oliver and Paul.

"Do you want some food?" Juliet asked, it was the first time anyone else had spoken to me apart from Roni. My eyes snapped away from Rigs and over to her.

"That would be great," I answered. Roni helped me to my feet before I took a spot by their dwindling fire.

"It's nothing special. Just some canned beans and a rabbit Derek was able to trap," Juliet spoke as she made me up a plate.

"Food is food. Thank you." I was short with my words, still trying to feel these people out. Nonetheless, I was thankful for the meal.

"You said you weren't alone?" Derek asked.

My eyes shot up at him, regretting that I had mentioned anything about Daryl. It seemed like they all had their eyes on me, watching me eat, waiting for me to share my story. But I wasn't going to. Lie. I told myself. I am good at lying now. What was something that was a weakness for me before was now one of my best assets.

"I had a dog with me. That's what I meant when I said I wasn't alone. He's usually glued to my side, but when I ran out of the mausoleum he must have gotten trapped behind the door and then that's when you hit me," I explained. My voice was harsher than I intended it to be, but I was angry. Angry that they used such a forceful way to try and "help me". Angry that they looked at me as someone that was weak, who needed saving. I was doing just fine.

"Would you have come with us if we didn't?" Paul asked, noticing my distaste for their methods. He pushed his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose, waiting for my response.

"No," I responded, my tone flat. "Because I didn't need your help."

My eyes trailed over to Rigs, he was silent, seemingly uninterested in what I had to say. Yet his eyes stayed glued to me. He held his head low as his arms rested on his knees, but I could see his yellow eyes shooting daggers through the wisps in his hair.

"Well, you're here now and we hope you can forgive us," Roni said, trying once again to play mediator. "Honestly, Scar, we were just trying to help someone who looked to be in trouble."

Although I didn't agree with her on the fact that I needed help out there, Roni had one thing right for sure. I was here now. And I know one thing to be a fact in the new world; having someone was better than having no one at all.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, trying to change the subject from me. I knew they would try to pry for more information about my past and I'd do the same for them. But I needed to know their plan for right now, maybe even figure out the real reason they took me.

"We're headed to a place called Terminus."