Keeping Sanity

The next morning brought insanity. Daryl nudged her awake and the two made their way out to the others who were meeting about what to do with Randal. Ren had tried to stay in the tent, but Daryl told her she had a right to be there.
        Some of the looks she got said otherwise.
         "He's not tellin us bout his group.” Shane scratched the side of his face.
         Daryl looked over to the shed where they held him. "Let's see what I can get out of the prick.”
          Ren shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. As Daryl walked off, he grabbed her arm. "Could use her too.” He mumbled as he dragged her off.
        Standing outside the shed door, Ren pulled her arm from his grip. "What you need me here for?"
        “Thought you could use an escape. You looked nervous."
         “I wasn't…” she sighed and peeked into the shed. "We got a plan?”
         "Yeah. You wait out here. No need for you to see this.”
         She shook her head. "I'm comin in.”
         Daryl unlocked the shed and stepped in, waiting for Ren to follow. As she did, he started in on the kid.
        Watching the kid carefully while Daryl roughed him up, she paused when he went to the kid's leg, pressing the steel of his blade to the fresh stitches. A cold hand lay on Daryl's shoulder, and Ren pressed a finger to her mouth as his eyes ventured to her’s. She silently stepped back and made a point to come at them with loud steps. “The hell are you doin?! This isn't questioning! This is torture!"
        Daryl saw what she was playing at. The angle could work. “The hell you know about shit?!" He stepped away from the kid.
        “Get out." Ren's words seeped with anger and disgust, but her eyes were calm. She looked at the kid, before turning back to Daryl. “Get out!!!" She stomped and then went into a crouch next to the boy.
         Daryl slammed the door, staying in the shed, but making his way silently to the corner.
          “H-hey?" The boy, Randal called out. “T-thanks for… that. W-who are you?"
          “Someone who's gonna help." Ren gently placed his torn pant leg back over his wound. “He roughed you up pretty good."
         “H-y-yeah."
         “Look, some of these men in our group can… be rough. Ya know?" Ren let out a sigh.
         Randal perked up. "Yeah? M-my group, the guys can be like that too. G-guess it's the way the world works now.”
         "Who knows… so… you know…” she hesitated. "No. Nevermind. I shouldn't be here.” She pulled his flannel back over one of his shoulders.
         "Wait! Don't go. Please. What.. what were you gonna say?”
          Ren sighed again. Her voice was smaller. Emotional. "I just… there's this guy here… m-maybe you've met him. Maybe you haven't… name's Shane. He's… he's bad news and I… I think he's gonna snap. I've been… I've been thinking of running. I… I can hold my own but… not… alone. Ya know? I-I just… I've been waitin for a time to leave and… well now… i-if your group would have me…”
         "Yeah! Y-yeah we would!”
          "I-is it safe?”
          "Yeah! Our guys are strong! We got thirty of us. Women, some children too. Our guys are strong. We got lots of weapons."
          Ren glared at him as he swallowed hard. She lunged and grabbed his throat. "You're lying.” She growled, not looking at him.
         His breathing quickened and his lip quivered. "W-wha- No! No! I swear. I swear.” His words came out as breathy whimpers.
         “You know, I read once that one form of torture was to pluck out the fingernails. Sounds painful." She grabbed at his chained hands and grabbed hold of a fingernail.
         “No! No! Look, I-I can take you! We can go together!"
         “Tell me about your guys."
         “They're mean! I don't like em much! They were all I had! They… o-one time they… they…" he began to recall a memory. A scouting mission with his buddies that ended up in them raping an old man’s two daughters as they made him watch. "They… they didn't even kill em after, they left them alive. Just… just left em."
          Ren stood and backed up. She kicked his bad leg and walked out of the shed. She saw Daryl lunge at him as she stepped out.