DEVILS ? C. G. 〖 #wattys2018 〗

O N E / F O U R T E E N

But he could see it in her eyes. She wasn't willing to give that part of her a chance. It was all for herself, for Negan.

He looked back down at his lunch.

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛ ♛

It started as a pricking at the base of his neck.

The dragging of a needle, it's point tearing into tissue, pulling at his flesh as hot blood flowered down his back.

He brought a hand to his neck, but nothing was there but the coldness of his skin.

Slowly, he swiveled around. There was nobody there. But the sensation tore along his cheek, his brow bone, and Carl felt his gut plunge five miles down.

And then he saw it. A pair of small black pits, quickly flicking away. Another set of eyes blinking like lightning bugs. He looked around the lunch room and there were more, swarming about his body like fruit flies. They peeled the skin off his body, prying off his muscles until there was nothing but his skeleton staring aimlessly into the distance.

He realized what they were looking at. Not looking, but inspecting, examining, like an autopsy done on a murder victim.

It was his eye.

He wanted to blame them, but he couldn't. How often do you see someone with their eye shot out?

Faces like his belonged in body bags. And as far as they were concerned, he was as much of a walker as the ones right outside these walls.

Carl realized why Negan did it this way.

He was now on display. A broken spearhead rusted beyond recognition, shielded beyond thick layers of glass.

The reactions made sense. Elle's. Negan's.

But maybe it was ironic that the only person who didn't make sense was April.

Does it hurt?

There was so much pity in her eyes.

He could almost forget what lay just beyond it.

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She was worried about him.

April hated to admit it, but that was what it was. Worry.

Worry for what, though? Why would she care?

You don't, she kept telling herself. You don't care because why would his feelings matter?

"...I found this packet of super punk blue dye, and I figured that I, well, this shit's going to expire someday, right? So I went for it, and it turned to this really pretty cobalt color..."

April kept her face on autopilot, nodding and making empty comments. Elle was her best friend, and April could normally appreciate when she gushed about her hair adventures and various fuckovers. It was quieting. But April had no patience to be quieted today; her brain just swung like a pendulum from one thought to another.

"—you listening, April?"

She snapped back into reality. "Nope," and with it came a nervous laugh.

Elle looked down and bit her lip thoughtfully. "Don't make fun of me, okay? But I think I found someone."

Found someone. The words echoed in her mind. Pendulum, back and forth.

"I hope you have better taste in dudes than I did," April remarked with a dark chuckle.

Elle burst into laughter. Carl's head snapped up in surprise. "Noo," she groaned between giggles. "You're going to be in for one bombshell surprise, Mrs. Assumptions."

April gave a smile. "Oh, fuck."

Elle turned and grinned like an idiot towards the wall. April could feel a sick feeling crawl up her throat. She'd seen that look before, eyes spilling sunlight, like honey dripping down skin.

She'd seen that look in the mirror. And it stung to think that she had been so gullible, mere months ago. It stung to think that she was still the same foolish person as before.

She blinked, shook her head, and quickly plastered on a smile. No, she would not think about that right now. Not when it mattered most.

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A/N:"WOW OMG SHELLY WROTE AHEAD? ??? WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO ? ?? ?"

yeah idk either

QOTD: IS SHELLY YOUR REAL NAME???
AOTD: subjectively, yes

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Word Count: 1281
Created 4-23-17
Edited 6-6-17
Edited 6-28-17
Edited 8-21-17