Daryl watched from behind the corner of the building. Presley moved casually through the crowd, holding Mika close to her. Her blue eyes could almost be seen to him she was so close. She often glanced towards the grocery store, but he knew she couldn't see him. He had made sure she couldn't see him.

She stopped moving for a little while, continuing to scan and look around the area. She looked beautiful, and Daryl noticed. Her black waves fell over the curves of her chest and down her back, offering a feminine look. Her bandana was still tied around her wrist, which surprised him. He figured they would have stripped her clean of everything and anything they found on her.

He glanced back at Maggie and Michonne. They didn't have a lot of people here, just a few extras in case shit went down bad. Tyrese was standing outside the fences, alongside Glenn.

"It's time." Maggie said, pocketing a watch.

-

Presley casually moved down the road, following Stefan's instructions from a few days ago. To her surprise Mika remained silent, and simply followed Presley until the crowd disappeared. She rounded a building and ducked, knowing that the grocery store was only a few buildings away. She grabbed the smaller girl's shoulders. The child seemed to understand the urgency, as her eyes focused in on Presley's automatically.

"No matter what happens, if it goes down bad, don't hesitate. Run to the grocery store. Somebody will be waiting for you." She said, gripping the small girl's shoulders firmly. "Promise me."

"I promise." The girl whispered, and she gave her an approving nod. Again, the girl didn't ask any questions.

"Stay low." Presley ordered, running along the side of the building.

The two managed to go past two buildings before the hairs on Presley's neck stood. She knew something was wrong before it even happened. A strong arm grabbed her by the waist and slammed her against the fence, temporarily knocking the wind out of her.

"Run!" Presley managed to squeal before she was slammed against the fence once again. She couldn't help it- a groan slipped past her lips and her head spun.

But she wasn't about to go down that easy. She took a second to register that it was Marcus. While she didn't like this man, she liked one thing:

She knew his weakness.

Without thinking, Presley slammed her fist against the spot where she knew she had broken his rib. His eyes went wide as saucers and he groaned, dropping her instantly. She prayed nobody could hear him over the loud music.

She scrambled away. Or tried, at least. Before she could get too far away, a hand wrapped around her ankle, bringing her to the ground instantly. She cried out when she landed hard. She knew from the damp warmth over her arm that she had broken skin.

Somehow, as the man continued to recollect himself, she managed to stick a hand into her purse, which had been draped over her shoulder. Her fingers grasped the shard of glass, trying her best not to split her fingers open.

The man grabbed her arms roughly, yanking her to her feet. She took the time to slam the glass into his arm- but it didn't go in as deep as she had hoped. Still, he yelled profanities and released her, shoving her to the ground. He tore the glass from his arm, continuing to curse her name. Before she could even scramble away he and lifted her onto her feet once again. He lifted her by her throat, slamming her head against the fence.

"You stupid, stupid girl..." He seethed, tightening his grip. Presley tried to pry his fingers away with no luck at all. She struggled for oxygen, and slowly she began to process that this was the end. She fought and struggled, but she felt her mind slipping away.

You saved Mika. She felt proud about that accomplishment.

Her body then went limp. The fire within Presley Scott had been tamed. It finally burnt out. She opened the darkness that approached her with open arms. She was ready to give in...

But fate had other ideas.

- - -