Fading (The Walking Dead FanFic)

Chapter 2

While reading, listen to "Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men.

Jess could remember it now. The pressure of the air, the dirt on her skin, and even the smell of her family's blood. Her breathing became heavy. Her vision of the scene blurred. Instinctively, she woke only to be greeted by the unwelcome moaning of a nearby Walker. 

Dragging herself out from under her warm, make-shift covers, she stood. The rest of the group slept except for the two who were on watch with their back turned to her. The baby, Judith was her name Jess later learned, whined but did not wake nor cry. Jess took another step. Then another. And another. Soon she was to the edge of the camp her saviors had made earlier that day, heading in the direction of the moaning. She took out the knife out from its usual place, thanking what ever god was left for the group's trust in her. 

The groaning grew as Jess approached. She soon realized that it was not just one Walker she was dealing with, but at least ten. Her eyes flickered, trying to notice if anyone from the camp had followed her. Confirming her isolation, she approached the ones who could have quite possibly killed her. 

Within two minutes, the seventeen Walkers (which she counted as she was picking them off) were all down. She couldn't remember what she had done, or how she had done it, but they were no longer trying to bite a chunk out of her flesh. 

A branch broke nearby. Jess readied her knife again, but found it was only Carol, a woman she had quickly taken a liking to. She was just about to approach so that Carol would not see what she had done, but Carol was already standing two feet away from the scene. 

"Let's get you away from here." She said slowly, outstretching her hand. "The others wouldn't like to know you've done all this." And with that, Jess followed Carol back to camp where they both fell into a silent sleep.

---

The next morning, the group's tired feet carried them toward the sound of a man crying for help or God, Jess couldn't tell. Rick was the first one running, and Jess smiled to herself. He was a true leader in her eyes. 

A man stood atop a large rock, three Walkers clawing at him from below. He looked like a priest, but Jess knew that could just be a hoax. No one was really what they seemed to be those days, and when they had all cleared the Walkers, the assumed priest jumped down on command only to throw up at their feet. Jess had never met such a cowardice priest. 

"Sorry," the priest wiped his mouth, "sorry." He stood upright, fixing his posture. "Thank you." When the group did not reply, the priest introduced, "I'm Father Gabriel Stokes." A real priest! Oh, how Jess had missed her priest from the church around the corner from her... home? It hadn't been a home for long before the Walkers spread, but she owned it so it was classified a house. 

Rick raised his gun. "I'm not armed! I'm not armed." He repeated, holding his arms up in the air. "The Word of God is my only protection. Please, low your gun." He said nervously.

"Sure don't look like it." Daryl stated, furrowing his brows. 

Thinking that Daryl was probably right, Jess spoke. "You can't have the Word of God protect you; you must have some weapon." Daryl glanced over to Jess, a silent approval occurring between the two. 

"I promise I don't," he replied as Rick lowered his gun warily. "And I wouldn't want one if I had one." He kept his arms raised as Rick searched him. "Your child, the baby, she's beautiful." Rick's eyes narrowed when he stood. "I only mean-- I guess I-- I have a church. It's safe. You can come, if you want."

Jess went to stand behind Rick, standing on the tips of her toes to whisper, "Ask him the three questions you asked me. You know--" Rick cut her off by nodding. 

"How many Walkers have you killed?"

"None, I promise." Father Gabriel was full of promises.

"Humans?"

"Humans? Are you asking me if I've killed people?" Rick nodded, hand placed on his gun once again. "None, of course."

"Why?"

"The Lord abhors violence."

"What's your problem? We've all got baggage. It's not like we're gonna judge you or anything." Jess blushed, she hated her odd country accent and often tried to hide it by separating words. She cursed herself internally for mixing the words "going to" into the hybrid she found annoying "gonna".

"I am a sinner, yes. But I confess my sins to God, not to strangers."

The group was silent for a moment before Rick commanded Father Gabriel to take them to the church, gun tightly locked in his hand. 

Jess could only hope, or maybe now even pray, that this church would be safe. Or at least have food. Or water. Jess only wanted to sit down.