The Rest of your Life

Chapter 61

Rory walked between Glenn and Maggie as they made their way up the muddy path. The girl pulling a face as she slipped again. "Stop right there." Rory looked up in alarm as everyone pulled out their guns, pointing them to the men on the walls. The girl looked to Jesus for an explanation.

"You gonna make us?" Daryl snarled back.

"Woah." Jesus breathed out, spreading his arms wide trying to diffuse the situation.

"Jesus, what the hell is this?" One of the men stressed. Rory just looked at him, hand on her gun.

"Open the gates, Cal." Jesus told. "Freddie's hurt." He then turned round to Rick and the group. "Look, sorry about these guys." The man apologised. "They get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing."

"They give up their weapons. Then we'll open the gates." Cal told them. Rory squinted. We're they holding spears?

"Why don't you come down here and get 'em." Daryl threatened. Rory stood beside Maggie as she watched the doctor walk forwards to the front of the group.

"Gentlemen, look, we vouch for these people, all right?" Harlen told the people on the gates. "They saved us out there."

"Lower the spears." Jesus ordered the men, almost like he was scolding a child.

"Look." Rick walked forwards a little as he spoke to Jesus. "I'm not taking any chances. Tell your guy Gregory to come out here."

"No." Jesus denied immediately. "Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns. Look, we ran out of ammo months ago... I like you people. I trust you. Trust us." Rick looked at his group, motioning for them to put their guns down. Rory sighed slightly. "Open the gates, Cal."

The gates opened slowly with a screech of metal on metal, Rory walking a little faster to catch up with Maggie as the group made their way inside. Rory gawked at the Hilltop. They had cows! Jesus laughed lightly in amusement at Rory's face.

"Hey." The doctor called out. "Thanks again. Come see me whenever. I'm just over here in the medical trailer, okay?" Maggie and Glenn smiled at the man, Rory too.

"There was a materials used for a power company nearby. That's how we put up the walls." Jesus revealed as they walked, Rory lagging behind again as her eyes scanned the new settlement. "A lot of people came from a FEMA camp. Trailers came with them."

Rory tilted her head as she looked around. A lot of the people were older than those at Alexandria. That plus the fact they had no guns, she wasn't stupidly worried about them trying to kill her family.

"How did people find out about this place?" Michonne asked.

"That's called Barrington house." Jesus told them, pointing to a large building they were standing infront of. Rory stumbled her way over beside Daryl. "The family that owned it gave it to the state in the thirty's. The state turned it into a living history museum. Every elementary school for fifty miles used to come here for field trips. The place was running a long time before the modern world built up around it. I think people came here because they figured it'd keep running after the modern world broke down."

Jesus then pointed to the windows of the building as Rory scratched her cheek. "Those windows up there let us see for miles in every direction. It's perfect for security... come on, I'll show you inside."

Rory followed the others, scrunching her nose as she looked around the room. It was vastly spacious and Rory puffed out her cheeks as she looked to the portraits hanging on the walls.

"Good gracious, ignatious." Abraham breathed out. Barrington House was fancy. It had a huge polished staircase going up to the second floor.

Rory scoffed under her breath. Who polishes stairs?