Mercy|TWD¹

chapter thirteen: to the survivors

Mercedes and Michelle sat beside each other on the backsteps of the church, they both watched as Abraham and Rosita worked on fixing the church bus. Michelle sighed leaning her back against the step above the one that she and Mercedes were sitting on. "So is Ross your brother?"

Mercedes sighed as Ross took over her thoughts once again, after she had finally started thinking of other things. She shook her head. "No... Ross was my neighbor from before. But he's been with me and my dad since the beginning."

Michelle nodded understandingly. "I'm sure he's okay. We'll find him." She assured the other girl.

Mercedes smiled a little bit. "I hope so."

"Pst"

The two girls looked at each other confused, hearing someone whisper. "Mercedes, Shell." The voice said a little louder.

The two looked towards the edge of the church to see Carl peaking around it. He frantically waved them over. The two shared a look before standing up and heading over to the boy.

"What's up?" Michelle asked.

"Follow me. I have to show you both something." Carl answered before leading the two to the other end of the church. He then pointed at the wall.

Mercedes narrowed her eyes at the words that are carved on the wall. "What the hell?"

"You'll burn for this?" Michelle read out loud.

"Weird right?" Carl asked, earnings nods from both girls. "I found some scratches on the other side... Something definitely happened here."

"We have got to show this to Rick." Mercedes said nodding her head.

"Show me what?" The three jumped not expecting the man to turn the corner just then.

"Check it out." Michelle said, pointing at the wall.

Rick walked closer and stood behind the three. "Sketchy, right?" Mercedes asked, glancing back at the man.

Rick glanced down at her and nods slightly. "Yeah."

<••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••>

Later that same night the group all sat around laughing and having a good time while eating the food that Rick and the others brought back. It kinda reminded Mercedes of the night at the CDC. But that all ended shitty.

Mercedes walked over to Carl with her plate full and sits down beside the boy. She then placed her plate in her lap.

"I'd like to propose a toast." Abraham announced. Everyone quieted down and looked towards him. "I look around this room... And I see survivors. Each and everyone of you has earned that title." He smiled before lifting his glass into the air. "To the survivors!"

The others raised their glasses, cheering at his words.

"Is that all you want to be? Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rise and repeat? Cause you can do that, I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill."

Mercedes glanced down at her plate and pushed her peas around with her fork before looking back towards Abraham.

"Thing is for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And that is not a bad take away for a little road trip." He then looked over at Eugene. "Eugene, what's in DC?".

Eugene sighed before clearing his throat. "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even at the fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."

Mercedes leaned over, closer to Carl. "Did you understand anything that he just said?" She whispered.

Carl glanced at her and shook his head. "not a word."

"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there, safer than you've ever been since this whole thing started. Some with us, save the world for that little one." Abraham pointed at Judith before pointing at Carl and Mercedes. "For those two... And for my daughter."

"Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there... Who don't got nothing left to do except survive." Abraham glanced around at the rest of the people in the church.

Judging by everyone's smiles it was clear that everyone was in.

"What was that?" Rick asked, looking down at Judith who smiles up at him. "I think she knows what I'm about to say. She's in. If she's in, I'm in."

7-7-23
4:02pm
729words
End of chapter