Sasha marches across the church towards a stuttering Gabriel, a whole hurricane trailing behind her in the form of Rick and Tyreese, the door creaking closed behind them.
No Carol or Daryl or Bob.
"What're you doing, Gabriel?"
He stumbles backwards, staring at her, bible in hand.
"What are you doing?" Sasha repeats. "This is all connected. You show up. We're being watched. And now three of us are gone."
Gabriel looks around desperately. "I... I don't... I don't have anything to do with this."
Sasha flashes her knife.
"Don't!" Rosita shouts. Abraham holds her back.
"Put it away!" Rick growls.
"Who's out there?!" Sasha shouts in Gabriel's face. "Where are our people?"
"I don't have anythi—"
"WHERE ARE OUR PEOPLE?!"
"Please?" Gabriel begs. "I don't have anything to do with this. I—I..."
Sasha walks away, shaking her head.
"Why'd you bring us here?" Rick asks.
"Please?" Gabriel begs, holding his hands up. "I... I—I—"
"You workin' with someone?"
"I'm alone. I'm alone. I was always alone."
I get this feeling like I might believe him. I don't know why. I guess it's because I know what alone is, what it looks like, how the word sounds in someone's voice, like it has a weight to it.
"What about that woman in the food bank, Gabriel?" Rick insists. "What did you do to her? 'You will burn for this' — that was meant for you. Why? What're you gonna burn for, Gabriel?" At the priest's silence, Rick grabs him by the shoulders and shoves him down against the altar. "What? What did you do?!"
Gabriel bursts into tears.
"I lock the doors at night," he sobs. "I always lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night! They started coming. My congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before — they were scared, they were — they were looking for a safe place. A place where they felt safe. And it was so early! It was so early. The doors were still locked, you see? It was my choice. But there was so many of them, and they were... trying to pry the shutters and banging on the sides and s— screaming at me. And so, the dead came for them."
We all stare at him, horrified.
"Women," Gabriel whimpers, nodding. "Children." He bursts into tears. "Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart. Begging me for mercy. Begging me for mercy. Damning me to Hell. I buried their bones. I buried it all. The Lord sent you here to finally punish me."
He collapses.
"I'm damned!" he cries. "I was damned before. I always lock the doors. I always lock the doors!"
Sasha puts away her knife. Gabriel goes on sobbing. It's difficult not to lose all respect I have for him.
Suddenly, there is a whistle.
We all turn to the door. Glenn rushes to the window.
The whistle goes on.
"There's something... there's someone lying in the grass!"
Everyone rushes to the door. Sasha leaps off the porch, not stopping when Rick calls out to her across the driveway. He runs after her while the rest of us crowd on the porch, watching, hearts slamming in our chests.
YOU ARE READING
Sweet Tooth (Twd x Male Oc)
Fanfiction(NOT COMPLETE IDK WHY IT SAYS THAT!) After travelling during the first several months of the outbreak, Jasper de Luca is violently separated from his brother Patrick and found alone by a group of strangers. Unexpectedly, they are kind, and decide t...
