like real people do | c.g [#wattys2019]

A A R O N

I'M ACTUALLY SURPRISED to see how well-rested I am the next morning. Didn't think I'd be able to sleep after those walkers almost came through last night. Carl's already up when I wake, and neither of us gets to say anything to each other, before Maggie and Sasha come back inside the barn.

At first I don't even blink, the only confusing thing being the fact that I didn't even notice they were gone, but as Maggie starts to talk, a third person walking in.

"Hey, everyone. This is Aaron." Maggie says, all of us immediately raising our weapons. Daryl rushes to shut the door behind him, making sure there isn't anyone out there. "We met him outside, he's by himself. We took his weapons and we took his gear." She continues, but Daryl still frisks him.

He looks scared as he looks up at us, but he's wearing clean clothes, is clean shaven, and has short hair. He's gotta be somewhere safe.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." He speaks up, Judy immediately starting to cry. Rick hands her to Carl, making her calm down. Aaron goes to step closer to Rick, being stopped by the clicks of many guns, mine included.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick asks Maggie, making her hand it over to him. Rick checks it, frowning before he keeps it. "Is there something you need?" He asks Aaron.

"He has a camp nearby." Sasha explains. "He wants us to audition for membership." She says, making me raise an eyebrow. Audition? That's really not how this usually goes. We ask the questions, not the other way around.

"I wish there was another word. 'Audition' makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance group. That's only on Friday nights." He jokes, no one laughing. He sighs, shaking his head lightly before continuing, stuttering slightly. "And it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you all would make valuable additions, but it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home. I know, if I were you, I wouldn't go either. Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into... Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack?" He asks her, making her raise an eyebrow.

She does as she's told as he continues to explain. "Front pocket, there's an envelope. There's no way I could get you to come with me just by talking about our community. That's why I brought those." He says, Rick pulling out some pictures from the envelope. "I apologize in advance for the picture quality. We just found an old camera store last-" Daryl cuts him off.

"Nobody gives a shit." He says, making me raise an eyebrow.

"You're absolutely a hundred percent right... That's the first picture I wanted to show you because nothing I say about our community will matter unless you know you'll be safe. If you join us, you will be." Aaron continues, the first black and white picture being big walls, supported by spikes. I see Michonne give Rick a look, as Aaron continues.

"Each panel in that wall is a 15-foot-high, 12-foot-wide slab of solid steel, framed by cold-rolled steel beams and square tubing. Nothing, alive or dead, gets through that without our say-so. Like I said, security is obviously important. In fact, there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The people. Together we're strong, you can make us even stronger. The next picture, you'll see inside the gates. Our community was first construc-" He gets cut off, Rick walking up him and punching him straight across the face. Aaron hits the ground with a thud, being completely passed out.