ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ\\ ʀɪᴄᴋ ɢʀɪᴍᴇꜱ ✔

Community

The rain started to pour harder and the thunder and lightning started intensifying. Soon everything went from being happy to miserable again. Judith was getting wet and unhappy. Daryl and Beth remembered there was a barn nearby that they found after the prison. It'll be enough for all of us to rest and get past the rain.

Rick held Carl and I close. I had Judith in my arms so Carl could have a break. Everyone was miserable. We kept as much water from the rain as we could to help us. We were still worried about the water with a note we found earlier. What if it was someone who could help us? What if the water was safe? What if it wasn't?

We get to the barn and make sure it's safe first. Rick and Daryl open the doors and we all pile in. Carl takes Judith and decides to rest with her to get sleep while the rest of us sit around making sure we are safe. I sit next to Rick. He puts his arm up so he can embrace me. I lay my head on his chest to hear his heartbeat and the sound of his breathing. Daryl lights a fire so we can warm up a bit.

Rick and I watch Carl and Judith sleep. I could see that Rick was worried. "He's going to be okay. He bounces back." Carol says with a slight smile while her daughter sleeps with her head on her lap. She's right. He always bounces back. He's a strong boy and he knows how this world works now.

"I used to feel sorry for kids who have to grow up now. I'm this..... but I think I got it wrong. Growing up is getting used to the world. This is easier for them." He kisses the top of my head.

"This isn't the world. This isn't it." Michonne adds.

"It might be." Glenn starts. Everyone had their own opinion on the world we live in. Even before all of this.

"Until we see otherwise, this is the world we have to live with." Rick says as muffled thunder fills the silence.

"When I was a kid.... I asked my grandpa once if he killed any Germans in the war. He wouldn't answer." I look up at Rick as he tells his story as I'm wrapped in his arms.

"He said that was grown-up stuff, so..... so I asked if the Germans ever tried to kill him. But he got real quiet...... he said he was dead the minute he stepped into enemy territory. Everyday he woke up and he told him self "Rest in Peace. Now get up and go to war." And then after a few years of pretending like he was dead..... he made it out alive. That's the trick of it I think. We do what we need to do and then we get to live. But no matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be okay. Because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves...... that we are the walking dead."

There was silence. Of people looking at each other waiting for something to happen. Like a miracle or someone to speak. "We ain't them." Daryl says breaking the silence. He then gets up after Beth lifts her head off his shoulder. He grabs his crossbow and heads out.

____________________________________

My eyes jolt open as I hear struggling noises by the door. I heard walkers, a lot of walkers. Daryl, Maggie, Sasha, and Abraham where struggling to keep the door shut. I wake Rick up and take a spot by the door and use all my strength to help. Soon everyone was helping as much as they could.
Lightning hits a tree and all the walkers go away. We were all exhausted at this point

•••

I wake up in Ricks arms. Everyone was silent and relaxed. All I remember last night was walkers and the rest was a blur. After the walkers I was so exhausted. I fell right to sleep. Carl brought Judith to me. I sat her in my lap and bounced her up and down. She started getting fussy again. She was starving like the rest of us and all we had was a few nuts. The barn doors open to reveal Beth, Maggie, Andrea, and Sasha come out slowly.

"Guys," Maggie said with a calm tone. "This is Aaron." She finished. A blonde clean guy came out from behind Beth. He looked cleaned up like he has a place. Daryl, Rick, Merle, and Abraham get up and point their weapons at Aaron.

"We met him outside, he's by himself. And we took his weapons and his gear." Maggie explains while Daryl searches him.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." Aaron puts out his hand for Rick but Daryl stops him by raising his crossbow. I get up and pass Judith to Carl so I can help if it's needed. He seems like he wouldn't hurt us, but we've been through so much that we don't know what's good anymore.

"You said he had a weapon." Rick states. Sasha comes forward and hands Rick a pistol. "There something you need?" Rick asks.

"He has a camp nearby. He wants us to audition for membership." Sasha explains.

"I wish there was another word. Audition makes it sound like we're some kind of dance troupe. That's only on Friday nights..... um, it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you all would make valuable auditions. But it's not my call. My job is to convince all of you to come back with me. I know.... if I where you I wouldn't go either. Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into. Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack?" Sasha looks at Aaron then looks at Rick. She grabs the bag and hands it to Rick. "Front pocket, there's an envelope."

Rick kneels down to open the front pocket. "There's no way I can convince you to come with me. By just talking about our community. That's why I brought those. I apologize for advance for the picture quality. We just found an old camera store last-."

"Nobody gives a shit." Merle interrupts him. Aaron looks at him and agrees. Rick takes out the stack of photos from the envelope. "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. 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 of 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." Rick looks at me. I can see it in his eyes. He wants to trust him. But he can't.

"Together we are strong. You can make us even stronger." Rick starts walking towards him. 'Oh no' I say in my head. "The next picture, you'll see inside the gates. Our community was first contru-." Rick punches Aaron right in the face, knocking him out.

Can we trust him?

(Edited)