Stay By Me // Carl Grimes

Chapter 39

Carl

She's just getting worse. I tried and tried to convince my self that she would get better, but I can't anymore. Not after the episode she had in the middle of the woods. I'm afraid that she's become a broken vase that can't be fixed.

We walked through the woods at a slow pace. I kept my head down, it was the only way to avoid looking at Sam, and even that didn't work well. She held tightly onto my hand, and I slowly rubbed my thumb against the back of hers. She hasn't looked up since her little episode back my the cabin, and it's making me extremely panicked for some reason.

God, I hope she's okay...

We continued walking through the woods for a little while, untill suddenyl there was a loud scream coming from the right of us. I turned to my dad, making sure Sam's hand was still in mine. "C'mon we have to go find them." My dad stared down at me for a moment, making me more anxious. "Come on!" He looked up and began to sprint towards the noise, along with me, Sam, and the rest of the group.

We soon reached the making of the noise. A man, with a darker complexion and who wore church-like clothes, was surrounded by walkers on top of a giant rock. We acted fast, and cleared the place of all of them. Once they were all dead, the man jumped down, and stared at us, before turning, and throwing up, right on the walker next to him.

The man wipes his mouth and looks back up at us. "Thank you, I thought I was dead there for a moment." My dad walks slowly to the man, and begins to pat him down, checking for weapons. The man, frightened, reluctantly lifts his arms and tenses until he finishes checking.

"What's your name?" My dad asked.

"My name is Gabriel." My dad backs away from him, and stands next to Glenn. "Well, Gabriel. How many walkers have you killed?" Gabriel blinks as if hes confused, but quickly realized and answers. "None."

"How many people have you killed?" Gabriel shaked his head this time. "None."

"Why?"

"The Lord frowns upon murder."

My dad stayed silent, looking back at everyone else. I looked at Sam, whose eyes were fixated on Gabriel. She looked over me, and I quickly avoided her gaze and looked to Gabriel again.

"I have a church." Gabriel said. My dad switched his gaze back to him. "It's not much... but it's shelter."

"How many of your people are there?" Daryl asked him. He shook his head. "It's just me."

Glenn, Daryl, Carol, and my dad whispered between each other, before my dad finally stepped forward and said, "Okay, we'll follow you to your church." Gabriel sighed in relief.

"But," My dad added, "if we see any danger what-so-ever, we will not hesitate to kill everyone in sight, along with you." Gabriel tensed up again, and just nodded and began to walk. We all followed close behind.

"I usually don't come out of the church." Gabriel said, attempting to begin a small conversation. "You can probably guess why."

"Where do you get food and water?" Carol asked. "There's a small town not far from the church. I haven't attempted to go there yet. Right now, I'm living off a canned food drive my church held before the world fell apart. Other than that, I keep to myself. I've only been coming out more recently because I've been low on supplies."

"Are you tracking us?" My dad was quick to ask.

"No. No, of course not. Just... for more supplies, that's all."

We soon reached the road again, and right next to us was a small Episcopalian Church, framed with white siding. We walked up to the front of it. Gabriel walked up the porch steps, and unlocked the lock holding chains that held the doors closed.

Everyone began to walk up, and enter. I grabbed Sam, picked her up bridal style, and walked in with her in my arms.

Everyone began to search the church, making sure no one was here, or at least that there was no threat. I set Sam back down, and pulled her over to one of the benches, sitting her down gently. She looked up and me, and quickly back down. Her face still held the same emptiness.

I walked over to my dad, whose eyes were set on a missive pile of empty food cans.

"There's a bus out back." Abraham shouts as he walks in. "It could easily transport us all to D.C."

"Did you ever think we need a break?" Michonne butt in. "Maybe slow down?"

"If we slow down we lose time. We don't know how much of that will be left." Abraham argues. "No Michonne's right." My dad puts in. " We need a break, a time to recollect ourselves. We've already got one of ours barely hanging on." They all look back at Sam, whose now fallen asleep on the bench.

"And the faster we get to D.C. the sooner she'll be better."

"Enough, Abraham. We're staying." The conversation ended.

My dad walks over to Gabriel. "Is this all? Nothing close that could have anything?" He asked.

"Well... there is a town about half a mile away. But I already checked. It's overrun run with those... things..."

"Bob and I will go." Sasha interrupts. "To the town. We'll check it out with you." My dad turns to Gabriel. "You're coming with."

Gabriel tenses. "Oh I don't know, I-I might just-"

"You're coming whether you want to or not. You know the area." Gabriel nods, and follows Sasha and Bob outside. My dad leans down to me.

"I don't trust this guy." My dad tells me, his voice soft so no one hears. I nod. "Understand that you are not safe. Okay?" I nod again. "Never let your guard down." He straightens up, and walks outside, closing the doors behind him.

Yay finally!!! I forgot how much I love writing this book.