Four Walls and a Roof

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The doors to the church opened and a very angry Sasha approached Gabriel. Adelaine looked up from where she was sitting with a sleeping Mia in her arms. Evan stood just a few feet away with Maggie and Glenn.

"Stop." Sasha told the priest. "What are you doing?" Gabriel didn't respond so she stepped closer. "What are you doing?" she repeated. "This is all connected. You show up, we're being watched, and now four of us are gone."

"I-- I don't-- I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel said. Sasha pulled her knife out of it's sheath making everyone straighten up.

"Don't!" Evan moved closer to the woman and in front of Adelaine, Mia, and Maggie.

"Sasha, put it away." Tyreese told his sister.

"Who's out there?" Sasha asked Gabriel.

"I-- I don't have anything to do with this."

"Where are our people?"

"I don't have anything to--"

"Where are our people!?" Sasha shouted. Mia shot up from her sleep and let out a small whine. Adelaine shushed her and cupped the back of her head to her chest.

"Please, I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel said in a semi-scared voice. "I--"

Rick gently pulled Sasha away from the man before tilting his head at him. "Why'd you bring us here?"

 "Please, I--"

"You working with someone?" Rick interrupted him.

"I'm alone. I'm alone." Gabriel held his hands up. "I was always alone."

"What about the woman in the food bank, Gabriel? What did you do to her?" Rick questioned. "'You'll burn for this.' That was for you. Why? What are you gonna burn for, Gabriel?" Rick grabbed Gabriel by the collar of the shirt making Adelaine stand up and move to Evan's side with Mia still in her arms. "What? What did you do? What did you do!?"

"I lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night." Gabriel trembled. "I always--" Gabriel's eyes welled up with tears as he looked around. "They started coming, the congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before and 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. And the doors were still locked. You see...it was my choice. There were so many of them and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the sidings, screaming at me. And so the dead came for them. Women, children."

Gabriel looked over at Adelaine who held Mia tightly. Evan stepped in front of them as if on instinct.

"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." Gabriel fell to the floor and started crying. "I'm damned. I was damned before. I always lock the doors. I always lock the doors." he sobbed.

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