Lovely Bones

missing

10. missing

The church was filled with the joyous sounds of laughter and genuine conversations that echoed quietly between the group. The sound of what Prim would describe as momentary happiness calmed the voices in her head and put them to rest for the night. Thanks to Rick and the group that went out scavenging with him, they were able to worry about nothing besides their full stomachs as they continued to pass around canes and share what they had found.

All were spread out on the floor at the front of the church, sitting together and becoming apart of each others lives like they will unknowingly forever be. Glenn had explained to Prim that only a select few were apart of the original group. He had told her how he had been with Rick, Carol, and the Dixon brothers from the start and along the path of survival he had found his wife and lost so many people along the way. He informed her of how they all got separated from the Prison and were fortunate enough to find each other again. Prim then knew what she had always known, that these people had been family for a long time. However, Abraham's individual pack of warriors simply crossed paths with them a few days ago, much like she had.

Prim was left to question why Rick kept letting people in. From what she had heard she was sure that he would do anything in his power to be isolated from any human contact. But a part of her understood. She thought back to Gareth's answer when Michonne asked him why he welcomed strangers into Terminus. ,,The more we bring in, the stronger we get,,.

She shook her head.

The more people, the more loss.

She blinked.

"I'd like to propose a toast!" A loud and southern voice was next to echo and all attention dwindled down and turned towards Abraham.

From above her she felt Teddy's gentle fingers slowly loosen the brunette's brown hair. Prim sat on the floor in front of the nine year old who sat on one of the booths. She had braiding her hair in boredom.

Abraham stood up. "I look around this room. . ." he was the center attention, much like he enjoyed. "And I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title," he made sure that his eyes met each individual gaze that stared up at him. When his met Prim's her head dipped slightly in appreciation. The man rose his cup in the air. "To the survivors."

All at once, everyone raised the cans and cups in their hands and a chorus of yells sounded.

"Survivors! Cheers!"

"Is that all you want to be?" Voices calmed down and his spoke again. Prim glanced around. She didn't know what he had meant by that. Jude's own curious brown eyes had met hers when Abraham spoke. The boy was laid out in front of her, sprawled on the floor with his arms crossed under his head. "Wake up in the mornin,' fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat?" Jude looked up to the ceiling of the church and away from Prim.

She blinked towards her shoes. They were scuffed up, ripped in the fabric and the soles were torn. They were a birthday gift when she turned twelve and she secretly thanked the genetics that made her grow slower than others.

The wise words of Abraham were true. Their lives were a routine at this point, one they hadn't really paid much mind to after a while. It became normal.