found lands → the walking dead ³

[ 005 ] the way things must be.

FOUND LANDS.

chapter five, the way things must be.
[ season five, episode three ]

"STOP." SASHA WILLIAMS SAYS to Gabriel. Theo looks forward, curious as to why she sounds so angry. "What are you doing?" He doesn't say anything so she steps closer. "What are you doing? This is all connected. You show up, we're being watched, and now four of us are gone. One of them is a kid."

Theo's heart starts beating faster. He looks around. Odessa isn't here. Rick and Carl feel a flicker of panic. The oldest Grimes keeps it contained.

"I... I don't... I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel tries to tell her.

Sasha pulls her knife from its sheath. Everyone starts forward. Rosita shouts in protest.

"Who's out there?" Sasha backs him into the wall.

"I— I don't have anything... to do with this." He raises his arms.

"Where are our people?" She asks.

"I don't have anything to—"

"Where are our people!?" Sasha screams.

"Please, I don't have anything to do with this. I—" Gabriel stops when he sees the look on Rick Grimes face.

"Why'd you bring us here?" He asks.

"Please, I— I..."

"You workin' with someone?" Rick questions.

"I'm alone. I'm alone. I was always alone." Gabriel panics.

"You better start talking. My daughter is one of those missing people," Rick says then he cocks his head. "What about the woman in the food bank, Gabriel? What did you do to her? "You'll burn for this." That was for you. Why? What are you gonna burn for Gabriel?" Rick then grabs him by the collar. "What? What did you do? What did you do!?"

Gabriel shoves him. "I lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night." He begins to cry. "They started coming, my 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."

Cole swallows his spit as he listens to Gabriel's story. He knows Gabriel blames himself for what he's about to say, just as he blames himself for his mother's death.

"You see... it was my choice. There were so many of them and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the siding, screaming at me. And so the dead came for them. Women... children." Gabriel says.

Theo's hand drops on Carl's shoulder from where he stands behind the younger boy.

"Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy. Begging me for mercy," he sobs. "Damming me to hell.i buried their bones. I buried it all."

Theo can see Gabriel isn't a bad human. He's a broken man who can't seem to forgive himself for letting the people he prayed with every Sunday and Wednesday die.

"The Lord sent you here to finally punish me." He falls. "I'm damned. I was damned before. I always lock the doors. I always lock the doors." Theo looks away and gulps.

Then— "Dad!"

In an instant, everyone is rushing from the church. Odessa Grimes is on her knees beside Bob. He's laying in the grass, unconscious.