Didn't See That Coming | The Walking Dead(1)

Part 66 (Alexandria)

As Aaron walked the group further into the street, CJ was blown away by the cleanness, the beauty of the streets. The houses were like the ones she used to only dream if living in. It reminded her of the big homes that were close to the waterfront in Savannah. She always used to walk along and imagine that the people that lived in them were happy.

It was a sight she hadn't seen since before the walkers. The houses were clean, the grass was freshly cut and bright green. The air smelled fresh. There weren't bodies littering the ground, or the fear of a walker lurking behind every alleyway. The roads were clear. No random puddles of dried blood, no broken glass or discarded trash. It was beautiful.

The perfection made CJ feel uneasy. Like it was too good to be true.

Rick was taken to meet Deanna, the woman Aaron said was in charge, and the others waited outside, sitting in the street outside the house he was in. CJ was holding Judith in her arms, gently bouncing her up and down as she paced around nervously, quietly singing to the girl.

When Rick came outside after what felt like forever thanks to her nerves, CJ let out a quiet sigh of relief to see him coming down the stairs towards her and Judith. Aaron went into the house as Rick joined the group. Carl rushed over and hugged him.

"How was it?" Glenn asked, stepping forwards.

"She asked a lot of questions," Rick replied quietly as he let go of Carl. "Told me a lot about this place. She wants to talk to all of us."

Before any of them could respond, Aaron came down the porch steps and they all turned to him. "CJ? Would you like to come in next?"

"Umm..." she stuttered, glancing up at Rick, who subtly nodded to her. "Okay."

She passed Judith to Carl and Rick grabbed her hand for a moment, squeezing once before they let go. She walked over to the front of the house, noticing Daryl's nervous look as she passed him. She sent him a quick smile and a nod to say she was okay before turning to go up the stairs.

"First room on the left," Aaron told her. "Deanna will be there in a moment."

"Alright," CJ said before she headed inside.

After closing the front door, CJ slowly walked down the hallway, turning into the living room where Aaron had instructed. As she looked around the large, bright room, she noticed how spotless it was. Not a speck of dust anywhere. She felt totally out of place. Her clothes were scruffy, her hair was a mess. Her skin was patchy, sweaty and dirty. It felt like the house was mocking her for her state.

There was a fireplace, pictures and random artifacts on the mantlepiece. Going further into the room, she went over to the thin bookshelf that stood against the wall in the corner by the window. She recognised a couple of the titles, but most were unfamiliar to her.

The sound of a floorboard creaking behind her made her jump and spin on her heel as she instinctively reached for the knives in her belt.

"My apologies," a kind looking lady said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

CJ let go of her knives and relaxed slightly. "It's okay."

"I'm Deanna Monroe," she introduced with a smile as she came further into the room. "It's CJ, right? May I ask what that stand's for?"

"Clara-Jane," CJ replied, trying to stop her voice shaking as she went back to looking around the room. "Clara-Jane Jefferson."

"It's nice to meet you. Do you mind if I record our talk?" Deanna asked, pointing to a video camera.

"Go ahead," CJ shrugged. "What for?"

"We're about transparency here," Deanna replied, turning the camera on with a beep. She sat down on the couch and gestured to the chair across from her. "Please."