The Purification (From the Ashes We Will Rise: Book One)

Chapter 7

He almost fell out of the chair when he saw her, "Maggie. Hey."

He shoved the rifle into my hands and quickly climbed down the ladder, chasing after her.

"Maggie! Maggie, please!" Glenn called out, finally catching up to him. "Maggie, just stop for a second."

"You talked about it. You told your brother and Dale, fine," Maggie spat at him. "I asked you, I told you. I just asked you for one thing. One thing."

"I couldn't do it," Glenn sighed in frustration.

"My dad't gonna kick you guys out now. He told me!"

"No, Rick's gonna work something out with your dad. Okay? I had to tell them."

"You did not!" Maggie shouted at him as she continued to storm up to the house.

"No," Glenn growled, gently catching her elbow, "I did. I wanted to. Listen, you see I forgot. I forgot or maybe I didn't want to think about it. I let them lower me into that well like it was fun, like I was playing "Portal"—it's a video game—"

"Of course it's a video game," Maggie sighed.

"—and then the pharmacy happened yesterday and I realized something. I forgot that they're dangerous. I don't care if they're sick people or dead people, they're dangerous."

Glenn ran his hand through his hair, picking his next words carefully, "and then I realized something else, that I don't want you in danger ever. So I hate to blow your dad's big secret, but I'sick of secrets. Secrets get you killed. And I'd rather have you pissed off at me and alive than liking me and dead. So that's why I told them."

Pissed off, Glenn turned and walked away and Maggie called out for him, "hey waker bait!"

"Don't call me that," he sighed, turning around to face her.

She confidently walked up to him with a smile, "okay, Glenn."

That's when she pulled him in for a kiss. It was so good, to see him happy. He's never had a serious relationship before, at least that I've known about. Of course it took the end of the world to find Maggie, but I am glad he did. It came with perks for Lincoln and I too, like hot showers. Linc and Tuck were inside the house right now while Glenn and I hung out on the porch with Hershel's family. They were pretty great people if I'm being honest. Aside from that awkward dinner we all shared, I haven't really spend much time with them since we arrived.

"You look like you should be in live for the early bird special," Maggie laughed, pulling Dale's hat from his head. "Go get your cap. I'll wash it for you, okay?"

Glenn pushed himself off the steps and that's what Andrea and T-Dog walked up to the group.

"You you know what's going on?" He asked.

"Where is everyone?" Andrea followed up.

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn responded, just as confused as the rest of us were.

"He went off with Hershel," she explained. "We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago."

"Yeah you were," Daryl agreed as he an Carol rejoined the group. "What the hell?"

"Rick told us he was going out," Carol sighed.

"Damn it," Daryl hissed. "Isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail. Ah! Here we go!"

Everyone's attention turned to the man who was walking up with a bag full of guns. An aura of tension fell upon everyone in the area. I didn't like the looks of this and felt a little hand hold mine as I stood next to my brother. Lincoln looked up at me and I could see that he was afraid.

"What's all this?" Daryl questioned and Shane stopped right in front of him.

"You with me?"

"Yeah," Daryl nodded and Shane handed him a shot gun.

"Time to grow up," Shane snapped before turning his attention to Andrea, "you already got yours?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "where's Dale?"

"He's on his way," Shane growled as he handed a pistol to T-Dog.

"I thought we couldn't carry?" T-Dog asked suspiciously.

"We can and we have to," Shane demanded. "Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe, but now we know it ain't."

That's when he turned his attention to Glenn and I, "what about you two? You gonna protect yours?"

He offered Glenn a shotgun. Glenn hesitated for a moment before accepting it, and I did as well.

"That's it," he nodded. "Can you shoot?"

"Can you stop?" Maggie countered. "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight."

"We have to stay Shane," Carl spoke up from his spot on the porch.

"What is this?" Lori demanded, exiting the house.

"We ain't goin' anywhere, okay?" Shane promised the boy. "Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? He—well, he's gonna have to. Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right?"

Shane walked up to Carl and knelt in from of him, offering the boy the handle of the gun, "now I want you to take this. And you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and go it."

Before Carl even had the chance to make a choice, Lori was there, stepping between Shane and her son, "Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make."

"Oh shit!" T-Dog exasperated.

 Everyone's attention shifted from Shane to the tree line. That's when Rick emerged with Jimmy and Hershel, only they weren't alone. Both Rick and Hershel had walkers attached to the end of a catch pole, leading them towards the barn.