Haunted | Daryl Dixon

32. Stranger With a Community

Everyone sat in complete silence the morning that followed, exhaustion keeping everyone- including Daniel- from talking.

It had taken a lot of time and effort, but they had been able to keep the doors shut and them all safe and unscathed. Not counting the sore muscles they all had now.

Evelyn sat next to Michonne, the ladder sharpening her sword with a rock while the former watched lazily, head resting against the barn wall.

"Hey, everyone," Maggie's voice rang out from behind the outside of the barn door. Her and Sasha had gone out in the early morning to scope out the damage, "This is Aaron."

Right on cue, she pushed the doors open, and in she walked, followed by a stranger and Sasha, holding her gun to his back.

In an instant, everyone was on their feet, weapons in hand and pointing towards the man.

Evelyn shifted in her stance, eyes narrowed as she held her gun to him.

Daryl was storming over to the newcomer in an instant, eyes narrowed to slits as he roughly patted him down for any weapons he could be hiding on himself.

"We met him outside, he's by himself." Maggie explained, "We took his weapons and we took his gear."

Abraham shifted from beside Evelyn, clear distaste in his eyes as he looked upon the new man, and the woman couldn't help but feel the same way. The two shared a glance.

Once Daryl was completely sure that Aaron had no weapons on him, he picked his crossbow back up with a grunt, not taking his death stare off of him as he moved.

A silence settled over everyone for a moment, not a single being in the group lowering the weapons they currently had pointed at him. No one was willing to take any chances.

"Hi," Aaron smiled.

It was at that moment that Judith let out a loud cry, making everyone in the barn gazes snap over to her.

Rick gestured with his head for Carl to take her, which the young boy was quick to do, scooping up his sister and beginning to try and calm her down.

"It's nice to meet you." Aaron tried to move forward, as if to shake Rick's hand, but everyone took to step toward him in warning, lifting up their weapons even more.

Evelyn moved to stand in front of Carl and Judith, not trusting the new man in the slightest.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick asked the two women that brought him in, completely disregarding the man's greeting.

Maggie strode across the room and handed him the gun she had taken off of him.

Evelyn's eyes tracked the movement as Rick was handed the weapon.

The eldest Grimes handed it over to her for examination. She checked it over, lips pressed in a thin line.

"There something you need?" Rick asked lowly once Evelyn gave him a small nod.

"He has a camp nearby," Sasha spoke up, clear skepticism in her voice, "He wants us to audition for membership."

Evelyn couldn't help the scoff that left her lips at the words, causing Aaron's eyes to shoot in her direction.

"I think-" He made to move forward again, this time in Evelyn's direction, only for Daryl to grab him by the shoulder and yank him backwards.

Aaron stumbled in place, eyes wide, but nobody else in the barn commented on it, just continued to stare at him wordlessly.

He cleared his throat, "I wish there was another word. Audition makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance troupe." Evelyn's eyes only narrowed further, neither amused nor convinced of his words, "That's only on Friday nights."