The End Of My World

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

It was......weird

A small neighborhood, walled up and safe, for so long.

I watch Rick, I watch him take a breath.

"We're doing this on our terms. If things go sideways, we leave. No questions asked." Rick announces to Aaron. "Of course" he nods, "You'll see, once you're inside, it's different here. You can finally rest."

The gates creak open slowly, revealing a well-maintained, almost idyllic neighborhood inside. The contrast between the chaos of the world outside and the calm within these walls is stark. The group hesitates for a moment before cautiously stepping inside. As we move through the streets, I can feel our tension nonetheless see it too, our hands close to our weapons.

We pass by neatly trimmed lawns, clean sidewalks, and houses that look untouched by the apocalypse. The normalcy of it all is unsettling.

I watch Michonne lean over to Rick "It doesn't feel real. It's too quiet." Rick nods slightly, "We stay alert. We don't know what we're walking into." As we walk further in, we pass by a group of children playing, their laughter echoing through the quiet streets. The sight stops some of our group in their tracks, disbelief washing over their faces.

Carl who is walking beside me whispers "It's like it used to be."

—-~+~—-

We are finally led to a house where we are greeted by a lady. She stands on the porch, exuding a calm, welcoming demeanor, very different from the hardened survivors our group is used to encountering.

The lady smiles warmly, "Welcome to Alexandria. I'm Deanna Monroe. We've been looking forward to meeting you."

"What do you want from us?" Rick questions.

Deanna, her smile not faltering says, "Nothing you don't want to give. We're just trying to rebuild, to create something close to the world we lost. I'd like to talk with each of you, get to know you, if that's alright." The group exchanges looks, silently communicating our distrust. Who the hell does she think she is? She makes me want to puke.

Rick nods slowly, signaling his agreement, but his posture remains tense, ready for anything.

—-~+~—-

As the day progresses, our group is shown to separate houses where we are told we can stay. It's another jarring experience—actual homes with beds, kitchens, running water. We move through the spaces like they're in a dream, unsure if we can trust what we're seeing.

Carol pipes up pulling out a knife and stashing it in her sleeve, "We need to be careful. This could all be a front."

"Ain't lettin' my guard down. No way." Daryl huffs

"It's strange, isn't it? Having a roof over our heads like this." Glenn says.

"Yeah. But maybe...maybe it's what we need." Carl squeaks

—-~+~—-

Later, each member of our group goes in for a private interview with Deanna. Well, what the hell could go wrong with this.