Fighting to Survive: The 3rd installment to Daring to Feel

Chapter 4: A Heavenly Home

"Come on down." Rick tells the man now that he's safe. The man climbs off the rock he was on, "you okay?" He asks him.

We all eye him curiously and he holds up a finger before turning to hurl. He wipes his mouth, still shaking and apologizes, "sorry. Yes. Thank you." he says, "I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asks the man.

The man chuckles, obviously uncomfortable being surrounded by us, "do I look like I would have any weapons?" He asks.

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham pipes up from the back of the group.

"I have no weapons of any kind. The word of God is the only protection I need." Gabriel answers Rick's question.

Daryl quips back, "sure didn't look like it" and I nudge him as he mocks the guy.

"I called for help. Help came." He explains us coming as a call to his faith, "do you have-- have any food? Whatever I-- I had left, it just hit the ground." He asks.

"We've got some pecans." Carl offers him, pushing his hand out.

The man accepts, "thank you." Judith coo's in Tyreese's arms. The man looks over to her, "that's a beautiful child." he states. I look to Rick for his response but he just continues to stare at the strange man. The man changes the subject, "do you have a camp?"

"No." he responds instantly, "do you?"

"I have a church." He says.

"Hold your hands above your head." Rick commands the man. He does as he's told and Rick starts to pat him down, "how many walkers have you killed?"

"Not any, actually." He responds, still visibly shaking.

"Turn around." He tells him, the man listens, "how many people have you killed?"

"None." he says back.

"Why?" Rick asks, finishing patting him down.

"Because the Lord abhors violence." He responds instantly with his answer.

"What have you done?" Rick steps closer to the man asking in a low growl. The man just stares at him, freight across his face, "we've all done something."

"I'm a sinner. I sin almost every day. But those sins, I confess them to God, not strangers." He says. Although you can see how uncomfortable he is surrounded by us, he will not give us more to that response.

"You said you had a church?" Michonne asks from behind Rick.

He looks to her, then at a few of us and nods, "follow me" he says gesturing past Rick, as if asking if he can go. Rick moves aside, letting him pass and we follow him.

We stay behind him, his pace quick. The Georgia air is still thick with humidity as fall starts to pass by, "hey, earlier, were you watching us?" I decide to ask, hoping for an answer to relieve Daryl of what he felt.

"I keep to myself." Gabriel looks to me then back forward, "nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?" He says.

"No, people are worse." Rick says flatly back.

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today." He looks at us then behind him for a second and turns back around to face forward, "or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels." Rick and Daryl get around him, not agreeing with his sense of humor.