My Damaged Protector

Chapter Forty-One ~ Remember

The gate slowly began to open as Aaron and Erik walked up to it. Our weapons were drawn and ready for the possibility that this place wasn't what it seemed. Rick and Glenn took up the front of our group with Merle and Daryl on either side of Jasper and I, Judith held tightly in my arms.

A loud crash came from a forgotten metal trash can to our left, all eyes flashing towards the sound. Daryl bow moved at impossible speed; an arrow being released before anyone could raise a gum. He walked off to retrieve the arrow and came back with a possum, the arrow lodged in its side.

Aaron had been talking with dark haired man when the animal met its fate and Daryl sarcastically held it up. "We brought dinner." Daryl said to the man we didn't know.

The man beside Aaron looked mortified. "It's ok." Aaron assured us. "Come on in guys."

We slowly followed Aaron through the gate and down a street inside the walls. Tall houses and brownstones lined streets, grass trimmed and flowers growing. It almost seemed untouched within the walls. "Before we take this any farther..." The man we didn't know stopped us from continuing into the community as the barred gate closed. "I need you to turn over all your weapons. To stay, you need to hand them over."

"We don't know if we wanna stay." Rick said, marching to the front of the group.

"It's fine, Nicholas." Aaron said to his fellow group member, trying to keep us from leaving.

"If we wanted to use them, we would've started already." Rick's voice dripped with authority and venom.

"Let them talk to Deana first." Aaron looked at us then to Nicholas.

"Who's Deana?" Abraham interrupted.

"She knows everything you'd wanna know about this place." Aaron explained. "Rick, why don't you start?"

Rick seemed to glance around all of us, his eyes locking on Sasha. "Sasha." Rick nodded towards the gate behind her. She turned and took out the approaching walker just as the mesh covering closed over the gate. "It's a good thing we're here."

The dark-haired man went on to introduce himself as Nicholas, he and Aaron leading us to one of the larger houses in the community, stopping us all in the street in front of the home. A short older woman came out the front door, calling for Rick to join her. The two disappeared inside the house, our group looking like we didn't belong in the streets with how dirty we were compared to the clean people we've met and the stunning homes.

Jasper had pulled me to sit beside him on the curb, Judith sitting in my lap and playing with my necklace. Daryl and Merle had followed, standing behind my brother and I with their weapons still in their hands and the possum resting in the grass.

We all stood and sat around for a while, nothing being said as we listened to the community and waited for Rick to come out of the house. When the door cracked open, all of our eyes flashed to see Rick walk down the stairs, the door left open behind him. "She's like to talk to you." Rick told me when he joined the group. "She said Jasper could go with you, take Judith too." I stood, grabbing onto Jasper's hand and adjusting Judith to rest on my hip before sending a soft smile to Daryl and heading inside.

I felt overly exposed walking into the large house. My riffle and bag sat in the street beside Daryl, and even though I knew they wouldn't let anything happen, I felt more alone that ever.

"Hello." The short woman smiled from her place on a couch when I walked into the living room. "I'm Deanna, what's your name?"

"Skyler. This is Jasper, and Judith." I placed my hand on his head when I introduced him then pulled him onto the chair with me. The room we were in had bookshelves lining one of the walls, completely filled with old books and a few picture frames of who I could assume was her family.