Walker Killing, Man Stealing Teen

0.6

"Hello," the man says from the other side of the door, he holds out his hand.

He's dark skinned and wearing a white sheet- no robe. He holds a warm smile on his face and a book in his other hand.

I look at his outstretched hand and close my fingers around it tensely. He shakes my hand and says cheerily "I'm father Gabriel."

I knew what he was. Years and years ago my mother would drag my family to church every Easter and Christmas, I'd never thought about it but I would have expected all priests to be dead.

"May I come in?" He asks.

I don't answer him, instead I step back and give him room to enter. He steps inside and looks around.

"Is Enid here?" He asks.

"She's upstairs."

"Whats wrong?" Someone asks. The priest and I both turn to see Carl at the top of the stairs with Enid standing just behind him.

"Nothing, how about you come downstairs and sit with us?" The priest asks.

"Why, did something happen?" Enid asks.

"No, no. Michonne told me about, ugh what happened and I thought I could talk to Abby about it. I also thought you should stay and support her."

His smile is so genuine and warm.

"Lets sit down," he says.

He leads me to one of the cushioned chairs in the clean room with the cabinet. He sits in the other chair. Carl and Enid grumpily and hesitantly walk down the stairs and sit on the sofa.

"Do you want to talk about what happened Abby?" Father Gabriel asks.

"About being raped? Sure." I say numbly.

"What happened?" Carl asks, leaning forward.

"If your not comfortable, you don't have to say anything," the priest assures.

"The men found me," I begin. "I was alone and they held a gun to my head. I stabbed two of them of course but another one slapped me."

"And they took you?" Enid asks softly, suddenly interested in me.

"Yeah. They told me they had food and shelter and they did but, you had to pay a price for that."

I keep talking as I relive the buried memory I had tried so hard to forget.

I knew the men were bad. They were ruff and mean looking. The place was disgusting and the few girls I actually saw there were lifeless and they were all shells of once beautiful women.

I was in my dirty concrete walled room. The shaky bed with the thin bed sheet was pushed into the corner. I was bored, tired. I didn't know why I was alive. I heard the door open. A grubby, thick man walked in and locked the door behind him.

Fear. It was the first emotion I felt in weeks.

I feared him. I feared his yellow teeth. I feared his large body. I feared the sly grin on his cracked lips.

"What's happening?" I asked him. I sat on the bed, far away from him. He creeped to the other side of the room.

"Darlin," he croaked. "If ya wanna stay ya gotta give us something worth for us to keep you alive."

"I'll do it," I spoke too fast. "I'll cook and clean. I can help. I can hunt or find things."

"No, no, no," he drawled. "Nothing like that sugar. Here, I'll show you what you can do."

He lurched towards me. I had never screamed so desperately before. Of course the other men didn't help me. They were waiting their turn.

He had to hold me down as he tried to undress me. It was the last time I had clothes on. Just easier for them if I didn't.

If they thought I did well I was fed better. Some were kind and gentle. Most weren't.

I was hitting him. Pulling his hair. Scratching his face. He cracked my head against the wall until I stopped fighting.

I can still hear him. I can feel him.

"I hate them," I finished, blinking away the memory and tears. "Everyday I think about driving a knife through their flesh and watching themselves bleed to death as they choke their last breath."

"Its understandable for you to have those thoughts Abby," the priest whispers. "Remember, God is still there and he still loves you."

"No one loved me when sweaty men pressed their naked bodies against mine on a filthy mattress," I answer.

"Abby, did you used to go to church, before this uh, all happened?" Father Gabriel asks, leaning towards me.

"Yes."

"Did you have faith?" He continues.

"I don't know."

"Where did you say you came from?" Carl asks, cutting in, his one eye piercing both of mine.

"I didn't say where I came from," I answer.

"So, where are you from?" He pesters.

"Doesn't matter," I mumble, focusing my gaze on the empty TV cabinet.

"I'm sorry," Enid says.

"So am I," Father Gabriel speaks. I nod.

"I need to see Rick. I'm sorry that I'm leaving so soon but uh.... if you ever want to talk Abby. Come to the church. Uh, goodbye. Bless you all," the priest says. He stands from the chair swiftly as he speaks then flashes a warm smile and leaves the room.