Daughter of the Fallen

Knots Unite Part 3

As I walked into Hilltop, I was surprised by how small and quaint it was. There were several trailers and small shacks and one huge building with small little crops scattering the community. There were a few chicken coops and welding places.

"Hey," Doctor Carson said to Glenn, who was walking beside Maggie and I. "Thanks again. Come see me whenever. I'm just over here in the medical trailer, okay?"

Glenn nodded and he walked off.

Jesus turned to us. "There was a materials yard for a power company nearby. That's how we put up the walls. A lot of people came from a FEMA camp. Trailers came with them."

"How did people find out about this place?" Michonne asked.

Jesus turned to the big building. "That's called the Barrington House. The family that owned it gave it to the state in the 30's. The state turned it into a living history museum. Every elementary school for 50 miles used to come here for field trips. This place was running a long time before the modern world built up around it. I think people came here because they figured it'd keep running after the modern world broke down. Those windows up there let us see for miles in every direction. It's perfect for security. Come on, I'll show you inside."

He walked towards the house and we all hesitated for a minute before following him.

He opened the door and we walked into a pretty room that was obviously from the early 1900's.

"Good gracious, Ignatius," my dad commented.

"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces," Jesus explained. "Even the ones that weren't bedrooms."

"People live here and the trailers?" Rick asked, looking around.

"We plan to build. There's babies being born."

Suddenly, a door opened and an old man probably in his 60's walked out.

"Jesus," he greeted. "You're back." He looked at us. "With guests."

"Everyone, this is Gregory," Jesus introduced. "He keeps the trains running on time around here."

"I'm the boss," Gregory simplified.

Rick nodded. "Well, I'm Rick, we have a community-"

"Why don't y'all go get cleaned up," he offered, cutting Rick off.

"We're fine," Rick denied, already sounding annoyed.

"Jesus will show you where you can get washed up," he offered again, ignoring Rick. "Then you can come back down when you're ready." He walked to Rick. "It's hard to get this place clean."

Rick sighed. "Yeah," he complied. "Sure."

Jesus looked embarrassed and annoyed. "Follow me."

As we walked upstairs, I already knew I wasn't gonna like this guy.

•••

I sat on the steps outside as we waited for Maggie to talk to Gregory. The soft breeze was refreshing. I looked around, seeing the community going about their lives. The sight almost made me feel serene.

Glenn came out and sat next to me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him. "Is Maggie done?"

He shook his head. "Nope." He was silent for a moment. "What do you think of Hilltop?"

I smiled softly. "It's like Alexandria." My smile slowly faded and I sighed. "But Jesus wasn't kidding when he said they had few fighters."