Stop Falling (Rick Grimes Romance)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2.......Arrival

So it was decided that that I was to be blindfolded and taken back to their camp. I knew I should be freaked out by the whole situation but I wasn't. Things had been out of control for so long I think I would find normal to be scary. Besides I got it. I'm sure they had ran into their fair share of dangerous people. The fact they were careful was somewhat reassuring that this camp of theirs could be relatively safe.

It felt like an eternity that we drove for and I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to stop. I could hear the clang of steel against steel fallowed by new voices talking in hushed tones. We drove a few feet further before the vehicle turned off and someone opened the passenger door and basically lifted me out. I knew it was a man from the size of the hands and as odd as it is to admit at a time like this..... his grasp felt reassuring.

They directed me inside a building and up some stairs before they finally remove the blindfold. The room we were in I assumed use to be an office building of some sort. The walls were made of solid brick and there were office desks fallowed by rows of chairs bolted to the floor. Glancing about I noticed the windows had thick bars running horizontally on them. Before me stood the original four as well as three new faces. An old man with a crazy white Santa looking beard and minus a part of his leg. Some chick who looked to be about my age and just behind her another lady with a short hair. Leaning against the wall was a man with black curly hair, beard and the most magnetic baby blue eyes I had ever seen.

"Jenna  why don't you come in and take a seat. We just want to talk to you for a few minutes." Feeling completely on the spot I abided by what they asked. After all it seemed to late to change my mind now.

We all sat at a big conference style table in an uncomfortable silence before the old man spoke up. Pointing at the far side of the table he moved his hand clockwise pointing at each person, "I would like you to meet Maggie, Glenn, Daryl, Carol, Michone, Rick and I'm Hershel." The old timer smiled gently at me. "Can you tell us a little about yourself."

"What exactly do you want to know?" I squirmed under their inspection.

"What did you use to do for a living?" Hershel asked.

"I was a dentist," I paused looking at my hands, "I come from a average family. My parents are divorced. At first I was with a small group but we were attacked leaving just three of us alive. I was with my sister until a few days ago. The dead surrounded her when we were out looking for food. Since then I have just kind of been wondering around when your people found me."

"Where's the third person," the man with curly black hair asked. "You said there were three that survived."

"I was to scared to leave Atlanta after we were attract. Brian stayed with us for a while but he went off on his own. Said he was going to find a safe group and come back for us," I paused looking down at my hands. "We never saw him again."

"I'm not a danger. I don't expect anything for free and I'm not afraid of hard work. I have no issues with having to earn your trust and respect. We don't know each other. I'm just asking for a chance. The world is lonely and when your by yourself the silence is deafening." I pleaded my case.

"Can you give us just a minute," Carol asked as she got up and opened the door.

"Ya no problem " as I got up from the table so did Michone. Before she fallowed me out of the room she whispered something in Ricks ear. Together we sat in an awkward silence while the others discussed my worthiness. I know I sound bitter when I should be grateful but after the downfall of events of the last year I'm a glass half empty kind of a girl.

When the door eventually opened they were all smiling. "Here lets show you around and where you will be sleeping." Maggie grasped my hand leading me down the hall ahead of the others. Glancing back over my shoulder my eyes instantly connected with Ricks and my heart gave a nervous beat.

"This is cell block A where you will be staying," Maggie explained as she walked up some steel grated stairs. "This cell over here is empty or at least it was as it's now yours."

I paused as I stood in the doorway looking at the cell. It was what you would expect a prison cell to be. A basic bed, small writing table, toilet and sink all bolted to the walls. There was something so bizarre about sleeping in a room designed to keep criminal men contained from their freedoms. Where once a room was a punishment it now spoke of safe harbour.

"I know it doesn't look like much but once you personalize it they don't seem quite so cold. Of course there is no running water so you can't use the sink or toilet. We do bring jugs of water to the room so you can do light clean up." Maggie hedged.

"It's dry, warm and with people. What more could you ask for now a days." I said as I threw my bags on the cot.

"Come on I will show you the rest of the place and introduce you to a few of the others." With a smile and a wink Maggie left my cell to give me the grand tour of the rest of the prison.

I had to admit they had a very impressive set up. They had developed various water collection methods so as not to be dependant on one source. Discovered how to have communal showers and washroom areas in three of the cell blocks. In the kitchen they had turned the stoves into wood burning ovens for cooking. In a court yard they had even built an area similar to a restaurant set up with a wood burning pit to cook. Over time gathered a wide variety of tools and various sorts and types of weapons. This was not to say they had it easy by any standards but at least they were making the best of the limited things they had on hand.

From what I could gather there were three main groups but everyone got along. The first was the original group who found the prison. All of this group comprised the council. Basically like city hall with Rick being their mayor. The next group was all the people from a place called Woodbury. Essentially these people came from a group that had built up a small community that was lead by a guy they called the Governor. Story was he went bat crap crazy and started an all out war with Ricks group. When he was defeated he lost his marbles and killed a bunch of his own people. The ones that were left joined the original prison group. The third group was comprised of people like me. Small splinter groups or individuals the others had ran into over the years. The place literally ran like a small town where everyone had their role and their own job to do. There was no question they had out of necessity become highly organized and efficient.

I didn't know how things would play out but I was better off than the night I tried to take my own life.