The Rocking Dead: A New Beginning

Chapter 18: Six Years Later

Tom's POV: Society. I never thought anything like that was possible now. Yet, here we are. Alexandria, Hilltop, Kingdom, Oceanside, and remaining members of the Sanctuary are working together to create our own functioning society. It's all come to be over the last six years.

Let me catch you up in what's happened.

First of all, as happened in my dream, Rick died. However, he didn't go the way I figured he would. A bunch of us went out in search of him one day and found him at the bridge we built to connect the communities easier. A huge horde of walkers was behind him, and we attempted to get him before anything bad happened, but we were too late. In order to save all of us, he blew up the bridge. We never found his body, or parts of it for that matter. Just walker corpses and limbs. So either he was completely obliterated or somehow got out of there. We'll never know.

Meanwhile back home at Alexandria, Michonne took over as leader. We now have extremely strict protocol over letting others in. We've assembled a counsel, which I'm currently on. We recently welcomed in a new group because of Judith, but were moving them to the Hilltop since Michonne doesnt want them here. Basically, as I said earlier, we have a somewhat functioning society.

In the midst of everything, not long after the war with Negan, a young couple here died while out looking for supplies. Their then six year old daughter was left orphaned. Eric and I ended up taking her in to raise her. Little Angelina, or Jelly for short. Now she's 12, so needless to say time flew.

Speaking of Negan, he's still our prisoner. We have him locked up in the jail, a little window being the only way he can watch us thrive. Besides what I've said here, not much has happened.

"C'mon daddy, Michonne lets Judith go with them all the time, and she's a year younger than me!" Jelly stormed in the room behind Eric, interrupting my thoughts.

"Tom, you wanna help me out here?" Eric asked, looking over at me.

"Yeah, when you explain to me what's going on." I said, walking over to them.

"Dad, Daddy won't let me come with you guys to take Magna's group to the Hilltop." Jelly explained.

"Well, I'm not letting you come either." I said.

"What?! Why not?!" She exclaimed.

"It's too dangerous." I explained, slinging my bag on my shoulder, "You know we let you come if we think you'll be fine. But we still can't fully trust these people so I don't want you around them." She huffed before stomping upstairs. I sighed and shook my head.

"If she's this fiesty now just imagine how she's gonna be in a few more years." Eric said.

"I love her to death but God do I dread her teenage years." I said, rubbing my temples. Eric chuckled.

"C'mon, let's get going." He said. We both walked outside to meet up with Vince, Nikki, and Blackie. Joan, Sebastian, and Axl are staying here.

"Penelope are you sure you don't want to come?" Blackie asked as he stepped off his porch.

"Nah, I'm good." Penelope said, cleaning her gun, "I've got better things to do."

"Like what?" Blackie chuckled.

"I don't know." She answered, "But I do know taking these guys to the Hilltop and having to stay there for a few days isn't worth my time. I'll probably go tease Negan or something."

"11 years old and already a smartass." Blackie said to me.

"Hmmm, I wonder where she got that from." I replied. Blackie smacked my arm.

"We ready to go?" Michonne asked as she walked up.

"Whenever you are." I replied...