Dark Red ✶ Carl Grimes

𝟬𝟭𝟮, monsters

"you working with someone?" rick asked as he tilted his head.

"i'm alone. i'm alone." gabriel admitted. "i was always alone."

"what about the woman in the food bank, gabriel? what did you do to her?" rick inquired. "you'll burn for this. that was for you, why? what are you gonna burn for, gabriel?"

out of surprise, rick grabbed the collar of the man's suit and pushed him against the table. "what did you do? what did you do?!"

"rick!" riley called out. the grimes man looked at the teen before stepping away from gabriel.

"i lock the doors at night. i always lock the doors at night. i always lock the doors at night. i always–" the priest started to break down, "they started coming my congregation. atlanta was bombed the night before and they were scared, they were– they were looking for a safe place, a place where they felt safe." tears started to fall from his eyes, "and it was so early. it was so early and the doors were still locked. you see... it was my choice."

"there were so many of them and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the sidings, screaming at me. and so the dead came for them." he sobbed, "women... children. entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy. begging me for mercy. damning me to hell."

"i buried their bones. i buried it all." gabriel nodded. "the lord sent you here to finally punish me," he fell down onto his knees, "i'm damned. i was damned before. i always lock the doors. i always lock the doors." he cried out.

whistling was heard from the outside, riley turning her body around towards the window. her heart slowing dropping.

"there's something–" glenn said. "there's someone outside lying in the grass."

the group ran out, sasha beating everyone to it. "bob!" she cried out. riley's eyes widened when she saw that he only had one leg.

walkers started to surround them. "get bob inside. we'll take care of them!"

sasha looked up at the young girl, "can you help me, please?" riley quickly nodded, bending down to help grab the unconscious man. "help me. help me."

"get inside! go!" rick yelled as gunshots rang.

riley and sasha brought bob, sasha's eyes welling up in tears. they placed him carefully on the red carpet as they waited for rick and the others to come back outside.

bob's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurred. "bob!" sasha cupped both sides of his face.

rick came inside and stood beside them, "bob, you have to tell me what happened."

"it...it all happened so fast." the man murmured.

sasha placed a hand on his chest, "who did this to you?"

"i was in the graveyard. somebody knocked me out. i woke up outside this place, it looked like a school. it was that guy, gareth and five other ones." rick's eyes darkened at the mention of the name.

"they were eating my leg right in front of me. like it was nothing. all proud like they had it all figured out."

"did they have daryl and carol?" rick asked him.