𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, daryl dixon

ten

— 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗡
( 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘊𝘏𝘜𝘙𝘊𝘏. )

AS GABRIEL LED the group to his church, he and Rick were participating in a conversation that the whole group was listening to. Murphy walked at the front, beside Maggie, Michonne, and Daryl. She gripped her rifle tightly, her finger on the trigger in case anything were to happen.

"Hey, earlier," Rick began. "Were you watching us?"

Gabriel looked over his shoulder quickly before looking down at the ground once more, "I keep to myself. Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"

"No, people are worse," Rick responded solemnly. Murphy's hold on her gun tightened with his words. Their experience at Terminus was a prime example of that comment. It was like nothing she'd ever imagined. The group was silent before Gabriel continued.

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today."

He ceased his response, looking back towards the people behind him, who all walked with critical and judgmental looks across their faces. He turned to look where he was going and shrugged, "Or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all of your squirrels."

Murphy shot a quick look to Daryl, who carried the squirrels he'd hunted over his shoulder. He looked offended at Gabriel's words and adjusted the rope on his shoulder. He felt Murphy's gaze, and turned to see her with a slight smile gracing her lips. The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a lighting-quick smile before he looked away from her once more. Murphy's smile remained on her face as the group slowly halted to a stop.

Gabriel looked around awkwardly, "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired."

"Yeah, it does," Daryl voiced in front of Murphy.

Gabriel turned to him with a slightly frightened look, observing him quickly and turning back to Rick, who had an expression equally as angered. He stepped backwards, running into a branch before turning fully around, leading them to a clearing where his beloved church stood.

It was a well kept church from what Murphy could tell. It had cream-colored siding with a metal roof and a red door. As they approached the front, Murphy studied the sign that read "ST. SARAH'S CHURCH." Rick stopped the group before they could enter the building.

"Hold up," he announced. "Can we take a look around first? We just want to hold onto our squirrels."

He held out his hand expectantly, and Gabriel reluctantly set the ring of keys in his palm. With that, Rick unlocked the big double doors quickly and the group flooded the church. Murphy followed Michonne inside, her rifle raised so that it could be used if need be. The group waded through the pews and into doors that lead elsewhere. Murphy made her way to the front of the church, where the words "He who eats my Flesh and drinks My Blood has Eternal Life" were painted along the curvature of the wall's arc. She scoffed at the irony of the words of God.

The stained glass windows shone colored light into the open room as they searched the church from top to bottom... and found nothing. Rick walked up behind Murphy as she crouched to look at the piles of opened cans and preserves that littered the ground. They looked at each other in confusion before turning back around to look at the rest of the small group returning to the main hall. They exited the church without words and Rick handed the keys back to Gabriel.