Weak//c.g ✔️

Chapter Twelve

"Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy. Begging me for mercy." Gabriel sobbed, holding his hands to his chest, "Damning me to hell." He sniffled, "I buried their bones. I buried it all. The Lord sent you here to finally punish me." Gabriel collapsed to the ground, he was crying, "I'm damned. I was damned. I always locked the doors. I always locked the doors!" Gabriel moved himself into a fetal position, he was sobbing uncontrollably.

Everyone was dead quiet. Glenn moved towards the window, Meadow listened, there was whistling outside. "Guys, there is something, there's someone outside lying in the grass." Sasha booked it for the door, she opened it, there were walkers snarling outside. Meadow shrugged Carl's arm away, he stood up, blocking her way, "Carl, stop!" "You don't always have to be a hero." He whispered, "Right now, I do."

She moved Carl out of the way, running out of the doors, they had Bob but part of his leg was missing. Meadow gasped, she looked around, walkers snarled. Meadow kicked one of the walkers away from her, Meadow was about to put her blade in the head of it but someone who was not apart of the group shot it, she backed away, her heartbeat was heavy, "Get back inside!" Rick yelled, shooting his python towards the woods. Meadow stumbled back, making her way back into the church, Rick walked in, shutting the doors behind him, locking the doors. Meadow looked out the window, ignoring everyone, she watched the tree line. They were out there, watching them.

Bob was bit. They argued about leaving for DC, Meadow still watched the tree line, waiting. Rick patted Meadow's back, she turned around, "I need that gun back," She whispered, Rick nodded, "I know." "I don't want to, but I need to." Rick handed her the pistol, her hand shook as she took it, "I don't want to go to the school, I'll stay here, watch the place." Rick nodded, "That's fine, you don't have to." Meadow nodded, taking a deep breath, she placed the gun in her holster. Carl watched, he watched his father walk away from Meadow, he watched Meadow turn away from everyone, looking back out the window.

The people who stayed went into Gabriel's office, Meadow locked the door, walking into the office, she shut it, locking that door behind her also. Bob was sleeping. Tyreese watched Meadow, she sat near the door, listening. She was quiet. Scared of what she could do if they did come here.

Her heart raced as she listened. The door was kicked open. She flinched, unholstering her gun, she aimed it at the door, listening to the footsteps. She pulled back the hammer, slowly. "Well, I guess you know we're here and we know you're here." The footsteps drawing near, Meadow took a deep breath. "And we're armed, so there's really no point in hiding anymore. We've been watching you. We know who's here. There's Bob, I mean unless you took him out of his misery. And Eugene, Rosita. Martin's good friend Tyreese. Carl. Meadow. Judith." Meadow's eyes narrowed, she wanted to just whip the door open end it all.

"Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns." The floorboards creaked, "Listen, we don't know where you all are but this isn't a big place. So let's just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be." The door knob began to rattle. "You're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take both down. Now, I can't imagine that's what you all want." A gun cocked, Meadow's nose twitched, her heart beating fast. "How about the priest? Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this. Just open the door and you can go. You can take the baby with you. What do you say?"

Quiet.

Or so they thought, Judith began wailing, Carl quickly went to the bassinet, trying to keep her quiet. Her cries died down. It was too late, they already heard her. The wood boards creaked near the door, Meadow stopped breathing, watching the door, listening. "Now, it's your last chance to come out of those doors or we are coming in-"

A thud echoed throughout the church, "Put your guns down and kneel." Rick's voice boomed, echoing. "Rick, we'll fire right through that office. So lower your gun-" Gareth stopped talking, a scream emitted.

Meadow put her ear to the door, listening, to the slicing, the grunting, she heard everything. Tyreese put his hand on her shoulder, she backed away from the door, her heart pounding, she could hear it in her ears. Tyreese opened the door, watching what they were doing to the Terminus survivors, he backed away from the door.

Meadow stepped out of the office, a man laying in front of Ryan, Ryan was covered in blood. Everyone was covered in blood, except for Maggie and Glenn. Father Gabriel stepped out of his office, looking at the blood, shaking, "This is the house of the Lord." "No. It's just four walls and a roof." Maggie said.

7:32 AM

Meadow sat on the couch, giving Bob a hug, "Thank you." Meadow whispered. She let go of him, looking at him, he was shaking his head, "No, Meadow, Thank you. You risked your neck at the food back for me. You have done that for so many people, without even thinking. Hell you even saved outside of the church." Bob coughed, Meadow shook her head, "Anyone would have done that." "Not like that."

Meadow stood up, wiping her face, nodding her head, "Bye, Meadow." "B-Bye, Bob." Meadow sniffled, stepping away from him, she walked out of the office. Meadow looked at Ryan, he looked down, wiping his mouth, "I'm going with 'em to DC, we are going with them." Meadow shook her head, "I'm gonna sit this one out." Ryan looked at Meadow, "What?" "I'm gonna stay here, wait for Aunt Carol and Daryl to get back here, I'll meet you there, okay?" Ryan nodded. Meadow looked at him, she hugged him, "You be safe, okay?" "You too."

They walked out to the bus, Meadow watched her brother board the bus. Her hand over her mouth, he grinned at her, waving.

Meadow watched the bus drive away, leaving a dirt smoke trail behind it.

10:33 PM

Meadow sat outside of the church on the steps, she watched the tree line, waiting for anything. The door opened, Carl emerged from the darkness, she turned around, sending him a half-grin, "I couldn't sleep." He said, closing the door behind him, "Yeah, same." She looked back at the woods, Carl sat next to her, "He'll be fine, you know?" "I'm not worried about, Ryan, I'm worried about the change."

"The change?" "Once they get to DC and they fix the world," Meadow looked down, "All I know is surviving, all I know is paranoia." "That's not true." "It is." She let out a breathless laugh, "I was raised in the apocalypse and so were you. I just don't think it would be the same without the groaning and the moans and the death." Carl looked at Meadow, "But it will because we all will still have each other, we are family." Meadow's head turned, she looked at Carl, "Yeah we are, aren't we."

Carl grinned. "What would we even do if the world was normal? Go back to school? Go back to being kids?" Meadow asked. "Fool around." Carl joked, she pushed his shoulder, "Shut up, I was being serious." "So was I." Meadow shook her head, looking away from Carl. Carl let out a shaky breath, he was gonna do it, he was gonna say it, "Listen, Meadow, I-" A tree branch broke in the woods, Meadow pushed herself off the stairs, Carl following her, she held her pistol out, not aiming it at the sound. She walked closer, Daryl emerged from the woods. Meadow smiled, only for a second, "Where's my aunt?" Meadow asked. Daryl looked back,

"Come on out."