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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE SOUND OF THE bells ringing is enough to send the group into a frenzy, running and racing around the woods to try and locate where the sound was coming from. Athena was moving as fast as she could, listening for any indication that they were close to the sound. They must've been close. They followed the continuous ringing until it brought them to an opening where hundreds of grave stones were scattered in the ground. It was a church.
"That can't be it—got no steeple, no bells." Shane acknowledged as they stood at the opening.
Rick, however, didn't listen to Shane's points and instead took off running towards the white church. Shane glanced to Athena dumbfounded, causing her to simply shrug before she pushed off and started to follow Rick towards the church. Athena trusted Rick, he was their leader, if he felt Sophia would be in there she had to trust him. Even if she didn't end up being inside, at least they checked as a precaution. They couldn't leave any stone unturned.
The two men stood either side of the closed entrance, readying themselves for any threats that could put them in danger. They slowly pushed the doors open and Athena couldn't believe her eyes. A large room, practically untouched by the horrors of the outside world except for three stray walkers sitting on the benches. For a moment, Athena convinces herself that they are just normal people praying for a saviour. But when they stand up and start to snap their jaws, she soon realises how truly ridiculous that idea was and snaps back into reality.
The few quickly flood in and make their way towards the walkers, including Athena. The brunette stops Daryl, beckoning him to let her have the job of killing it. He hangs back and watches as Athena pulls out her knife, grabs the walker by the chest and pierces her knife into its skull. A slither of happiness forms inside of her, thriving in the success of how efficiently she managed to take the corpse down. But that disappears when Rick begins to yell for Sophia. She wasn't there either.
"I'm telling you its the wrong church, Rick. There's no steeple." Shane repeats before the bells toll once more, this time much louder.
Athena follows the group outside, looking for where the bell sounds were coming from before they found an automated speaker at the side of the church wall. Glenn immediately disarmed the automation, hopefully the loud noise wouldn't draw any unwanted attention to the already struggling group.
"A timer—its on a timer." Daryl stated.
Carol sighed, rubbing her arm in attempt to comfort herself "I'm gonna head back inside for a bit."
Athena's eyes followed Carol, watching as she re-entered the church with a solemn expression. Carol was a religious woman, that much Athena did know, she had faith and believed that God was would answer her if she just prayed hard enough. Maybe he would answer her prayers by showing her a sign that her daughter was in fact okay. Athena herself never believed in that type of stuff, her grandfather however was a very religious man. The only time Athena was ever associated with religion was when her grandfather would tell her stories about God and how he would help guide her through the hardships of healing after her dark days. In some ways, thinking about God was the only thing that made her feel close to her grandfather once again.
