Someone asked if this was Alexandria, no. It has nothing to do with Alexandria. I'm just winging it and writing. I'm not going by the show or anything here.
Carol watched Maggie. She seemed to be the clear leader here. Rick and Glenn taking their ques from her. It made her feel a little more relaxed, nothing more than for the reason it was a woman. It gave her hope it was as good as it seemed so far.
"Daryl told us him and Logan saved your life a week or so ago." Maggie stated.
Carol just nodded. "Yes. I was running and next thing I know they were all dead."
"Daryl and Logan are quick." Rick smiled. "Tell us about yourself."
"Why does Logan call you Georgia?" Glenn asked.
Carol smiled and tilted her head. "When he first met me I was a little startled to say the least...he made some smartass comment about calling me tallahassee..."
Glenn burst out laughing and nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah that was a good movie."
Rick just smiled. Maggie kept her eyes on Carol. "Where are you from?"
"Georgia." Carol stated.
"And what brought you this far?" Maggie shot back. "Is there anyone else with you we should be worried about?"
"No, no I'm alone. I've been alone for awhile. There was a woman who helped me for awhile. But she took off after awhile too." Carol paused and thought hard about what to really say. "I came north because i thought the cold would slow them down. That they'd have more time for their bodies to break down and it'd be safer."
Rick stared at her hard, "Smart, were you planning on going further north?"
"Not yet. It was already getting to cold at nights to really make it without gathering supplies. When i made it to Norton I planned to gather what i could and bed down but then i ran into the pack of walkers and now i'm here."
"And do you plan to cause harm?" Maggie questioned sternly, "The people here only want to live and stay safe. Start new, they don't want to fight or be in drama."
Glenn made a face at that which caused Rick to elbow him behind Maggie's back. Carol almost wanted to smile. Nowhere was going to be without drama. Carol was a firm believer people couldn't make it without something to bitch about. She met Merle and knew he probably started it for fun.
"We can offer you sanctuary here. We do have rules." Rick started.
"We don't fight with each other. If you have problems with someone you work it out amicable or you bring it before a neutral party, us specifically unless we're apart of it and then someone else will step in." Maggie continued. "We don't want more trouble then the world has already thrown at us. It's useless and gets us nowhere."
"Everyone pitches in. You'll find something you're good at and you'll help." Glenn smiled. "We're a community."
"Lastly, relax. No one is going to hurt you."
"What about where I'll stay?" Carol questioned.
"That...you'll be given your own place. There is plenty here. We've managed to wall off quite a bit of the town and we're constantly working on reinforcing and expanding it."
Carol relaxed and blew out a breath. "I'm new to being around people you know. It's been since the beginning. I lost everyone early on."
"Welcome Home then." Maggie said softly.
The tour around the area so far was breathtaking. The mountains were wild shades of yellows, oranges, and reds as the trees changed around them. They were in the shadow of what she'd just learned was the tallest point in Kentucky, Black Mountain. It overlooked the town of Appalachia which in of itself was quaint and like a storybook town. It looked like it was from another time. Someone even set up what looked like saloon doors on a the town watering hole, or whatever Glenn called it.
Then there was the once gas station, Scotchman. It had a full deli and restaurant in it. It was here that people would gather. There were grills set up and stacks of wood even. Precut and she could see most of the housing from the parking lot. It really was picturesque. It made her want to relax completely but she was new here and still felt like fight or flight was roaring through her. The walls were so tall and thick. So thick she wasn't sure even driving into them would do a thing. But in the end this was where she was going to be for the foreseeable future. She needed to learn to relax. She didn't have to run anymore. This was home. They told her she would find something she was good at and that would help her pass the time because right now she was restless and tired.
She was presented with a house closer to the Scotchman than she expected. SHe imagined it was now prime real estate. There was a Dollar General right over from the Scotchman. It was just storage now. The real area where she would get any goods needed was the outlet grocery store; Save-a-Lot. It had an attached clothes store next to it and they told her she would be able to find any clothes there. Food would be in the actual grocery store.
All in all it was a good set up. Everyone she'd passed while walking with Maggie, Glenn and Rick were friendly and waved. It just...it was so different than she was use too. Nothing like outside these walls. But that was the point. They were rebuilding. It was time for her to do the same. Maybe this was her chance, a hope for the future.