Hey y'all! I'm still getting used to all this so please bear with me:( I just wanted to say thank you to the reviews I've gotten so far & also to my followers and favs! Y'all stick with it & I promise I won't disappoint(:
I quickly turn and stand up, but upon seeing the group that had formed in my living room, I let the arrow roll of my hand. I see a tall man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes who looks just as beaten as the old shotgun he is holding. Yet, I almost feel my heart stop beating all together when I see a young boy, couldn't be more than 11 and holding a tiny baby in his arms, step from behind the man.
My mind seemed to shut down at the sight.
"How..why.. That baby can't be more than a few months old," I managed to say though my throat felt as though I had swallowed a rock.
"How could you have a baby during... THIS?" I hear myself ask with disgust in my voice.
"It wasn't on purpose." The husky southern accent coming from behind me startles me out of my shock.
Looking at this tattered and torn group, my heart continued to sink, as I stood here wearing clean clothes with food in my stomach, they looked as though they had fought with pigs for scraps of slop. I could have no idea what they had been through, but there eyes gives away the horrors they have seen while out on the road. I realize then that I just don't have it in me to turn them away, not when I may be their last fighting chance in this world. My body and heart seem to give in before my mind fully does as I step towards the group slowly.
I kneel down to the boy, "Hi," I said, giving him a friendly smile, "my name is Rose, is this your sister?"
"Yes ma'am, her name is Judith and I'm Carl." He said in a timid voice.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you Carl", I said, I can't help but smile again, "and you too miss Judith." I direct toward the wide-eyed infant, with a soft touch of her brown hair.
"Let's get y'all cleaned up and get some food in your bellies." I say, taking Carl by the hand.
He doesn't move, but hesitantly asks, "What about the rest of my family?"
With that question, I look around to all the different people in the group, all of different shapes and sizes.
"They're safe now too, I give you my word." I said to the boy, really meaning it, which surprises me since not 10 minutes ago I was prepared to kill one of them.
This time I stand a little straighter and with a steady voice I say, "You're welcome to stay here, welcome to my food and home," again, looking at each of them, "but I have rules, and in order for y'all to stay, you ALL have to obey them." I say with a dark, serious tone.
The tall man steps forward, reaching his hand toward me, "You have our word, Rose.", he says with conviction ringing in his southern voice. In his eyes I see a mixture of desperation and relief as I shake his hand firmly.
"I'm Rick Grimes," he says, and then begins pointing to the other members in the group.
"This is Glenn and Maggie," he said while pointing at a young Asian man next to a pretty girl with short brown hair, holding onto each other.
"and Carol, Beth, and Herschel.",pointing at a delicate, middle-aged women with a graying buzzed haircut, a young blonde girl with big eyes, and an older gentleman with wrinkles and hair as white as snow.
"And I believe you've already met Daryl." He said with a bit of amusement as he nodded his head towards the surly man behind me.
"Yeah. If that's they call crazy these days." Daryl said in a bitter, sarcastic tone.
I turn toward him, glaring, "You broke into my house; and if I'm not mistaken, you started all this by grabbing my bow." I said with annoyance.
"So if we're done here," I say, cutting him off before he had a chance to speak again and turning back towards the group,
"I can get some breakfast made while y'all are getting cleaned up and changed. Leave all your clothes by the stairs and I'll make sure they get washed. In the mean time, I should have something clean y'all can wear."
At the sound of breakfast, a shower, and clean clothes I see pure relief and a spark of happiness ignite within the battered, weary group.