It was hard not to look back toward where they had come from, though it was a waste of time as the view seldom changed. There were flames and smoke, and he could imagine that there were still walkers milling around the streets. Eric took a deep breath and focused on where they were going, catching Aaron's wide-eyed stare. "You look as scared as I feel."
Aaron nodded, "I never thought that it would come to this." He looked ahead, where some of the other survivors were talking over a map. "Alexandria was safe for so long, I thought that maybe it would survive everything that might happen, or that nothing would happen."
"It was our safe zone. No matter what we saw when we were out on the roads together, home was always safe." Eric reached out to take Aaron's hand, squeezing it. "I forgot what it felt like, when all of this was starting and we were still in D.C. watching the crowds in the streets and the people running from walkers. The chaos and panic." He shook his head, "I think I wanted to forget."
"You get used to this, after surviving it a couple times." Daryl came up behind them, Carol at his side. She offered bottles of water as Daryl continued, "We haven't felt safe for a long time. Even when we had the prison, there always seemed to be someone trying to take it away from us."
Carol nodded, "I hoped for a very long time that it could be different. That one day people could let others alone without wanting to take whatever they could, but maybe it's just human nature to destroy. Hope just gets you to put down your guard, and then when you least expect it there is someone there to take all of it away from you again."
"That's really bleak." Eric frowned, uncomfortable with the way Aaron seemed to be agreeing with her.
"It is, it really is, but it's true." She gave him a sad smile and started past them on the path, "I've got more water to hand out. Make sure you drink that."
Daryl caught the way they were looking at her, and then at him and he shrugged, "She isn't wrong."