(Continued from "My The Walking Dead Shower Anecdote: Part I")
She stood in front of a mirror looking at herself for what must have been the first time in months. In only that short period of time she now thought she looked a half-decade older. Aged. Not the way wine or fancy cheese ages but aged in the way of an old mule who can no longer pull the plow.
It was almost time for dinner. She hadn't eaten a proper meal in awhile and didn't put up much more than a ,"I'd hate to intrude", when the hairy man offered. If she'd had a daughter of course she would have told her never to go into a unfamiliar fortified fortress with a hairy stranger, but she herself thought of nothing she had to lose. He didn't shoot her after all.
She walked across the yard to meet the hairy man she now knew was called, Jesus. Quite the nickname to live up to, she thought.
"Hello." He said in the same tone as when he'd first surprised her in the woods.
"Hello." She was polite, but unattached. She figured she'd eat Jesus's food and be on her way before she was forced to watch him become food himself.
He led her into a parked trailer in front of an extremely lavish house. As she came in she noticed the group of people she witnessed arriving earlier. They were sitting in a circle with their heads together and at first she assumed they were playing a game. Her assumption was quickly debunked however, as she came closer and received the attention of a steely-eyed man about her age. When she looked at him she knew the group was not arguing board game instructions. Next to him was the young boy she'd noticed earlier. She offered him a smile, and endured a powerful tug in her chest when he smiled back.
As she sat down to eat she subconsciously felt the steely-eyed man's steely-eyes staring her down. She never liked men staring at her, even before. She could often get her husband to accompany her to the mall if she used this excuse. She knew he knew better, but they both got a kick out of him playing Galavant.
When she finally looked up her feeling was confirmed and her habitually nervously darting eyes were no match for his.
"Where do you come from?" His voice sounded something like when you drive on a gravel road.
"Originally?" she sighed, "Oklahoma."
He got up and slowly walked toward her. "I want you to tell me your most recent place of residence."
"I slept in a tent today, does that count?"
A woman then stood up from the circle. "My name is Maggie, and yours?"
"Jaye."
"Jaye, we need to know where you came from. We're having some trouble with a group in this area and as you can understand we need to make sure you're safe to have around."
"So, if I tell you my story can I have more food?"
She half-smiled, "Yes."
"Okay, but it's a doozy so don't say I didn't warn you." She consumed another spoonful of beans, and began.
...TO BE CONTINUED .
