ABILENE STOKES was raised in the church. She spent ever Sunday attending, sitting in the uncomfortable church pews. She watched her father spread and preach the gospel. Not once did she ever doubt the word of God. Not once did her beliefs ever falter. She looked up to the mighty God above every night, whispering her prayers and thanks. Her thanks for a good family, her thanks for being fed, her thanks for health. Her prayers for continuous health and happiness. Not once did those prayers for herself ever change.

 
The girl was often left out at school, because despite being in the southern states — kids found her loyalty to God unnerving. Which is why she'd pray for them, too. For God to forgive them and for God to guide them into his heart. To welcome them with open arms. Sometimes she'd see those kids at her church. Sometimes she wouldn't. She viewed it as God saving them, and the Devil collecting his new souls.

 
But no matter what, she loved God. She loved him for gifting her with a wonderful father, an amazing mother, the sweetest little kitty, and. . . What else? She didn't know. She had all she ever needed but there was something she was forgetting to thank him for. Was it her own life? She was thankful he gave her life. But there was something else, on the tip of her tongue, that she had always forgot.

 
Maybe she was grateful for the fact that he saved her.

KEATON ANDERSON never believed in God. He had no reason to believe in something so good when his life was a living hell. His father happened to be religious and so was his mother. Crosses were on the walls. A cross hung above his bed, taunting him every night as he went to sleep. It taunted him every time he was in that room, so he was rarely ever home. Keaton found himself anywhere but there. So when he graduated high school and left for college, he rid himself of any religious objects.

The only thing that Keaton kept was a small cross necklace his mother had gifted him. He didn't like it, but he kept it hung by his bed because she gave it to him. Leaving for college was never something Keaton thought he could do. He always believed that he would never be able to leave, but he did. He found himself studying to be a doctor. Like his dad. He didn't want to be like his dad but he wanted to help people.

 
Being a doctor, he could help people. He could make good money. He could love and support his family more than his dad ever did. His plans changed, though, when he wad visiting home and suddenly the virus that was claimed to be under control, took control.

 
The world was turned upside down and for the first time in his life, Keaton found himself praying to a dead God.

⭑ֺ ˚ ABILENE STOKES

  ❝ You're wrong, Keaton. God, he-- He's got me. He'll protect me like he always has. ❞

⭑ֺ ˚ KEATON ANDERSON

❝ Abilene, you gotta listen to me, he's not going to save you. God is dead and has been for a long, long time. ❞

EXTENDED CAST
the walking dead cast as themselves

warning,
this book contains: foul language, violence, major character death, severe mental illness, ptsd, mourning the loss of loved ones, mature themes, mention of assault, religious themes, and more. If these are things you're uncomfortable with then click off. I don't want to make any of you uncomfortable.

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Copyright © 2024 | All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical method without prior permission of the author.

disclaimer,
please don't be a ghost reader!!! please comment, I love reading people's comments and thoughts on my stories!!! Abilene's journey within religion is something so dear to me. She goes from a god-loving, but also god-fearing, girl to never stepping foot in the church at Alexandria again.