Upon hearing this, the Governor looked at the two women with a sincere expression and explained clearly, "I believe you have a misunderstanding about your situation. You are not prisoners, but our guests."
After saying this, the Governor paused and pointed out, "If you wish to leave, you may do so at any time. But not at night, that would only cause problems with the walkers out there."
With that, the Governor turned and walked toward the exit, gesturing for them to follow.
"Welcome to Woodbury!" the Governor exclaimed as he walked out the door, raising his arms as he addressed the two women.
Michonne and Janet walked slowly toward the door. When they stepped outside, they found a small town before them. An entire street of houses, free of walkers, clean and tidy, with trees and shrubs carefully trimmed. The calmness of the night permeated the air, and at first glance, this place seemed separated from the horror reigning outside.
The Governor led them to the wall on the side of the town so they could get a better view of the landscape. Then, he took them to a room for them to rest.
However, one thing didn't change: a guard remained posted at the door, giving them the clear impression that they were being watched.
Michonne listened intently to the sounds coming from the other side of the door for a while. When the murmuring ceased, she called Janet over to sit beside her on the bed.
"We're leaving first thing tomorrow," Michonne declared firmly. "I have a bad feeling about this place. We shouldn't let our guard down."
Janet turned to close the curtains on the window, then looked at Michonne and whispered, "Did you see it too? That man they call the Governor... He completely crushed that soldier's head. Then, when everyone was watching, his attitude changed immediately."
Janet was a dark-skinned woman with short hair. In addition to being malnourished from a lack of food, she suffered from some illnesses that had made survival difficult until now. Yet, she had managed to keep going all this time.
"That Governor is a fraud," Michonne whispered, her expression cold. "He lives by deceiving the people here. He's a madman hiding his true nature behind that fake smile."
The image of the Governor's false smile was still burned into her mind, fueling her distrust. Everything about this place gave her a sense of imminent danger. She couldn't wait to leave.
After a long silence, Michonne leaned closer to Janet and said in a reassuring tone, "For now, the best thing is to rest. We'll observe the situation and decide tomorrow. But still... this place doesn't convince me."
Janet nodded slowly and began to relax a little.
"They made an effort to bring us back. At least they won't attack us while we sleep... So we should rest."
...
In a room known as a laboratory in Woodbury, many said this place was a laboratory, but in reality, it wasn't anything of the sort, even though there were several experimental subjects, some tables and chairs, bottles and jars with things inside them. This place could be considered a place to satisfy the Governor's whims and for him to conduct some experiments.
"What did you find?" the Governor opened the laboratory door and asked Milton, who was busy at a table in the room.
Upon hearing this question, Milton put down the notebook in his hand, and with an excited look, pointed to another walker on a table and said, "This is an amazing discovery! This woman cut off their arms, their jaws, and led them like they were dogs. When they lost their hands and jaws, these walkers lost their desire to bite."
The Governor looked at Milton and then walked toward a walker, observing the way it had been cut, feeling curious. After noticing his approach, the walker didn't move to bite him like the others outside.
After a brief observation, the Governor put his fingers into the walker's mouth, which had its jaw removed, and there was no biting movement, all of which made him feel very intrigued by this discovery.
"Why did she lead two walkers like dogs?" The Governor didn't look at Milton, but continued to observe the walker in front of him, although that didn't stop him from asking questions.
"Even though these walkers can't bite, they still walk, and if they've lost all instinct to attack, they are used as camouflage!"
The Governor understood immediately and couldn't help but admire, "It's a brilliant idea!"
...
The next morning, Michonne woke up early and looked at Janet, who was still asleep beside her. She didn't want to disturb her just yet.
Walking to the window, she heard the voices of many people. Intrigued, she slightly opened the curtains and observed what was happening outside. The quiet street from the night before was now full of life. People were greeting each other and going about their daily activities.
However, Michonne frowned more deeply. A strong feeling of incongruity overwhelmed her, making her feel uncomfortable. Those people were simply wandering around without doing any real work, but their faces showed no signs of worry or doubt, as if they were completely used to that way of life.
Since Woodbury was a considerably large refuge, keeping it self-sufficient required a constant supply of food and resources, which raised many questions in her mind. Where did they get enough food for so many people? Where did the weapons and ammunition come from? And most troubling of all, why did so many people seem to do nothing useful?
For Michonne, many things in this place contradicted reality. That feeling was the main reason she didn't trust Woodbury. No one here seemed aware of the true nature of the current world. Everything seemed to be under artificial control.
As Michonne sank deeper into her thoughts, Janet woke up beside her. A good night's rest had made her look much better.
Seeing Michonne standing by the window, Janet also approached.
"What's going on?"
Michonne didn't respond immediately. She simply pointed outside, signaling to Janet to look.
"Is it just me, or are these people doing nothing? Do you think they're sick or... are they being controlled?"
"So you notice it too..." Janet murmured, her expression serious. "This place is strange, and so are its people. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."
Michonne shared her concern, but another part of her knew that even escaping from this place might not be as easy as they thought.
Just as they left the room, they found a beautiful woman with long black hair, dressed in a floral dress, waiting for them at the door. The woman greeted them with a smile, without introducing herself, and simply gestured toward the Governor, as if she were there on his orders. Then, without saying a word, she invited them to follow her on a brief tour of the town.
With no other choice, Michonne and Janet followed her, paying close attention to every detail.
Michonne soon realized that what she had seen from the window wasn't the full story. There were some scattered crops in the town, but the amount was minimal. She couldn't believe that so few vegetables could be enough to feed the whole community.
Some people were even taking care of ornamental plants, which only heightened her distrust. To Michonne, it seemed like these people refused to accept the reality of the world they lived in. Could they really afford to waste time on flowers and useless plants in the middle of an apocalypse?
...
As Michonne and Janet explored the Governor's attractive refuge, Airon successfully rescued the pilot from the fallen helicopter. Unfortunately, the other soldier, who had been transferred to the prison, did not survive his wounds on the way back.
The only remaining soldier was gravely injured, but his determination to live kept him conscious until he arrived at the base. There, the best doctors worked throughout the night to stabilize him. Finally, they managed to save his life, though his recovery would take quite some time.
When he woke up, he was settled into a separate room. His body was covered with bandages, with an IV hanging beside the bed. Only his head was uncovered.
"Where am I?" he murmured in a weak voice.
Hearing this, Jason, who was sitting beside him with a bottle of water in his hand, noticed the soldier beginning to react. In a calm tone, he immediately responded:
"Easy, friend. You're safe, don't worry."
The soldier blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. His instincts kept him alert. With effort, he turned his head toward Airon and, noticing his military uniform, asked in a slow voice:
"Are you also from the army?"