The first indication that something was wrong was the light moaning. Not a normal moan of pain or pleasure but a constant, droning moan. More... gurgly. The second tell was the feeling of a hard surface under my body, with a grainy texture. My bed was very comfortable, but this felt more like blanket over a wood floor. The third was when I opened my eyes, and saw the inside of a small wooden room, a branch covered in leaves poking past the window. I live in a fairly nice flat, but I've never owned a treehouse.
The final nail in the coffin was when I brought my hand up to shield my eyes from the sunlight and saw a small, dainty hand with little nails and mocha skin.
I am- was-, a white, redheaded male, 22, fresh from university and looking for a professional job as a programmer.
A quick glance downwards pegs me as a small brown child with frizzy black hair.
As you can imagine, I began hyperventilating. It didn't help that my breathing came out at a higher pitch than I'm used to.
I've toyed with the idea of reincarnation before. Read quite a few stories about such a thing occurring. I even once believed that is exactly what happens when you die; your soul is reborn in another body. This however, seems more like taking over someone else's body. Case-in-point: not experiencing birth.
There are many situations and people I could have been shoved into, assuming a ROB situation, but a slow building dread in the back of my mind tells me exactly who I am right now. The moaning, the wooden treehouse, the weird flap-door, the hammer lying on the ground, the yellow dress. Only one thing left to test.
"H-hello?" I say, in the voice of a young girl named Clementine.
And that, folks, is how it started.
---SaS---
It took a few hours to come to terms with the fact I was in The Walking Dead(TM). That fact took major precedence over being freaking Clementine, but I'm sure I'll freak out about that later.
Cons:
• Zombies
• Small and weak body
• No food or water
• Can't get food or water easily because the babysitter is a zombie.
Pros:
• People will underestimate me
• I have a hammer
• Lee should be here soon (within a day)
Lee. Jesus, that's gonna be tough to figure out. I know I won't be able to pull of the 'innocent little girl' act, and Lee's smart enough to call me on it if I tried.
So, I'm going to have to be myself and if I get called on not quite acting like a normal little girl, have a legitimate reason for it. It has to happen before Lee turns up, or he'll notice.
I'm going to have to kill Sandra (again), aren't I?
Damn it.
Well, time to kill my first 'Walker'.
---SaS---
That was... close.
So, it was easy enough to grab the hammer and slowly make my way across the backyard to the slider door. Inside, I quietly crept around, following the faint moaning and bloodstains. I came upon Sandra lying on the floor upstairs, in the bedroom she'd obviously been using. I couldn't stop a small gasp at the sight of her. Seeing dead bodies moving and moaning along with the foul smell and gore was way worse in real life. That seemed to be enough to 'trigger' her, as she turned her rotting head to face me.
Gurgling, the Walker tried to get up, shifting towards me with it's dead and milky eyes. I rushed it, and slammed the hammer into it's left eye, before it could fully stand. It gurgled loudly in 'pain' and was knocked back, but not down.
I ran, making sure not to slip on the bloodstains on the floor, leftover from it's first death.
The kitchen was my target; a knife, my goal. The Walker tripped down the stairs as I rummaged through the utensil drawers. Why didn't I do this beforehand!? Finally finding a long sharp knife, I pulled it out and turned to face the Walker. It had caught up with me, blocking the way out of the kitchen, hammer still hanging from it's ruined eye.
I cursed my past-self for his pride, a hammer does not make a good weapon, especially in the hands of a scrawny eight year old child.
The Walker shuffled towards me, then lunged. I raised the knife and closed my eyes with a involuntary scream. There was a gurgle, and a sigh, then the inanimate body hit me, pushing me against the bench.
Opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was my knife sticking out of the Walker's right eye, and it's jaw hanging open. I pushed it to my left, and leapt right as it fell. Once I'd stopped hyperventilating, I retrieved my hammer and knife. They came out with a wet *Shlick* on the knife's part, though it took a little more force to dislodge the hammer.
Right. Secure the house. I quietly went around, and made sure to lock all the doors and windows, leaving everything but the ranch slider locked.
Searching the house for anything useful, I found myself standing in the middle of what must have been Clem's room. It was.. Pink. It was also the only place which could possible have clothes that fit me and weren't a dress. I rifled through the chest of drawers and found a pair of jeans, a long sleeve T-shirt, a nice pair of running shoes and a warm jacket.
It was then, faced with having to change clothes that I was once again confronted with the state of my body. It was awkward. I tried to pay as little attention to my body as possible while I changed, but by the end I was shaking. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a mirror. It drew me closer, and in seconds I was frozen. I'd been able to push this fact to the back of my mind so far, but this was too much.
Spoiler: Clementine
I stared at my reflection, -at Clementine- and the reality of my situation came crashing down.
I am stuck in the body of an eight year old child, a girl, in the first days of a zombie apocalypse.
I'm not sure how long I spent crying.
---SaS---
After my... episode, I tried to get back on track. I quickly located a backpack full of schoolbooks and a pencil case. I emptied it out. One good thing about the apocalypse, I guess. I wouldn't need to go through school again.
I collected everything in the house I thought would be useful. This amounted to two bottles I filled with water, as much food as I could carry (Mostly cans with a can opener), two screwdrivers in my pockets and a ladies leather jacket (my Mom's) to give me some protection.
The medicine cabinet in the bathroom had a range of pills and bandages, which I put into another backpack. Idly, I notice some nitroglycerin pills. One of Clem's parents must have had a heart condition. Clem never mentioned it in the games though... must not have known.
All that was left was the gun safe in the master bedroom. Not being from the USA myself, I was a little surprised to find one. Then again, gun laws in the USA were always a very debated topic. A search through the room gave me the keys, revealing a Glock and thirteen mags. I've never fired a pistol before, but it seems easy to learn: safety on, point, elbows bent, knees bent, aim down the sight, even breathing, aim for the head, safety off, breath out, shoot.
A sling bag in the closet gave me somewhere to put my ammo.
Now, I need to go over the fence and check if there is a crashed police car, with my potential salvation in the back seat.
Actually, am I really thinking of walking through the zombie-infested forest? That's a bad idea. That's a really bad idea.
Yeah, I'm just going to wait h-*Bang!*
Was that a shotgun?
Oh. I guess it was.
---SaS---
I was very careful getting over the fence. As in, I didn't. There was a latched gate which I unlocked and walked through, making sure it didn't slam or close completely. From the other side, it certainly didn't look like a gate. Carefully walking into the woods, I gulped. My hand shook, tightly clenched on the knife.
The gun was in my left jacket pocket, screwdriver's were in my right. Hammer hooked onto the side of my backpack, knife out and pointy. (Covered in blood, old blood. Ew)
I was hyper-aware of my surroundings, of the smallest noise. Silently, with only a small quiver in my breathing, I found myself looking down a hill, at the dead body of a cop, and a convicted criminal trying to control his breathing leaning against the patrol car.
"HELP! Go get someone! There-There's been a shooting!"
I waved frantically at him, then ran back to the fence where I stood by the open gate and waited for him. "Hurry!" I shouted as I saw him crest the hill. His eyes found me, and he quickly limped over, the Walker herd hot on his heels. I stood aside for him, then slammed the gate shut and closed the latch as he fell to the ground in the yard.
Breathing heavily, I turned to the black man lying on the ground. He smiled up at me. "Thanks for the help, those people were crazy!" I looked at him, stared into his eyes. I looked at him for a second before speaking.
"You don't know, do you?" He stopped, his smile dropped and he frowned.
"Know what?" He asked, giving me a good look. I noticed his eyes linger on the gun shape in my pocket.
"The dead don't die." I said, evenly (In a small voice, with a little quiver). "They come back, and they want to eat us."
I showed Lee inside, and left him in the dining area, looking at the dead walker in the kitchen. A quick walk to grab the medical bag and I had a few rolls of bandages, painkillers and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. (From all the healed scratches on my arms and knees, it was likely for me.)
Lee was sitting down on a dining chair when I returned. His gaze turned from the body to me. "Did you do that?" He asks quietly, motioning to the kitchen. I nodded, and closed my eyes for a second, reliving the moment. (I shivered)
"That was my babysitter, Sandra. I heard her scream two nights ago. When I went to check on her, she..." I stopped talking (I shivered) trying to remember as much dialog from this scene as possible. I knelt next to his leg and opened the kit. "Maybe one of the Monsters got her. I hid in my treehouse. At least, until I got hungry. I had to come in to get food. I grabbed a knife and s-stabbed her in the eye." I opened the bottle of peroxide and put some on a clean flannel rag, then lay that rag on Lee's leg. He gritted his teeth, but apart from a small grunt remained remarkably silent.
"Then what happened?" He asked as I got out a roll of bandages and some gauze.
"I looked out the front windows and saw all the crashed cars, and the moaning things walking around." (A kind look was enough to set me at ease) "I grabbed everything I could; food, water, medicine, I even got my dad's gun." I finished bandaging the gauze to his leg, then tucked the bandage into itself. I put everything back into your kit and closed it.
Lee looked his leg over then nodded. "Good job. Your daddy teach you to do that?." I shook my head.
"My mom, actually." Clem's mom was a doctor, right?
"That's good. Where are your parents, anyway?"
"Savannah, I think. They went on vacation, and left me with Sandra." I don't look at the body in the kitchen, but Lee does.
There was a moment of silence between us, before Lee gets up, and walks around a bit. It's obviously still painful and nowhere near healed. Looking out the ranch slider at the fence for a second, he then kneels and looks me in the eye.
"What's your name, sweetie?" (Not Sweetpea)
"Clementine. What's yours?"
"I'm Lee. Clem, you look like a smart kid. And obviously know a bit more about what's going on than I do, but I would feel a lot safer if I had that gun. Do you even know how to use it?"
"Just point and shoot, right?" I asked. Lee chuckles.
"There's a little more to it than that, but how about I teach you how to use one properly later, when we're safe?" I slowly nod and take the gun out, then pass it to him handle first. After all, he's a strange man, got to show some reluctance. He checks it and nods. "Any more ammo?" I nod and shrug off the sling bag, passing it to him. He whistles at seeing the two spare mags and boxes of bullets inside.
After slinging the bag on and making sure the gun's safety is on, he tucks it into his waistband. "Clementine, I think we should get moving, find someplace safe." I put up a token protest.
"But what if my parents come back, and I'm not here?!" (Tears build in my eyes, I blink them away.)
"Why don't we leave them a note? We'll tell them which way we're going and if they come here, they'll know how to find us."
I nod, and leave to go get some paper from the bedroom (my bedroom. No pencils just crayons.)
I write a short letter to people I don't know, then Lee adds his own bit under mine. We leave it by the blinking phone machine. Lee takes a long look at the picture, then smiles gently at me.
After combing through the house one more time, Lee is set up with a bag and supplies. Finally, we're ready to leave.
I take a deep breath. My mind runs through the future I know waits. The people I'll meet who're fated to die.
You know what?
Fuck destiny
Chapter 2. My muse is happy today.
We go out the front door, and immediately notice the two guys trying to push a car out of the way of a pickup truck. Lee speaks up "Hey, guys!"
Chet and Shawn Greene jump at the sound of the door closing behind us. They turn and shout. "OH SHIT" "DONTEATUS!" I laugh (giggle) slightly at the chubby one. I'd forgotten about that.
We look at each other, then turn back to them. "Sorry for scaring you." Lee starts "We're not going to hurt you. Do you need any help?"
"Phew, for a second I thought you and the little one were both going to give us 'The Chomp'." Shawn explains, looking relieved.
As Lee and I approach them, I look at the pickup truck. "Are you stuck?" I ask, "If you are, then you should just leave it and get out of here. Those things will be back soon."
"Well little lady, I need this truck to get home. We live out of town, on farms." Shawn explains, before looking back at Lee. "You guys should be getting out, too. I haven't seen anything as gnarly as this neighborhood since downtown Atlanta."
"Do you know what the hell is going on?" Lee asks.
"No idea." Shawn replies. He pauses and looks around at the empty street. "So you've seen them, then?" Lee nods as he turns to look back at the house.
"You could say that." He answers.
"Look man, could you just help us push this car out of the way so we can get going? We'll give you and your daughter a ride out to my family's farm. It should still be safe enough out there."
"I'm not her dad," Lee clarifies, giving me sideways look. "I'm just... A friend." He smiles at me and I smile back with a nod. This is the one guy who I know I can trust 100%, of course I'll consider him a friend.
"Well, 'A Friend', I'm Shawn Greene."
"Lee. This is Clementine."
Chet kneels down and smiles at me. "I'm Chet."
"Hi." I reply, still standing by Lee. (Slightly behind his leg)
Suddenly, the air is filled with wet growling and moaning. Walkers shamble out of the gaps between houses, drawn by our conversation. Chet points out the obvious.
"Them monsters comin'! We gotta go!" Lee nods. He leans down to help Shawn push the car, while Chet jumps into the truck's bed. I rush over and help push, until the car is out of the way.
We all pile into the cab and Shawn starts the pickup, leaving skid marks as we peel away from the Walkers behind us.
"Well," Shawn comments, "If that's how you treat your friends, count me in."
---SaS---
We roll to a stop outside the Greene property; a lovely looking white farmhouse and big red barn, surrounded by golden fields.
Shawn says goodbye to Chet, who bids us farewell and walks off down the road. He then leads us to the farmhouse, where we're met by an old man. The man, obviously Hershal Greene, hugs his son and chats for a few seconds, then turns to us. "You've brought a couple guests."
"Your boy's a lifesaver." Lee replies.
"Glad he could be of help to somebody." Hershal comments sarcastically. Shawn rolls his eyes and I laugh a bit. (Giggle)
"We just need a little... help. We won't stay long."
"I told them we could help them out." Shawn comments.
We'd really appreciate it.
"You're welcome to stay here, but just for the night. I don't run a bed and breakfast." Hershal offers. The sad thing is that this is probably the last genuinely friendly greeting and offer to stay we're going to get for the rest of our lives, however long that will be.
Lee smiles, and nods in thanks. "So, it's just you and your daughter then." Hershal stated.
"Oh, not his daughter. Just a friend." Shawn corrects. Hershal raises his eyebrow at his son, then kneels in front of me.
"Honey, do you know this man?" He asks nicely.
"Yes, I do." I reply without hesitation, "He's a good guy." Hershal looks me in the eye and nods.
"Okay then," he says, before standing up. He looks us both over and notices Lee's leg. "Looks like you've hurt yourself. Nice job patching it, I'll re-dress it in the morning."
"Actually, Clementine's the one who did that." Lee says, giving a half smile. "Saved me from a group of those things and sat me down, then bandaged me up." Hershal and Shawn look impressed.
"Well we've got ourselves a little doctor here, following your daddy's footsteps?" Ohshit what did Clem's dad do... uuuuh. Ah! Right.
"Actually, my dad was an engineer, my mom was the doctor. I used to get hurt playing in the woods all the time, so mom taught me how to do it myself in case she wasn't around to help." That sounds legit, right?
"That's mighty good of her, gonna come in handy down the line, I'm sure." Hershal smiles, then turns to his son. Man, you have no fucking clue. "Shawn, why don't you go check on your sister, I'll get these two settled in." Shawn nods and waves goodbye while heading to the house.
"What'd you say your name was?"
"It's Lee."
"Nice to meet you Lee, I'm Hershal Greene." He smiles, and turns to me. "And Clementine, was it? How'd you end up needing to save Lee here?" Shit, why's he interrogating me? Is it because he thinks I'm innocent enough to tell the truth?
"I heard a gunshot in the woods, so I went to check. It was the first thing I'd heard that wasn't moaning or screaming, so..." I shake my head, and continue.
"I saw Lee next to a crashed car, with a dead monster. Then he shouted something at me, and when I saw the monsters start coming out from behind the trees I ran back to the house. Lee followed me, and I closed the gate behind him."
"That was very brave." Hershal commented with a smile.
"Yeah, she is." Lee added, smiling at me.
I looked down, feeling warm. (Blushing)
We get to the barn, which is actually rather big. The hay looks clean enough, and I can hear Kenny snoring on the upper level
"There's blankets and such over there," he said quietly, pointing. "Should tide you over the night. Got a family of three on the floor above us too. Come tomorrow, which way you think you're headed?"
"Macon, I suppose. I got family there."
"Well, I hope they're alright, even with all this unpleasantness going on." We're interrupted by Shawn entering the barn.
"Hey, Dad, so I'm thinking, first thing tomorrow, we gotta reinforce the fence around the farm." Ah, this pitch. Yes, it is a good idea, but I'm going to have to be a little sneaky to stop you getting 'The Chomp', Shawn.
"That doesn't seem necessary." Hershal replies. Well, I can't really blame him. He hasn't seen a Walker yet, hasn't felt that fear.
"I don't know what you saw on TV, or heard on the radio, but there is some serious," Shawn glances at me, then says the next word in a loud whisper. "Shit, hitting the fan. I don't think anyone knows how bad it is yet."
"Your son's right. You're gonna wanna fortify this place." Lee says, looking outside at the standard post-and plank fences. Great for keeping cattle in, not so much for Walkers.
"Stuff like that doesn't happen around here, Shawn." Hershal replies dismissively.
"Dad, I'm serious. Lee, come on, tell him what you saw out there, man." Shawn seems desperate for help convincing his old man.
Lee is quiet for a second, looking at me, before contributing. "I saw a little girl trying to be brave in the face of killing the thing her babysitter had become." He ended that on a soft smile, which was echoed by horror on the faces of the Greenes.
"She what?" "She killed one of those things?!"
Well, this whole day I've been attempting to throw this train off it's tracks. Looks like I succeeded. (I blushed at the attention and kicked the hay under my feet.) "I... I had to. I was hungry..."
The Greenes are quiet, but are looking at me with a new look in their eyes, pity maybe? I couldn't tell.
"Shawn," Hershal says, breaking the silence. "You get started on that fence first thing, and don't skimp on the quality."
Shawn nods, then looks at me again before turning and walking off.
"Good night. See you bright and early tomorrow." Hershal states as he joins his son.
Lee and I put some blankets on the ground, then lay down. There is silence for a moment, apart from Kenny's continued snoring.
"Thanks for bandaging my leg, Clem." Lee says out of the blue. I start, and turn to look at him. "I don't think I said it, back at the house."
"N-no problem. You were hurt, and I knew how to fix it." He chuckles quietly.
"Wish I knew how to fix what's going on out there."
"Me too." Though I'm thinking about my own situation, rather than this world's.
Jesus, how long am I going to have to survive here?
---SaS---
Abstract shapes and colors fill the space around me, and I hear chuckles vibrate reality.
"Oh, the ripples, the delightful ripples! Look at your footsteps as the water splashes! This is going to be such fun!"
The memory of the words fades away, leaving nothing.
---SaS---
I wake up as the door opens, and light spills into the barn. As I stretch and yawn, my mind catches up. I'm still here, in Clementine's body. A familiar man with a chopper mustache is walking towards Lee and I.
Kenny smiles at me. It's weird seeing him with both his eyes and just the mustache. And in person too, of course. The genuine smile he gives us is leagues better than what comes later. He nudges Lee out of his sleep with his foot. "Hey, get up."
Lee shakes his head and sits up.
"Why do I taste cheese?" I ask, to which they both shrug. I frown though, even as the taste fades away.
"Anyway, I'm Kenny." He offer his hand to the sitting Lee, who takes it and stands. I turn to my bag and go through it, taking stock of what I have.
"Lee, this is Clementine." I hear Lee reply. Taking out three energy bars, I zip the bag closed and walk towards the two men. Always pays to be nice.
"Want some breakfast?" I ask, offering them two of the bars.
Lee takes one with a thanks, but Kenny smiles and shakes his head. "No thanks, little lady. We had breakfast with the Greenes. You two were sleeping so soundly and came in so late, we thought it best to just let you sleep. There's probably some left for you and your daddy in the house, if you ask."
"I'm not her dad," Lee explains, again. This is getting tiring. Do we look that much alike?
Before he can say more, Kenneth Junior (Poor doomed kid) pokes his head in the door. "Dad! We're gonna build a fence! there's a tractor and everything!" His piece said, the energy drink on two legs runs off again.
Kenny chuckles. "We better get going, or we won't hear the end of it." Lee collects his sling bag and the medical bag, while I shrug on my backpack. (Still pink) together, the three of us walk out.
"That's my boy, Ken Junior. We call him Duck, though." He explains with humor in his voice.
"Dodging or quacking?" I ask, before Lee can get a word in, with a smirk. Always wanted to say that.
"Quacking." Kenny confirms with a grin, which Lee mirrors.
"DAAAAD!" Duck complains, unsatisfied with the slow pace we're keeping.
"See?" Kenny says, and I agree with him. Damn, that boy is loud. He's currently over by Katja, who'd sitting on some hay outside the farmhouse.
"The word is you were on your way to Macon." Kenny states, to which Lee nods.
"My family is from there." Yes they are... poor Lee... Nothing I can do for them, unfortunately.
"Well, Macon's on the way and, personally, I would appreciate a guy who could knock a couple of heads together if he has to." Kenny states.
Lee and I share a look, where I nod and he nods back. Look at us, a right pair.
"Sure, we'll... tag along." He answers. Kenny and Katja look amused at the byplay.
"It's a plan, then." Kenny says with a nod. He then turns to his wife and son. "Honey, Duck, this is Lee and... Clementine?" I nod at his look.
"That's a very pretty name." Katja compliments, looking at me with a kind smile. I smile back. (A small smile, a little blush.)
"Thanks." I reply, as Shawn approaches from around the side of the house.
"Well, we should get to work. Sorry for conscripting you like this, but we've all seen what those things can do out there." He says apologetically, "The faster we get this fence up, the better."
Kenny and Lee wave off his apology with a 'no trouble' and 'right thing to do.'
Duck can't help but chime in though. "I wanna build a fence." The energy ball says excitedly, to several good-natured chuckles.
"Yeah?" Shawn answers, "Well, I need a good foreman. You can sit on the tractor and yell at me whenever I take a water break." Duck almost starts vibrating.
"On the tractor? Cool!" Ah, boys. I remember when i was a kid-. Oh. Right. Little girl. My mood abruptly nose-dived. Shawn and Duck walk off to the tractor, Kenny's soon elbow-deep in his truck's engine block, and Lee kneels down in front of me.
"You okay, Clem?" I take a deep breath through the nose, and exhale through my mouth. I nod.
"I'm good. I just... remembered something sad." I answer evasively. Lee frowns, glancing off towards Shawn and Duck. Before anyone says anything, I continue. "Can I help with the fence? More hands mean faster work, right?" Katja and Lee blink, then share a look. Whatever that communicated, Lee turns back to me and nods.
"Alright. Why don't you go help Shawn? I want to have a chat with Kenny." With a smile, I walk (skip) off towards the doomed man and child.
I don't know what's going to happen further down the line, but as the pair come into view my resolve hardens.
Not Today
When I walked over and offered to be on watch for 'the monsters' I think Shawn just humored me. I got up on the tractor behind Duck, peering out over the fields. With barely any wind, it was easy to spot the first two, who must have been drawn by the sounds of work.
"Monsters! Two of them!" I shouted as loud as I could.
"What?!" Shawn quickly stood, panicking. He grabbed Duck from the tractor while I jumped down. My shout drew the rest of the crew as well. Katja and Kenny grabbed Duck, while Lee came up next to me, pistol trained on the fence line.
We were all dead silent. We could hear the moaning getting closer.
"Aim for the head." I said to Lee. He looked down at me quizzically, along with everyone else. I looked up at Lee evenly. (With Wide, traumatized eyes) "They won't stop until you get their brain."
He nodded seriously, shifting his aim to head-height.
He didn't have to wait long.
Snarling, two zombies emerged from the crops. Rotting and covered in blood. The family of three drew back in fear. Shawn swore. Hershal looked at them, eyes wide. Oh yeah, he hadn't seen one yet, right?
Lee didn't hesitate.
One. Two.
Two shots, and the threat was gone.
Damn that was loud. The others looked shook up.
"Lee, you should probably stay nearby." I said, once again drawing stares. "Any monsters nearby would have heard the gun shots. Good news, after we get rid of them we're probably safe for the rest of the day."
In the end, Hershal and Lee both stood watch, shotgun and pistol at the ready, while Kenny and Shawn worked as quickly as they could. Katja took Duck and I inside the house, where I met the rest of the Greenes. Nice enough folks. I never watched the show, so I couldn't tell you if they were the same.
Within the hour we had heard another five gunshots. Another group of two, and three loners. After an hour of nothing, it was nearing midday. Sandwiches were assembled and delivered to the working men.
The seven walker bodies were piled up off to the side, letting out an ungodly stench.
"You should probably burn the bodies." I comment as they ravished their sandwiches. I received enthusiastic nods of agreement.
"We're planning on it, little lady." Hershal states. "Gonna tow them downwind along road a bit first though. Dont want to smell them while they're burning." Katja attempts to herd me away, but I'm firm in my refusal.
"I want to say out here. I cant stand just sitting inside, doing nothing." Katja looks to Lee, who gives a nod. With that, the mother and son return to the house.
The next hours are spent building the fence. With me on watch, all four of the men work on the fence. Luckily there are no more interruptions.
Now, at four in the afternoon, the fence was passable. It certainly wouldn't hold up to a horde, but for lone zombies it would do fine. The gaps in the picket fence were filled, and its height extended by about a meter. If it looked far more professional than it did in the game, well, call it incentive.
The tired men trudged back into the house, content in their efforts.
Showers and an early dinner later, (I made sure to use the restroom before we left.) we were gathered outside the house again. Kenny's truck was low on gas, so Hershal donated a Jerrycan of fuel, for our efforts.
"We probably could have made it to Macon, but not much farther." Kenny admitted. "Thanks." A firm handshake ensued. Then the Greenes (Hershal and Shawn, the rest stood on the porch, waving), turned to Lee and I.
"Thank you both." Hershal said emotionally, "If something had happened to my boy, I...." He took a moment to collect himself. "If you're ever headed back this way, there's a place for you here." He shook both of our hands, and with a smile on their faces, Hershal and Shawn Greene waved us goodbye from the newly reinforced gate.
I couldn't shake my smile either.
This was proof.
I could change things.
---SaS---
The sunsets in Georgia are beautiful.
Less beautiful is the knowledge of what lies ahead.
Kenny's truck was a 1991 Toyota Pickup with Extended Cab. What this means is that all give of us could fit in and only be a little squished. We spent the trip talking. There wasn't a pall hanging over the group, and with better spirits comes a willingness to talk.
Kenny and Katja shared their experience since the apocalypse began. They had been headed from their home in Florida to Katja's sister's house for a vacation. When they head shit was going down on the radio, they started heading to Atlanta, like the radio advised. Big mistake. On the way they had stopped at a gas station, called 'Gil's' and attempted to fill up their truck. They hadn't filled much when a walked accosted Duck. Kenny, thinking it was a kidnapper, punched the zombie and jumped into the car, zooming off.
He mentioned running over a kid on the way out. I don't know if it was a zombie or not, but if it helps him to believe it was, It's best he thinks that.
We shared our stories. Lee of course, lied. He mentioned traveling out of Atlanta with a friend, when they crashed into a zombie and ended up off the highway and down a ditch. He retold the story of waking up with a gash in his leg, getting out of the car, and finding his friend dead, with his shotgun lying on the ground. The friend suddenly came back to life, and Lee had to shoot him. Then it was my turn.
I think I did okay. My voice might have trembled when I came to Sandra, but the adults praised my thinking in gathering food and supplies.
"I think I should get a haircut though." I mentioned, to confusion. "Some boys at school used to pull my hair. I don't want a monster grabbing it." They nodded.
"I'll cut it for you later, Clem." Katja said, looking ill.
It was dark by the time we reached Macon. We still had plenty of gas, but cars were blocking the road. We parked it off to the side, and all piled out. Memories of our experiences fresh in out minds, we cautiously moved towards the town.
Lee had his pistol drawn, pointed at the ground. Our heads were on swivels, looking at every shadow cast by the full moon overhead. We got into town quickly. Lee's family's pharmacy was to our left, and a familiar intersection ahead.
Then it happened.
Duck pointed out what looked like a survivor kneeling half behind a car, moving around. Lee and Kenny relaxed, but I tensed. When Kenny called out, the walker was revealed. As were the dozens of other zombies hiding in the dark.
"Fuck!" Kenny swore. They had us surrounded. Lee started shooting, picking off the Zombies that got too close. He was joined by another shooter, drawing our attention to the pharmacy. Glen and Carly stood in the safety gate.
"Come on!" Glen yelled, "Quick!" We needed no more encouragement. Lee and Carly covered us as we rushed to the door. Soon we were inside, the door locked shut and a significantly thinned herd milling around outside.
There were three other survivors inside, who could only be Doug, Lilly and Larry
Lilly was pissed.
"We can't take risks like this!" She started, glaring at Carly.
"And we can't just let people die, either." Carly refuted.
"When I SAY, 'that door stays shut no matter what', I fucking MEAN it. We don't know who these people are; they could be dangerous!" Lilly finished. To be fair, she's not wrong. In a few years this will be the normal reaction. That or just shooting them and stealing their stuff.
"Worse, they could've led 'em right to us!" Larry adds. Again, he's not wrong. Man, foreknowledge really makes you sympathetic to these two.
"Where the hell is your humanity?!" Carly whisper-shouts, glaring at the father and daughter both. "They would've died out there!"
"Then we let 'em!" Larry responds with finality.
"Look," Lee starts. "Thanks for helping us, we were in a tough spot, but we're just regular folk. We've got two kids with us and just want to find somewhere safe." he said, trying to be reasonable.
"Kids, huh? And what good'l they be when some thing is eating your face off, Hm?" Larry responded quite rudely.
"I'd shoot it in the head." I commented, only to receive incredulous looks from the pharmacy survivors.
"And then, when your daddy gets up again, little girl? What'll you do then?" Larry challenges, glaring. Wow, that is his default face, isn't it.
"He'd want me to shoot him too." I said, looking at Lee. "Right?" Lee, obviously tired of explaining our relationship let the comment go, and nodded.
"Right, Clem." He said, sounding proud.
"Wow. That's so hardcore." Doug said into the silence. Larry shook his head.
"The point is, we don't KNOW these people! One of them could be Bitten, and we wouldn't know!" He raged, not as quietly as before.
"Bitten?" Lee prompted. "What do you mean?"
"You don't know?" Larry countered, "That's how you TURN. One of them bites you, and soon enough you're turning on your best friends, trying to eat them, as well." His tone went from condescending to solemn by the end.
"We've seen it happen." Lilly said, putting a hand on her dad's shoulder. "My mom. We were hiding together, and we let one of her friends hide with us. She was bitten, it was horrible. In just a few hours she went pale, got weaker and weaker. Till eventually, she lay still. We thought she'd just drifted off to sleep. Then she moved, and mom went over to check her." Everyone was listening, quietly.
"The next thing we knew," Lilly finishes, "The friend was biting mom's neck. After that, well. We made a tough choice."
There was a moment of silence, which was broken by the sounds of distant gunfire and explosions. "That the military?" Lee asked. Lilly shook her head.
"If it is, it's not from the local Air Force base. As of yesterday, it's overrun." Lee raised an eyebrow at her, then went back to looking at the walls. Within the minute, the gunfire faded away.
It was in the silence, that I spoke up.
"We don't know you, and you don't know us. That's fine. That can be fixed. What can't be fixed is us dying because we're too busy fighting each other, rather than the dead people walking around." It might have sounded weird coming from a eight year old.
"The girl has a point." Carly pointed out. "I'm Carly, by the way. The guy over by the door is Doug." Doug waved.
"Okay. Fine." Lilly said, looking at me strangely. "I'm Lilly. My Dad's Larry. We've been trying to get behind the counter of this pharmacy. Dad has heart problems, and we're all out of nitro-glycerine pills. If he has an attack..." She turned to Larry, who looked away from everyone. That guy doesn't do 'vulnerable' well, does he?
"Alright. Nice to meet you folks. I'm Kenny. This is my wife and son, Katja and Duck." Kenny continued. "We need pills. My truck still has gas, but it's not big enough to take all of us. We need a second ride, fuel for it, and a destination."
"I'm Lee. She's Clementine. The owner's probably have the keys on them." Lee said. "I know them, a couple of old folks and a younger guy."
"We dragged a older couple out of the office. They... killed themselves. Probably to keep from turning, given the bites we saw." Lee looked shocked and shaken.
"I'm sorry." Lilly commiserated. "Did you know them well?" He nodded.
"Knew 'em most of my life. Grew up in this neighbourhood." Kenny came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, showing support. Doug spoke up next.
"Well, there's an un-dead guy trapped under a power pole across the street. Looks like he's wearing a nurses uniform. Could be the guy we're looking for." Suddenly, I remembered. Right! The Pills!
As the adults talked I pulled off my bag and started rummaging around inside. First aid kit, where are you....
"What'cha doing there kid?" Carly said, looking at me kindly.
"One second. Almost... Yes!" I shouted, holding up my first aid kit. I quickly opened it and grabbed the pills labeled 'nitro'. I turned, to find my shout had gotten everyone's attention again.
"I, Uh, have some nitro-glycerine pills." I held up the bottle. "I went through my house for supplies, and found these in the medicine cabinet. You can have them." I handed the bottle to Larry, who frowned at the label. Then nodded. He opened the bottle and downed two pills, sighing in relief afterwards.
"Thanks, for the both of us," Lilly said, a smile on her face. "I know dad won't say it." She continued, frowning at Larry, who harrumphed back.
"So," Kenny said, "We've got the pills. Awesome. We still need another car. We probably want access behind the counter anyway, since he's gonna run out of pills eventually."
Lee and Lilly nodded, but Glen spoke up next. "I can do a gas run. There's this motel, just outside of town. It's far enough out that the Walker's shouldn't have overrun it yet. Might be a car we can use, too. I'm Glen, by the way." He looked a little put out that no-one had asked earlier.
"You do that," Lilly said. I quickly grabbed the hand-held radios from my bag and joined the circle of adults.
"I've got some radios. You can take one, and call if something's wrong." Glen took one, smiling.
"Great! Man kid, you're just a little pack-rat, aren't ya?" I shrugged.
"Better a pack-rat, than not having what you need, right?" I said.
"True, I guess."
And so, Glen snuck out the back door to go to the motel, Lee started talking to folks, Lilly and Larry huddled over in a corner, talking quietly.
Meanwhile, I looked around the store, then tried to get Carly's attention.
"Can you help me?"
"Sure. Clementine, was it? What can I help you with?" I grabbed a couple of backpacks from their hooks on the wall and smiled at her.
"We need to fill these bags with as much food and water as we can." She took the bags, watching as I took another couple.
"You know that's stealing?" She asked, raised eyebrow and all. I shrugged.
"Is it? I hadn't noticed." I said sarcastically. "Carly? This is the Apocalypse. No-one is tending the farms. No-one is running the factories. That means no-one is making food anymore. We need to get ahead, and find as much food as we can, while we can."
I probably weirded her out. I'm not selling the 'eight year old' act well. Then again, I'm not trying to.
Either way, she helped me. By the time Glen called in for backup, we had five backpacks full of energy bars, canned food and bottled water.
Hey, Kid. I uh, I need some help." The radio squawked. Glen, whispering. The noise drew the attention of the others, and I raised it to my face.
"Hey Glen, did you get into trouble?" Lilly, Kenny and Lee all walked up to me as glen replied.
"You could say that, yeah. I got the fuel, but a load of those things came out of the woods. I'm trapped. Could, ah, could you get your daddy to come help?" I sighed, and handed the radio to Lee.
"Glen, We're coming. You stay put. Any of the cars there look useable?" He said.
"Yeah, a couple. Look, I'm not in the best spot here. Could you get here asap?"
"Carly and I'll be there soon." Lee looked at Carly with a silent question. She nodded back. Lee handed the radio back to me, and I tucked it into my jacket pocket. "Keep up the good work, Sweetie." He smiled at me. (I blushed.)
Lee and Carly snuck out the back. Doug was still at the front door, keeping watch. Lilly went off to hang with her dad. Not sure what they were talking about, they were whispering and I was on the other side of the room. Kenny stayed, though, looking down at me curiously.
"You're a smart kid, Clem." He complimented. "Good thinking with the backpacks." I nodded. Carly and I had distributed the backpacks to people as we filled them. Lilly, Kenny, Doug, Lee and Carly all had packs now.
"Thanks." I replied. "How're Katja and Duck?" He looks back at the two hanging in the café area.
"They're good. We're good. Good thing Lee was there, otherwise those things might have gotten Katja, or Duck." He added, shivering at the thought. "Lee said he got the gun from you. So, thanks Clem. We owe you one."
"Well, It's my dad's gun. When Lee saw I had it, he asked if he could use it. I don't know how to, yet. Lee promised to teach me, though." Kenny nodded, but looked concerned.
"I'm not sure about that, but it's Lee's decision, I suppose. God, teaching a eight year old to shoot a gun. What is the world coming to." He looked depressed at the thought.
"Better to know, than not, right?" I said, receiving a nod.
"Ain't that the truth." He sighed. "Wish there was something to do, though. I'm gonna go crazy sittin in here doin' nothin."
I looked at the back door. I hadn't seen Lee go back there yet, except to leave to help Glen.
"Well, there is one thing we could do."
---SaS---
It didn't take long to clean up the office a bit. Desk moved, Blood cleaned. I made sure to grab the universal remote and the photo of Lee and his family. Lee wasn't back though. I thought about calling him on the radio, but that's a stupid idea. The noise would probably make things worse.
So, filling the time. The radio was on the bench. Lee had helped Carly get it working. I messed with the dials, trying to find a working station.
Nothing. Nada. Nope. Static. White noise.
Well, that's disappointing. Next: Doug! Love the character. Loveable goof. Oh, I'll admit, Carly x Lee is my OTP, and I barely ever saved Doug. That doesn't mean I want Doug the living person to die, though.
The man turned to look at me when I approached. "Hey, uh, Clem, right? What's up?"
"Just wondered if I could look outside." He looked nervous at that.
"I don't know. It's very dangerous out there, even with the gate being locked shut. You could get hurt, or worse." Well, that's a bust. I shrugged.
"Okay then. How did you end up here, anyway?" He brightened at that, probably glad I changed the subject.
"Well, I'm a IT Tech. Moved here a couple of months ago. Back when this whole thing started, I saw Carly and her production team be attacked by those things. I tried to help them, but I only managed to save Carly. The rest of the team... Well..." He shook his head. "It wasn't pretty. We came in here, found Lilly, Larry and Glen trying to break into the office. What about you, Clem? You seem like you've seen some stuff."
"My parents are in Savannah, I was home with the babysitter. When people started running and screaming I hid in my treehouse. That night, I heard my Sandra, my babysitter, scream. When I went back in for food, I found her walking around. I... I did what I had to." I shivered. Close-range is a mistake when fighting zombies. Maybe a spear, or something. Though I'm not exactly strong enough to use a spear. "I found Lee in the forest behind my house. I helped him get away from the monsters, bandaged his leg, and we've been together since."
"Wow. I don't know if I could have done that." He looks back out the window, then to me. "Hey, listen. You're small, so here's some advice. When you fight people bigger than you, like the monsters, you can't do it directly." I nodded, thinking of Sandra again.
"Try to keep some distance. I heard you talking to Kenny, and I agree. I don't like the idea of a kid using a gun, but it's better to know how, than not to." He said, lots of hand-movement and waving around. "But sometimes that's not enough. Eventually, one will get in close-"
Katja, Duck and Kenny all left their corner, heading to the toilet. Shit. Wait, breath. Okay. The door's locked, key's under the counter.
"- and that's when... Clem, are you listening?" Doug asked, looking a bit offended.
"Uh, yeah. I am, Doug. I just... Gotta use the little girl's room." His expression 180's into embarrassment.
"Right. It's, uh, over in the corner, there." I nod and walk off, meeting Kenny and his family there. Kenny tried the lock.
"Damnit, locked." Kenny said, "Let me look around. The key should be somewhere around here."
He went to check the counter just as i got there.
"Hi, Clementine." Katja said with a smile. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay. I, uh, just need to use the bathroom." She smiled kindly.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Clem. Duck, honey, let's let Clem go first, okay?"
"Mooooom, but why? I need to go too!" Duck whined. And he's meant to be older than me?
"Because it's polite to let ladies use the restroom first, baby." Katja soothed her petulant child.
"Hah!" Kenny cried in victory. "Got it!"
Like you would expect, it was a little key, key-chained to a large rectangular piece of plastic. When he walked back to us, he raised an eyebrow at me and looked at his wife. She tilted her head towards me and he nodded.
"Here you go, Clem. Take your time." He handed me the key. I took a breath. Right.
I took the key, put it in the lock and turned. There was a clunk, but nothing else. I pushed open the door, tense, and jumped back when the zombie fell through the opened doorway. It landed flat on the ground, a foot away from me.
"Shit!" "Fuck!" "What the HELL?!" "Jesus Christ!" "AAAAH!"
I quickly grabbed one of the screwdrivers from my pocket and slammed it, point down, on the side of the walker's head. Within the second, it's moans stopped and it's limbs dropped to the floor.
That was a lot better than last time. I pulled the screwdriver from it's head and wiped the blood and brain matter off on a clean part of it's clothes. Then I turned around, to wide eyes from everyone in the building.
"Umm... Can someone get this thing out of here? It really stinks."
---SaS---
When Lee got back, it was to relieved looks. Kenny took him, Carly and Glen aside and explained, all of them glancing over at me at some point.
I was sat on a chair, looking through a magazine, when Lee kneeled down in front of me.
"Hey Sweetie, are you okay?" I nodded, looking up.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I glanced down to the blood streaked across the floor, left behind by the zombie as they dragged the corpse out the back door. "It was easier than before." I noted, "The screwdriver stopped it faster than the hammer or knife did." Lee looked concerned, but nodded.
"That's good. I'm sorry you had to do that. It's our fault for not checking the building properly." Lee admitted.
"You had other things to worry about." I said, shaking my head. "It's not your fault." He shook his own head.
"No, it is. We should be the ones protecting you, not you protecting us." He explained, then he looked at the toilet. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around how it got in there..."
"I think he must have got bitten, then hid in the toilet." I explained, to a nod.
"Yeah, then he..." Lee trailed off.
"Turned into a monster?" I finished. Lee nodded, sagely.
"Right."
We were awkwardly silent for a few seconds. I grabbed the picture from my pocket and handed it to him.
"Kenny and I cleaned up the office, and I found this. I think it's yours." He took the picture and smiled sadly.
"Thanks, Clem." He put a hand on my head.
Wait. He put a hand on my head.
Wait.
No!
HOW DID I FORGET TO GRAB THE CAP!?
---SaS---
I made sure to give the remote to Lee, then quickly began searching my bag.
Damn it.
Clementine's trademark look!
Gone.
Le Sigh.
Well, this is a thing now. Guess i need to find my own look. I'm not the original Clem, so I shouldn't copy her.
After that, things start happening very quickly.
Lee and Doug manage to get the key from Lee's brother's corpse, unintentionally drawing every zombie on the street right to the pharmacy.
"We got the Key, lets get some stuff from the back, and Go!" Lee exclaimed.
"I'll bring my truck around!" Kenny said, running out the back with his wife and son. Larry, Lilly and Glen follow. Carly and Lee aimed their guns at the front of the store, waiting for the inevitable moment the walkers broke through.
Personally, I make sure Doug was nowhere near the window when they did.
With two pistols and ammo in easy reach, Carly and Lee kept them away, while drawing the ones nearby to us and away from the rest of the group outside.
With that, we made a shooting retreat. Carly and Lee were the last two through the door. We piled into Kenny's truck and Glen's car. I watched from the back seat of the truck as the dead emerged from the doorway.
Lee helped Carly, Larry wasn't angry with Lee, Lilly worked with Kenny and Lee, setting the scene for a less combative and contested leadership. Doug didn't get chomped.
So why am I still so nervous?
---SaS---
It's been a looong night.
Full moon overhead, (Ominous), the group arrived at the Travelier Motel at what feels like one or two am. Kenny, Lilly and Lee are all talking by the RV. Carly and Doug are checking every room with keys found in the main office, making sure that they're all empty of any more 'surprises'.
Given the fence on the balcony is still intact, Lee must have let the girl go out on her own terms.
Good man.
Katja, Duck and I go into the office, finding a small apartment for the owner behind the main desk. We pack all the food Carly and I looted away in the pantry. It was mostly non-perishables, given we'd looted a pharmacy and not a supermarket.
Note: Loot supermarkets first.
Duck was talking my ear off the whole time, but I tuned him out. He didn't seem to care that i wasn't listening. Probably just trying to distract himself.
When we came back outside, Glen was being bid farewell. So, I walked up to say goodbye.
"Good luck, Glen." I said. I hadn't watched the TV show, but I knew Glen was in for a wild ride. "Be careful. I have a bad feeling about Atlanta." He gave a sad grin.
"Thanks kid. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He smirked. "My friends will need me. I'm the brains of our group, you know?"
"God, help them," Lee joked. We all laughed a little. (I giggled).
We waved as he drove off. Lee looked down at me. "Oh, Yeah." He waved around the other radio.
"I got this off Glen, earlier. Do you want it back?" This... This is good. This is VERY good.
I shake my head. "No, you keep it. It's better if we both have one each, that way if we get separated, or one of us is in trouble, the other can come help."
Lee smiles and nods.
Larry and Lilly walk over from the RV, Kenny from his truck. We can hear gunfire back towards town.
"I hope that's the sound of us winning this thing." Kenny said optimistically.
"Me too." Lilly agrees, Lee nods, but looks doubtful. I shake my head, but I think only Lee noticed.
"This motor inn's pretty damn defendable." Kenny continued, "We block off the entrances with some cars and keep someone on watch, we could stay here until the military rolls through."
"Sounds like a good plan." Lilly commented, a smile on her face for once.
"I agree." Lee added.
"We've got beds, we've got water, and most importantly, we've got light. There are worse places to call home," Kenny said. Yeah. Right, the light. Power cut in five, fou-
"Yeah. You're right. You know, guys, I think it's going to be okay." Lilly taunts murphy. One.
All the lights on the street and at the motor inn suddenly turn off.
I think it sunk in then, for the others.
This wasn't going to all be over in a week
Day 5: The 12th of August
The next day brought discord. Of course it did. But, probably not the kind you're thinking of.
You see, I put all the food in the one pantry for a reason.
So, there I was, stood in front of the pantry with grown adults frowning at me.
"We need to ration this food." I said, again. They had all wandered in this morning to get breakfast before working on the wall.
"Why?" Kenny asked, "We have plenty! If we're getting low, we can just go to town for more." I pointed at him, making him blink.
"That's exactly the reason we SHOULD be rationing. I said this to Carly in the Pharmacy: No one is making food anymore!" I explain. It's not really their fault, they think the military is going to get rid of all the zombies for them, and then life will go on.
I know better.
"We need to make sure this food lasts as long as possible. We should definitely go to town for more, but it shouldn't be because we've run out. It should be to make sure we have plenty." I continued, not letting the adults get a word in edgewise.
"Eventually, we're going to run out of food and we won't be able to find any more in Macon. I'd rather that day was months and months away, than a few weeks because you couldn't stop from stuffing your faces!" The adults were all shocked. This little slip of a girl was chewing them out. Some looked guilty though, Doug and Kenny mostly. They probably were gonna have a hearty breakfast.
Others though...
"Now, look here you little sh- Oof" Larry started, but quickly got an elbow to the side from his daughter, and glares from the others.
"Okay Clem, we get it. We'll ration the food." I squinted at her, then turned my judging gaze over the others. They looked suitably contrite.
"Good. Two of you help me. Everyone will get their fair share, and I'll make sure of it."
---SaS---
Day 6: The 13th of August
Not everyone (Larry) was happy with the rationing, but they understand why, even if they don't believe it's necessary just yet. Lilly and Katja helped me get food sorted for everyone. Two meals a day, everyone gets the same portions.
Work on the wall began yesterday, but those were mostly stop-gaps. Today, Cars were moved across the entryways and the low fence around the front was extended up. The back fence was mostly fine, but needed reinforcing. It wouldn't handle a dozen of the things trying to push it over. The work was mostly done by Lee, Kenny and Doug. Larry did almost nothing to help. Carly, Lilly and I all kept watch in different directions. We were vulnerable and didn't want to be caught off-guard
By the time night fell, cars lined with outward-facing wood blocked off the entrances and the walls were tall enough no walker could just 'climb' over it.
Everyone's claimed rooms. Lilly and Larry claimed two rooms from the middle building. Lee, Doug and Carly got the three rooms upstairs. Lee ended up choosing the room the girl hid in. Cleaning up that mess was not pretty, but it needed to be done.
Kenny, Katja and Duck all claimed one of the downstairs rooms in the main building. I grabbed the other one. That leaves four empty rooms for anyone that joins later. That thought reminded me of Mark, the man hiding in the Air Force base with the Commissary food.
I had overheard the adults talking about how supply runs were going to work. Two person teams with empty backpacks going out, and hopefully full coming back in.
"Hey, Lilly" I asked that night, when we were sitting down to eat.
"Yeah, Clementine?" She replied.
"You said the Air Force base was overrun, right?"
"Yeah, Why?" She raised an eyebrow at me.
"Shouldn't there be food there, since people lived on the base?" She frowned and thought, while i continued speaking. "And there should be ammo, guns and other supplies there too!" She slowly nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah! The commissary should still be well stocked. The armory too." She smiled at me. "Good thinking, Clem."
I smiled back at her. Lilly's actually a pretty nice person. Hopefully I can prevent the infighting and paranoia getting to her. She brought it up to Lee and Kenny that night, and they agreed it was worth a look. At least to see how overrun the place was.
The next day, Lee and Lilly when to check out the Air Base.
---SaS---
Day 7: The 14th of August
Lee and Lilly left early in the morning, just before sunrise. They walked out after a quick breakfast of canned beans, cooked over a gas burner.
The rest of us spent the morning organizing. Katja and I took full stock of all our supplies. We had another few days of food at full rations (Previously mentioned), as well as various other bits ands bobs. A few couches had been pulled from the unoccupied rooms to make up a little outdoor seating area next to the RV. Kenny also started looking into the engine on the RV. Someone had already boarded up the side and back windows on the thing, though not well.
"We can probably use this, when Macon dries up." He'd said to me when I asked, "Fill it up with food and spare fuel, jump in and drive away!"
"And where do you plan on going, huh? You don't honestly believe somewhere else will be any better than here, do you?" Carly butted in, pessimistically.
"No, but I'm a fisherman by trade. If we can get to the Coast and find a boat, we're home free. Those things can't swim, so we'll be safe." She didn't look convinced, and neither did I. Boat God was not to be deterred, however.
"It's a good plan!" He insisted. "Don't you want to go to Savannah anyway, Clem? Lee told me that's where your parent's went, before all this started." Ouch, dick move bro.
"Yeah," I said. "I want to know if they're okay." Honestly, I didn't. Savannah is a fucking deathtrap. I can't exactly tell them that, though. They'd find it supremely strange that a little girl wouldn't care about what happened to her parents.
"The last message they left for me on the answering machine didn't sound good, though." I said, sounding sad. "Mom said some guy attacked Dad, and that they were in a hospital." (My voice gained a quiver at that.)
The adults shared a glance, then Carly knelt next to me and gave me a hug. "It's okay, Clem. I'm sure they're fine. From what I know, they seem like smart people." I nodded. "Then they'll know what to do. They did a great job teaching you everything you needed to know, right?" Eeeeeeh.
Then Kenny tried to start the RV. It didn't even turn over.
"Shit. Well, guess we've got a lot of work to do." He stated.
Later that evening, Lilly and Lee returned.
"Well, the place is mostly clear," Lilly said as they ate a late dinner. "If we take the truck, we could get in pretty easily, pack as much food as we can in it, and get back here before lunch." Smart. A backpack can only hold so much food. A truck's bed, however, can hold a lot more.
---SaS---
Day 8: The 15th of August
Kenny was right. By lunch, they were back.
And oh boy, they'd come home with a haul.
First, they introduced us to Mark. He'd barricaded himself in the commissary just as the base fell. Eventually the walkers that knew he was there gave up and wandered off. He was relieved to be saved, and happy that we'd let him join us.
"After all that food you let us share," Lee had said, "You definitely deserve a place."
Boxes and boxes of food, ammunition and other supplies. Warm clothes for everyone, (Army issue, but better than nothing.) Automatic Rifles and Semi-Automatics, Pistols and Shotguns.
"That's a lot of guns." Doug noted, looking uneasy. It was, indeed, a lot of fucking guns.
"Better in our hands, than going to waste" Kenny said, attitude upbeat and not coming down.
"I'll sort out a training schedule." Lilly volunteered, "No offence, but you people aren't military. You have almost no gun discipline, and we should fix that asap."
No one protested when I added myself to her schedule.
---SaS---
Day 16: The 23th of August
We still had plenty of food, but plenty isn't enough. Every other day, teams of two went to town to scavenge. Most of the time, they didn't bring back much. Walkers interrupted them or blocked the way, and they couldn't exactly start shooting without drawing a whole bunch of them.
We only had the once silencer, and the more we use it, the worse it'll get.
We'd also gone back to the Air Base to pick up the rest of the commissary food.
What, you think a half-dozen boxes of food were all they stored there?
That base had hundreds of personnel on site. After some math and counting, Katja and I (Mostly Katja, a first grader won't know calculus) predict that with our current food consumption, we've got enough to last five months. That's not counting the supermarkets and grocery stores we haven't looted yet.
We've got plenty of meds too, looted from the pharmacy. Hell, we took the supplements and vitamins as well. They would keep us healthy when we were still eating the minimum amount we needed to get by.
What? Like I said before, nobody is growing food. Gotta keep up the rationing.
Oh, and Katja cut my hair. We tried a few styles, but I didn't like any of them. Eventually, we just cut most of it off.
I like it. Makes me look less like a girl.
---SaS---
Day 31: The 7th of September
August had ended, and with it the summer.
Exactly one month after it all started, we came together by the campfire and shared stories of the times before.
"...and so I said, 'Barry you lazy bum, get over here with the net!' " Kenny exclaimed, miming that he was straining to hold on to a fishing rod. "So he grabs it and runs over, leans over the side to get the damn thing in a net and then Splash!, he falls right over the side and into the freezing cold Atlantic water." He shook his head as we all laughed.
"Lost the Marlin, too. Crying shame." Warm chuckles and smiles all around. Duck and I were roasting some marshmallows. Well, I was roasting them. I didn't have a taste for them in my previous life, but Clem's tongue loved the sweet, gooey, sugary goodness.
Duck let his first two catch fire, before he got told off for wasting food. The little pyromaniac still let his go almost charred before he ate them.
Doug and Carly were sitting quite close, stealing glances at each other. You know, I had noticed them sneaking off together. Sad, I liked Lee with Carly.
Mark was next in line to talk. He went on to describe some of the stupid shit his group in basic training had done.
For one night, we forgot about the apocalypse just outside the motel walls.
It was a good night.
---SaS---
Day 32: The 8th of August
The next morning, however, was not as fun.
Our revelry had drawn quite a few zombies, who's noise in turn brought more zombies, and our walls were tested for the first time since we set up here.
The back fences, being properly installed and thoroughly reinforced, held well. The front, almost entirely hand-built, wall; not so much. The non-combatants of the group, (Katja, Duck, and Doug) had retreated to one of the balcony rooms. I was on the balcony itself, picking off zombies coming down the street to join the assault.
I'm so glad they trusted me with one of the semi-autos.
Meanwhile, on the ground, The walkers were climbing over the cars.
Turns out, the freshly turned still had plenty of motor control. It's likely that, as they degrade and rot, that'll change.
Lee, Lilly, Larry, Kenny, Carly and Mark were picking them off as they climbed the fence. For a whole twenty minutes we worked to clear the small horde that was determined to eat us.
It was the work of hours to pull all the bodies off the wall and pile them up on the road. That night, we watched from within our hastily-reinforced walls as the corpses burned.
"We need a name for them." Lee said, breaking the sombre silence. "Something to sperate them from the people they were, before." A few people nodded.
"Well, They're dead, but not. So, Undead?" Doug blurted out his suggestion. A few looks had him flush. "I, uh, you might have noticed that I'm a bit of a nerd. I've been calling them that in my head for weeks."
Some people nodded, but Katja shook her head. "Probably better not to think of them as the Dead. I don't think its good for us focus on that." Doug frowned, then nodded, accepting that. Carly nudged his side, cheering him up.
"Walkers?" Lee suggested, "Cuz, you know, they're walking around when they shouldn't be?"
"Maybe." Kenny continued, giving his wife a side-hug. "I vote for Lurkers. Some of you wouldn't have seen it, but in town they like to hide and wait. When someone makes a noise they come pouring out of every little place, when before you didn't even know they were there."
The discussion went on long into the night. The bonfire burned down slow. By morning all that was left was charred bones and ashes.
They still ended up calling them Walkers.
Sometimes I really wish this universe had zombie movies and fiction. Maybe then, people would have been more prepared.
At least one good thing came of this. No-one was acting like the military was going to come in and fix everything anymore. We needed to fend for ourselves.
---SaS---
Day 85: The 31st of October
"Pleeeeeease!" Duck begged his mother, and anyone else who would listen.
"No, Duck."
"But it's Halloween!" He insisted. "Can we please have some candy?"
Almost three months into the apocalypse, and we were chugging along fine. We still had loads of food, plenty scavenged from local supermarkets and the pantries of most of the houses on our side of the town. Lee said they'd started putting red crosses of paint on the front door of houses they'd checked.
One thing they hadn't brought back though, was candy. Personally, I agree. While candy has plenty of sugars it's not exactly necessary for survival.
"Duck, baby, we haven't got any." Katja explained. Duck drooped and walked off, looking depressed.
It was just after breakfast on that cool morning. A chill wind had started blowing from the south and i was bundled up in an army-issue windbreaker and thermal top. They didn't exactly have anything my size though and tailoring could only do so much. The sleeves slipped down just past my fingers and the thing was so long it would count as a dress.
"Did you want any Candy, Clem?" Lee asked me, watching Duck walk away candiless.
I shook my head. "No, I'm good." He raised an eyebrow at me.
It was only later that evening, not long after dinner, when Lee and Kenny approached us.
"Here you go kids. Happy Halloween!" Kenny said with a massive grin. In his hands, he held a bowl filled with different candies. Then I remembered.
They'd gone on a supply run yesterday, but said they got chased off. They were gone a long time though, long enough to sneak into a store and loot it for all it was worth.
Lee handed me a bowl of my own, with a cheeky grin.
"I know you have a sweet tooth, Sweetie. If you want something, just tell me, okay?" I nodded. (blushing)
That candy was the best thing I'd had since the marshmallows
---SaS---
Day 92: The 7th of August
It was a good day. We had food, warmth, shelter and defences. We could stay here another four months, at least.
Lee, Mark and Kenny had all gone out hunting, hoping to put some fresh meat on the table tonight.
When they came running out of the woods with a legless man and a tall, skinny boy who could only be Ben, I remembered.
Shit. The St Johns.
How the fuck am I gonna prevent this mess
Day 92: The 7th of August
Of course it'd happen today.
On the afternoon of the three month anniversary of our new lives; Lee, Kenny and Mark brought back a man with one and a half legs, and a gangly brown-haired kid.
Things moved very quickly. Katja had been teaching Duck and I some first aid over the last few months, so i quickly joined her in examining the injured man.
Even as we tried to stem the blood loss, I knew it was too late. Katja did too, from the look in her eyes.
Lilly was a little pissed that they'd brought the man and teen back, especially with the man being down a leg.
"We can't take risks like this! We might have enough food for now, but two more mouths to feed means less food for the rest of us." She argued as Katja and I bandaged the leg. The group kept talking, and people welcomed Ben. People started drifting away and Carly went to organise Ben a room.
Twenty minutes later, David passed.
We tried our best, but he died painlessly. Never woke up even once. while we were working, the others had let us be, but as soon as we stepped back from the new corpse, the leaders of the group, Lee, Kenny and Lilly, approached us.
"Did you save him?" Lee asked, hope in his eyes. When we shook our heads, the man slumped. "It's my fault." He said. "His leg was caught in a bear trap, and the release mechanism wasn't there. I had to cut off his leg to free him."
"You did the best you could." Katja soothed, patting his shoulder.
"Yeah Lee, not your fault. Too bad about the other kid though. You'd think someone who'd survived this long would have better survival instincts." Kenny added, q hand on his shoulder.
Lilly frowned. "Maybe it's better this way. He'd probably not enjoy the rest of his life without a leg. Imagine trying to run from the Walkers on crutches, or in a wheelchair." The others cringed and agreed.
Meanwhile, I kept an eye on the corpse. The moment he shifted, I shouted, pointing.
"Walker!" The others jumped away, Katja bundled behind Kenny and everyone brought up their guns. When the Walker sat up, a shot from Lilly's rifle between the eyes put the thing down with a thud.
Then she turned to Lee and Kenny, expression thunderous.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU BRING HIM BACK IF HE WAS BITTEN!?" She shouted angrily as the others ran over to see the commotion.
"Ben said he wasn't!" Lee Insisted. "We asked, and he said no. The man looked fine, apart from the bear-trap."
"It's true." Katja agreed. "That man had no other wounds. Just the leg. He wasn't bitten."
"You guys don't know?" Ben interrupted. He shrank back when everyone in the group turned to face him. When he had gathered his strength, he continued.
"It's not the bite that does it. You come back no matter how you die." He stated, to a shocked silence. "If you don't destroy the brain, that's just what happens. It's gonna happen to ALL of us."
"What..." "The Hell?" "God help us." Were among some of the mutters he received.
"Jesus Christ." Kenny spoke. "If you just DIE and that's all it takes, then, shit, one fatal car wreck and a family of five turns into a family of walkers."
"It makes sense." Lilly said. "Suicides, accidents... Everyone who died just made more of them."
"No wonder it spread so quickly." Mark agreed.
"When I first saw it happen, we were all hiding out in a gym and everybody thought we were finally safe." Ben said, starting quiet, but with more confidence as he went. "But one of the girls, Jenny Pitcher, I think, I guess she couldn't take it. She took some pills. A lot of them. Someone went in the girls' room the next morning, and... God..."
"So, we're all Infected?" I ask, into the silence. "We're all going to turn into one of those things?" Not on my watch, they wont.
"Not on my watch, you wont." Lee said to me, pulling me into a hug. Wow. We are so in sync.
Carly, who was on watch, did her job well. Even before Doug's alarm system went off, she spotted the two men on the street.
"Get Down! Two living from town!" She whisper-shouted. Quickly, everyone ducked behind the wall or the RV. Guns were pulled and loaded. Safeties' off. When Doug's alarm rang I smiled. The man was pretty smart. He'd used some string and pullies to hook a line across the road the through the trees, all the way over the west wall. He'd hooked it up to a little bell, which rang when something pulled on the shin-height string. He'd set it up after the horde dropped on us two months ago. A little warning is better than none.
"Damnit! Where'd this string come from?" The shorter one holding the rifle the rifle exclaimed
"Watch where you're walking, man." The taller, stockier one berated the other. Lilly, Lee and Ben and I were all near each other, backs against the wall. As the two men got closer, we ducked down out of view. Lilly started whispering.
"Who are those people?!" She asked, looking towards Ben.
"I--I don't know!" Ben replied quietly.
"Are they the people that raided your camp?" Lee asked, a bit more kindly than Lilly.
"I don't think so." He replied, calmer. "But they all had their faces covered, so I don't know."
"Well, they're friendly, we don't wanna hurt them." Lee nodded. "They're not part of your group, are they?"
"No. Mr. Parker, Travis, and I were the last--the last ones." Ben replied, a hitch in his voice. It was sad. A whole group of teenagers on a band trip. Very bad luck.
"You think there's some gas here?" The one with the rifle, Danny, asked his brother. They were still a dozen meters down the road.
"I don't know. Someone's been going through town, looting everything, and it's NOT those bastards from the Save-Lots. We just need to keep an eye out." Andy replied.
When they got closer, Lilly caught the eyes of everyone hiding she could see and started counting down with her fingers, mouthing the numbers.
Three. Two. One.
After one, everyone with a gun (Lilly, Lee, Kenny, Mark, Larry and Carly) Stood up from behind the wall and cocked their weapons loudly. The St Johns stopped, turned white, and probably dry swallowed.
"That's far enough" Lilly commanded, her rifle trained on Andy's forehead. "Gun on the ground, hands in the air."
The brothers nodded quickly. Danny placed his rifle on the ground and joined his brother in praising the sun.
"Who are you. What do you want." She continued. It had come up in previous group meetings, how to deal with any other people we find. The opinion that gained the most support was. Be friendly, but verify and negotiate from a position of power.
"I'm Andy St John, this is my brother Danny. We live on a dairy farm a few miles out of town." Andy stated, eyes jumping from gun to gun and the people behind them. When his eyes landed on the eight year old in army-issue with blood covering her sleeves, pointing a rifle at him, they widened further. Yes, the Gun-Loli is surprising and unexpected. Deal with it.
"A Dairy Farm?" Lilly enquired, "Not exactly the most defendable position." We'd also agreed to let Lilly be our spokeswoman. She was the calmest under pressure. Of course, with the given we were a republic, all decisions still needed to be made between our trifecta.
"We've got an Electric Fence. Fries those monsters up good." Danny answered. His brother nodded.
"Our generator runs on gas. We've been scrounging up any we can. The farm can support us just fine, food-wise." His eyes jumped around again. "You folks the one's lootin' town? You look well-fed."
"We're doing just fine." Lilly answered, without answering. She squinted at them. "You two stay there. No sudden moves. Carly, Mark, keep an eye on them." The two nodded, their guns and eyes not wavering.
Everyone else dispersed, but kept an eye on the strange men. It WAS kinda strange, seeing other people after so long alone. Lee, Lilly and Kenny all moved behind the RV. Katja and Duck stood with Kenny, Doug and I stood with Lee, and Lilly had her dad. She would have had Mark with her too, if he wasn't watching the brothers. Ben stood off to the side, watching. The Counsel was assembled.
"What are we thinking?" Lilly prompted. She was being quiet enough that the St Johns couldn't hear a word. Kenny quickly replied.
"Dairy farm means milk, potentially Eggs." He though for a second. "Chickens would be real noisemakers though. Probably not a good idea to keep them around." He added.
"Dairy farm means a lot of land." Lee said his piece. "Which is a lot to protect. I don't know how effective an Electric fence would be on the walkers, but it sounds flimsy, especially if they're running off a generator. They've also probably had to cull most of their cows, for food if nothing else."
"Could we trade for something? It'd be nice to get some milk." Katja offered, "We have a lot of gas we haven't used, too much to take with us if we leave in the RV." Everyone thought for a second.
"I'd die for a coffee." Larry stated, looking excited. When Lilly frowned at him, he looked sheepish. "Poor choice of words."
"We agree then, some gas for milk and maybe other products?" Lilly asks, looking around. Lee hummed.
"I don't know that milk is worth the gas. Gas is a finite resource, now, while they get more milk from their cows every day." He reasoned.
"We could ask them?" I said. When they looked at me, I continued. "We don't know what they have. We could ask what they think the gas is worth to them. If they need it to stay defended, they'll really want to trade for it." They took my suggestion seriously, thanks to all my work these last few months being mature and reasonable.
We discussed it a bit more, but we really did have loads of fuel, and we couldn't take it all with us.
Lilly walked back to the fence.
"What do you have to offer?" She asked. The two boys jumped on the question like a lifeline.
"We have milk, some fresh vegetables and herbs. We have plenty of baked goods too, as well as other things." Andy said evasively. "If you're willing to trade for it? A few gallons will keep our generator going for a while."
Lilly looked back at the grouping of people behind her. When she received nods, she turned back.
"Alright. We'll bring some gas to your dairy, When we can confirm what you're willing to trade, we'll bring the rest of the gas." She waved Mark and Carly to lower their weapons, making Andy and Danny sigh. Danny picked up his rifle, but kept it pointed at the ground.
"Much obliged!"
---SaS---
"I don't like this." I said to Lee as the others prepped for the journey. Lee, Carly, Doug, and Mark had volunteered to go and confirm they could trade. They were taking their guns, they were better trained, more cohesive, and definitely more prepared than if I hadn't been here, but I knew things could go wrong.
"It'll be alright, Sweetie. When we get there, I'll radio you, and let you know what's going on." He reasoned, with a reassuring smile.
"I still don't like it." I crossed my arms (and huffed, pouting). "Keep an eye on each other." I continued, serious. "Don't let anyone go off on their own. I don't trust those two. They give me a bad feeling" Lee smiled, but nodded seriously.
"Yes, miss Clementine, ma'am!" He mock saluted. I rolled my eyes. I maybe ordered people around a bit too often. I always had a reason for it, and they agreed to do what I said, but they still started joking around about it. I knew it was in good humour.
As they walked off, with the brothers leading the way and my friends wary, I kept my radio close.
I made sure the jerry cans were ready to go the moment he called.
We would get there before Mark got injured. He's a good guy. He doesn't deserve his canon fate.
I'm not losing anyone