"In a world devoid of hope, does love flourish or simply become lost in the carnage. Can it exist when the world is filled with flesh eating monsters and empty cities?"
After rejecting the offer to enter Wellington, Clementine, AJ, and Kenny decided to proceed east. With two bags of supplies and a lead giving by the residents of Wellington this seemed to be the best course of action. Several of the residents claim a city laid to the east that was helping survivors as well as taking them in.
"Its worth a shot" Kenny Thought
An hour or two of walking later, the group finally started to find sighs of the towns existence, a worn rotten sign reading..
"Salvation East"
"How much farther do you think this town is Ken?
"Who knows, just be glad we are out of that cold though you shouldn't even be here"
"What did you want me to do Kenny, leave you all alone? I couldn't do that to you"
"Clem it's not just about you or me its about AJ we have to think about him too"
"I know that Ken but I just couldn't..."
"Sigh, it's fine Clem, can't dwell on it now just remember we think for more than just us, though glad to have the company"
Kenny and Clem smiled at one another
"Well best to just move forward, hopefully we will find some shelter soon, would hate to have to perch up outside"
"Do you think this place is still exist Ken"
"Of course it does Wellington did it's only a matter of time"
"Kenny..."
"Don't worry it's there I know it"
Hours passed, nothing came of their journey just walker filled landscape until...
Clem walking in front takes care two walkers on a the hill in front of them, a swift ax to one a chop to the leg and a stab to the head to the other
As Clem stood at the top of the hill she sigh, Clementine was used to this, she had lost many people along her journey, she had already learned her lesson never be hopeful you will only get disappointed. As Clem looked at the empty city she thought back to the start of this journey and than to Kenny a faint tug in her chest came with the thought something unfamiliar to Clem and she wondered what this could mean.
"Clem... Clem What is it?"
"It's nothing Ken nothing at all"
Ken got to the top of the hill and saw the sight of the barren city and just as Clem did, Kenny sighed but looked forward at least that's what Clem thought
"Whats the plan now Ken?"
"Lets go and check the town see if there is any sign of supplies or maybe a map or something anything"
The way Ken looked made Clem realized that she was only one who did not feel the dissappointed me of the empty city. Kenny was hopeful, he wanted the city to be real, to be bustling. As Clem pondered this she felt her heart tug again this time it was beating fast, was it worry or something else Clem could only figure that it was linked to Kenny.
As they proceeded into the city they all noticed that the city was uncomfortably barren there were no people but also no walkers the city was actually devoid of life and death. The trio stopped to feed AJ who despite being a baby was quite like he knew the circumstance his cry would bring. They found a set of old restaurant chairs outside a rotten decay store.
"Clem since I'm here feeding AJ you should check our surrounding make sure the city is really empty and not just hiding the danger"
"Alight got it I'll be right back don't go anywhere"
"Heh Wouldn't dream of it" Kenny Smiled
Clementine proceeded into the seemingly empty city, carefully turning corners and taking cation. She had come this far she wasn't going to let a dead city and Kenny catch her off guard. Wait she thought Kenny why was she worried about him, her heart began to beat fast again at his thought. She didn't understand what she was feeling she found her self staring at him when he couldn't see, his smile holding a new meaning to her, his survival holding the utmost importance to her more than it used to.
This unknown feel this lack of input on her own emotions was beginning to affect Clementine, she felt anger towards this unknown feeling she wanted it to go away it was clouding her judgment. As she sat down to think she was startled by a half starved walker falling out of one of the building's windows, it was still moving she walk over and began to beat the walker smashing its skull over and over killing it a good several times. Breathing heavy and feeling somewhat satisfied clementine sat down thinking about what she was going to do about this unknown trouble some emotion.
"Something bothering you Clem?"
A familiar voice asked a voice clementine had not hear since savannah it almost made her cried as soon as it hit her ears.
"Lee!" She leaped forward and hugged him
"Lee how I thought, at Savannah I..."
"Hey hey calm down since you got me here lets talk about whats bugging you why you can ok"
She nodded in agreement
"So Whats on your mind Clem?"
"I don't know what your talking about Lee I'm fine" she said playfully
She didn't know what came over her she knew something was wrong but seeing lee here even it was only a figment of her stressed mine made her want to dance around the subject maybe if only to keep Lee around a bit longer.
"Clem we both know that's not true just look at what you did to that walker over there" he said pointing to the blood pool that used to be the walkers head"
"Alight you got me, I've been feeling weird Lee I cant think straight and my heart is constantly beating fast though its only when I'm around Kenny."
"Well from the sounds of it you got yourself a crush" he replied
"A crush you mean I feel think way because I have a crush on Kenny"
"Well maybe more than a crush I suppose maybe love"
"Love? But he is, I'm..."
"You don't get to choose who you fall for Clem it just happens, you heart chooses who you fall for"
"I mean it makes sense lee but what do I do I cant just tell Kenny can I?"
"Why not?"
"Well it could make things uncomfortable between us it could affect our survival"
"And holding in your emotions isn't?"
"Well..."
"Clementine, You live in a world were you could lose someone in an instant, you cant take a risk in not telling someone how you feel about them because nowadays you don't know if that last goodbye really will be the last and besides you know that Kenny would never shut you out or make it awkward."
She looked at lee and smiled
"Your right Lee," She started to cry
"Clem What's..."
"I miss you so much Lee you always knew how to help me through a jam I'll tell him"
Lee placed his hand on Clementine's head smiled than faded away
Clementine stood up with new resolve she knew she had to...
She stopped herself how was she going to tell him she couldn't just come out and say it could she?
She pondered this as she turned back toward the building that AJ and Kenny were seated out of , She walked over seeing AJ asleep and Kenny fiddling with an old radio
"Hey Clem find anything?"
"Nothing But more empty city ken what are you messing with"
"I'm seeing if I can get this old radio to work"
"Why I doubt any signal will come though"
"Hey you never know. it could be an old music broadcast station or something of the like it would be nice to have something to listen to instead of this uneasy quiet"
She just chuckled at kens attempts to fix the old piece of equipment
As the day grew to night they decided that they would stay the night in the town as itt seemed safe until …
As night hit the familiar sound of groans filled the air in minutes the trio was surrounded
"Shit where did they even come from" said Kenny
"Ken look at their eyes, these are different from the typical walker"
Clem was remarking the red glow seeming to come from the walkers eyes almost bloodthirsty
"They must have been waiting for the sun to go down"
"What kind of walker does that" She questioned
"I don't know but it must be why this town is empty"
The walker let out scream after scream that echoed through the once empty city unable to escape the trio fled into the apartment building behind them climbing stairs and closing doors behind the as the groans grew louder finally they reached the roof and what they found shocked them spared out across the roof top were make shift camps and temporary homes a sign laid at the edge of each roof with the same unsettling sentence.
"Death is the only true salvation"
A suicide city thousand came here to end the torment they felt in this Apocalypse and now those thousands were beating down the doors to get to the three. Barricading the rooftop door with the remains of the camp supplies that laid on the roof the trio sat and waited unsure of the outcome that would laid before ahead of them. Just as they weight there options the groans and cries grew softer at least for the moment they were safe.
But what if they broke in, what if this was the last time she would see...no, feeling that if she didn't say anything now she would never get a chance to, Clem called to Kenny just as he found a plug to fit the radio
Clem look it still works and I think I found a music station to listen to while we wait for them to spread out a little than we can make a break for it, we will stay hear til then. After that we can think about where to go next.
"Ken"
A guitar and a slow beat echoed from the radio
"Kenny I love you"
"someone falls to pieces sleeping all alone..someone kills the pain"
"Oh Clem don't worry we will.."
The look on Clementine's face told ken what she really meant
"Spinning in the silence to finally drift away"
"No ken I mean I really love you, you make my heart beat fast and my thoughts drift "
"Someone gets excited on the chapel yard and catches a bouquet"
"And I feel if I don't tell you now I don't know what might happen I don't know if I will get another chance I"
"Its ok Clem I understand but.."
"Another lays a dozen white roses on a grave"
"But I love you as my very own daughter I want to protect you and care for you but I don't feel nothing more or anything less"
"And to be yourself is all that you can do"
Clem felt her heart break a little rejection hurts even if its done in a nice way she felt her eyes beginning to water and when she did she slapped herself , she would not cry she had done enough of that for worse reasons and she was stronger than that and this was not the time.
She smiled
"Clem?"
She walks over and sits next to Kenny
"I'm glad I don't have to wonder about your answer anymore its a real weight lifter"
Kenny smiled back at Clem
"I'm glad clementine..."
The happy moment was cut short by the sound of groans and clawing on the blocked door, the sound of cracking and breaking filled the rooftop hoe long would the barricade hold?
Neither knew that answer they could only hope and wait expecting the worst the two look at each other in a new found resolve. The radio finally cut out with the last line of the song echoing through the newly bustling city.
"And to be yourself is all that you can do..."
"In a world devoid of hope and love, small pockets of love can prevail but only if you survive long enough to display such an emotion"