Another night. Another day gone, with no one to talk to. Clementine thought she would be used to this, by now. Ever since she lost Kenny, she had worked so hard to keep AJ safe, continuing the promise she had collectively made with the group to his mother when she died. So far, so good, but lately Clementine had been keeping him somewhere she knew he'd be safe when she had to do dangerous tasks. Tonight was no different, as she set up her small camp and got ready to go to sleep. She was exhausted and needed rest, which didn't always come easy. It rarely did anymore, as she found it harder and harder to find a reason to keep going. As she laid down, she closed her eyes and thought about the day's events, all while trying to get some real sleep.
Clementine…
Her eyes opened. "Who's there?" she asked. All she got in reply was silence. Shrugging it off, she closed her eyes again. This time, she drifted off to sleep and found herself in a place she had all but forgotten.
Where am I? She thought, as she looked around. She was standing in someone's back yard. Around her were a pool, house, and a tree….with...a treehouse in it? Cautiously, she stepped toward the treehouse and reached for the door. Why does this seem so familiar? She thought.
Clementine…
She turned around again and gasped. There before her was someone she hadn't seen in years. "Hey, Clem," the figure said. "L-Lee?" Clementine asked, in shock. "Yes, it's me," Lee replied. "But how?" she asked. "I may have died in the world, but I've always been with you, sweet pea," he said. Then, he smiled. "Look at you. You've survived a long time." "Mostly because of what you taught me," she told him. Then she remembered their surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked her late friend. He looked around, then back at her. "I would've thought you'd recognize your old home, Clem," she said. Then, it hit her like a ton of bricks. The pool. The house. The Treehouse and...the tea set underneath it. Everything was exactly as she had left it when she went to find safety with Lee, so many years ago. The memories came flooding back and appeared before her eyes. She watched as Lee climbed over the fence, walkers trying to get him, only for a gunshot to turn their attention elsewhere. She watched as Lee tried and failed to get help from her in the treehouse. She had been too frightened of the undead back then to speak. That was until Sandra, well, what was left of her, tried to attack Lee. The scene unfolded before her, from the point of view of her eight year old self, and she remembered every detail. The vision ended with Lee leading her to the street, where their dangerous journey had begun. She shed a tear thinking back on the day that forever changed her life, then remembered Lee still standing before her.
"Hard to believe how long it's been, Lee," she said. "I've been with another group since then." She paused, with the pain of those days returning. "But….they're all gone. Luke, Nick, Sarah, Rebecca, Alvin, Carlos, Pete, Sarita, Walter, Jane,..." She started to cry as she reached the one that had meant the most to her after Lee's death. "K-Kenny." She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Lee giving her a comforting look. "It's how the world works, now, Clem," he said. "It's great to see people you come to love and care about make it through the day with you, but you know there's always a risk to take, with so many dangers out there." He pulled her to him and embraced her. She had missed those hugs, as they always helped her when she felt down. After releasing her, Lee spoke again. "I know how you feel," he said. "Losing people was something I hated. Especially when there was always the chance you would be next, never to know what happened to your parents. So many losses back then: Mark, Larry, Doug, Carley, Lilly, Duck, Katjaa, Chuck, Ben… It was bound to happen. There were also the problems that came up, like what happened at the St. Johns' Dairy. It hurt and was scarey, but we learned from those events, didn't we?" "Yeah." she replied. "I still keep my hair the way you put it on the train, after Duck died. And I keep my shooting skills sharp, practicing every chance I get." Lee smiled at her again. "You've kept yourself going through everything," he said. "I know it's hard to keep going, when it feels like everything's against you. Believe me. I know that all too well." She smiled at him, remembering how hard he fought to keep himself and their group going. "You were my main reason to not quit," he continued. "And now, just like me, you have a reason to keep going. To keep on living in this messed up world. Keep on fighting for that boy, sweet pea...and he'll live to take what you learned from me and pass it on to someone else, someday." With that, Lee faded from view, but not without one last thing to say.
I'm proud of you.
Clementine woke up with a start. She looked around and realized it was morning. What just happened? She thought. Taking several minutes, she processed the dream and realized that it had been all she had needed to remind herself that life can be worth it. "Thanks Lee," she said, knowing her old friend heard her somewhere out there. She packed up her gear and resumed her journey. As she walked, she thought about Lee and everything he had done for her. As she walked, his words still echoed in her mind.
I'm proud of you.