EPISODE 1: KEEP ON MOVING

Chapter 1

Mike

"Oh god, Clem! What the fuck did you do?! Clem?! What did you do?! Clem? Clem?!"

Mike didn't stop running. He knew that Kenny would be on him in a matter of seconds, no matter who shot Clementine. He looked back, seeing Jane crouched by Clem's side and Kenny pointing his gun out towards the traitors with a look of pure rage. Bonnie was right beside him while Arvo limped as fast as he could farther behind them. He looked back in front of him, feeling the cold wind fly passed his face. He wouldn't stop until he was away from here.

It wasn't until he came into the woods that Mike stopped to catch his breath. Bonnie and Arvo did the same. Bonnie leaned against a tree while Arvo was bent over with his hands on his knees.

Mike was able to catch his breath and calm down, feeling that they were a good enough distance away from Kenny and the others.

"Wh-Why did you do that?!" Bonnie exclaimed, referring to Arvo's actions while still catching her breath. Mike looked up at Arvo, only seeing him with a look of regret on his face. He still had the rifle in his hands, the same one that he had used to shoot a little girl.

"Jesus Christ." Mike said between breaths, not knowing what to do. After another minute of silence, Arvo finally broke it.

"We need safe place. Food. Water." He said in his thick Russian accent. Mike breathed hard through his nose, looking up again.

"You just shot a little girl, man! There was no need for that!" He said, shaking his head. Arvo just frowned.

Mike leaned his head against the tree, taking it all in. He couldn't even begin to comprehend on where they could even go from here. He couldn't think straight.

"Mike, you said somethin' bout…Texas earlier." Bonnie said. Mike kept his eyes close and didn't answer.

Something had to be done with Arvo. He got them in this position, and now they had nothing, no supplies whatsoever. Mike took a deep breath, slowing down his heart rate. His eyes flickered back open.

"Let's just…let's just keep moving till' we find something." He said. Bonnie nodded.

Mike started to walk, and soon Bonnie and Arvo followed behind him. He gripped the gun in his hoodie pocket, ready for anything to happen.

He didn't feel so good about Arvo, but that would have to wait. They needed to find something, anything really. They wouldn't survive the night without supplies or a warmer place to stay.

…

The snow crunched under Mike's feet as he walked along with Bonnie and Arvo. He held both of his arms around his torso, desperate for any sense of warmth. Draped over his head was his gray hood to cover his ears from the cold.

Bonnie and Arvo shivered as well, and their ears were turning red. Mike noticed this, but frankly he didn't care. He didn't know what to think right now, he just had to keep moving.

"Over there!" Bonnie gasped, pointing her finger out to a small cottage at the edge of the woods.

"Yes, we can stay there." Arvo said as he started to limp towards it. Mike let his hands fall into his hoodie pocket, feeling the gun come into his hand. The three of them came up close to the cottage, and now it was time to investigate. Mike removed his small gun from the concealment of his pocket, keeping it pointed in front of him. Bonnie had a quick look of shock and some confusion. Mike took it that she probably had forgotten had had it with him.

Arvo gripped is rifle and stayed behind Mike, his gun raised just in case anything was inside. Bonnie awkwardly lagged behind a little, seeing as she didn't have a weapon like the other two.

Mike, with his gun still raised, slowly opened the front door of the cottage. The knob was cold, and the door made a creaking sound when it opened. All there was inside was darkness. The only thing that Mike could make out was a table in the middle of the room.

Mike moved in with Arvo coming after him. Arvo was more nervous than both Mike and Bonnie, seeing as he was trembling and struggling to hold onto his rifle.

Mike didn't smell any signs of rotten flesh, which meant that there were probably no walkers in hear. Walking around the room, he jumped when he felt his hip accidently hit something, knocking it over. Worriedly, Bonnie and Arvo stared at him as he crouched down and squinted to see what had fallen. It was a lantern with some wax still in the three cup holders.

"Bonnie, you still have that lighter?" Mike asked.

"Yeah" Bonnie answered, placing it in his hand when he reached out for it. After a few good tries, the flame illuminated from the lighter. Mike placed it next to the stem in the wax. First the left wax cup, then the middle, then the right one. He carefully placed it back onto the table.

"It seems safe in here." Mike whispered. Bonnie and Arvo agreed.

"The light ain't much, but It's good for one night." Bonnie stated. Arvo sa on the ground right next to the light, placing his rifle next to him and then lying down with the intention of going to sleep. Mike sighed as he took his place in a corner of the room, where it was darker. Bonnie looked at him weirdly because of this.

"I've always only been able to sleep if it's pitch." Mike answered with a chuckle to her weird look. Bonnie's face returned back to normal.

Mike sighed as he light his down, trying to fall asleep. He heard Bonnie lie down opposite of Arvo, but still close to the light of the candles. No matter how hard he tried, Mike couldn't get everything out of his head. The look on Clementine's face. The gunshot. The scream. Kenny's anger and threats. It was all his fault, he never should have abandoned them for these people.

Mike closed his eyes, but sleep never came.