THE WALKING DEAD
CHAPTER: ONE
"CHASING CHANCES"
It happens all in one moment.
Rebecca was carefully dropping down to the wooden floor with the assistance of Bonnie, preparing herself mentally for pain unseen or unfathomed by a woman who has never experienced childbirth as she spit curse after curse. Meanwhile I was standing near her, as was everyone else, preparing myself mentally to assist right before it all set in again.
It only takes one quick moment to remember the state of the world surrounding us. Then we hear it.
"They're comin' up the stairs!"
Panic. In another moment Luke is stepping forward. "Here, we should…"
Kenny sparks off quicker than a burning match, hand raised and ready to stop the unwanted action. "You wanna help? Get out there and keep the walker off of us! I'll do this. I've been here before."
His attention returns to Rebecca. It is unyielding; steadily prepared to focus on the task at hand. A part of me is happy to see that look return to his eyes again.
"They can't rush us on the stairs! Shoot 'em before they get to us!" Mike is calling from outside. His face only reads signs of panic.
Luke is the first one out. "Shit, that's a lot of 'em. We need EVERYONE out here!"
"What do I do?" I say to Kenny. I may be unsure, all things considering, but I'm ready. All I need is someone to tell me what to do and I can get right on to it, no fuss and no muss.
"Whatever you can, Clem." He answers. Not quite the answer I was hoping for, but an answer nonetheless.
I only need a second for my brain to decide what I'm more capable of handling.
"I'm going outside. I'll help hold 'em back." I say to him.
He gives me a look of trust. "Go. I've got Rebecca."
"Here they come!" Mike warns, gun ready in his hand. Gunshots are fired the moment I reach him.
Luke tosses me a gun. "Here. We can't let them up here."
I take my stance, ready my mind and gun to shoot once more. I don't take much notice of Sarah next to me, but I can feel her fear. I can feel it because it is in me too. A herd of walkers is before me yet again and if I don't help someone might get hurt. I may be scared, but still I have to shoot to protect.
I hear Sarah back away. A part of me is hoping she'll go back inside where it's safe and I know she won't get hurt, while the other part is hoping she'll figure out her own way to help like I use to, weapon or no weapon.
I wonder if this is how Lee felt about me or how Carlos felt about her. I want her to stay safe always, but holding her back won't help her potential to shine or help her to survive.
Before my mind can wander, an ear-screeching scream reaches my ears. I wonder what living in this world will be like for Rebecca's baby.
Walkers continue to fall and groan. Jane turns to Mike. "There are too many of 'em."
"Shit." He says. Our gun shoots continue to ring on.
"Keep shooting! They are NOT getting' up here." Luke tells us. He doesn't sound too confident.
Bonnie returns, helping them to block the door as Luke starts to chop off limbs. Mike calls to me, "Find somethin' to block off this gate!"
"Help us!" Bonnie cries. I'm looking around, in panic myself. There aren't many options.
"What about this?" I ask, referring to the trashcan. Luke turns quickly to see.
"It's too light! We need somethin' heavy!"
I look around some more, until it hits me. "We could block the gate with this!"
"I'll help, I'm coming!" Luke says before he makes his way over to me.
We push the cannon together. In the corner of my eye I see distress on Sarah's face. Fear is trying to consume her. I can only hope she isn't taken over by another panic attack as we positon the cannon.
"Together. Ready?!"
I give a nod. We push the cannon. Another moment of desperation and panic passes.
Before anyone can do anything else, the ground is shaking and the world near our feet starts to crumbles. It falls with the cannon.
"Aww, shit!" Luke is saying.
"Holy fuck!" Mike is saying.
The walkers still groan at us as they fall.
"What the fuck is goin' on out there?!" Kenny is yelling.
A noise wails around us. The screws holding together the world just beneath us are coming loose right before our eyes.
"Get back! Get back!" Luke is the first to say.
"Ohhh! Shit!" Jane yells.
The last thing I hear before I jump to stability and safety is the sound of everything crumbling around me and pure fear piercing my ears.
I follow Luke. Bonnie follows behind me. Mike is a second behind her. I stare before life and death with only fear.
"Jane!" I hear myself call. She's hanging on to life. Meanwhile another that is dear is trapped under death.
"Sarah, hang on!" Bonnie calls out.
"Fuck! Fuck, hurry! I can't hold on!" Luke is saying to Jane.
I'm not sure who to look at or what to look at anymore.
"AAAA! HELP ME!" Sarah gets my attention.
Luke is looking at me now. "Clem, come on!"
"Jane, save Sarah!" I say desperately.
"Are you crazy?" Jane looks at me with disbelief. "There's no way she's getting out of that! Pull me up! It's suicide!"
"We can't leave her without trying!" I'm looking back to Sarah. She is screaming. Death is looking her in the face. There is pain squeezing at my heart. "Just go!"
Jane glares at me, lets out a grunt as if she can't believe I don't comprehend the situation. A part of me is wondering if she does.
"H-Help!" Sarah is crying, thrashing under the boards.
Jane tries to lift them with all her might, with little change. Just as walkers approach, more gunshots are fired. She looks up to her saviors. Mike and Bonnie stand bravely with their guns. No bullet is shot with waste. My heart is given little closure.
Jane tries again, giving little attention to the approaching walkers. This time she succeeds. "Okay, move!"
"I can't! Help me, somebody help me!" the fear of death has set into Sarah. She continues to call for help.
"I'm trying! You have to listen to me!" Jane is saying to her, trying to best to reach Sarah who screams.
"Sarah, you have to trust Jane!" I try too. I can't let her believe she's going to die like this or that we'd just leave her to have such a cruel fate.
A board falls, landing on Jane. Luke is the first to scream.
"SARAH!"
"What the hell are you guys doin'?!" Kenny is furious behind us.
"Bonnie, keep them away!" I demand. "Luke, we need to get down there!"
He nods to me, adrenaline kicking in. He is sliding down to them before I am. Gunshots ring from above, shooting one of the walkers.
"No, no! Go away!" Sarah is shouting as they draw near. She tries to crawl away, calling for her Carlos in her act of desperation.
"It's okay, Sarah! We'll help you!" I tell her as I slide to my knees in front of her. I push one of the boards off, with much effort.
"Jane, watch out!" I can hear Bonnie calling to Jane as she takes out the walker nearest her.
Jane thanks her with a nod before falling to her knees and helping to shove the boards off. "Sarah, if you want to live you have to act like it! Move, dammit!"
"I think her leg is broken!" I say to Jane as I go to help Luke. I shoot as best I can, but the walkers are closing in.
"Fuck, we have to go!" Luke says going over to the girls. He lugs off most of the boards, deciding pulling Sarah up from the rubble to be easier.
"Mike! Bonnie! Just get the ones the closest, Clem it's time to hail ass! Let's go!" Jane directs.
"I'm coming!" I say, running to them.
"Go, go!" Jane points. I nod to her, taking Sarah on my back. "We'll get these, just get her inside!"
I climb up, grunting as my heart beat fastens more. Just as I make it to the top, Sarah is lifted off of me. I look up to see Mike offering his hand. "I got her! Come on!"
I take it quickly and am pulled forward as well. I turn to see Luke kick off a walker that his machete got stuck in. Jane beats off another coming for him with a board. She has to beat it twice before it stops moving.
"Climb, fast! Now!" I say to them as Mike goes to sit Sarah near the entry. I hurry to help pull Luke up. "They're right behind you, you have to move faster!"
"Clem, let me barrow you're hatchet!" Bonnie says, grabbing the tool from the ground as Mike and I get Luke up. Rebecca's screams become louder in the background. "Get Jane up here, I'll stop 'em from reachin' us! Mike, give me a hand!"
"Help me! Don't let me die like this!" Jane cries, absolutely terrified as she lunges out her hand. A watcher reaches for her foot just as Luke and I grab her. I see her eyes widen in horror.
"Jane, no!" Luke roars. He's more scared than her to be alone all over again. "You have to fucking kick it off!"
"Not again…" I hear myself say aloud. "We can't lose someone again, not this fast."
Gunshots are fired behind me. The deck collapses. Jane falls into Luke, clasping onto him with shaking fists. When I turn around I find Sarah holding a gun, hands shaking and eyes wide. She starts to hyperventilate.
"Oh, god…I-I thought it was over…" Jane is saying. I hear Luke comfort her as she cries like the world isn't around to hear.
I get up to run over to Sarah. The moment I reach her all I can manage is crashing into her. We drop to floor, our legs giving up on us. Sarah bursts into tears. I have to check if I hurt her. She shakes like a leaf. "Sarah, it's okay. You're alive, we're all alive. You did it…you really did it."
"C-Clementine…!" She says through her tears. I squeeze her more, listening to her repeat apology after apology.
"Oh…Oh no." we hear Bonnie. We all go to join her, circling around Rebecca. We watch as Kenny holds the baby, sorrow on his face. Rebecca is now the one overflowing with tears. The baby isn't moving.
"Is…is it…" I'm too afraid to ask.
The baby begins to cough and cry, answering my question. Life fills it and its cheeks turn colors of reds and pinks. Its brown skin takes its color. Kenny half gasps and half laughs, breathlessly…quietly…thankfully…
We move in closer with smiles on our tear stained faces, prepared to meet an addition to our small family.
"A miracle has been created." Bonnie says, elated. "I'm proud of you, Rebecca. And this here little one too…It an't easy bein' born."
"You're damn right…He pulled through just fine." Kenny says with a smile as he rocks the child. He looks up to Sarah, a proud, gentle fatherly look in his eyes. "Just like you, little darlin'. You sure as shit pulled through. Both your daddies would be proud."
Sarah starts to cry again as she collapses to her knees before the child and its mother, some fear still left in her. She carefully places her still shaking hand on the baby that looks at her with bright eyes. "I'm so happy I get to be alive to meet him…"
"Me too, I know you'll be a good big sister." Rebecca smiles tiredly letting her hand fall on Sarah's. "I know you will. You and Clementine."
Sarah nods weakly. I go to hold her other hand. "We'll get stronger and we'll teach him too, okay? We'll get stronger and face this world…That way we will stay alive longer to make sure he can remember us as good big sisters."
She lowers her head, unable to respond as she cries behind her midnight colored locks. Jane turns to snuggle into Luke, her expression a mix of worry and relief. Mike's arm slugs around Bonnie's shoulder as they smile to each other.
"And so we live to see another day…" Jane whispers to no one in particular.
Author Notes:
Hello! I just thought I'd leave a little something here, maybe something like notes or just some info for you. First thing's first: this is my first time writing fan-fiction for the series the Walking Dead. I wrote it as a stab in the dark really, a sorts of rebellion as a Sarah-Defender (what I call people who like and/or defend Sarah). Her death did not do her any honor, was meaningless, completely ignored after it happened, and really was just shameful, considering it was basically a huge middle finger to those like myself who had grown emotionally fond of her and what have you. I felt I just had to write this, or my soul would be forever tormented by the impact of her death.
Mind you this was poorly written, since as I said it was written without much preparation, but I hope to make it a successful story. Usually I plan these things out, but when I was thinking of how Sarah could have been saved, I had an idea and ran with it. Simple as that, no muss and no fuss. I didn't want to get mess with it and over plan and run myself into a wall over it. I just wanted to try and write for a change. If you have any ideas or comments, I'll happily take them. I also welcome constructive criticism, but won't be tolerating any negativity. I want this to be a space of pure creativity for me, brining any negative vibes will only destroy what's fueling all of this: my love for this game and Sarah in general. I certainly don't want that, so I won't be having that. In any case, it's my story and I honestly don't care who hates it or Sarah. I'm just here to surrender to my ability to keep my dearest Sarah alive and return to enjoying one of my favorite hobbies.
Anyway, thanks for reading! I really do appreciate it. Just in case the title of this fanfic changes, just know it is because I thought it was stupid...
-K