Another one of my one-shots. In this one Clem has some unknown sickness and this story is about her last moments and the pain. It was meant to be real sad.
So what was worse - pain or emptiness? Was it better to feel something than nothing at all? Could anyone feel grateful while struggling with just too much pain? Was it possible to smile while your whole body is aching like a cold wind is hitting the tall pines? All this time she has spent in emptiness was nothing compared to the pain. She was no good, not after her friends died and she is alone like a wolf in the wild. The days have passed since she has started roughly coughing, nonstop, the strange weakish feeling would often show up. Her head would hurt so much she'd wish she was gone, for good. As much Wellington seemed closer, she was getting slower.
Clementine didn't have enough strength, like she was a sucked dry lemon in a garden full of predators, waiting to get a bite of anything. No one was there to help her. The skies were pale, grayish and coloured with some other unfamiliar shades. There was the sun, peacefully moving from the east to the opposite west, its colour shining too bright which made you think it was in a wrong picture, yet it was there. Besides the sun, there was 'something' else moving, a little girl barely standing on her feet trying to find something. She was surrounded with oak trees that silently looked at her.
A little town was just a few miles away from her, but for her it seemed like it was in another galaxy. Her golden eyes were trying their best to carefully look every corner around her, you never know what's gonna happen next, neither does she, especially in the state she is now. The back of her head, under the old cap her dad gave her five years ago, was hurting like hell. It wasn't any better that her whole body felt like it was on the fire, wanting to release it and run away. She couldn't even feel her legs, they just walked by themselves. The daylight was burning, as Luke would say, and she still wasn't in the town. She for sure had a fever, real high one, so what happened was she was in no state to think straight. This felt like when the dog Sam bit her in the woods, and Luke and Pete saved her, too bad there was no one to save her this time, she was literally by herself.
The worst that could happen were the walkers, they will never stop, or bandits. The road was straight, empty like her soul, reflected by a few rays of sunshine, she had time to think. Damn how did she miss those people, if only they were with her right now, she'd definitely give anything. Her gaze fell down on her hands, covered with numerous scars, feeling tired as never before. She tried to check her body temperature by breathing onto her hand, it seemed pretty stupid but she wasn't in s mood to act smart. Her breath felt warm, almost hot, interrupted with annoying cough it was loud and intense meaning it would attract unwanted attention she has always tried to avoid. The coughing did not even stop, her back hurt like crazy and she knew that was no good. She has never been this sick, her mother would always stop the sickness, her being s doctor and all. If she was alive, she could have helped, if only. Clementine wasn't really hungry even though she hasn't eaten in three days, her throat was thirsty. Her eyes slowly drifted around, seeing something. She tried to get a better look but her head was dizzy, it was like the whole Earth was spinning around her instead around the Sun.
The familiar growlings answered her question making her sigh in annoynce, once again. Her body needed a rest, shaking from the unknown cold even when she was hot. She started to run but her legs felt heavy yet they were as light as a green leaf. This all was strange and new to her. The walkers got louder and louder followed with Clementine's fast breathing along with the harsh coughing, it was tearing her apart. The monsters were getting closer when she saw the town right in front of her, finally. Her direction was headed straight there. More and more figures started showing up around her but her vision was dizzy. I'll be alright. That's what her mind was telling the poor girl.
She was getting closer when human voices shouted from back at her "Hey kid! What the hell are you doing!?" This one was loud and male. Her mind demanded her to get to the first house without stopping. There was no time for strangers, they all seemed good and they just left her! How could they? "Hey wait!" The female voice shouted while shouts probably from a gun were firing in the not so pretty background. Clementine ran and ran until she finally opened the door and locked it tightly. She sighed in a relief but the coughing started. It was getting worse that she couldn't stop. The last cough left an ugly mark to be written in the memory, forever. Blood. When she saw the blood of hers right in fronf of her, still fresh, she immediately started searching for any kind of bite. Her fingers were shaking from the cold and the fear as well, when they unziped her jacket, the one Bonnie gave her. There was not bite, so what was it? She has never experienced this nor seen this so she was scared to death. Her body slowly fell onto a couch, chilling her hot body. Her eyes closed and she drifted away, somewhere else.
(…)
Clementine started waking up when she heard some sounds, lingering in her ears. What was it? Her head was pounding and it hurt her so badly she could barely open her eyes. She blinked a few times until her vision became clear enough to properly see. Two strangers were staring at her, man and woman, probably those people from before. Why were they here?
"Hey you alright? I mean you didn't seem good back when you ran through the horde of shit-ton walkers all by yourself." The man was pretty tall, wearing some pair of dark trousers and jacket. He had nice blue eyes. "It would be better if we introducted ourselves first, you know we just came out of nowhere." The raven haired woman interrupted him, trying to stay calm. Clementine barely got up "W-Who the hell are you!?". She was almost whispering, weakned by all the pain.
"He is Dave and I am Tracy." The woman seemed very nice, but that wasn't a fact, sadly. The silence reminded Clementine to say something "I-I am Clementine." She tried to say it 'proudly' but that wasn't possible after all she's been through. Her soul was bleeding. Tracy smiled, trying to cheer up this not so positive atmosphere.
Somehow the trio managed to get to the kitchen where Tracy and Clementine sat down while Dave was checking for supplies. "So have you checked this place up?" Dave asked Clementine without facing her, rather he opened one of the cupboards hoping for food.
"Shit, I, I forgot." She realized how stupid she sounded, they must think of her as a stupid weird kid. But she was feeling anything but good, maybe she could ask those people about the weird sickness, or not. Dave turned around to give her 'are you serious' gaze and continued his search "So you get to a new place, sleep peacefully when you haven't checked the place for supplies or walkers? Geez." Before she could answer the coughing stopped her.
"She probably isn't feeling alright, don't be harsh on her." The woman, Tracy thankfully helped in this situation. The pounding was hurting her badly but she didn't want to leave even worse appearnce to these new people. "So, Clementine, are you alone?" Tracy continued the talking while her brown carefully watched the girl.
She immediately thought of Lee. She had to shoot him because she was so stupid and naive. She has never forgiven herself the biggest mistake of her poor life. Then Omid and Christa. Another mistake meaning another death. It was the most difficult to live sixteen months in silence and next to a person who blames you for death of loved one. The cabin group. She quickly befriended all of them. But they died too early. Luke probably cared about her the most, she saw him as her brother figure. He was indeed a good friend, after all he saved the little girl at cost of his life. All for a twelve years old. That stupid lake would haunt her almost every night along with the jewerly store. There was too much blood on her hands, yet so young. Jane cared for her too. She was supposed to be her little sister but that cost her life. Kenny was hot-headed but deeply cared for Clementine and AJ. Too bad his last hope died because of the same girl she loved like his own daughter.
"Yes." Short but full of pain. That was all she could give at the time. She wanted to take a breath but the coughing started hitting her like she was a little rabbit. When she finally got a break, Tracy's eyes stared at something on the wooden table. Clementine wondered what was it so she joined the young woman as well. There was nothing good. It was her blood. There was mire than before. What a bad sign. The girl started to shake while the pain and fear united against her with full force. The woman immediately got up on her long legs, her expression not so promising.
The woman shook her head a few times while Clementine tried her best to explain "Please no. I am NOT bitten! I'm just sick!" She didn't buy it. Soon Dave got back, his gaze falling at blood, Tracy nodded when he looked at her. "No! I wasn't bitten! Check it yourself! I am just sick, please help!" The girl almost ended up crying. Those people had the supplies and the medicine so they could help her. "Please, you've got those medicine, I'll be better!" "Bitten or not - we ain't wasting our supplies! And if you aren't bit then you have some sickness! You're coughing blood kid! You're hot as heck, something bad is inside of you! Sorry but we are leaving." Dave continued while packing supplies.
Her world was falling apart. She was going to die alone. The duo left with stupid "sorry" leaving the sick girl all by herself. Would her old friends leave her like this or would they stay to help her? Would they be cowards and run away from her?
(…)
Everyone was gone for good. The skies were full of clouds, crying for the world. For poor little Clementine. So she was sick, that was bad. Those people probably knew what kind of sick but they left her with no answer. The days have passed since then and she was only worse. This time there was no hope. The world was cruel, she realized it way too late. Now when her friends died and she shared the same fate as all of them. No matter how hard or long she fought she was going to die. But not by walkers but from something else. Humans were and always will be powerless. The blood came from her mouth as the unknown pain pierced through her whole body. The girl gasped in terror as the pain grew. She started to lose herself, it felt strange. It was the time, her goodbye to the world. She was scared of unknown, her breathing turned to screaming as all of the people she's ever known started appearing in front of her. They seemed real, calling her name. Her last screan was heard after Lee's voice called the poor girl "I'll miss you". The raindrops were hitting the ground and the storm was coming, Clementine's has just ended. Oh my darling Clementine, where are you now?