"Easy, easy! Relax!" Luke calls out to the girl only a few feet away, ducked behind a tree.
"I don't have anything so just leave me alone!" she yells back. She's barely visible as she tucks herself behind the trunk.
Luke shares an apprehensive glance with Clementine. The young girl has a scowl on her lips. She shakes her head. Luke turns back to the girl and holds his hands up above his shoulders and out. He then kneels down and drops his machete, kicking it a few feet away with the toe of his boot. "Relax" he says, gentler this time. The two wait in agonizing silence. Luke isn't even sure if the girl is still there. She was a ghost in the trees before and she could have easily taken off running between them already.
"Luke…" Clementine starts.
"Hang on" he whispers back. He watches with a small smile as a sliver of the girl appears around the trunk of a tree, not the one he had assumed she was behind, but a tree the same. "We're not going to hurt you" he tries to bait her forward.
The girl narrows her eyes on the two of them. "Where are your others?"
"Back at camp" he says lightly. "It's just me and Clem right now. It's alright."
"I don't want trouble" she says, letting just a little more of herself appear.
"We won't give you any. Right Clem?" he laughs.
Clementine's eyes narrow on the girl as she steps fully out from behind the tree. "She has a weapon" she tells Luke, eyes on the metal bat strapped to the girl's navy backpack.
"It's alright" Luke assures her.
"Luke…" Clementine is still apprehensive. She tenses when the girl steps forward, eyes shifting towards Luke's machete. She takes a little bit of comfort knowing that she could reach it in a second if she had to. Luke has lost his mind.
"What's your name?" he asks the girl when she's a few steps away. His eyes drift over her grey crewneck, the name of a university across the front in black. Her gaze flickers back and forth between the two of them, still unsure.
After a pregnant pause, the girl's eyes meet Luke's. "Ollie" she answers. "Who are you?"
"Luke and this is Clementine."
At the sound of her name, Clementine frowns. "We should go" she nearly growls. Her eyes are narrowed on Ollie. But Ollie makes no move to come any closer or make herself a threat. Clementine relaxes just slightly.
"Why are you alone?"
"Who says I'm alone?" the girl retorts after a nearly invisible pause.
Luke smiles softly. "Well you're not the best of liars." The girl flushes and tucks a strand of unruly, curly hair behind her ear. Most of it is pulled back into an elastic, but a few strands are escaping. "Are you hungry?" Luke tries again.
Ollie cocks her head to the side, her cheek nearly resting on her shoulder. "What do you want from me?"
Luke shrugs. "Nothing."
Clementine rolls her eyes. She glances behind them and then returns her attention on the stranger. They should go. They should have left a long time ago. This girl is dangerous.
"Then go" Ollie says, void of emotion.
"You'd follow us" Clementine snaps. The two girls lock eyes for a moment. Clementine glares and Ollie just watches her carefully.
Luke feels the tension and steps between the two. "We want to help you" he tries again. "We can offer you a hot meal."
"Why?" Ollie asks, warily.
Luke shrugs. "Because we were all like you at one time, everyone can use a friend nowadays."
Ollie is still cautious, but her stomach twists painfully at the mention of a hot meal. It's been days since she's had anything to eat. She can't remember the last hot meal she's had. Her eyes flicker to the machete once again and then to the little girl who still eyes her like a monster. She doesn't really trust anyone who is offering something and asking for nothing in return, but she doesn't have much of a choice. Slowly, and still unsure, Ollie nods her head. Luke smiles warmly and picks up his machete. Ollie watches him the whole time, her fingers twitch and she's preparing to grab her bat, but he doesn't make a move to attack. Instead, he starts leading her through the woods. Ollie walks on his right, Clementine on his left.
"So," Luke starts to try to break the awkwardness between the three, "Where are you from? You don't sound like you're a southerner."
Ollie shakes her head. "I'm not" she says simply.
When she doesn't elaborate, Clementine grows impatient. She's coming with them for a free meal and yet she won't even tell them where she is from. "Where are you from?" she asks but the tone of her voice makes it sound like less of a question.
Ollie is taken off guard by Clementine. For such a young girl, she has a strong presence. "Chicago" Ollie answers.
Luke's eyes widen dramatically. "Chicago?" he repeats, not believing. "How did you get all the way out here?"
"It's kind of a long story" Ollie says with a sigh.
"Well," Luke says, not disheartened at all, "I guess you can tell me over dinner." While Luke has a kinder approach, Ollie feels that keeping her story a secret isn't exactly an option. And she doesn't feel like she's in a position to deny them anything. For a moment, she debates running. If she can get away before they make it back to this camp then she has a chance. But the pain in her stomach and the tiredness in all of her muscles keeps her with the man and the girl.
Ollie grows more and more nervous as they walk. "How many of you are there?"
"Eight including me and Clem" Luke answers.
"And you think six other people are going to be ok with… this?"
Luke kind of shrugs but he had been thinking along the same lines. He can already imagine a few people putting up a good fight against Ollie. He tries not to let it show on his face. "We've invited people in before. Actually, Clem just joined us not too long ago."
Ollie's eyebrows furrow. For someone who was originally an outsider, Clem is surprisingly protective of her new group. "And they accepted you?" Ollie asks, turning to Clementine.
Clementine doesn't hide the frown on her face. "They locked me in a shed."
All color drains from Ollie's face. Luke awkwardly cups the back of his neck. "The circumstances were a little different" he hurriedly explains. "It'll be alright. They may be a little… defensive at first, but I'll vogue for you."
Ollie looks to Clementine. "Did Luke vogue for you?"
Clementine shifts her gaze away. "He was one of the only ones."
Despite her growing anxiety, Ollie keeps walking with Luke and Clementine. If Luke's word will get a little girl thrown into a shed it may get her killed. That's not exactly a comforting thought. But still, a real meal is waiting for her if she can make it past the group. She's been through worse and had to fight harder to survive before. And this isn't an opportunity she can afford to pass up. The days of hunger and exhaustion are starting to catch up with her. She's reached the point where she's physically unable to hunt. She's too slow with lack of energy and her movements aren't as careful as they once were. She needs a meal more than Luke knows.
The sun is setting when they reach the cabin. It's in a small clearing in the woods and Ollie is nervous to step out of the tree line and into the view of the cabin. She takes a few steps forward but keeps her eyes locked on the window with a small light coming from it. Luke notices her apprehension and hangs back as well. "You go on ahead Clem. I'll be right there." Clementine shoots the girl one more look before hurrying up the steps and in. "You alright?" Luke asks Ollie, carefully reading her face.
"Yeah" she says after a moment. She locks eyes with Luke and prays that she can trust him. She needs to be able to trust him. "It's a nice place."
"Thanks. It's kind of like home" he says with a small smile.
Ollie laughs just slightly. "I haven't seen a home, or even a place with walls and windows, in months."
Luke's forehead creases with concern. "Have you been in the woods all this time?" Ollie only nods. "By yourself?" Again, she nods. Luke's frown deepens. Ever since the beginning, even before he built up the rest of the group, he had Nick. He always had someone. He can't imagine what it's like to fight off lurkers and starvation all on your own. Heck, he's surprised Clementine managed it for the day or so she was alone. But to be on your own for months… "Just how long have you been alone?"
Ollie sighs. She doesn't really want to get into this. Not right now. And not with this stranger. But she owes him and the only thing she has to offer are answers. "A little more than a year."
Luke wants to say more. He wants to say something comforting. But what do you say? He isn't sure if she chose to be on her own or if she lost people. Everyone has lost people so he's sure that's it. He can't picture losing everyone. He opens his mouth to say something but thankfully he doesn't have to.
The door to the cabin opens and the entire group pours out onto the porch. Once they spot Luke and Ollie, they come charging down and into the grass. Ollie recoils seeing that more than one person has a gun. Luke notices as well and takes a tentative step between the group and the girl he found. Before he can say anything, Rebecca is fuming. "Another one Luke? Every time we send you out you keep bringing people back!"
"She could be one of Carver's" someone says. Ollie isn't sure who Carver is but she has a feeling it's a bad thing to be associated with him.
"Who are you?" one of the men with guns yells at her. He aims the shotgun right at her temple. He's about the same age as Luke but he doesn't hold himself the way Luke does. He isn't confident and he looks like a kid holding a weapon.
"Ollie" she answers as calmly as she can. She knows how she looks in their eyes. She's too old to play innocent and naïve. They don't trust her and they have no reason to. The bat strapped to her navy backpack doesn't help her one bit. She keeps her eyes on them, trying to show as much truth as possible and hoping they can read her.
"I found her in the woods. She's alright" Luke steps in.
"We can't keep doing this!" Rebecca, the main protestor, argues. "We can't trust her."
"Why? She's done nothing wrong."
Ollie feels like she should step in and not let Luke fight her battle for her, but her eyes are locked on the other man with the gun pointed at her. She doesn't want to look away until it's lowered.
"We don't have a reason not to trust her. She's been honest with me and she hasn't caused any trouble. We were all like her once. Even you Rebecca and we trusted you. Come on, she's alone."
"Bec…"
"Don't Alvin! I'm not putting us and this baby in danger. I won't go back to Carver. I won't!" Rebecca glares at Ollie who has her own eyes fixed on Nick.
Luke scans the faces, trying to find someone else to back him up. He glances at Clementine but she's glaring just as hard as Rebecca. He skips those two and sees the slightest bit of sympathy in Carlos. "Carlos?"
When his name is called, Carlos looks over at the girl. He takes in everything about her just like he did with Clementine. The girl is older, which is something that he doesn't like. She's old enough to know how to manipulate if she wanted to, not like Clementine. But as he looks her over, he's more and more positive that the girl isn't one of Carver's. She's worse for wear. Her sweatshirt has a few holes in it along the hem, exposing pale flesh. Her face is dirty and marred with a scar above her left eyebrow. There's hunger in her eyes and he pities her. "I'm willing to give her a chance" he says to Luke, watching the way both she and he smile a little.
With this ally, Luke looks again and calls on Pete. Pete is the end line decider. If he accepts Ollie, Nick and Alvin will fall in line as well. That's the best that he can hope for.
Pete steps up close to Ollie and Nick is forced to lower his gun. No longer a target, Ollie feels safe moving her eyes away from Nick. She sees the other woman, Rebecca, glaring daggers at her but the others seem unsure. Next to her, Nick is the most hostile. She watches the older man approach her and stop when they are almost toe to toe. "Ollie right?" he asks. She nods her head, not sure if he likes her or not yet. "How old are you?"
"Twenty" she answers honestly.
Pete nods. "And you said you're alone?"
Pete watches her very carefully as she answers. He looks at her eyes, her face, her lips. He looks for any signs of a lie. "Yes" she answers. He keeps watching her for a minute more. The girl shifts under his intense gaze, feeling uncomfortable. Only then does Pete step back, a small smile on his lips.
"I believe her. I don't think she's any harm. Not for a night at least."
Rebecca shakes her head defiantly but knows she's outnumbered. "Whatever. When we all get killed because of Luke's acts of charity you can blame yourselves." With that, she storms back into the house.
"Come on" Luke says, pulling Ollie along with a large smile. "Let's get you that meal."