"Clem, I...I think I know him," Sarah pointed out fearfully. The man's face was all too familiar not to know.

Oh yes, she remembered the face quite well, as did the rest of her group, but his name had slipped from her memory during their time in the cabin. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to remember, but she did know that this was an awful man that she had never wanted to see again.

The man knocked on the door a second time.

"He can't see me!" Sarah cried, her body tensing up. "You have to make him go away!"

Clementine couldn't have known this man, could she? He was always nice to people he didn't know, even if the kindness was never genuine. The very thought of this man hurting anyone in their group, especially Carlos, was enough to send Sarah into a panic.

"Go and find somewhere to hide," Clementine instructed.

Sarah found her voice after a moment's pause. "Where?"

"Hello?" the man called, knocking on the door again.

Her breaths were becoming short and limited, and her heart was pounding. These were usually her first symptoms when she was in danger of a panic attack, and it would very well happen if this man were to find her. "Clem, I can't breathe...I ca- I can't breathe!"

Clem shushed her older friend and tip-toed towards the door. She reached out to lock it, but the door opened from the other side. Sarah gasped lightly and moved out of sight, standing practically frozen. She hoped that he wouldn't decide to come in here...

"Hello there," she heard the man greet. There was an almost sickeningly pleasant tone in his deep, gravelly voice. Sarah had managed to quiet her breathing, but her level of fear was only rising.

Oh no, she thought. Clem, make him go away!

"Hello," Clementine greeted skeptically.

"How are ya?"

"Okay...how are you?"

"Well, I'm doing just fine, thank you," the man replied. "My family and I are set up a ways down-river. I'm surprised we haven't run into each other yet. What's your name?"

He's lying, he's lying, he's lying! Sarah told herself repeatedly. He doesn't have a family!

"I'm...Carley," Clem lied.

Carley? Who was that?

"Okay...how are you?"

"Carley. That's a sweet name," the man decided. "Mind if I come in...Carley?" He said the false name in a somewhat distasteful, yet intrigued tone. "I've been out all morning and this heat has got me cooked."

Sarah's hopes of him not entering went down the drain when she heard a second pair of footsteps hit the wooden floor. He was even closer now, dangerously close. Now she knew that she really had to hide. Staying in this one spot would be far too dangerous and risky. The man's next words confirmed what she had been fearing ever since she'd seen him walk by outside.

"Well, I'll cut to the chase," the man explained. "I'm out looking for my people. Seven of them, to be exact. They've been gone a long while, and...I'm worried they might have gotten lost. Maybe you've seen 'em."

Sarah gasped softly, her body beginning to tremble.

"Couple of farm boys and an old man."

Luke, Nick, and Pete.

"Spanish guy and his daughter. Quiet girl, bit taller than you."

That's...oh no...that's me and Dad!

"A big black guy. This big. And a pretty little pregnant lady."

Alvin and Rebecca.

"That's a lot of people to lose," Clem pointed out.

"Tell me about it. This whole damn thing's a pain in the ass."

Sarah turned her head to see Clementine following him into the kitchen. Now, she could hide without being discovered! She tip-toed into the living room, crouching down behind one of the sofas. Surely, he wouldn't look in here, right?

What was going on in the kitchen? Sarah couldn't make out whatever words were exchanged, but she dared not get up. What if he came out that very moment and noticed her?

Clementine and the man didn't stay in the kitchen for long, however, because they exited only a minute later and made their way to the living room. Sarah knew that it was time to move away as soon as she saw his figure approaching. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, much louder than she liked, as she moved to the other side to avoid being seen.

"Well, this is a real nice place," the man commented. "Kinda cozy."

Sarah heard him walk over to the other couch, and his next words scared her. "I knew a guy that always wore shirts like this. Doctor. Real smug son of a bitch. But a smart man. I miss him."

Oh no, oh no, oh no, she thought. Daddy, where are you?

"What's his name?" Clementine asked.

"Carlos."

Sarah gasped ever so softly. She had to get away! She couldn't let him discover her here! When she made sure he wasn't looking, she made her move and began to tip-toe up the stairs. Luck must have been on her side, because his back was turned to her the entire time. Unfortunately, however, the floor creaked beneath her feet, causing her to jump. She hurried her way into her bedroom and crawled underneath her bed. He wouldn't look up here, he couldn't!

She tensed up again when she heard the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs, and much to her horror, the footsteps approached her room and came inside. Now it was getting all the more harder to remain calm. She made the briefest eye contact with Clementine as the man took a look around the room.

"I told you, nobody's here," Clementine nearly snapped.

"Seems that way," the man responded. "Didn't mean to be rude. Couldn't just leave you here with a good conscience if someone was pokin' around, right?"

"Sure..."

Silence followed for the smallest of moments, but then, he bent down. Sarah inched her way the furthest she could, silently praying that she wouldn't be seen. It wasn't exactly lucky that he did see something that involved her: the picture the girls had taken just a short time earlier.

"Who's this?"

If Sarah's heart wasn't racing already, it surely was now. She could feel her breathing begin to quicken once again, but tried with all her might to remain quiet.

"My sister," Clementine responded. "She's dead."

"Hmm, sorry to hear that." He paused. "You have no idea who these people are, do you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lemme ask you this," the man advised. "When you met 'em, how much did they trust you?"

Clem said nothing.

"If people don't trust you, how can you trust them?" he continued.

Not a peep from either girl.

"Well, I think I've troubled you long enough," the man continued. "I can let myself out."

Sarah heard footsteps exiting the room and descending the staircase, as Clem called out, "Why shouldn't I trust them?"

But Sarah didn't hear his response. That was when she decided that it was safe to crawl out from under the bed, taking the photo of herself into her hands. She felt somewhat safer now that it was only she and Clementine again, but she was really wishing that her father were here right now.

"Where is he?" she wanted to know, looking out the window.

"He's gone."

"What if he comes back?" The fear of this was palpable, and even more so if Carlos wasn't back soon.

Clem didn't reply, just looked up at her. "Let's go downstairs and wait for everyone to come back."

"Okay..."

For awhile, Sarah and Clementine just sat on the couch, not saying a word. There was nothing they truly could say, not when everyone in the group was in very real danger.

"We need to find the others," Clem eventually announced.

"We can't go outside!" Sarah argued as the younger girl headed for the kitchen. She had no choice but to stand up and follow.

Right as the two girls entered, however, the group entered through the kitchen door, all unscathed. Sarah was never more relieved to see Carlos back, safe and sound.

"Clementine!" Luke cried.

"Sarah!" Carlos added, while Sarah made no hesitation to run into the safety of his arms.

"You were with Nick, right?" Luke asked Clementine. "We gotta go find him."

As much as she didn't want to, Sarah backed away and decided to speak the truth before something bad happened. She folded her hands together and stared sheepishly at the floor.

"A man was here."

"What?" Carlos hissed.

"What did she say?" Rebecca demanded.

"Someone came to the cabin," Sarah announced, still not looking up.

"What?" Rebecca shouted.

"Clementine talked to him."

"And you just opened the door for him?" Rebecca scolded Clementine.

"Calm down, Rebecca," said Luke.

"Calm down? I am calm! You calm down!"

"I didn't open the door, he just came in!" Clementine replied defensively.

"She's telling the truth!" Sarah backed her up.

"Did he say his name?" Carlos questioned. "Did he say what his name was?"

"Maybe it wasn't him!" Rebecca tried to deny it.

"You know damn well who it was," Alvin countered.

"I didn't ask his name," said Clementine.

"You didn't ask his name? How could you not ask his name?" Rebecca shouted.

"Look, Clem, just...tell us what he looked like," Carlos instructed. "What was he wearing? Did he sound...different?"

"His voice was...gravelly," Clementine described. The more they talked about him, the more Sarah never wanted to see him again.

"He talked about you, Dad," Sarah spoke up, her voice a little shaky. She was starting to become frightened with all the arguing and bombarding questions. "You're not gonna hurt anyone, are you?"

"Of course he won't, Sarah, alright?" Luke reassured her. "Your dad's the nicest man I know, which is why he's not gonna do anything crazy, or not nice, right?" His voice was a little slow during the last part.

Carlos placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "You know these are bad people, sweetie," he explained. "They will do or say anything to hurt us."

"Alright, what do you think?" Luke questioned Clem. "Did it seem like he'd be coming back?"

Sarah took the photo of herself into her hands. She knew she could very well be in trouble, but she had to admit it. "He saw a picture of me."

"A picture?!" Carlos yelled, looking down at her angrily. "What were you doing taking pictures?"

Sarah looked down at the floor, her shoulders slumping. Her father's yelling was far worse than his mere scoldings.

"Carlos..." Luke said in a warning tone.

"What?!"

"You need to calm down, alright? You're scaring your daughter."

"I took the picture," Clementine announced. "It's my fault."

"No, she didn't!" Sarah was quick to defend her friend. She would rather get in trouble herself than the younger girl. "I took it myself."

"Sarah..." Carlos trailed off disapprovingly, causing her to turn away. He paused, then continued. "He was scouting. We got lucky; he wasn't expecting to find us. Clementine must have surprised him. If she hadn't been there...well, he was too smart to stick around. But he'll be back with the rest. We don't have much time."

"He's right," Luke agreed. "Everyone pack up. We're movin' out."

"Alvin, wait!" Rebecca called as she followed her husband out of the kitchen.

Carlos turned back around to face Sarah. "We have to leave now, sweetie, before he comes back with more bad guys. But it's gonna be okay. Let's just go get your things."

Why did they have to leave, though? Wasn't it supposed to be safe here? Was that man going to return?

"Why did you leave his camp?" Clem inquired.

"Because we had to," Carlos explained. "Clem, I don't know what he told you, but William Carver is a dangerous man."

A chill was sent down Sarah's spine, now that she remembered the man's name.

"He's the leader of a big camp not far from here, and he's very smart," Carlos continued. "We were lucky to escape. Look, I'm sorry to involve you, but now that he's seen you, you'll be safer with us. We have to leave."

Sarah left the kitchen then, with Carlos following suit. She didn't want to pack up and leave, but they had to.

"Dad?" the teenager asked a little timidly as she packed some of her books.

"Yes?" Carlos didn't turn around, but acknowledged that he was listening.

"Where are we going?"

Carlos paused for a moment. "A safe place," he said. "It's not safe here anymore, sweetie. Do you understand?"

Sarah nodded sadly, her eyes trailing down to the floor once again.

He briefly stopped packing to give her a little bit of comfort, rubbing up and down her arm gently. This made her feel a little better, and she gave him the smallest of smiles. A few minutes later, they were finished packing, and they met the rest of the group in the cabin's kitchen.

"Alright, everyone grab your stuff, let's hit the road," Luke called.

So everyone left the house, Alvin closing the door behind them. Sarah turned around and gave one last look to the cabin that she had called home for several months, and grown to love. She hoped they would return one day.