I woke up squinting through the bright light that shone through the window. Quickly the memories of where I was came to me. I looked over at the other couch but found it empty, Clementines blanket kicked to the floor and her hat no longer at the table where she had left it. Quickly I sat myself up and pulled on my shoes. It was quiet so I began to panic. Had something happened? I walked straight into the kitchen where I found Rebecca and Alvin sat with Sarah at the table eating.

"Look who's finally awake." Rebecca said bitterly as she ate. Alvin turned to face me and smiled,

"Morning, how did yo-"

"Wheres Clementine?" I asked sounding as panicked and fearful as I felt. Alvin frowned and looked at his wife. My great began to race. Rebecca scoffed and looked at me out of the corner of her eye.

"You better go talk to Luke, he's outside." Rebecca said before turning and talking sweetly with Sarah. Alvin tried to say something to me but Rebecca had hardly finished her sentence before I was headed out the door. She was with Pete, that gave me little refile. I emerged from the house and heard voices around the side. Quickly I all but ran out to find Luke. He was walking the perimeter with Carlos making small talk. When I turned the corner the pair looked surprised to see me, like they had forgotten I was even there. Luke quickly tried to shift his surprised to welcome but Carlos remained with a confused glare. He probably saw the fight in my eyes.

"Morning, Scarlett. Everything okay?" Luke asked his own worry starting to protrude in his cordial tone.

"Wheres Clementine?" His smile quickly turned to a frown just like Alvin's, now I was worried.

"She went with Pete and Nick to check the fish traps at the river," Carlos informed me.

"Why didn't anyone tell me? She's injured why would they take her?"

"Hey hey, just calm down," Luke said hands up as if he were trying to calm an animal.

"She's with Pete and Nick. Ain't no one gonna keep a closer eye on her than Pete. Besides the rivers only a little ways from here, they should be back soon." I took a deep breath thinking about what he was saying. I trusted Pete, Nick was a little unstable but Clem told me that he apologized to her. I nodded looking at the group waiting for the pounding sound of my heart to leave my ears.

I went back inside and got something eat, I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating. I was glad to eat something and Alvin was kind enough to start a conversation even with the glare from his wife. It helped settle my mind and I was almost relaxed, but I couldn't let Clem slip from my head. I found myself sitting in the living room with my eyes shut, trying to get rid of a pounding headache.

"Do you want to play chess?" I heard a small girl ask. I took my hand away from my eyes and saw Sarah standing there with a pleading smile. I looked at her then to the half played chess board that had been messily dissembled. I looked back at the girl with a budding smile.

"Sure," I said moving to the end of the couch in front of the table. The tall girl sat cross-legged on the floor and began to set up the board.

"How old are you?" She asked while she lined up a group of the black pons. It was such a normal question it almost seemed abnormal, no one had asked me something like that in quite some time.

"Let's see. I was twenty-three when all this started that would make me, twenty-four maybe twenty-five." I said putting both knights to their assigned spots.

"So you're closer to Luke and Nicks age than mine." She sounded so happy so, normal. Like she was unfazed by everything that had happened. "You go first." She said looking down at the board. Our chess game consisted of short quick moves and dull leisurely conversation. It was strange but a nice change from the typical interrogations I had been having recently.

"You're pretty good." She said as I took her knight. I intended to go easy on her and let her win but after we started playing I found she was much better than I thought she'd be.

"Thanks, it's been an unbelievably long time since I've played."

"I get to play a lot, but the games never last very long. I think everyone just lets me win."

"Maybe they just can't beat you," I said with narrow eyes as she took my last remaining rook.

"Maybe." She paused "Are we friends?" She asked and I looked up at her sharply, I barely knew this girl. This was the first time I had spoken to her. "I mean you're friends with Clementine and Clementine said she was my friend, so does that make us friends too?" I smiled at the sheer simplicity of this girl's logic.

"Sure," I said with a smile that she reflected brightly. Our game went on for a little longer before we found ourselves at a stalemate.

"We'll looks like were stuck at a tie, we'll have to play again soon," I said standing and stretching. Sarah smiled but that smile quickly retreated when Carlos walked in the room. He looked worried,

"Sarah, sweetheart what are you doing down here? I thought you were reading up in your room."

"Oh, I was just playing chess with Scarlett. It was fun I-"

"Sarah we talked about this," He looked at me and put a hand on his daughter's shoulder as he guided her to the stairs."Please just go to your room, I'll be up later to check on you." She sighed and started up the stairs. Carlos turned to me again as I stood in the center of the room with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Luke and Alvin are getting worried about the others, they're talking about go out after them."

Without saying anything I went straight into the kitchen where Luke was loading up a pistol. Rebecca stood beside her husband angrily muttering something.

"Scarlett," Luke said acknowledging that I was there. "Were going to see if we can find Pete and Nick, they shouldn't have been gone this long."

"Alright, I'm coming," I said stiffening as the relaxation I felt from playing chess with Sarah was completely gone.

"No, no. You should stay here, it's safer."

"If Clementine is still out there I'm coming with you. I can handle myself out there so don't worry about me." I said with a bitting edge in my voice.

"Let her go, Alvin can stay here." Rebecca declared and everyone looked to her.

"No, Alvin should go too, just to make sure nothing happens," Carlos said sounding uncertain.

"To make sure I don't hurt anyone you mean?" I said, Carlos sighed but didn't object he didn't trust me, no one here did.

"Look we don't have time to talk about this," Luke said picking up a rifle and handing it to me.

"We're going after the others, Alvin you coming?" Luke asked and I nodded at him approvingly as I checked the hunting rifle over. Alvin exchanged a looked with Carlos before turning to look at Luke.

"Yeah I'll come." Without further debate Luke walked out of the cabin, I was right on his heels.

We walked for close to an hour before we reached a sense of total horror. The whole time we were walking my heart was beating out of my chest fear for Clementine resurfacing and it never seemed to go away.

"What the fuck happened here?" Luke asked as he looked at the bodies that scattered the area. Walkers dung into someone and Luke slowly took them out.

"Whoever did this had fire power," Alvin said as he looked eat one of the built riddled bodies.

"Could this have been Carver?" He asked and the mention of the name struck a deeper fear that I was no ready to deal with.

"I wouldn't put it past the fucker if these guys were standing in his way he wouldn't hesitate to kill them," I said turning one of the bodies over with my foot.

"Did they get caught up in this?" Luke asked walking through the river to the other shore.

"I sure as hell hope not," Alvin said. I gripped my rifle tight as I searched the bodies closeted to me. At first glance, I didn't see Clementine, Nick or Pete.

"I don't see them anywhere, they must have gotten away," Luke announce from the other side of the massacre.

"They could be back at the cabin by now. We should head back." Alvin said nervously.

"Let's check close by, they could be hold up somewhere," I said and Luke nodded.

"Yeah, good idea." After walking further in the woods we started to hear the angry snarling of walkers. When the shadow of a building came to a sight we started to slow our rather quick and panicked pace. Walkers aimlessly stumbled around, a couple were banging on the door of a stone shed. Luke went around slowly taking out the ones on the perimeter and Alvin handed me his knife and I took care of the ones at the door. I plunged my knife into what I thought was the last one another grabbed hold of my arm. In a split second, before it bit into my flesh, the sharp machete blade cut into its head killing it. I looked to Luke who stood on the welding end of the sharp blade.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly.

"No problem." We all turned our attention to the door at the sound of something breaking. Luke pushed the door but it wouldn't budge. He kept trying ramming his shoulder into it. I walked around the side and lay flat with the dirt to get a view from a window. In the back of the dark shed, I saw Nick, throwing glasses at a wall.

"It's Nick!" I shouted to the others and I saw as the glass stopped falling against the wall, he had heard me. I jumped to my feet and raced around the shed.
"Nick, it's me. Come open this god damn door!" He shouted through the splintering wood. There was the sound of wood on stone but soon the doors open and when the sunlight came pouring in Nick shield his eyes in pain.

"I never thought I'd be happy to see your ugly face," Luke said in astonishment.

"Wanna keep your voice down? I've got a killer hangover." Nick said comically.

"What is this place, some kind of distillery?" Alvin asked with his own relieved smile.

"Yeah, something like that," Nick said glancing behind him into the cold cellar.

"Wheres Pete and Clementine?" I asked and Nicks face drained of all color.

"They're not back at the cabin?"

"No, that's why we came out here looking for y'all," Luke said as he put his machete away.

"We got swarmed by lurkers down at the stream, we were separated. Maybe they found some place to hold up like me. Knowing Pete they'd be heading back to the cabin at the first chance they got."

"Then that's where we go like Nick said there's a good chance they've already returned and were just out here causing our tails," Luke said looking to me. I nodded.

"Okay, let's go then." We didn't walk this time but ran for most of the way, Nick stopped about half way there to throw up. His eyes hollow and rimmed with red and online by thick purple circles. He looked like shit and probably didn't feel much better. Luke looked back over his shoulder and told us that we were maybe ten minutes from the cabin. He cut himself off halfway through his sentence when he familiar figures running in our direction.

"Bec?!" Alvin called out confused. The figures came running faster until we met with them.

"Alvin!" She said running to hug her husband.

"Thank goodness your all okay, Clem showed up at the cabin alone and we panicked."

"Pete wasn't with her?" Nicked asked worriedly.

"No, but she said she got separate from him. She can take us to where they were, hopefully, we can find him." Carlos said.

"Alight let's not waste any time, we gotta get back there," Luke said as he started running.

Everyone piled into the cabin at once and Clem and Sarah came running into the kitchen. Sarah was as white as a sheet and Clem's eyes filled with fear. She ran up to me like Sarah did to her father and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I said into her hair. She didn't respond but stepped back with a worried look. She was about to say something but Luke cut in.

"They told me about Pete . You know where he is, right? Come on, let's go!" I couldn't agree more but something was bothering Clementine. And just like that Sarah let go of her father and answered my unshared question.

"A man was here." She peeped holding her arm. "Someone came to the cabin. Clementine talked to him." Alarmed I looked to my small companion, immediately I thought the worst.

"And you just opened the door for him?" Rebecca asked angrily.

"Calm down, Rebecca," Luke said as he stepped closer to Clementine, she turned away from me to face him.

"Calm down?! I am calm! You calm down!" Rebecca shouted, if it was who I think it was I didn't blame her for being so worried.

"I didn't open the door! He just came in." Clem said and I put a hand on her shoulder to show her comfort.

"She's telling the truth!" Sarah exclaimed trying to defend Clementine.

"Did he say his name? Did he say what his name was?" Carlos cut in.

"He said his name was George," Clem confessed confused. There were mumbles of confusion for Rebecca and Alvin as well as the rest of the group.

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

"His voice was gravelly." At her words made my heart start to race and my chest felt tight.

"Like how?"

"I don't know. Kind of deep and scratchy."

"He talked about you, dad," Sarah said drawing all eyes to her. "You're not going to hurt anyone, are you?" Carlos scratched his chin looking away from his daughter. If this was Carver, not hurting people wasn't an option. I wished that Clem and I had left long ago, I couldn't go back.

"Of course he won't, Sarah, all right? Your dad's the nicest man I know, which is why he's not going to do anything crazy…or not nice. Right?" Carlos gave Luke a look of warning before shifting his gaze back to his worried daughter.

"You know these are bad people, sweetie. They will do or say anything to hurt us." Luke and I traded worried glances before he dropped his gaze to look at Clementine.

"All right, what do you think? Did it seem like he'd be coming back?"

"He saw a picture of me," Sarah said in more of a wimpier than anything else.

"A picture! What were you doing taking pictures?!"

"Carlo," Luke said

"What?!"

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

"I took the picture. It's my fault." Clem said sounding strong.

"No. I asked her to. It's my fault." Sarah said after Clem tried to take the blame. Maybe Sarah was braver than I thought.

"He was scouting. We got lucky. He wasn't expecting to find us. Clementine must have surprised him. If she hadn't been there…" Carlos trailed off thinking of the possible outcome no doubt.

"Well, he was too smart to stick around. But he'll be back with the rest. We don't have much time."

"He right. Everyone pack up. We're movin' out." Luke ordered. Rebecca and Alvin quickly left the room, Rebecca calling after her husband. Carlos kneeled down to be at eye level with his daughter. He spoke to her calmingly trying to stop her from panicking, I was close to panicking. I did my best to keep a straight face if I were to say anything however it might become more apparent. I didn't need these people knowing how easily Carver scared me.

"Where are we going?" Clem asked I was thankful one of us had our sense about them.

"Anywhere but here. Into the mountains maybe." Carlos walked closer to Clem. I had brought one hand up to my mouth and absent-mindedly chewed at my nails. I caught a concerned look from Luke being thrown my way. I straightened trying to shrugged it off.

"Look, I'm sorry to involve you two, but now that he's seen Clem, you'll both be safer with us. We need to leave." I quickly met his eye with alarm. One big group of everyone he's looking for, what could go wrong? I knew I should have left with Clem first chance we got, maybe we still could.

"We have to find Pete," Nick said for the first time since we had returned. Thinking about Pete made a pit drop in my stomach, what if Carver found him?

"We'll get him on our way out, Nick. Clementine, you know where he was, right?" She nodded

"Alright. Everybody grab your stuff. Let's hit the road."