AN: Just before I start this chapter, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to Oreo Anarchy for the phenomenal cover art she created! I've got no words – literally, I was astonished at the attention to detail she put in this, it left me with my jaw hanging open lol. Big thanks goes to her, YOU ROCK! If you'd like to see more of her work, then be sure to check her stuff on deviantArt – the username is KeitorinSukotto. Seriously, you've got an awesome talent with this stuff :)
I don't need them anymore than they need me. They made that perfectly clear back in the house – sending me off on my own without a word of explanation. Sure, right when the chips are down and the bad guys come storming in, of course that's when they decide to throw me to the wolves! If they wanted me out that badly, then the least they could've done is just talk to me about it! I knew it all along… I was a liability; a waste of their resources. All of that time pushing me around in the chair could've been spent fortifying the house, or scouting out other places so that something like this wouldn't happen.
But I thought Jane and Lilly were my friends… We'd been through so much together, after all.
But I was deceived and tricked into thinking that they were going to try and protect me the way I would for them. They didn't care at all! The only thing they were doing was looking out for themselves, and I didn't realize it until it was far too late!
Now instead of going with Jane and Lilly, I'm stuck down in god-knows-where and running from the walkers that are still feasting on Kyle…
I still can't believe that I did that…
Breathing heavily, my mind starts to panic as I run faster and faster through some kind of tunnel it looks like. Wooden support beams keep the entire thing from collapsing, but they sure don't seem very safe to me. Almost every time that I come close to one of them, I can hear the slow creak of wood; scaring the crap out of me along with the fear of being eaten alive.
"Gotta find shelter…" I encourage myself, releasing shaky breaths as the low groans become increasingly distant. Well, at least Lilly managed to kill some of them at least. I don't think that that would've gone nearly as smoothly otherwise.
It's almost pitch black in here, so I stop to ruffle around in my bag for a second. Sighing in relief when I feel the handle, I switch on the flashlight and start shining it around a little bit; noticing the tunnel walls and even some of the ore that's sitting inside some of the walls.
"Is that… coal?" I question aloud, expecting somebody to answer until I remember that I'm all alone down here. I'm truly by myself this time around.
I'll just have to make do, stick it out and try to find someplace safe.
Running my hand along the surface of the wall, I cringe when I see that my hand's all smudged and gross from the coal. Why would people ever want to dig this stuff up? I mean, they couldn't have sent the prisoners down here for money after people started to turn – what would be the point of it? Money doesn't matter anymore!
Wearing my signature frown that I've mastered over the past two years, I adjust the backpack upon my shoulders and leave this place behind; always keeping both ears open for any potential dangers coming my way.
The air in here is thick and difficult to breathe, as the dust, dirt and who knows what else kicks up and spreads across my face. Coughing violently, I hold my arm in front of my face in order to try and block the stuff from getting in, but it only works so well. Dad used to tell me about how Grandpa worked in the mines for years, but I never got to meet him because he got lung disease from being down in places like these so much. I was only a baby when he passed away.
I'm not really sure why that's the first thing that I think of exactly, but maybe it's just a way to get my mind off things. My goodness do I have a lot on my plate right now.
This tunnel seems to stretch on for quite a bit, as there doesn't seem to be any signs of it ending anytime soon. My stomach growls as I walk forward, reminding me that I haven't eaten in quite some time. But what can I do? The food that they actually did give to me has to last for… well, however long that I've got left. I need to find a place that's suitable for me to stay in; whether it's long term or just for a little while, I don't really care. Just as long as it's safe and secure.
That's all that matters anymore – just to stay alive.
I didn't come all this way, promise dozens of people that I'd take care of myself, fight for so long and endure so much just to give up and call it quits. I know that I'm just a kid, and I know that I shouldn't have to grow up in a world like this. But times have been tough for everybody, and there's no sense in waiting around for death to come get me.
People might be crazy, untrustworthy pieces of garbage, but I'm not going to turn out like them. I can take care of myself, just like I told the cabin group the first day that I met them.
Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to live your own life?
Shaking her words out of my head, I frown and continue on through this seemingly endless route. Wasn't there some saying about finding a light at the end of the tunnel or something like that? I'm pretty sure that should apply here, right?
I mean, I can't just be stuck down here like a mole forever!
…
I need some air – like, real, outdoorsy, fresh and ground level air. That's all that I'd like, and it's a pretty reasonable request, isn't it?
I've been down here for what's felt like over an hour, although I can't ever be exactly sure of the time anymore. For all I know, it could be nighttime outside and I'd have no idea. It's not as if there are any windows built into the ground or anything.
The walkers have been pretty spread out down here, with most of them thankfully having clumped together back where I came from. I've had to kill two of them pretty easily since they were trapped under fallen rocks, but other than that it's been relatively smooth sailing so far.
I've been mulling it over for the past little while… Lilly and Jane. There's a lot for me to be angry about with them, but what's getting angry going to do? Will I win a prize for hating their guts, which I really don't anyways? Will someone come to my aid and take me in after being forced to go out on my own? No, I highly doubt that, and to be honest… I can't allow myself to stay angry at them all the time. Not after everything we went through.
I mean, look what happened with Lilly and I. When she first strolled up to the gate at Howe's Hardware, I immediately told myself that she was a murderer, a thief and definitely wasn't to be trusted. She even warned me herself about that kind of thing.
But then look what happened afterwards – I got to know her a bit better, we helped each other out and started to see each other eye to eye. Sure, we didn't always agree on certain things, but over time we developed a friendship that I never thought would've been possible in a million years.
For me just to toss it all away like that by telling her off… what a slap in the face that must've felt like.
Yes, I feel slightly guilty about all of this even though I still don't understand why they'd abandon me like that. I mean, why would they choose to do that? There had to have been a better reason than just to get rid of me, but I just can't see what it is!
Stifling my feelings for the moment, I mentally groan as I reach a fork in the tunnel. Two separate pathways; two separate destinations. I've literally got no idea where I should be going or what I'm even looking for, but I won't start panicking just yet.
"Think, Clem. You can do this…" I reassure myself, biting my lip until I remember what I've had in my pocket the entire time. Who would've thought that the map Lilly had found would actually come in handy? Shining the flashlight down upon it, I sigh and kick the dirt around with my foot when I realize that the thing's still faded and unable to be read properly in the state that it's in.
Well, this is just perfect, I think bitterly to myself, trying to make heads or tails of what it could possibly mean. It's not as if my reading skill's up to snuff considering how old I was when I left school, but thankfully this map seems to be more about pictures and less about sentences. Still though, the whole drawing kind of looks like chicken scratch, and it'd probably take a trained eye and magnifying glass to sort through this mess.
Unless, of course…
Ms. Moore, you're a certifiable genius! Searching around in the backpack some more, I grab a pretty dull pencil, go sit against a wall and start to do something that I haven't gotten a chance to do in two years – draw.
"It's called a leaf rubbing!" I told Lee with enthusiasm, smiling as he praised my work. "I'll make one for you too!"
Sighing at the thought of that amazing guy, I shake off that sadness and regret as I slowly start to scrape the side of the lead against the map; careful not to smudge out the parts that are already there. I'm a little rusty at this sort of thing, but at least I'm trying. That's all that matters really – as long as I can sort of tell which direction I'm supposed to go, then I should be alright.
It takes me about twenty minutes to finish a good chunk of the map, and I curse under my breath as the pencil breaks when I press down too hard on the surface. However, I've got the gist of it now, so I toss the pencil aside and try to navigate myself through this problem.
Hmm… this doesn't tell me that much, unfortunately. The map covers the entire underground area, so one tiny, little fork in the road isn't going to be labeled very well at all. I do see it, though – just a little bit below the middle of the map.
Wait a minute, the middle of the map?! You mean I'm not even halfway out of this rat hole yet?! Damn it! You've got to be kidding me!
Groaning in frustration, I roll my eyes and stand up to the two paths that I can choose. One seems to lead into some kind of subway tunnel, and the other goes deeper into the mines and underground construction areas. Deciding that I've spent more than enough time down in these smelly mine tunnels, I try to remain confident and optimistic (though it's very hard to do) as I bank a right and continue to trek onwards into the darkness.
Getting the jitters after hearing the echoes of creatures lurking about, I wrap my arms around myself to draw from what little comfort I can provide. As disappointed as I am with Lilly and Jane… I sure as hell could use them around right about now. They usually knew what to do in these types of situations; always kept calm and level-headed when times were tough.
And as much as I'd like to believe that I can take care of myself, and that I don't need anyone else… sometimes a grown up can help to make all of the problems go away. Everyone needs a little bit of comfort now and then.
Especially if that person's a twelve year old kid.
However, before venturing any further down the path on the right, I stop myself and widen my eyes as I see some kind of message written on the wall…
…in blood.
Yep, this has actually happened. It feels as though the underground mining tunnels have gotten even colder as I step forward to examine the scene, not bothering to hide my disgust as I gaze upon the red stains.
NO HOPE, JUST DEATH!
A shaky sigh escapes my lips as I shake my head in wonder. How could it have gotten this bad this fast? I can't imagine how desperate they must've felt; how lonely and scared they must have become as they slowly started to lose their minds. It must've been awful trying to live down here, only to get the door slammed and locked on you right after the walkers started to show.
I wonder how long these people all lasted before dying.
The culprit for this mess is leaned up near a barrel of some kind; having a pickaxe lodged right through the top of his skull and into his brain. Both of his hands are chopped off, with the stumps having dried-up blood smattered all over his dead limbs… It makes me gag just thinking about what this all means. His stumps were used like a paint brush to spread his gory message all over the tunnel wall. Did he do this himself, or was there some sick-minded person who forced him to do this?
Whatever the case may be, I hope he was already dead before his hands got chopped off. The pain would be almost unbearable.
"You deserved better…" I apologize, grimacing as I grasp the handle of the pickaxe and yank it upwards; causing bits of rotting brain to stick onto the tool. Wiping it off on the guy's pants and trying to be as respectful as I can (as if that makes a difference anymore), I shudder before placing the object into my backpack. You never know when this might come in handy.
But damn, is this thing ever heavy!
Glancing at the bloody writing on the wall, I hang my head before continuing onwards. The sooner that I can leave this place, the better.
…
"Expr… express tunnel, this way," I read aloud, trying to make out the words as the flashlight lowly dims on the sign above my head. Well, at least I'm heading in the right direction, I think. I mean, what else would they need a sign down here for if this wasn't leading to the subway?
My legs are getting pretty sore and stiff from all of this walking, and it doesn't help that I'm still slowly recovering from my injuries before. There is a silver lining to this, though – each passing day I can feel myself becoming slightly stronger than before. Whether it's physically, mentally, hell maybe even spiritually, if that makes any sense. I might not have the same hope that I had once had, but I haven't lost my perseverance – I'll fight to the bitter end.
The dirty, decrepit walls of the mines are slowly giving way to less dirty, concrete walls that have holes in them big enough to stick your finger through. Maybe that's just the style of them, I don't know.
What I do know is that I'm definitely not in the coal mine anymore, as I see a broken down elevator a few feet away from me that's basically turned into a big set of stairs. I know it's stupid, but I loved going up and down these things whenever I'd go to the mall with Mom or Dad (usually Mom, since Dad was never into the whole shopping thing). I remember how badly I felt when I was screwing around on it too much one time and ended up knocking an old lady right to the bottom. She went down like a bowling pin, and I couldn't restrain myself from laughing as she tripped and tumbled downwards.
I tried not to laugh! Honest!
Anyways, I climb upwards while holding onto the dust-covered railing; practically forcing myself to move with how tired I'm getting. Each step is a chore – each movement a struggle as I shine my flashlight in front of me.
No walkers yet, anyways, but I've got my gun in my pocket just in case. This place is pretty scary, especially when you're by yourself.
Once I get up to the top, I'm left speechless as I shine the light onto the high ceiling. This place is freaking huge! There are various subway cars that are just left abandoned and starting to rust near the bottom, and one of the cars has even been derailed a little bit to the left of me. There's a rather large hole in the ceiling that allows the rain and the light to shine through, so I turn off the flashlight and decide on saving the batteries for a time that I'll really need it.
A decent-sized pack of walkers wander about mindlessly on the tracks, with some of them caught underneath the train car and others over near the ticket booth. I'm gonna have to take this nice and slowly.
Deciding that my gun will be too noisy for this kind of thing, I lift the pickaxe out of my bag with both hands and tiptoe my way around some of the abandoned subway cars. Maybe if I can get to the surface, then I'll know where I am exactly. It's felt as though I've travelled all across the US, but that's probably just my childlike instincts kicking in right there. I likely haven't even left Texas yet.
But I swear to god, if I somehow crossed back over into Mexico, I'm gonna be so pissed off!
"Wragghhh…." the walkers moan; their voices bouncing and echoing off the walls as the rain drowns out my footsteps. So far so good, but like Lilly had reminded me millions of times before, you can't ever be too careful.
God damn it… Lilly and Jane…
I literally can't stop thinking about them, for better or for worse. I hope they didn't get killed… I'd be devastated if that was the case. Even though we fought and argued with each other, we still managed to sleep at night without slitting each other's throats. I'd consider that a plus, at least.
I just wish things could've been different with them. We had a good thing going, but then those jerks had to come and ruin it all! Maybe I'd actually be something in their eyes if it hadn't been for that attack. If Kyle hadn't shown up, then maybe we wouldn't keep questioning each other and doubting whether or not we were useful to the group.
But why did we have to go and throw that all away?
Shoving the billions of questions aside, I slowly open the subway car as the door creaks and moans.
Crap.
Knowing fully well that some of the walkers have heard me, I quickly sprint inside and slam the door closed; moving back into the subway car as they start banging on the windows. When one of the walkers pokes its head in through the glass, I take the heavy pickaxe and slam it into the beast's head, which kills it almost instantly. The other dead guys haven't heard the commotion just yet, but my time is getting cut short. I need to act fast.
Hmm… this car is on a slant going downhill, so maybe there's a chance with this. Sliding on my butt down to the back end of the transit, I cling to one of the seats to prevent getting completely squished by the door. Thank goodness walkers are slow! I'm not so sure that this would've gone as smoothly otherwise!
Opening up the back hatch, I breathe heavily as the walkers make their advance. I climb out and climb off the tracks and onto a nearby ledge; almost dropping my weapon of choice in the process. I swing my legs over and playfully stick my tongue out at the walkers as if I've won… but then I hear the scariest sound in a long while.
A loud, ear-piercing groan echoes around me, almost as if the walls are shifting somehow.
"What… the hell?" I mumble, panic coursing through me as I break for an exit sign. Of course though, in typical fashion, the door is jammed and isn't possible to open using my bare hands. So, I take the pickaxe, wedge it in between the doorway and push as hard as I possibly can.
See? I can handle myself pretty good after all!
At least, until the axe snaps in two – that's when I really start to get nervous.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!" I repeat, taking out my gun as a last resort and start to shoot the incoming walkers. Two of them are down, but no doubt has the noise attracted more of these guys.
The roof buckles, shakes and whines again as I run as fast as my tiny legs can carry me. No way am I dying like this – not in some scary-looking subway station where nobody can hear my cries for help! This isn't how it should end! How am I supposed to prove myself if I'm already dead?!
Biting my lip and quivering in fear, I widen my eyes as the walkers from the ticket booth hear my gunshots. The only possible place that I can go to is a janitor's closet with a window on the door, so I quickly sprint towards it and shut the door tightly behind me.
Grinding my teeth together, I place all of my weight behind the door, clench my fists tightly and hope for the best. The only thing that I can hope for now is that the walkers get bored and move on, but that's not likely going to happen. This is going to be a waiting game, and I have a feeling that they're going to win.
After about two minutes of this, the sound comes back, but also something that sounds like thunder and shakes like an earthquake. Looking outside, I can't help but watch in amazement as the roof collapses inwards and the hole gets about twenty times bigger. Cars and vehicles of all shapes and sizes start to fall through like massive, metal raindrops. When the walkers turn around to investigate, they're trampled on by a massive tanker truck that absolutely flattens them. Blood squirts all over the window of the janitor's closet, and I let out a big breath that I didn't know I was holding. A panel knocks loose above my head, but that's the least of my concerns at this point.
You can still hear the crashing and smashing of cars as they connect with the ground, and I honestly can't believe that something like this is happening. You'd think that I was on the set of some action movie or something, but no. This is real life, and that actually just happened. I would've died if I had stayed out there for five more minutes.
To my dismay, there's absolutely no way of getting back out into the station at this point, since that huge truck is blocking my escape. The smell of rotting flesh and diesel creates a horrid combination, and I can't help but slam the door in panic and fear as I realize what this means.
I'm stuck, and there's no getting out. I'm going to die like all of those miners back there.
Quietly and slowly, I sit next to a mop bucket and bring my knees in close to my chest; hugging them as I slowly digest this information. This is it – there's no getting out of this, and there's no chance in hell that anyone will be able to come rescue me. Jane and Lilly are gone, and I'm trapped in here by myself.
Things officially couldn't get any worse, as I bury my face into my knees.
"Oh god…." I sob as my tears stain my faded jeans. I've never felt so helpless before. "Jane… Lilly… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean any of it… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
My inner child seeps out as I continue to cry in the corner – longing for a grown-up to come and make me feel better. I haven't felt this needy since Lee was around, and even then I was able to occupy myself whenever he'd leave.
But now Lilly and Jane are off somewhere, maybe dead or worse while I sit in a freaking closet crying my eyes out. Not such a cool, badass way to kick the bucket now, is it?
As my cries slowly turn to sniffles, I reluctantly lift my head up and place my legs flat on the floor. Once I lean my head back and think that this is a terrible way to go, my eyes focus on the panel that shifted a little bit during the collapse in the station. It seems pretty loose, so maybe there's a chance that I can…
Wasting no time, I gingerly put my bag back on my shoulders and adjust my hat so that it won't fall off. I flip an empty, plastic garbage can upside down and climb on top of it while hoping for the best. It's not a good idea to go messing around with ceilings, but if the alternative is starving to death then I'm willing to take a risk.
Pushing the panel aside, I poke my head up and sneeze as the dust fills my nostrils. There's nothing in here except dirt and grime, but there seems to be some light creeping in through a crack up above me. I lift myself up – carefully as to not collapse the already brittle ceiling – and try to push upwards against the second panel.
No dice with that, so I pull out my pistol and try a different tactic.
Two bullets pierce the mold of the ceiling, and I hear a surprised yelp from up above me. Remembering that walkers can't scream, I lift the cover off as lights blind my vision and I pull myself up.
"Who… who's there?" I call out, rubbing my eyes to get rid of the dust. I cough a few times as I get used to the air.
"DROP YOUR WEAPON!" somebody shouts, and I reluctantly do as they command. I'm at a huge disadvantage right now, so it'd be best just to agree with what they tell me to do. "Put your hands above your head, and don't try anything funny!"
"Deb, she seems harmless to me…"
"She just came out of the fucking ground, James! What am I supposed to think, huh?!" the woman retorts as my eyes finally adjust. There are two people here with some others out in the hallway, but they can't seem to hear what's going on. The woman's kind of short with medium-length blackish- brown hair tied back in a bun, a dark blue t-shirt and cargo pants. The man's a few inches taller with a balding head (in the middle), some scruffy stubble, glasses and wearing a white lab coat of some kind.
The man known as James steps forward towards me with a serious look on his face. I can't really tell if he's friendly or not, but I say nothing as I stare at him with a neutral expression.
"Who are you?" he asks in a calming tone, but I cross my arms over my chest and reveal nothing to him. I've had enough strangers to last for quite some time, thank you very much.
"Well," he scratches his head, seemingly not knowing where to go from here, "if it makes you feel more comfortable, my name's Dr. McCoy. You can just call me James though, if you'd like."
"James, we have to detain her! We can't have people popping into here whenever they feel like it!" Debbie protests, reminding me a whole lot of Rebecca when we first met. It wasn't pretty, I'll tell you that much.
Rolling his eyes, the doctor turns around to his companion and ushers her out the door despite her protests.
"I've got this, don't worry," he encourages, putting on a smile and giving her a quick peck on the lips that slowly shuts her up. I can tell that she still doesn't like the idea. "We'll run a scan and then I'll meet you out in the hangar bay later, okay? Love you too, Deb!"
"You're gonna be the death of me one of these days, I swear…" she mumbles, shaking her head and smirking before heading back out into the hall and yelling at some kids to go about their business.
"She's pretty nice, if you can believe it," James chuckles as he closes the door behind her. I still don't trust this guy, and I have absolutely no idea what's going on here. "Soooo… that was quite the entrance, don't you think? You shot a hole right through the floorboard, ha ha! Ha! Ha… heh…"
Raising an eyebrow, I keep silent as he leans up against a desk with his hands in his pockets.
"Look, you're gonna have to give me something to go on here. How am I supposed to talk to you if you won't say anything?"
"It's Clementine," I tell him flatly, getting a nod from the older man.
"Well… there's a start. Nice to meet you, Clementine," he smiles, but frowning slightly once he studies my face. "Are you feeling alright? No offense, but you look like you've been put through the ringer."
Shrugging my shoulders, I bend down to put my pistol back inside of my bag as James steps away from the desk. Studying me some more, he sighs and walks over to me.
"I'm a doctor here," he tells me, giving me no amount of comfort as he looks at me through the lenses of his glasses. "Why don't you swing by the medical ward with me and we'll have you checked out? Considering where you just came up from, I'd say that you might need it."
After pausing for a few minutes, I continue my reign of silence as I walk out into the hallway; hearing him sigh as I'm almost run over by a couple of laughing kids chasing each other around. I blink my eyes in amazement at how carefree they seem, and James chuckles as he pats my shoulder.
Instinctively I shrug away from him, but he doesn't seem to be fazed as he leads me down the corridor. It seems as though he understands that I'm lost and confused.
"This way," he tells me, and I gape in wonder as he pushes a button on the elevator. This thing actually works?! Once the doors open, he waits for me to enter before closing it back up again.
This is… what the hell is this place?
"Oh, and in case you're wondering," he says, almost reading my mind, "This is where we live. Welcome to the Houston Space Center."
