Hey guys! I have big plans for the future of this story, so be on lookout for that! And, as always, enjoy! Oh, and TellTale owns TWD video game.

Chapter 7

I clambered down onto my place of rest way after both Clementine and Javier left, and the first streaks of dawn appeared. I cried that night for a long time. I do not wish to experience that again. I couldn't check to see if tear stains had formed, so I just hoped that they didn't as everyone woke up. I pretended to sleep, but I was wide awake the entire time. We left after a short breakfast of cold oats.

The day was cool, not like the night, but not like a Texas summer day at all. Our bikes were putting in good mileage, but not good enough. We were still in Virginia four days after the explosion. We had stopped from place to place, getting a little supplies along the way, but our main goal was still D.C. Tripp was visibly getting infuriated.

"Were not getting anywhere! We need to find a car or something. D.C. is waiting!"

"Calm down Tripp. We are still moving faster than the dead." Javier said.

"Well that's a cherry in my ass." Tripp mumbled. Eleanor biked next to him. They obviously didn't want to talk to the others. The other five of us rode together, almost in single file, with Javi leading.

I couldn't really strike up a conversation with anybody, I was too busy thinking. Thinking about Clem, and this A.J. person. She was experiencing fresh wounds, so I was sure she didn't want anyone to talk to her about him. So I thought to myself. Who was he? She had never specified if he was a friend, a brother, a boyfriend? The person she was caring for? I had these questions running through my mind the entire ride, basically the duration of breakfast to lunch.

Javier pulled his bike over. "We should stop guys. We've been going at it for the entire day. We should stop and rest."

"I second that notion," Gabe said exhaustingly. Clem, who had barely broken a sweat, nodded. Again, she showed little emotion, no recognition of anything that happened last night. I looked at mom, and she nodded, so I nodded. Tripp and Eleanor pulled up beside us.

"Ok fine. A couple of minutes. But we have to get going." Tripp exclaimed. Javier nodded.

The bleak setting of the little warehouse was uncontrasted to the environment outside. The small warehouse had a wary and dissolved stone texture, deprived of all color. Moss grew from the thin wooden roof, and hung over it like a limp limb. Outside, the cool air and dry pavement were all to be explored. A small treeline ran off the pavement and further into the western Virginia woods. The warehouse reeked, but I couldn't quite place the smell.

Inside, it was wrecked. Strewn boards littered the floor, and shelves were thrown down. Oil and gas lied across the floor, covering the smooth stone.

"Yeah. Perfect!" Javier said with genuine enthusiasm. I rolled out my pack and grabbed food for mom and I. Everyone had something, however small, to eat. It was a pleasant little lunch. During this small period of eating I was having a social dilemma. Should I approach Clementine and find out about this A.J.? I had no idea if I should. And when everyone started packing up their things, I got even more rushed. I decided YOLO. The world is ending, would she really shoot me over A.J.? Just some simple questions? I doubted it. So I approached her.

"Hey Clem. Can I… Can I uhh talk to you about something." That's when I had an 'a-ha' moment. How would she know I knew about A.J.? The only time she talked about him was on the roof? How would I admit that I basically stalked her? Ahh thats a rip.

"Yeah. What's up Noah?" Man, she still had that cagey way of speaking.

"Well… uhh… this is kinda awkward to admit but… I uhh… I heard the noises of you going up to the roof a few nights ago, and I kinda followed you, and I kinda heard everything you guys talked about. So I have some questions."

"Wait, you followed me?" She was clearly surprised.

"I'm sorry I was curious. I heard the noises and thought I should check it out."

"What is it," she squinted.

"Who is A.J.?" I swear to God that woman gave me a death glare. She looked at me like I had just shit in her scrambled eggs. I guess he was important to her. I backed off. "It's ok. You don't have to answer. I'm sorry for asking." I turned away.

"No…" she mumbled back towards me. I turned back, and her glare had softened. "A.J…. He was a baby," My eyes widened. "He… he was the son of some of my friends, good people who are gone now. I was all that he had left… and I failed him." She had a hint of glistening water in her eyes. "I was everything he had ever known to him. He was all I had left, before I met Javi. I had a plan and everything to get him, but… We were very close. But… he's gone now. And I try not to think about him. It would hurt to much if I did." I was the one holding back tears now.

"Damn… I am… I am so, so sorry Clementine. I truly am." She looked up at me and blinked away the water. "It's fine. We just have to get back on the road… and as far away from Richmond as possible." I nodded in agreement.

Tripp got up first and headed for the door, exclaiming "Come on everyone. We have to get back on the road ASAP!" He threw the door open, and didn't even have time to react as a walker, standing right outside the door, gnashed its teeth right into his neck.

"AHHHHH AHHHHH GET THIS FUCKING THING OFF OF ME AHHH!" Tripp screamed as loudly as possible. Javier, first to react, shot the walker right in its head. Tripp stumbled back, clutching his neck, which was now frothing with blood. After a few moments, he collapsed. Eleanor ran to him, tears in her eyes, and straddled his head.

Meanwhile, other walkers were drawn by his screams. Clementine, Gabe, Mom and I were at the door stalling the few walkers that trickled our way. But there would be more. And this was not a place to fortify. Javier was running back. "Come on, Eleanor, we have to go. Now!" Javier tried pulling her off, but she wouldn't budge. "Eleanor, NOW! It's what Tripp would have wanted." She looked up at him, and nodded slowly. We got on our bikes and rode far away. Right before I mounded, I heard the gunshot. I was partially thankful that Tripp didn't have to suffer being one of the dead.

We found Eleanor later that night. She had used one of the silenced pistols and shot herself. Luckily for us, it was through the brain. I say lucky, because we didn't have to deal with killing her ourselves. She left a note, which had blood stains littered on it:

I am sorry for leaving all of you with no notice. I just felt better. I loved Tripp too much, and I had to see him. Just know that I am in a better place now. There are many things I would like to say, but seeing as I will be dead by morning, I cannot say them. I will speak to Tripp in the afterlife. Thank you all. For everything. Goodnight.

We buried her in the back of a small wooden cabin we found. Javier had shed a single tear. Mom cried more than a few tears. Gabe only held his uncle. Clementine and I, we shed no tears. I think we didn't for different reasons. I didn't know them well enough. I don't know about Clem.

"So… what were you and Clementine talking about the other day? Huh?" Mom teased me with mischief in her eyes. I had not told her prior, and I made sure she didn't see out eyes, or she would come running over like 'what wrong. Are you babies ok?' and other nonsense.

"Nothing mom. Just talking."

"Mhm. I can see the way-"

"Mom! Can we please?!" Clementine herself was just a few short feet ahead of us. Luckily, she didn't glance back. Maybe that's an intimidation tactic for women, because I was expecting her to glance back at me with disdain in her eyes or something. That thought scares me now.

"Ok! Whatever!" Mom said chuckling. I smiled a little bit and we kept walking. We had ditched our bikes because they had all pretty much broken down or had flat tires. So we walked the long distance near but not on Highway 95. There were cars backed up for miles. I can imagine all the passengers were headed for the same destination we are now.

So, the last five of us came across the Rappahannock river. I think that is somewhere in the Northern Virginia area. Maybe. We had to cross it across the highway. It was too deep and long to swim, so we bounded off onto the highway and across the Rappahannock, near Fredericksburg, VA. Thing went bad very quickly, to say the least.