Clementine's POV.

It was a gloomy Sunday morning, yet somehow the other survivors in the Levee were awake and vibrant enough to make me feel out of place. Louis, Violet and I all sat in the second floor of a large library tucked away in the corner of the communities main square where all the markets were. There was a few people in the library with us, however us three lacked the confidence to introduce ourselves. "This place is surreal." Louis said as he plopped down on a chair next to a small round table with a good view of the river through a window. The city really was beautiful, and I'd do anything to see it before the outbreak.

"You said it." Violet rasped her lips and widened her eyes. "I don't think I've seen a library in this good of condition in... ever."

I smiled warmly. Usually us three would talk in whispered laughs about how crappy the places we found were, or how bad the smell of the walkers was after they died, but now look at us, sitting in a nice, air conditioned building surrounded by friendly people and plenty of food to go around. It was a pleasant change. "I'm glad we're here. It's nice."

"Too nice." Violet said as she glanced around at the other strangers minding their own business.

"Come on Vi." Louis rested his hand on the arm rest and smirked. "You're not already suspicious of this place, are you?"

"No. I just... I just get worried. It seems like everywhere we go there's some sort of dark secret lingering around. I mean what if these people here are cannibals or something."

I chuckled. It was common knowledge that Vi would get fairly panicky whenever she was too far from the walls of Ericson. "They aren't cannibals, Violet. Didn't you see that old woman with the basket of fruit earlier today?"

Violet took a long pause and blankly stated: "Human fruit."

Louis and I both sighed and smiled. "You're ridiculous." I pushed my foot out and nudged her leg with with playfully, causing her to grin slightly. The three of us just sat there for a few more minutes talking in whispers about what books we wanted to read before I got to my feet, ready to move on and explore the rest of the Levee. My two friends did the same and made their way to the stairs that led to the first floor. I began to follow, however I noticed something curious out on the balcony overlooking the river. Tenn sat at a table with A.J and Tatum. A.J was glaring intently at a book whilst moving his finger along the pages. Was he reading? There was no way, he didn't know how to read. My curiosity took over and I felt my feet gravitate over to the door that led to the balcony, which was next to and lounge area with a coffee stand. As much as I wanted to question what they were doing, I was content to watch with a hopeful smile through the glass door as Tenn tried to help A.J and Tatum sound out words from the book. He was teaching them to read. Best not to interrupt. Besides, I need to find out where Louis and Violet went.

One Hour Later

The sun was finally finding its rays through the clouds, casting ambient shadows in the Levee's square. The locals sat around talking and laughing about who knows what. Some of them even appeared to be repainting the walls of the aquarium. Everyone fell silent however once a certain someone came walking out of the main buildings doors. Awe. People just stared at him as if he was a god. I found this very strange. He was just a survivor, so why was everyone so intrigued by him. Maybe they knew something that I didn't. After he gave a friendly wave to the locals, he began to make his way through the town square, at least until he noticed me, Violet and Louis sitting along a cobblestone wall.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked, fixing his signature pink bandanna higher up on his face. "Did you all get assigned to a bunk?"

I was the first to answer, after all, I did tell him that I was in charge of my group. "Yes we did. A.J and I slept good."

I noticed Violet shrug from beside me. "It was alright I guess. The blankets are kind of itchy."

Louis nodded and seemed to stammer his words as he fumbled out, "Y-Yeah. Also I was wondering if... Maybe there was a bigger bed. One for two people?"

Despite half his face being covered, Awe's eyes illustrated confusion. "What? Why?"

I smiled, even though I shouldn't have. Louis wanted a bigger bed so he and I could cuddle like we did before we found the Levee. Hmm... The more I think about it, the more I agree with him. I decided to let Louis explain himself. Maybe he can convince Awe to humor us.

"It's just..." He started, sheepishly glancing to me. "Clem and I... Care about each other. We usually lay together while we sleep."

Awe's demeanor suddenly turned amused and i could see his cheek bones rise from a smile. "Oh, I see. Young love, even during the apocalypse."

Louis' cheeks went red immediately as he shifted his embarrassed gaze to the concrete below him.

"I'm fucking with you." Awe chuckled. "If you want a double bed then you'll have to earn it."

Louis's face lit up once again, a fire in his belly. "How do I earn it?"

"Well." Awe sighed. He was clearly preparing himself to give a speech he had repeated hundreds of times whenever a new comer arrived. "Word of mouth is the currency around here if that makes any sense. If you work hard, and you make a name for yourself that you can pull your own weight, then merchants and people who provide services will provide you with more. Reputation is everything around here. I kind of like it that way. It makes everyone productive while simultaneously living a better life. My brother-" He cut himself off suddenly, nearly choking on his own words. "Uh... Someone once told me that the best way to run a community is a work-reward system, so that's what I did."

Violet smiled, the first time I had seen her do so in a long while. "I like it." She beamed. Vi was always desperate to keep herself occupied since Lilly had been defeated. Maybe work was what she needed.

Awe began to back up, leaving us with a few words of advice. "There's a fisherman down at the docks named Calico. This time of year is when he likes to test his luck in the water. I'm sure if you offered him some help he'd gladly put in a good word to everyone in town about ya." And with that, the young leader turned his back and continued to walk towards a large crowd of locals gathered by a market stand.

"Calico." I got to my feet with the help of Louis and we all look towards the docks that sat ominously in the dark water. There was a cabin all by its lonesome away from the everyday life of the regular locals. Through the cabins window I could see a lit candle. "There." I pointed. "That must be where he is."

"Let's go." Louis and Violet jinxed each other, prompting a strange look from Violet. "Get out of my head." She joked.

"Sorry." Louis smiled. "There was just so much empty room in there, figured I'd take some up."

Vi punched his shoulder, clearly trying to hold back a smile.

"Settle down children." I declared playfully. Us three made out way down a large staircase that led to the docks. Near what i assumed to be Calico's cabin was a row boat with two paddles on either side. The whole house was made of a dark wood, almost as if the docks were made after the outbreak by this community. The craftsmanship was good, however compared to the old worlds ridiculously high standards, it was lackluster at best. But hey, whatever got the job done, I suppose. From the inside I heard a strange song being played on what I recognized to be an acoustic guitar. The song sounded almost evil. I knocked on the front door, not exactly sure what to expect. The music stopped, causing my friends and I to back away from the door.

Violet kicked at the dirt nervously. "Ah fuck... I hate introductions."

"I second that." Louis agreed with a gulp.

"Third." I replied.

The door handle jiggled a bit before turning all the way. Suddenly, the door swung open revealing one of the largest humans I have ever seen. He was large, almost naturally large. Not with muscle, but with fat. He must have stood at least six foot seven and weighed at least three hundred pounds. His face was round and hosted a large mouth that stayed slightly open, revealing missing teeth. He wore a red button up shirt and dark jeans. If I had to guess, I'd say his age fell somewhere around the late forties.

"Excuse my song." The monstrous siren spoke in an extremely deep, charming southern accent. "The tunes purpose was your attention."

The three of us just remained stone-footed at his doorstep, admittedly because of intimidation. Finally, I built up enough courage to speak. "Are you Calico?"

"That I am." Calico chuckled deeply and tipped a top hat that I didn't even realized he had on until now. Perhaps he should have just left it off for it looked small compared to his large head. "And you're name's Clementine." He didn't even ask, he just declared it to be so.

I stammered back. I had never seen this man in my life yet he knew my name. "How'd you know that?"

Calico stepped outside towards us and glanced over at our former paddle streamer boat as it was caught in the current against the river damn. "Girl..." He starred me right and the eyes and conjured an ugly smile. "The world is one river, and I'm it's king. Ain't no place I ain't been, ain't no place I can't go again."

"Okay, enough with the damn analogies." Violet snarled. "You told us your song was meant to get our attention. Why?"

Calico scratched at his medium lengthen beard. "Because I know that you had troubles, girl, and I can offer absolution. The people in this town, this community, they look to me for sustenance that I provide from my river. Sometimes I spend days out there collecting those morsels from the traps I made. The people here, they respect me. I'll offer up my word of acknowledgement for you, and in doing so, you'll be recognized."

"We don't care about fame or fortune, we just want recognition that'll let the locals know that we can pull our own weight." I declared.

Calico laughed the same deep laugh. "Then the price is a minuscule thing. You see, I have work that is not easily satisfied. I need is a few 'go get em' spirits like yourself to assist my hands in collecting all the fish I've captured in my traps."

Louis crossed his arms caustically and bit his lip. "So if we help you get your fish, you'll put in a good word for us?"

"I do promise just that. As I said, it's a minuscule price."

"Alright. Well ladies, what do you say we all-"

"No." Calico interrupted my boyfriend. "Two of you will have to stay and look after my cabin. I'm a rather large individual, and my boat will surely cap size if I bring too many. One of you will have to volunteer."

The three of us exchanged worried looks. I didn't believe that he was luring one of us away to kill, however the thought of being stuck in the middle of a river with someone who gave me the chills was not at the top of my list of things to do today. Before I could say anything, Louis spoke out. "I'll go with you." He exclaimed confidently.

"Louis." I tried to intervene. He just gave me a warm smile, mouthing the words 'It's okay'.

"It's settled." Calico smiled. "Boy, you follow me. We got ourselves a job to do."

The two men disappeared around the corner of the house as they made their way to the boat, leaving Violet and I alone on the front porch.

Violet sighed and took a seat on the bottom step. "Well then... Calico is..."

"Crazy?" I finished.

"Yeah... Crazy."

Louis' POV

Stuck on a small fucking row boat with a sweaty old man. Dreams really do come true... I'm joking obviously. Humor was my only way out of the uncomfortable nature of this situation. Despite the unnerving nature of the man across from me, it was certainly impressive the way he knew the river and exactly where to go to get his traps without needing any kind of indicator. "So uh..." I mumbled, trying to start conversation. "Where do you come from, Calico?"

"Hmph." He chuckled and wiped the plaque from his teeth using his jacket sleeve. "I'm a creature of sensation, boy. I go where I want to go."

"Right. Surely you have a hometown, though, right?"

"I was born in little town in Pennsylvania, right on the outskirts of the Ohio river mouth."

"Oh... Well what was it like out there?"

"All these questions... I do believe it would be best if we conveyed our focus back to our work."

"But there's nothing out here. You said it yourself, we won't be at the next trap for another five minutes. Are just suppose to sit in silence until then?"

Calico smirked and placed his right hand gently in the water, causing a small riptide next to the rowboat. This guy was defiantly crazy. I should have stayed back on land with Clementine. Maybe Vi would've volunteered to go.. "Boy, every moment spent on this plane is a moment worth savoring, for anything could be gained. All it takes is a little patience and experience."

"Well I don't have enough patience for this. I was never a fishing guy. I prefer sports and music."

Suddenly, Calico dipped half his submerged arm into the river and thrashed it around wildly.

"What the hell? What are you doing?!"

Calico, arm still underwater, smiled and suddenly yanked it back up. In his hand was a large, flailing catfish. I just starred at him in shock as he opened up the cooler where the rest of the captured fish were and tossed it in.

"I.." I stuttered, not sure what to say. "How did you...?"

"Patience, boy. Any goal you ever have in life isn't meant to be pursued, it's meant to be protected. If you pursue it, you'll lose patience. So protect it. And protect that girl you love back on the shore."

"Oh... You knew about that?" After all that I've seen this man do in the past hour, I was not at all surprised that he new Clem and I were together.

Calico smirked repeated what he had told us back at his cabin. "I'm the king of this river boy. And right now, you're on it."

Clementine's POV

I wasn't sure what to expect when Calico and Louis returned, however it certainly wasn't Calico laughing with my boyfriend. From what i could hear, Calico was telling a story in his deep, charming voice, a story that Louis apparently found very entertaining due to the smile on his face when he reunited with me back on land. I gave a him a tight hug and smiled at him. "You okay?" I asked in a low whisper so Calico wouldn't hear me as he carried a cooler filled to the brim with fish over to his front door.

"I'm fine." he gave me a kiss on the forehead and placed a hand on my cheek. "Let's head back. Calico says he likes to be alone to count up the haul."

"Okay." I watched as Louis and Vi walked away, overhearing a 'Did he try to kill you?' from Violet. I scoffed out a smile before glancing back to Calico as he nudged open the cabin door with his hip. Before he entered, he and I made eye contact, and just then, I couldn't help but feel a strange, mysterious feeling in my gut, like there was something more to him, something he was keeping a secret.

"Run along now, girl. Your friends are waiting." He turned and closed the door.

What a peculiar man. One of singularly swagger and pride.

I ran up the stair to rejoin my friends. It was getting dark, meaning curfew would soon be in effect. We made our way to the main building and entered through the large doors on top of the stone staircase. All of the locals were lounging around waiting for the lights to finally go off so they could sleep. The area where the beds were was a very open space with cold, grey floors made of a strange kind of rock that was dark, yet somehow glossy on top. My groups bunks were all next to each other tucked away in the back furthest from the front doors. As we approached the rest of the group, I heard an unfamiliar voice say my name from behind me. "Hey." Usually I would assume that this was a beckon for someone else, however the voice was so close that I turned, only to be faced with another boy i had never met before. He was my age, quite large, and sported a sheepish smile.

"Hi..." I said, turning back around to join Louis and Violet as they were greeted by the rest of my people.

"You're the knew girl."

I clenched up and clenched my teeth behind my lips. I really did not want to answer questions right now, especially without my two best friends by my side. "Sure."

"I have a question." The boy said before I could even take one step.

I slowly looked at him the darkest eyes I could conjure up, but the didn't seem to bust his confident demeanor. "What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you wanted me to show you around the Levee. It'd be my treat."

I scoffed. "You just assume that me being in your presence would be a treat?"

"Well I don't know? Would you like to find out?" He smirked.

I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. Before my mouth could open up to say some vile things, I felt a hand wrap around my waist. Louis, thank god.

"Hey Clem, A.J is waiting for you, he wants to show you something."

I smiled at Louis and nodded, ghosting the boy behind me as I walked towards my group. I know Louis felt like that boy was trouble. At least I think I know...

A.J was laying down next to Kace's dog Kaiso as he flipped through a children's book from the library.

"Hey kiddo." I sat down next to him and planted a kiss on his head.

"Clem!" He nearly yelled, breaking up the ever growing silence in the room.

I chuckled and shushed him. "What's up? Louis said you had something to show me."

He nodded and held up the book. "Quiz me. Point to any sentence on the page. I bet you I can read it perfectly."

I grabbed the book and scanned the page for a sentence that wouldn't be too difficult. I settled on one that read: "Mr. Baker was never late to teach her students.".

A.J glarred at the page and began to sound out the words faster than I had seen him done ever before. "Mr. Ba... Baker was never late to... teach his stud... students."

I gasped and hugged him tightly. "A.J! That was so good! When did you learn how to do that?" Of course, I already knew. After all, I saw Tenn teaching him earlier today in the library.

"Tenn taught me." A.J confirmed.

"Well he taught you very nicely. You're a little expert reader now." I ruffled his head and lied back in the warm bed. Until we were able to get another bed, only A.J and I could lay together, and there were not enough small beds for everyone, meaning Louis, for the time being, had to sleep on the floor. I insisted multiple times that he took this one, but he refused, saying that A.J and I are more important to him than some stupid bed. I loved him for that very reason. He was selfless, and that was not something that was very common now a days. The lights in the first floor began to dim until it was nice and dark. I let out a yawn. Tomorrow would be the day that we start pulling our weight. Louis proved he could pull his, now it was my and A.J's turn. I wonder what will be needed of us. Perhaps supply runs or clearing out walkers from the area. Oh well, I suppose I'll check in with Awe tomorrow to see. until then, though, I'm tired, and this warm bed is way too comfortable.

"Goodnight A.J"