TellTale owns TWDG…

Chapter 14

(Noah's first person POV) Regular (Will be this way for the rest of the story (probably)).

In my dreams, I had seen things. I saw Seth, who was just too scared to pull the trigger. My sister, with a deadly combination of unluckiness and carelessness that only led to her demise. I saw myself, my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. I hoped none of them had suffered as much as I. But I saw Mom as well. I saw her death. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it out of my head. If that stupid walker hadn't been as strong as a freaking magnet; if only I could handle myself. "I love you", kept ringing in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about her, or the pain, or the suffering. I didn't… I didn't even get a chance to put her down.

Before all of this, Mom, Seth, Brooke and I had made a pact. A pact to put everyone down if they ever got bit. It was better to be dead, than to be revived into those fucking nasty creatures. I fulfilled that wish for Brooke, and so did Mom for Seth, but I couldn't carry it on for her. I failed her again. Whenever… wherever I was in my dreams, I was failing Mom. Each nightmare hurt like a blow to the jaw and a gunshot to the chest. I never got a restful night, because my life was broken. Why should I fight for a cause that was doomed from the start? Why should I serve a world that I know I can't change? Why am I still here?

I heard smashing, thudding and yelling from outside. The pain flooded my ears. The vibrations were thrumming my brain with a billion decibels. It hurt.

More thudding and yelling, until I heard a crash. But I didn't care. My only focus was on ending this constant thrum of pain in my head. I dug a shard of glass into my wrist. Blood splurted out, but I felt no new pain. I continued to slice, cutting my veins longways. Blood poured from my wounds, but I continued without hesitation. I had run halfway up my forearm before I was thrown backwards. Clementine was standing over me. Shock was rampant across her face as she swatted the glass away and slammed the bathroom door shut. I was laying on the floor, blood pouring out from my wound, right in front of a kicked down door that lead to the walkway. Clementine was looking at me with shock. Not disgust, not anger nor sadness, but shock. I just laid on the ground, looking at the ceiling, hoping it would end soon. I felt Clementine yell for help, but I didn't concentrate.

"Noah, no. You are staying awake. Sleeping is not an option. Look at me!" I could hear her voice, hear her, see her. Mom was talking to me.

"It's going to be ok honey. I know it hurts. You'll be ok." I closed my eyes. I felt happy.

"NO! WAKE UP! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! DON'T DISHONOR ME!" She screamed in my head. Her face was disoriented, gray and dead. Her long and luscious brown hair became a shriveled black, matted against her neck. Blood was pouring out of multiple chunks of her body. Intestines were drawled across her legs. And her hands were missing. It was horrific; I probably cried. I tried to speak… tried to tell her I was sorry, but she wouldn't stop yelling at me.

"NOAH! YOU CAN'T DO THIS. YOU HAVE TO SURVIVE, SOMEHOW. IF IT ISN'T FOR YOU OR FOR HER, SURVIVE FOR ME!" She repeated it like a mantra, blasting my brain with her voice. I tried to block her out, but a sharp pain in my cheek rang out, snapping me back into reality. Clementine was slapping me, trying to keep me awake, but I was done waking up anymore. My mind kept trying to close out the pain of losing her. Then my eyes shut… for good.

I woke up in my warm, cozy, fluffy bed. My mom had set out breakfast for me.

"Some kind of a night you had, huh. You were thrashing all over the place," Her relaxing voice said as I rubbed the grime out of my eyes.

"Yea. I had a pretty weird dream…"

THE END

LOL JK U THOUGHT. Y'ALL JUST GOT PRANKED EZ REX *Air horns blare*

My wrist ached like a sonofabitch and my head was pounding. My cheek was red from getting slapped and I felt like shit. Javier, Gabe and Clementine, along with the indian man and… Holy fuck. Heather and Randy stood behind them. Both of them, still alive, standing right in front of me. "Oh thank god!" I heard. My ears were ringing, but I saw them both holding back tears, but the indian man had tears pouring down his face. Gabe and Javier had concerned, yet happy looks, and Clementine, who sat on the edge of the bed, looked relieved. She turned away before she noticed me turning towards her. Gabe glanced at her with concern, and that was all I needed to realize she was also crying. Then things blacked out. Again.

I faded in and out of consciousness for about five minutes before I was able to sit up. Everyone huddled around me. There was a water bottle alongside a small plate of grilled pig meat and carrots in front of me. After I ate and drank to my heart's content. My first question: "How long was I out?"

The indian man answered me first. "Two and a half days. It's about noon now." Jesus.

"We were - afraid you weren't going to wake up," Javier said. I looked down.

"You were in a pretty serious coma. It's a good thing Clementine kept you awake. Keeping you conscious probably saved your life. We were able to get to you in time and keep the blood regulated. We couldn't give you any transfusions. We couldn't risk it. I was will-"

"Krishan, don't. We can't rush him with information, he just woke up," Heather said. Wait, Krishan!? As in my only friend!? Back from the olden days of middle school?

"Krishan?"

"Yeah, Noah?" My eyes widened, and more tears formed into my eyes.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah, Noah." I sat silent. After a minute, I motioned for him to come closer. I gripped his hand and pulled him into a hug. And cried. He patted my back, but I heard the shakiness in his voice.

"I didn't recognize you with all that bush there." I pointed out. He chuckled.

"Yeah, man. Been growing it out for a while. Like a really long ass time." I grinned. Heather and Randy still stood in the corner. Randy's arms were around her waist. I grinned at them too. It brought back good memories. Memories of before the world went to shit. More tears brimmed in my eyes, but I wiped them away with haste. The room was silent for a while.

Well… Noah. We have a lot to talk about, but I want you to get your rest, and freshen up. We will talk tomorrow. And you will really see what the LakeWood community has." Krishan explained. He clapped my shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, and a nurse will be in here to check on you before curfew." I nodded. Everyone slowly trickled out of the room, leaving the bare white walls to stare back at me. The emptiness of the room coincided exactly with my feelings.

People came and went. Randy and Heather dropped in first, just to say hi and chat for a bit. Then Gabe and Javier checked back after dinner. They just wanted to talk about stuff and thangs. Everyone was really supportive. It ticked me off.

I sat alone in my room. The nurse had just left, leaving me with a new IV bag and some crackers and ale. The crackers were far too stale, but the ginger ale was cold and fresh. I enjoyed it. But the feelings were still there. Riding my brain waves, whispering into my ear with certainty. I was alone. I kept trying to forget, but every time I did, the memory grew more vivid. I saw her everywhere. I could not escape it, the guilt, the pain, the damn throbbing in my brain. I just… couldn't. No matter how hard I tried. My emptiness inside didn't help. All this turmoil in my head, as I sat and stared back at those white walls, and they just stared back. I had no escape.

I was setting down my drink, deep in thought when Clementine knocked. I barely noticed. She walked in anyways, and sat herself down on the edge of the bed. I kept staring at the walls. "Noah?" She asked. I was pulled out of my trance, and I looked at her.

"Yeah. Hey." I said. My voice was dry and hoarse, and I'm sure it sounded like a dried out rooster. She remained silent for a solid minute, looking everywhere but at me. I decided to engage the conversation I knew I was going to have anyways. No point in delaying it.

"Why?" I asked. "Why did you save me? How did you even know?" Silence, for a while.

"I heard the thud, then the crash of the glass. I… I have grown to know that I should expect the worst. And seeing the condition you were in. I… I had a feeling. I couldn't just walk away."

"So you jumped to conclusions?"

"Yeah. Yeah I guess I did. But I saved your life. Are you regretting it?"

"Do you want a thank you?"

"Yeah, a little appreciation for saving your life would be nice. You owe me four now."

"Why do I owe you? I wanted that."

"Do you still want it?"

"And what if I do?" She grew silent, and stared at the wall before speaking again.

"Back when I was eight years old… with Lee… we ran across a farm. It had an electric fence, safety, food and water. It was stocked, and we stumbled upon it. Everyone except Lee thought it was safe. Then… a guy named Mark got shot with an arrow. The people, they were called the St. Johns… they ate him. They were cannibals, and they were killing the living. Those who needed their help. They killed them for food. I will never forget Lee saying 'Aren't the dead eating enough of us?' Same principle. He always knew how to protect people. I wish he were still here. But…" Her voice cracked, "The point is, we have lost too many people already. There are too many of them and too little of the survivors. We can't kill each other, or ourselves off. We have to stay and fight for those we care about."

"Well… the only person that I cared for is dead now." She was taken aback.

"Noah… there are people you know here. People that care about you. People in this camp and people from our group care about you. You are just going to give up on them. Noah… you have to man up and fight this. You are strong enough to survive the apocalypse, so you are strong enough to get through this." I'll give her this: She hasn't given up her humanity just yet.

I was still silent. She's right. Listen to her Noah.

No! She's wrong. She is trying to make Mom seem like just another person. She was special! She was part of you! This is a scheme. This isn't right. You know she's up to something. STOP STOP STOP. This isn't what Mom would have wanted. You can't!

"RAAAGHGH!" I screamed. I pulled the scalpel that I had slipped from the nurse's pocket out and yanked the blankets off of my bare body, covered only with a thin white robe. With one swift move, I grabbed Clementine's hair, one of her (hair) buns, and yanked her towards me. She stood, inches from my face, and the scalpel I held to her neck.

Hot fire burned throughout my body. My muscles were tense and my hands were shaking. Tears brimmed in my eyes. Clementine showed no resistance. She just stood there, with me holding a scalpel to her throat. She was calming, concerned not for her own life. Her eyes were pleading, but she stood strong.

"Noah…" She put her hands up, in the air. She was surrendering. "Please… put the knife down. This isn't you. We can get through this." She maintained her eye contact. My face was contorted, vision blurry, my head was fogged up. Noah, put the knife down. She's right. You can get through this.

NO! She's lying. It's a trick. SHE KILLED HER! She killed her with you. You are both responsible and she is denying it. This is an outrage. KILL HER. KILL HER NOW BEFORE SHE KILLS YOU!" Shut up. "Shut up. JUST SHUT UP!" Spittle flew from my mouth. Clementine was silent, but she still looked at me. Her blueish gold eyes glinted in the moonlight darkness. I could barely see her other than that. Tears flowed down my cheeks. My muscles were so tense. My body was burned with lava. My heart was in my stomach, my brain in my ass.

Put the knife down Noah.

Never. Kill her now!

Put it down.

Kill her!

Put it down.

Kill her!

Put it down.

Kill her! I screamed. I yelled right in her face, screaming at the top of my lungs. My hot breath raked across the room. "AGHHH," I screamed with blood curdling force, against all the bodily powers of the universe. Then I threw the knife. I threw it with all my force. It impaled the far white wall.

I stood there, panting, and I threw my hands on my knees. Time froze, and I collapsed on the ground, back against the wall, and started to sob. I felt Clementine's eyes bore into me, before she sat next to me. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. I just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed.