"You did well today Deacon," said Mack as Deacon hopped out of the back of the truck. "And your friend here is a hard worker."
"Thanks," said Clementine as she jumped down onto the grass, surprised by the compliment. It had been a long day of collecting and picking oranges, but it seemed to be coming to a close now, well before the sun had set. With all the barrels filled, Mack had driven them back to Valkaria and parked the truck near a dock stretching out into the river.
"What's your name?" asked Mack.
"Clementine."
"Seriously?" Clem nodded at Ted. "How's that for a perfect fit? A girl named Clementine picking oranges."
"It'd be a perfect fit if she was picking clementines," said Mack. "A girl named Clementine picking valencias? Not so much."
"If you kids want, you could ride over with us to Paradise, hang out while we deliver the oranges and get our fish and water," offered Ted.
"For real?" asked a surprised Deacon. "That'd be great."
"It would?" whispered Clem.
"Yeah, they call it Paradise for a reason," whispered Deacon back.
"So is that a yes?" asked Mack.
"Definitely." Deacon looked over at Clem. "Well?"
"Sure."
Clem watched as Mack and Ted rolled the barrels down a ramp they placed on the tailgate and started wheeling them onto the dock with a hand truck. Walking across the dock, Clem spotted a big flat boat bobbing across the water. But beyond that, Clem could see an island. It was the same one she had seen from Rhonda's dock; a simple stretch of green land with a few buildings lining the shore.
"That's paradise?" asked Clem.
"Close enough," said Deacon.
Mack and Ted loaded the barrels onto the boat and, after a few tries, Ted managed to start the motor. Traveling by boat was an odd sensation for Clementine. It felt like the ground was trying to move out from under her feet and she had a little trouble maintaining her balance.
"No sea legs?" asked Deacon.
"Sea what?" asked Clem as she held onto the rail for balance.
"It just means you're used to being on boats."
"I'm not," said Clem as the vessel bobbed over the water.
"Don't worry, it's not a long ride."
Clem wrapped her arms around the railing and looked up as the boat neared the island. It was a long island covered in trees that were growing bigger with every passing moment. The ship maneuvered past the edge of the island and turned, revealing an inlet cutting through the greenery.
Moving into the narrow inlet, Clem was surprised to see small docks lining each side of the shore. She was even more surprised to see spacious two-story houses tucked away behind these docks, complete with lawns that had been converted into gardens. As Clem tried to get a closer look at what produce they were growing, she spotted a woman in overalls and a sunhat leaving her house. She dipped her watering can into a barrel set next to her house and proceeded to water her plants.
"People live here," said Clem.
"Yeah, some people," shrugged Deacon.
"I mean, like actually live," said Clem. "Like things are okay."
"Well, yeah. Hard to sneak onto an island, dead or alive," said Deacon. "That just leaves food and water."
"Water?" asked Clem. "We're on a river."
"The Indian River connects with the ocean, so it's saltwater."
"Oh. Is that why it smells funny?" asked Clem as she peered over the rail.
"Yeah, supposedly it's not as salty as the ocean but I wouldn't drink it. But they got tons of places set up to catch rainwater here, so that just leaves food, which is what we're bringing in now." Deacon gestured to the barrels of oranges. With the sun setting, beams of light streamed in through the trees and gave the water an almost golden hue to contrast the green trees that lined the shores; it actually looked like a paradise.
"How come everyone's not living here?" asked an awestruck Clem.
"Well it's a small island," shrugged Deacon. "There's just not room for everyone."
Clem watched as the boat slowed as it neared a dock at the end of the inlet. Ted leapt onto the shore and Mack tossed him a rope. Clem watched as the pair worked together to secure the ship to the dock.
"Deacon," spoke Mack. "Can you run over to Leonard and tell him we're ready for our fish?"
"Sure." Deacon gestured to Clem. "Come on, you'll love Leonard, he's great." Clem hopped off the boat, glad to feel the ground wasn't moving beneath her feet anymore, and ran after Deacon. The young man walked through the tall grass, following a faint trail through the thick flora. Between the humid air and the aroma of the plants, Clem couldn't help thinking she was trekking through a jungle, and found it exciting.
Before long the pair emerged from the grass and found a quaint cottage on the other side. Deacon went past the front door and started moving across the lawn, which was full of clotheslines. The clotheslines didn't have clothes hanging from them, but fish, cut open and pulled apart just like the one she had gotten from Rhonda.
Clem felt conflicted as she moved through the hanging bounty of fish; finding the sight and smell of them slightly nauseating while the memories of eating one made look fairly appetizing. The variety of fish was also stunning, coming in all sizes, shapes, and colors. A massive golden catfish hanging right on the post itself caught Clem's eye. Walking up to it, she was surprised to see it was almost as big as she was.
"Clementine," called Deacon. "This way." The young man ducked around the back of the building and Clem followed. On the other side, she found herself looking at the river again and saw a bigger, more elaborate dock ahead of her. Tied to the dock were a couple of small motor boats, and sitting on the dock was an old man with short but wild gray hair and an odd brown cap on his head. Approaching the man, Clem saw he was sitting on a stool while fiddling with a net draped on his lap.
"Leonard?"
The man turned around. "Deacon," he said with a big grin. "It's good to see you here again my boy." The man had big glasses, a worn brown trench coat, and a kind smile. "I don't suppose you finally parted ways with that dreadful Tanner fellow."
"Fraid not," said Deacon.
"Boy like you shouldn't be with a man like that," spoke Leonard in a concerned voice. "Young one like you should be here, not on the front lines."
"Well, Chilton says—"
"Yeah, yeah, she says a lot of things; so do I. I've been talking to people around here, trying to convince them we have space and food enough for kids at least if not everyone," said Leonard. "I get you're stuck with Tanner for now, but hopefully if enough people speak up, Chilton will change her mind."
Leonard looked over at Clementine. "And speaking of children, who do we have here?"
"I'm Clementine," she said with a smile.
"I'm Leonard, it's nice to meet you young lady," he introduced. "Now don't tell me you're here alone."
"Well, I'm here with Deacon," said Clem.
"You're not working with Tanner, are you?"
"No. Why would you think that?"
"Well, I see that holster on your hip and I'm thinking the only person I know who'd want a child to carry a gun would be Tanner."
Clem frowned. "I'm not just a child," she insisted. "And I have a gun to protect myself. Okay?"
"All right, I meant no disrespect," assured Leonard as he held up his hands. "I know things are bad now, I guess I was just hoping they weren't so bad that children weren't being left to fend for themselves."
"Well… they are," said Clem, finding herself saddened by her own words. "But I'm not alone, I'm with some others. And people only taught me to use a gun just in case."
"I understand things are different now and people taking precautions. But I think some people, like Tanner," said Leonard as he looked at Deacon. "Are less interested in teaching you and those other boys you stay with precautions, and more interested in using kids to do the dangerous work the adults should be willing to do, and it's driving me crazy that Chilton doesn't see it that way. You teach kids what to do in a fire to help them, not because you want to send them out to fight fires, and Tanner shouldn't be teaching kids to use guns just so he can throw them out at the first sign of danger."
"Actually, he says I'm not ready for a gun, so I haven't learned to use one yet," said Deacon.
"Then what is he teaching you?"
"Not much," shrugged the young man.
"Unbelievable," grumbled Leonard. "Stay strong my boy, I'll keep on Chilton's case."
"I appreciate that Leonard," said Deacon. "Mack and Ted sent me to tell you they're ready for the fish."
"I was just about to get started on that." Leonard got up from his stool and started walking back towards the house. "It'll be a minute, they're here a little earlier than usual."
"Well, Clementine helped me out at the orchard, so we got done pretty quick," said Deacon.
"Are you Mack's newest helper?" Leonard asked Clem.
"No, I just wanted to help Deacon," said Clem as she followed Leonard away from the dock. "He helped me yesterday."
"People helping each other out, that's always good to hear," said Leonard as he approached the back of the house. Set up by the back door were a couple of long tables. Clem found herself disturbed by the array of sharp tools and blood lying on one of the tables, but seeing Leonard eye fish on the clothesline reminded the girl what they were being used for.
"Did you catch all these fish?" asked Clem.
"That would be something, wouldn't it?" chuckled Leonard as honed in on a pair of trouts. "No, I spend more time here preparing fish and fixing the stuff the young ones break when they catch fish. I can't remember the last time I was even out on the open water." Leonard unhooked a pair of fish from the clothesline.
"How come you hang the fish up like that?" asked Clem as Leonard set the fish on the table and wrapped them both in paper.
"I'm drying them," said Leonard as grabbed a couple more from the line.
"Drying them?" asked Clem. "You mean, like laundry?"
"It's the same principle, I'm even doing it the same way," said Leonard with a smirk. "Nothing like a little sun-dried bass for dinner," he said as he wrapped another pair of fish.
"And drying the fish makes them last longer?"
"It sure does."
"How?"
"Well, the reason food goes bad is bacteria and other nasty things get in there and start eating it themselves, and then if you eat them you'll get sick," explained Leonard. "But, they need water, just like us, to survive. So, if you get rid of all the water in something before they can get to it, then they can't stay there."
"Really? And all you have to do is let them dry in the sun?"
"That's how I do it. You can start a fire and smoke them too but I gotta a lotta fish here so that'd be a lot more wood than Chilton would want to spare and a lot more fires than I would be comfortable with." Leonard smiled at Clem. "You ask a lot of good questions. Here, why don't you take these back with you?" Leonard grabbed a couple of fish off the clothesline and started wrapping them up.
"Leonard, you know Chilton doesn't like you giving away our fish," reminded Deacon.
"She doesn't mind me catching and preparing them, or trading them with Howard for things she wants, I think we can spare a couple for the youngest person here and her people." Leonard finished wrapping the fish and turned to Clem. "Here, open your backpack."
Clem took off her backpack and Leonard slid the fish into it. "Now these have been dried and salted, so you don't have to eat them anytime soon."
"You put salt on them?"
"Yes. Salt kills bacteria, taking away the water gives them nowhere to stay, and if you cook them before you eat them, that should kill any stubborn ones who managed to survive. Plus, they taste better when they're cooked."
"And how long will they stay good?"
"If you keep them somewhere cool and dry, probably weeks, months, maybe years even," shrugged Leonard.
"Really?"
"Yes really; people have been drying stuff for hundreds of years because it's a good way to make them last."
"Can you dry other things? Like the oranges?"
"Probably, but that's outside my wheelhouse."
"The oranges stay good for a while if you don't peel them though," said Deacon. "It's like they have natural wrappers."
"What about freeze-drying?" asked Clementine. "How does that work?"
"I'm pretty sure that's really complicated," said Deacon. "Like you need big fancy machines to do that."
Leonard smiled at the pair. "You know what, while I'm getting the fish ready, why don't you two go ahead and take Chilton these," said the man as he removed a large red fish from the line. "My personal recommendation for the catch of the day," he said as he handed Clem the fish. "And while you're there, remind her that a couple of bright kids like you should be here with us, helping to figure these things out."
"I will," said Deacon. "Thanks Leonard."
"Yeah, thanks." Leonard smiled at the pair, then returned to the dock. Clem followed Deacon, who headed for a worn trail running in front of Leonard's house. Strolling across the island, Clementine found herself becoming more enamored with her surroundings. The peaceful sounds of the wind and the water, the chirping of birds in the trees, the simple dirt path through the greenery; it all felt like something out of a dream while the rest of the world was just a distant bad memory.
The trees bordering the path thinned away to reveal an open meadow filled with an odd sight. There were dozens of above-ground swimming pools set up in every direction as far as Clementine could see. They were the cheap kind that looked like they were made out of plastic and people only put up during the summer, and they were everywhere.
"Why are these here?" asked Clementine.
"For rainwater," said Deacon. "These couple of guys who ran a pool supply company talked to Chilton about using these instead of just buckets and barrels. I hear they're working with a plumber now to figure how to make an irrigation system for the farm Chilton is planning."
"Cool." Moving past the pools, Clem also saw there were tubes and hand pumps assembled around barrels and other containers. "How do they boil this much water?"
"Actually, the pool guys have been treating it with chlorine tablets," said Deacon. "They know the right amounts to make the water safe to drink."
"What about when those run out?"
"I think Chilton been talking to some people about rigging up some propane grills to boil water," said Deacon. "They don't use electricity, and Tanner knows of a few places out of town that have big propane tanks we might be able to use."
"What about when the propane runs out?" asked Clem.
"I'm not sure. But you could ask Chilton herself." Deacon gestured to a massive manor nestled near what appeared to be the end of the island. Following Deacon up a lavish wood porch and into the building, Clementine discovered it was more like a villa than a manor, with the hall leading into an open courtyard surrounded by more doors leading in different directions.
Peering through the windows as they moved, Clem spotted a bedroom completely stuffed with barrels, a living room with books neatly arranged on shelves that spanned the entire area like a library, and a kitchen whose shelves were fully stocked. Like much of the island, it appeared untouched by the rest of the world, and Clem felt envious of whoever lived here.
"She's probably in her office." Deacon turned a corner and Clem followed the young man into a spacious dining room. A long table ran across the room, which was covered in varying sizes of paper. Just glancing at them, Clem saw lists, drawings, letters, and all sorts of handwritten documents laid out before the many chairs surrounding this table. There was also an old typewriter at the end of the table. Before Clem could examine any of these pages in greater detail, she saw Deacon pass into the next room.
Following after the young man, Clem left the dining room and entered a smaller study. Like the rest of the building, it was quite lavish, with expensive looking hardwood floors and a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Looking around, Clem saw an elegant dresser with a pair of textbooks on it, a chair with binoculars sitting in the seat parked near a window, and a woman seated in the opposite corner facing the wall.
"Deacon, I presume?" said the woman without turning around. Inching closer to the person, Clem saw she was drawing something in pencil on a large piece of paper set on a table that was angled upward, like a canvas on an easel.
"How did you know?" asked Deacon.
"I heard you in the meeting room just a moment ago," said the woman as she continued to work on her piece. "Mack and Ted already finished their work in their orchard today? That was fast, even with your help."
"Um, yeah, well I had some help too." The woman's hand stopped suddenly when she heard that. Clem watched as she set the pencil down and got out of her seat. Turning around, Clementine saw she was a thin woman with dark red hair and sharp blue eyes behind a pair of soft-rimmed glasses. She wore a simple white blouse, tan shorts, and matching sandals. Although she was younger than Clem was expecting, the woman's calm expression and good posture led her to assume this was Chilton. "Clementine?"
"How do you know my name?" asked a startled Clem.
"Tanner passed along a message describing your arrival yesterday, and Rhonda was here this morning complaining about how a little girl who visited her yesterday said her people's RV had broken a roadblock in an area she had planned on scavenging from," explained Chilton. "She wanted me to 'do something' about your people."
"Do something?" asked a nervous Clementine.
"I told her even if her well-being was my responsibility, which she has chosen for it not to be in the past, I don't think disrupting something in an already mostly destroyed city is really grounds for any kind of punishment. Then she tried to argue what you did was deliberate." Chilton sat down and resumed work on whatever she was drawing. "Was it?"
"Huh?" asked Clem.
"Did you deliberately remove a roadblock in a city over fifty miles away to impede someone you never met before?" asked Chilton.
"No."
"I didn't think so."
"Leonard sent us to bring you the catch of the day," said Deacon. "He also said—"
"Something about him needing bright kids like you?" Chilton looked over her shoulder at Deacon, a slight smirk on her lips. "He does tend to repeat himself, doesn't he?"
"I suppose," shrugged Deacon. "I just think—"
"I know how he thinks," assured Chilton as she turned back to her work. "It's well-meaning, but short-sighted. We're still limping by on things that will run out before long." Chilton placed a ruler on the paper she was drawing on and traced a straight line. "If Leonard had his way, everyone would enjoy a few short months together before he used everything we had and only then would plan how to get more."
Inching closer to Chilton, Clem saw she wasn't working on a drawing but some kind of blueprint instead. "What I, and others with foresight are planning is a future that will last decades, not mere months. Unfortunately, it does demand some sacrifices now, even from you Deacon."
"I know ma'am," said Deacon.
"But rest assured, what you're doing is not only appreciated but helping all of Valkaria move towards self-sufficiency, which includes you. I know you're not happy being mentored by Tanner, but it's only temporary. Great things are just around the corner for our community, and for you too Deacon," said Chilton with a smile as she looked over her shoulder at the young man.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Deacon with a smile.
"We all are," said Chilton as she turned back to her work. "Deacon, if you could cook that 'catch of the day,' I'd be most appreciative."
"Sure thing." Deacon took the fish from Clem and hurried away. Examining Chilton's blueprint, Clem had trouble deciphering it, but saw what looked like an image of a big tank on stilts.
"Admiring my work?" asked Chilton.
"What is it?"
"A water tower," said Chilton as she scribbled some numbers next to one of the legs. "One of my colleagues assured me if we a had a reliable water source here on the island, they could connect it to existing plumbing in the houses here, and a small windmill would be adequate to pump the water into the tower. Then we'll have running water again. We can also use this design to create an irrigation system for the farm."
"Where are you going to get these things?" asked a confused Clem.
"We're going to build them." Chilton placed her ruler against the blueprint and traced another line. "I have colleagues who have worked in construction, and they assure me my designs are possible even with our limited options. Once we've agreed on the concepts, we'll begin scavenging the goods necessary to begin construction. Within a few years, we won't have to scavenge at all."
Chilton set her pencil down and turned to look at Clementine. "Doesn't that sound like something worth working for?"
"Definitely," said Clem. "Could… could I stay here? My friend and I—"
"Are taking care of a baby," finished Chilton. "Tanner told me. Quite a lot of responsibility, especially for someone as young as you."
"Does that mean we could stay?" asked a hopeful Clem.
"Perhaps," said Chilton.
"Perhaps?" repeated an indignant Clem. "We have a baby. We could really use some help."
"I have a whole village that needs my help," said Chilton. "With more people outside it demanding our help as well."
"But—"
"If a couple of people told you they were hungry and just wanted to stay in your RV and eat your food, the food you and Sarah and your baby depend on, would you let them?" asked Chilton.
"I don't know," said Clem. "How would I know they wouldn't hurt us?"
"Just for the sake of discussion, say you know unequivocally that they will not harm you in any way, they just want to stay in your home and eat your food, of which you don't know if you have enough of for them and yourselves. Would you let them stay?"
"I… I don't know," admitted Clem.
"You see my dilemma then?"
"But… we would work really hard on anything you want, and—"
"And there's plenty of other people who would too. And ones who'd demand to know why you deserved to be chosen instead of them. And people already living here who'd question why they had to commit so much to live on this island when you and your friend did not."
"But…" Clem struggled to think of a rationale, but none came to mind. The girl felt her dreams of living on this beautiful island slip right out of her head. "No one ever wants to help us," she mumbled under her breath.
"You sound like Tanner, or Rhonda," said Chilton as she stood up.
"I do?" asked Clem as Chilton moved into the dining room.
"In the sense you resent that I'm not offering unlimited and unconditional support to someone who hasn't aided my community." Chilton approached the dining room table and started shuffling through papers.
"They couldn't see my vision of a better future when my people came here, even though it only involved letting a few people who already knew how to design and build things do what they were best at. They practically laughed at us when we decided to stay on this island, and scoffed at me when I chose to feed a couple of pool men they wouldn't."
Chilton grabbed a stack of papers and started flipping through them. "But when they couldn't find any more fresh water to drink, who did they come to? The same person the starving mechanic Tanner had turned away came to. While he was enjoying himself killing those corpses and Rhonda was hoarding things for herself, I was putting people to work setting up a fresh water supply and a fleet of fishing boats."
Chilton tucked the stack of papers under her arm and grabbed a pen. She took a blank page from the stack and started writing. "When Mack's truck broke down he had no choice but to come to me because the only mechanic, at the time, was living here. And when a doctor and his friends were seeking safety, they didn't have to think twice before they decided what side of the river they wanted to be on."
Chilton finished writing and tucked the note into her pocket. She then left the dining room, prompting Clementine to follow her. "Now Tanner needs me and my colleagues to keep his 'boys' healthy and fed while Rhonda is just begging for me to let her and Howard stay here. They couldn't see my vision before; they even mocked me for having it. But now that they can see it, they want to be a part of it, expecting me to welcome them with open arms and just forget about how they treated my community before it was something they needed."
"But, I didn't treat you bad."
Chilton stopped walking and turned to face Clem. "I know you didn't. That's why when you asked if you could stay here, I said perhaps." Chilton slid one of the papers out of the stack and handed it to Clementine. Reading it, Clem was surprised to see it was typed but not printed, like an old letter. Near the top of the page it read 'Valkaria's Future Depends on You!'
"Fending for yourself, taking care of a child despite being a child, even venturing places Rhonda is afraid to go," said Chilton as Clem looked up from the page. "And today, volunteering to help with Deacon's duties; it's quite clear to me you're exceptional. If you could prove that to the rest of the community, I can't imagine anyone raising an objection to you and your friend raising your baby here," promised Chilton with an odd smile.
"How… how do I prove it?" asked a stunned Clementine.
"It's all there on the page," assured Chilton as she gestured to the paper. "Take it home and think about it." Clementine watched as Chilton stepped off the porch and approached a small fire pit Deacon was tending to.
"I think they're almost done," said Deacon.
"They certainly smell done," noted Chilton. "I just wish I had some white wine left to go with them."
"Well, there should be no shortage of orange juice," suggested Deacon.
"We should be so lucky," joked Chilton. "When you head back, take these and give them out to your colleagues, and make sure Patty and Rhonda get one as well. And they're personalized, so be sure each person gets the correct one."
"Oh, sure thing," said Deacon as he accepted the stack of papers.
"And give this to Tanner," said Chilton as she handed Deacon a folded note from her pocket. "It's to let him know you should get a second serving for dinner tonight."
"Really? Thanks Miss Chilton!" Deacon happily accepted the note and started running towards the path. "Come on Clementine, Mack and Ted are probably ready to go now."
Clementine ran after Deacon, struggling to maintain the young man's excited pace. They returned to Mack and Ted's boat, having discovered they had off-loaded all the oranges and loaded several crates of dried fish along with a couple of barrels filled with water. The sun was setting now, causing shadows to spill over the area. It wasn't until the boat had cleared the island could Clementine see well enough to read Chilton's message.
'Valkaria's Future Depends on You! Paradise need not be limited to a single island, it can spread its endeavors to the shores of Valkaria and into the farmlands beyond them. But to build this future we will need to depend on the tools of the past for a while longer, which means we will need people who can bring us those tools.
'A permanent residence on Paradise Island is available for the best scavenger living on the other side of the river. To participate, present this message to Tanner before departing tomorrow and submit yourself for a detailed inspection of your on-hand supplies. To prove yourself worthy of the claim of greatest scavenger, you need to provide a detailed account of your methods and a bounty of goods to demonstrate their effectiveness.
Present both by tomorrow night for consideration and whoever is judged most effective will see paradise a little sooner than the rest of Valkaria.'
Signed at the bottom in elaborate cursive was 'Elizabeth Chilton' and at the very top of the page was 'Clementine & Sarah' written in the same stylish handwriting. Putting the note down, Clem saw they had already arrived back on the shore.
"You run along now Deacon," said Mack as he helped Ted tie off the boat. "We'll be by to drop of Tanner's share of the fish and water in just a bit."
"Right. Bye Mack. Bye Ted." Deacon hopped off the boat and headed for the road. "Man, I can't believe this."
"I know…" said Clem as she studied the note as she walked along with Deacon.
"Chilton gave me seconds!" beamed Deacon.
"Wait, that's what you're excited about?" asked Clem.
"Well yeah, what are you excited about?" Clem held up Chilton's letter. "What, you're not actually thinking about doing that, are you?"
"Why not?"
"Well, ain't it really dangerous?" asked Deacon.
"Yeah, but everything is dangerous now," said Clem.
"Yeah, well, I think there's more danger out there than in here."
"So you're not going to do it?"
"No way. I don't even have a gun, remember?" said Deacon. "And even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do with it."
"Oh, right," said Clem, feeling foolish for her suggestion.
"But, I guess you're going to give it a try?" Clem nodded at Deacon, which seemed to disturb him. "Paradise Island is great, but it's not worth dying over."
"I don't plan on dying," said Clem.
"My dad use to say man plans and God laughs," shrugged Deacon.
"What's that mean?"
"It just means plans have a way of going wrong."
"Well then what should I do?" asked Clementine. "I don't want Omid to live his whole life in an RV, I want him to grow up somewhere he'd want to live. I want to live somewhere I can grow up, and not always worry about people hurting me and Sarah. And you're saying I shouldn't do this because something could go wrong?"
Deacon looked away, unsure how to answer Clementine. "Just be careful," he said in a quiet voice. "I'd hate to think about something bad happening to you or Sarah or OJ. There's been enough of that in the world."
"I'll be careful," said Clementine. "And you should be too Deacon."
"Well that shouldn't be too hard. I'm not the one going out tomorrow," shrugged Deacon as he looked at the stack of papers in his hand. "Here's hoping not too many of the boys do either."
"How old are these other boys?" asked a concerned Clem. "I mean, is Tanner really using kids to do dangerous stuff?"
"Well, I'm the youngest, and the next youngest is seventeen, and the rest of them are older than that," said Deacon. "I'm sorta the runt I guess."
"I don't think you're a runt Deacon," said Clem.
"Thanks," said Deacon as he eyed the Grant Grocery store in the distance. "I'll cya later… I hope." Deacon ran along, leaving Clementine alone on the street. She walked back towards the Brave by herself, her mind racing with ideas. Arriving at the door of her humble home, she watched as it flung open and something burst out in a flash.
"Clementine!" Sarah wrapped her arms around the younger girl and lifted her off the ground. "I was so worried about you; why haven't you called?" she asked as she squeezed Clem tightly.
"I was… busy," mumbled Clem.
"Huh?" Sarah released Clementine. "What is that?" Sarah pointed to the paper in Clem's hand.
"It's…" Clementine thought to herself for a moment. "It's our ticket to paradise."