Author's Note: This'll be the last chapter for the next few weeks to a month. The pharmacy I work at is starting COVID shots soon, and the sheer volume of shit we're already dealing with is practically driving me insane. Once things settle down a bit, I'll be back for more chapters :) Just bear with me :( Keep an eye on on my twitter YourEverydayDot for updates, most likely will tweet out once I'm about a week or two away from the next release.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy :) This one's quite a bit juicy.
Dot [Ellie]
Hours passed at a snail's pace, the sun slowly moving from behind them to the far horizon, utterly blinding them in spots. The weather had warmed up nicely, with a faint breeze whistling through the trees. They'd skirted past a town called Victor, following a trail through the forest that eventually led them to a road that cut through the mountains, shaving off some precious time. By this time tomorrow, they oughta be a lot closer to Interstate Twenty-six, which would circle 'em around towards Idaho Falls. For now, the mountains and hills loomed around them, covered in trees as far as the eye could see. A sign that led off the main road caught Ellie's attention as they passed it, and she read it with a sigh of relief.
WEST PINEY LODGE CAMP
Thank god, a place we can have an actual roof over our heads.
The idea was sparked, and they trodded down the road leading into the camp. A couple dozen minutes later, it came into view. A creek separated them from the camp itself, with a decaying bridge serving as their only way across. Parts of it were different colors, as if someone had patched it up and didn't bother painting it. On the other side, cabins and administration buildings littered the area, most with their windows boarded up. Clothes hung on lines, left abandoned, and cars were left in strategic positions near the main bridge: a way out, and cover to hide behind in case anyone showed up.
Didn't take a genius to figure out that someone had been living here before, but the place was deserted, thankfully. Or, at first, appeared to be.
After searching the first half of the camp, they found themselves near some sort of stage, with rows of seating built into the hill. Crudely drawn backgrounds dominated the stage, like some sort of… play? That's what they're called, right? Ellie urged her horse to stop, dismounting.
"Well, there's certainly worse places to stay," she called out to the group. "Maybe we should split up? Search the rest of the cabins?" She'd directed that towards Carl, knowing that Lydia would make an issue with it if she tried to give her orders. Better to just make suggestions instead.
They didn't exactly have an even number of people either, so Kat would have to come with her and Clementine. She didn't trust Lydia around her.
Shadowman [Narrator]
One of the largest structures at the other end of the camp would soon be noticeable, which happened to be an old lodge sitting at the highest point of the acreage. A swing was located at the bottom of the hill, as well as a red staircase that led upwards, directly next to a worn out slide.
The sight may have been peaceful, if it weren't for the soulless monstrosities that lingered around it. Eight walkers could be seen in the distance, feasting on a large corpse that was much too ravaged to make out, only bone and several chunks of flesh remaining on it.
A clicker was also nearby, standing in the open, though it appeared to be in a docile state, remaining mostly still with its head hung low, the occasional twitch or two.
LadyLedge [Lydia]
"How about you just wait a second?" Lydia responded to Ellie, monotone, but annoyed if you listened hard enough. Already, she was peering through her binoculars, laying out the land, trying to stay one step ahead of whatever else could be in this camp.
That was when she spotted the movement up ahead, her lips visibly twisting at the sight. Lydia counted them, softly whispering under her breath. They were all lingering around what looked to be the safest place to stay tonight.
"I'd rather deal with the company up ahead." The blonde lined up her horse next to Carl's, passing him the binoculars so he could have a look too.
"What are we doing, Carl?" She eventually asked, paying the rest no mind, ready to follow his lead on whatever he decided.
Dot [Ellie]
Oh sorry, am I now being too useful for you now? Who's the one that's gone across the whole country, doing this every day? Ellie found herself thinking, rolling her eyes. That feeling of anger, however, didn't last long, as her attention diverted to what had gotten Lydia's. From this distance, they were hard to make out, but Ellie knew walkers when she saw them.
Her hand was already wrapped around the hilt of her machete, letting go only to tie the reins of her horse around a nearby tree. Hopefully the fighting won't spook them off.
With that, she unsheathed the blade, awaiting the order to attack.
Vi-xen [Kat]
"Thank you again for the ride, buddy." Kat whispered to her horse as she finished tying it off. She gently ran her hands down the horse's neck, smiling up at it before breaking away to join the others. Of course, Lydia's personality was as present as ever. Really appreciated that. And… Ellie seemed tense, to say the least. She definitely didn't want to be on her bad side… Kat moved past Ellie at a reasonable distance, stopping next to Carl's horse to look at the building in the distance. From what she could make out, it didn't look horrible, it even might've been downright welcoming if it wasn't for the figures around the entrance. Most moved slowly back and forth. But a single figure didn't seem to move at all from this far away. She, really didn't like that.
Kat unsheathed her hunting knife, narrowing her gaze to try to make out more. Guess she'll never know till she gets over there.
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
"I don't wanna split until we have an idea of what's inside those cabins." Carl dismounted his horse and readied his knife. "Let's take care of the clicker first. Ellie, I think that machete of yours should be enough. I'll be beside you with my knife, just in case. Lydia, Kat, and Clem, remain behind us in case you have to shoot." He nodded at Ellie awaiting her confirmation.
Vi-xen [Kat]
Katrina twirled her blade between her fingers, eyes narrowing more and more at the far off creatures. Blurry skin-crawlers, but skin-crawlers nonetheless. Horrible, flesh eating monsters that can tear you apart despite the decaying muscle left on their decaying bodies. They made your skin feel alive with infestation just looking at them, as if something not your own is moving just below the surface, waiting for you to claw it out and give it its first breath of air. Hints, the general term Kat tended to use being skin-crawlers. And they were sure starting to make her feel just as the name implies.
Katrina moved away from Carl's horse as he began his dismount, her feet carrying her closer to the house to try and make out each figure, 'cause asking Lydia for the binoculars was far from on the list. Of course, when Carl spoke up with his game plan, she stopped in her tracks to listen. No need to split up, despite that being a decent plan to take out the walkers. She can deal with that, perhaps by the end of it she'll know who has her b-
"What did you say…?" Kat asked, voice much lower than usual. She twirled around, knife now halted with the blade pressed between her fingers. She stared at the group for a moment, blue eyes moving from person to person. They were joking, right? This was one of their humorless jokes that weren't funny whatsoever. It had to be. "T—That's hilarious. I must still be buzzed, because I swear you just said... C… Clicker." The girl's smile threatened to break as she looked back towards the infected, a nervous laugh slowly but surely fading out. "Oh, god. I'm doomed, aren't I…?"
Kat's hands shook as she locked her eyes on the infected. Is it too late to turn back and go home…?
Dot [Ellie]
Ellie hesitantly nodded to Carl's instructions, palms sweating as she mentally prepared herself for the attack. "Okay, okay…" She took in a deep breath. "Let's do this."
The walkers were too busy gnawing on whatever they'd gotten their hands on to notice their approach, leaving just the clicker for them to deal with for the time being. Ellie moved silently, eyes darting between the clicker and the ground to ensure she didn't step on anything noisy. The closer she got, the faster her heartbeat, machete held at the ready in case the clicker managed to hear her. When she'd gotten within range, holding her breath, she swung the blade towards its head.
It collided with the fungal plates covering its face, burying itself within. The clicker let out a surprised screech, and Ellie's grip on the machete loosened as it jerked its head, ripping the blade out of her grip. Cursing, she went for her knife, burying it into its cranial plates several times while holding it at arm's length with her free hand. Finally, she managed to pierce the brain, killing it. Damn it, should've went for the heart.
It collapsed on the ground with a muted thud, the noise from the walker's meal covering it up. She ripped the machete out of the clicker's face, sheathing it, then swiveled towards the dead, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized they hadn't seen or heard her yet.
They still had time to work out a plan for them.
There were eight walkers, and five of them, meaning a few of them would have to double up. Ellie indicated for the rest of her group to follow her, and pick a walker on their side of the corpse. If they were lucky, they could take out half of them before the rest could even get to their feet.
Together they went, knives at the ready, Ellie's gaze hyperfocused on her target. As she drew within footsteps, a twig snapped underneath her foot, causing the walker she'd chosen to look away from its meal and towards her with a hungry growl. It had black hair, and a patchy goatee, a massive cut splitting its face and nose in half, yet hadn't managed to hit the brain. Ellie's eyes went wide, a sudden fear seizing her, if only for a moment.
Instincts took over, and she jammed the knife into its temple, hard enough to pierce skin and bone. Kicking the walker back towards their feast, she prepared herself for her next kill, while the others dispatched their own.
LadyLedge [Lydia]
Lydia wasn't going to refute against the plan. Mainly because Carl's judgment on this one was agreeable. The clicker definitely needed to be put down first, given the blindness, it was the easier target. They'd just have to be quiet, because if that thing screeched loud enough, it'd be the equivalent of ringing a dinner bell for the walkers… Then they would be fucked.
Quickly, she gave the reins a tug, motioning her horse towards a nearby tree. After dismounting, Lydia slung the backpack off her shoulder, letting it hang on the side of the saddle for now. Don't need you weighing me down… it's been a while.
So they stood there, the three of them. Watching as Ellie and Carl went off to dispatch the fungus-plated creature. Her grip on the gun was tight, letting the firearm hang at her side. While they waited, Lydia's stare innocently traversed the landscape, analyzing a bunch of trees, some nearby ruined structures…
That was, of course… when her gaze just happened to find the back of Kat's head, too.
Lydia's eyes were locked on, mind meandering now, following a path of very savory thoughts.
How easy it would be to just-
She blinked twice, the signal to advance came through, causing her to slip out of whatever trance she was in. It seemed like the clicker had been dealt with, and now came the time for them to all take out a cluster of walkers.
Tucking the gun back where it belonged, Lydia unhooked a massive serrated knife from the holster attached to the side of her leg, following everyone else.
With Ellie's first kill, the walkers took notice of everyone, disengaging from their old meal in search of a new one. They split off, gurgling in hunger, going after their chosen survivors.
Lydia took stance, sinking her boots into the ground before raising her knife.
She counted two corpses, both vigorously shambling towards her with their arms outstretched, eyes glazed over with a dead white tinge.
Sizing up the first one she'd have to take out, it was a little bigger than anticipated. Scratch that, much bigger. Whoever this person used to be, they must've been into weightlifting or something, and well over six foot, easily.
Better get rid of him first, small one should be easy enough…
With that, the combat-ready teenager waited for it to get close. Her fingertips dug into the handle of the knife, sending it spiraling upwards. Blood and goop splashed onto her, the blade doing well to pierce right through the bottom of its chin. However, the other end came out through the rotten monster's nose, missing the brain.
"C'mon!" She grunted in a panic, trying her best to pull the serrated knife back out of the still very 'alive' walker. Corpse number two was already onto her, cold hands violently pulling against the left sleeve of her hoodie. The confidence in her eyes soon faded, yelping as she tried to shift back from the two of them, both of which were closing in fast.
With one final pull, the cutting tool finally came free. Immediately, with the other walker still tearing at her sleeve, she used her free hand, the one that was already gripped on the knife, to have a second shot at the behemoth. This time, managing to dispatch it for good. Though, in doing so, its lifeless body lurched forward, causing Lydia to lose her footing and trip backwards, falling flat on her back.
"FUUUUCK!" Lydia cried as the giant body came crashing down on top of her, which effectively pinned her between it and the ground. Mist was streaming down her cheeks, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. Unluckily, the smaller one she hadn't taken care of still had a vice grip on her sleeve, and had tumbled down with them.
The knife? Where the hell was the knife?
A disgruntled Lydia tried to squiggle out from under the Walker, but it was no use. Eyes squinting, she watched as the dead one bit into her sleeve, continuing to pull as its head thrashed around. Her gaze found the shining object, which had only fallen right next to her. She tried reaching for with it her other hand… a futile attempt.
In that moment, the former Whisperer did the only thing she could think of. Lydia found the zipper for her blood-soaked hoodie, right under her neck, and yanked it downward with every ounce of might she had left.
It worked, the hoodie slid off like a weak wrapper, taking the Walker with it. Like a game of tug-of-war, only Lydia had let go of the rope. With those few precious seconds, she managed to grab the knife. Looking towards the walker which was already crawling back towards her, she dug the blade right into the top of its skull.
Finally, it was over.
Breathless, she laid there with the corpse still laying on her, and another one right beside them, eyes squeezed shut. There was no way to know if there were any crushed ribs yet, but… she really hoped not.
"Can someone…" She croaked out, desperately hoping one of them would help get this thing off her when they were done. Though, she stopped herself from speaking upon coming to a horrid realization.
You were only wearing a tank top under that hoodie… idiot.
In that split second, her eyes went wide with fear. A panic consumed her, a response that no walker could ever dream of getting from the girl. Now, there was little option but to lie in wait with bated breath. If hauling this monster off of her meant that they'd all see, then she'd rather get crushed and die first.
No… no, no, no!
Art [Clementine]
That was one way to finish your day. Maybe offing an infected or two would help her feel less tired and groggy…
As the two tough ones set off on their spree, though, Clementine found that hanging back to watch the fireworks worked just fine for her. Don't I miss that smell. "Kick ass, Ellie!" She shouted from her horse, somehow believing it was helpful. As far as Cat went… only took an odd glance, and Clem knew the type. Better they both stayed together. Never know when you'll get pounced.
Well, Lydia didn't seem to.
Clementine squeezed Blockhead's sides, kicking her into a light jog. She scanned the scene — and what a scene it was. She could've shown up earlier to help… couldn't she? Maybe Clem thought Lydia had it coming, a little bit. "Whoa, you okay?" Clem deadpanned. "I think I'll need some help to get you out of there. Heavy stuff…"
Dot [Ellie]
Lydia's cries distracted her, eyes darting towards the girl, and the massive corpse laid out on top of her. That moment of distraction, though, allowed another walker to latch onto her, sending them both toppling to the ground, her knife disappearing into the grass. Cursing, she tried to send the walker rolling off of her, taking in a heavy breath as she managed to flip them.
"Fuck you!" She shouted, grabbing for her pistol and smashing it against the walker's forehead, hard enough to break through. It took several tries. Face covered in blackened blood, she pushed herself to her feet, just in time to hear the growls of another walker approaching her.
Lifting her machete, it buried itself into the walker's arm, the strength behind her attack sending the walker tumbling to the side, with her weapon. Jesus fuck, give me a fucking break— Another walker latched onto her back, and she was forced to fire a bullet through its skull, kicking it backward to keep it from taking her with it.
Disoriented, she rushed towards the other walker quickly, ripping the machete out and holding it down with her boot. She swung the machete like a golf club, narrowly missing its face. Instead, she sent its nasal bones flying through the air, before she cursed and tried again, sending the rest of its mushed-up head with it.
Sheathing her machete, then her discarded knife, she rushed towards Clementine and Lydia, dropping to her knees next to the blonde. Clementine leapt down from her horse, joining her. "Alright," Ellie breathed, heavily. "On three, we push."
She counted down, shouting the word "Three!" before putting every ounce of strength she had left to getting that walker off of Lydia.
Vi-xen [Kat]
The walk up there was horrible. Kat was shivering through her coat the entire time, and not because she was cold. As she fell behind to let Carl and Ellie take the lead, she found herself hovering closer to Clementine, eyes glued on the others as she kept her knife close. Not like she had the ammo to use her gun. Of course, her calming demeanor fell the second she heard the ear-piercing screech from the clicker. She clasped her hands over her ears, eyes shut tightly.
"N—Not again… P—Please — Not again…" She whispered to herself, holding her blade tighter as the clicker fell. Despite its absence, she found herself on edge, moving closer to the battlefield with her ears ringing and her vision blurred. She backed away slowly from her spot, eyes moving around wildly for any sign for more of those awful… demons.
Her footsteps stopped as she felt her back press against a boney, cold surface. She looked back, just in time to dodge the hands of a walker, her blade flipping around in her hand as she thrust it forward. The knife pierced under its chin, her eyes widening as she quickly pushed down on the knife to snap the brain stem. As the walker fell, she crouched down to its side, pulling at the blade as hard as she could. As it breathed a fresh puff of air again, she fell back, sitting up just to pant quietly to herself. She was a mess; could barely focus. She just got who knew how lucky, and it's not like that could keep happening. Rather than standing back up, she clutched her knees tightly, letting her chest rise and fall rapidly as she buried her head in her knees. "N—No more… G—Get them away… p… please…" If this was where she died, she wouldn't exactly complain. Lydia just might get wish.
LadyLedge [Lydia]
If there was ever a moment where Lydia could beg for death, and it'd happen in an instant, this would be it. The girl fought her hardest, teeth gritting as she tried to push the damned piece of shit off herself. Nothing was working, and her strength was absolutely useless.
You worthless fucking bitch, can't even kill two walkers without falling.
"J—Just stop, I can do it myself…" Lydia mumbled in a contorted mess, too hurt and worn out to draw complete sentences from her mouth.
"One… two…"
Too late, they were already counting down. With each number that followed, it felt like her heart started pumping ten times harder.
"Three!"
The hulking monster rolled off her body, and as soon as Lydia could breathe properly, she scrambled backwards, on the verge of hyperventilation. She sat there, looking up at the two girls who peered down at her, too frightened and embarrassed to move.
With only a tank top to bear now, Lydia was at their mercy.
Old scars. From the wrist up to her shoulder, they coated both of her arms, barely leaving room for much skin to show. The skin around the scars were discolored, and blemishes could also be seen on her chest just below the neck, marks that were much too severe to properly fade away. They were everywhere, out for all to see, and no long-sleeve shirt or hoodie to help hide it this time.
Lydia stared at Clementine and Ellie, tears beginning to drizzle down her cheeks, hoping one of them would just pull out a gun and end her.
"Get away…" Lydia growled, begging them to stop looking. "I said get the fuck away from me!" She sobbed, reduced to the blubbering mess she always was. She didn't dare move, her head eventually dipping to the ground in complete shame.
Art [Clementine]
Clementine stuck her hands where no girl should, entrails warming her fingers as she pushed the corpse away from Lydia. At least no one had been squished, even if it took getting blood under her nails. "We got you."
But, Lyd wasn't so happy to be saved. She was crying. Clem couldn't get a good look at the scars, not that she had to. The corners of her mouth twisted upward in shock, baring her teeth whole. They stood out like a second layer of skin, ugly cuts, bruises and all. Whatever else she had to say, forgotten.
It was Cat's voice that snapped her out of it. Clementine hadn't been sure she heard it at first, but the thought only made her rush all the more. She grabbed the spear tied around her horse and urged it to trot back, leaving Lydia and Ellie on their own. Cat was on the ground, too, a lot like Lydia. Maybe that's what drained the most color from Clementine's skin. That, and the walker dragging its feet toward her.
Clem, in her own type of haze, took one step forward and jammed the edge of her spear through the back of its chest, stopping it in its tracks. It fought, swaying its arms, until Clementine pulled the spear out and pierced it through the thing's skull. That's when it finally fell like the corpse it was meant to be.
It was the second time Clementine sat still without a word to share. She knelt next to her, laying the spear down, and not knowing what to do with the empty hands she had left. Clem looked at Cat, curled up and terrified. Her eyes shot to Carl, and the walker still standing. "You got it?"
Dot [Ellie]
Lydia's outburst caught her by surprise, though maybe it shouldn't have. She gave the scars covering her body a cursory glance before moving. She didn't have time to focus on anything but making sure they were all safe. While Carl was left to deal with the last walker, she scrambled to her feet, dropping next to Kat.
"Hey, hey, you alright?" She'd never seen her so frightened. Honestly, Kat seemed so chill all the time, she half-expected nothing could ever bother her. She placed a hand on the girl's cheek, moving her head, if only to make sure there weren't any bites on her. Nothing she could see, anyway. "Everything's okay. Carl's got the last one, okay? C'mon, let me help you up." She pulled away, holding out her hand for Kat to take.
Art[Clementine]
"Where's Lydia? D'you just leave her there?" It hardly came out that way, in a whisper, but Clementine was the opposite of happy. If nothing else, the arch in her brows more than gave it away.
Dot [Ellie]
Hand closing, empty as can be, Ellie pushed herself back to her feet, glancing back towards the girl in question. Her voice emotionless, she treaded back the way she came. "She's fine." And clearly, she was. Yet, as Ellie pulled out her machete once more, her gaze took in the camp around them, waiting to see if anything else would pop out to attack them.
Kill two birds with one stone. Keep her distance from Lydia, since that's so clearly what she wanted, and protect her all at the same time.
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
Carl kept his knife ready but Ellie was able to off the walker with relative ease. "Good job, now we get the rest."
The girls attacked the walkers with ruthless efficiency. One by one their lifeless corpses hit the ground.
He saw Lydia fall and rushed to help but a walker got in the way. Fortunately Clem was able to help Lydia. Leaving him with just the walker to deal with. "Yeah, don't worry," he replied to Clem.
He held his knife tight as the walker approached him. It looked really old, probably had been bitten right at the beginning of everything. Regardless, it was just one walker.
As he lifted his knife for one swift strike to the temple. The walker tripped on the body of another undead. Carl had just enough time to dodge the falling body. The surprise made him drop his knife. He turned around to pick it up when the walker grabbed his foot, making him fall on his back.
The walker was quick to munch on Carl's shoe, the rotten teeth struggling to bite through the thick leather. With not much time to think, Carl used his free leg to kick the walker in the forehead while he pulled his trapped foot away from its jaw. After a few kicks, the foot came right off, along with the walker's entire jaw.
Carl quickly got on his feet and smashed the corpse's head in with a stomp. After a quick inspection of his boot, he sighed in relief, the teeth hadn't made it through.
"Everyone's okay?" He joined the rest of the group. He looked around to look for Lydia. She was still on the ground. "It's over." He said approaching her, his hand extended to help her get up.
Vi-xen [Kat]
She didn't hear either girl approach her, her hands too busy entangling in her hair and yanking as hard has they could without ripping anything out. It was as if the world flickered between past and present, sounds that long haunted her echoing around her. That horrible clicking that seemed to move around her, closing ever so tightly in. It wasn't until Ellie touched her did she jolt back, eyes wide with panic. The entire time she sat there, she had been holding back tears, and even now she refused to spill them. It's too bad the mind had more control than her sense of will. The second the two girls and the fresh corpse came into focus, she began to shake and tighten her hands into the ground below her. A slow, steady stream of tears followed. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost, her skin being much paler than it previously was. "I… Is it gone…? Are you sure it's gone…? Please, promise me it's not coming back—"
Kat didn't take Ellie's hand in placement of wiping away her tears, eyes flashing off towards the corpse of the beast itself. It was slaughtered, obviously… but did that matter without some confirmation…?
Dot [Ellie]
As Carl finished off the last walker, and no more made themselves known in their surroundings, Ellie finally saw fit to relax, sheathing her machete once more. Approaching Lydia with quick steps, she took off her backpack, digging inside, then holding out her jacket for the blonde to take. "Here." Her other jacket was on the ground nearby, completely soaked in blood.
She, herself, was soaked in blood. The feeling of the drying liquid on her face made her scrunch her nose, about ready to itch at it. Yet, she resisted, continuing to hold out the jacket.
LadyLedge [Lydia]
At this point, yelling at them to go away was simply a knee-jerk reaction, the first thing that came to the panicked girl's mind.
Now Clementine left her there with Ellie of all people, who was quick to ditch her right after, which wasn't surprising at all. She sat by her lonesome next to the bodies which had just tried to tear her apart. Lydia was, quite frankly, still in absolute shock… too out of it to really acknowledge what was going on around her. A deadly mix of adrenaline and anxiety felt like it was taking over from the inside, causing her whole body to tremor.
Lydia just stared at the dirt for a while, cradling herself, a spaced out look on her face. Taking down those walkers was usually child's play, but this time she'd botched it… so fucking hard. It was too embarrassing to bear. Then taking into account what Clementine and Ellie had seen… the thought made her physically ill.
They know. Now everyone else will too.
She could already see everyone whispering at school, with a new weapon in their arsenal now, something they could use against the soon-to-be, newly acclaimed 'deformed freak.' One of them would spread her secret, for sure.
Carl took his sweet time to finally come and check up on her. Knowing what he knew about her condition, she was unhappy with how slow he'd been to get here. His hand came into view, and all Lydia did was glare at it with her puffy, misted eyes. She tilted her neck upwards, glaring at her ex-boyfriend's face, with nothing but a filthy scowl to offer.
Lydia swatted his hand away, choosing to stand up by herself. After that pathetic display, the least she could do was try to retain some dignity. The girl quickly dried her tears, turning her back on the one-eyed boy, refusing to indulge in accepting his pity.
Straight away, her attention shifted in the direction of a nearby crimson-soaked hoodie. Hugging herself, she lumbered over to it, kneeling down. Lydia pouted at the sight, realizing it'd been torn to shit, courtesy of walker number two. Great.
The last thing she wanted to do was ask for something new to wear, but at this point, a second wave of freak out was on the horizon if she didn't get some new clothes to cover herself up with soon. Before it reached that stage, though, Ellie was inbound, and Lydia had to fight the urge to shift backwards as she approached with quick steps. This time, tossing the redhead a simple glance was impossible.
"Here."
Lydia's eyes loomed over to see a fresh spare jacket in the other girl's hand. For a good few seconds, she considered it, visibly uncomfortable, but self-conscious beyond belief. Which was why her disorientated mind didn't need a moment longer to consider… Against her slewed judgment, which urged her to ask if Ellie was just doing it to look good, to tell her to stop pretending that she cared.
The blonde reached out with a still trembling hand to take it, with little choice but to accept the offer. At this point, desperation had sunk in so deep that she couldn't care less who it was from. The jacket slipped on over her tank top, rather well too, since it seemed to be her size.
After all was said and done, Lydia didn't say a word. Instead, the girl opted to direct a blank stare at her own feet, holding one arm in the other, hoping the attention would turn elsewhere.
Dot [Ellie]
The moment that jacket left her hand, Ellie went back to work. With Carl with Lydia, and Clementine with Kat, Ellie was the one left to check the lodge. As she clambered up the steps, onto its porch, she knocked on the door with the hilt of her blade. It didn't take long for a pounding to emanate from the other side of the door. Two bangs, one after another… a single walker. She took a step back, pulling the door open, before descending the steps onto solid ground.
The walker emerged, snapping its jaws hungrily. Thinner than its counterparts, Ellie made short work of it, slicing the walker's head off, stabbing through its skull once it landed on the ground.
Standing at the threshold, she heard silence within. That was a good sign.
As the others gathered themselves, Ellie went back to her horse, tying it to the fence surrounding the porch. Knife clutched in her hand, she searched the house, finding nothing but empty rooms. The air was stale, the stench of the undead filling the bottom floor like a bad omen. She ignored it. They had more pressing stuff to deal with.
Emerging from the building, she waved the others to her. "Place's clear. C'mon."
She silently hoped this place would have something for her to change into. Her white shirt was drenched red, wet and sticky and cold. Worst case scenario, she'll just have to wash it out in the creek. Better stained red than covered in it.
Art [Clementine]
When the dust cleared, no one could have looked more relieved than Clem did, she was sure. Funny, too… having Ellie lead the hungry pack was one trend she hadn't gotten used to. Since when was that a thing?
Seeing as everyone else was so eager… Clementine was happy to wait, wiping blood all over her jeans without a care in the world. Besides the one.
Lydia convened with Carl before Clem got her shot to touch base. Seemed wrong not to, even if her friend was a step over uneager. She knew one thing about Lydia and telling people off, and it was not to take it to heart. She usually didn't mean it.
Who else was left?
The Savior girl hunched next to her, like… like a cat after a storm. Seemed appropriate. Clementine had her concerns, but one thing needled at her mind: Cat was dead weight around infected. Weird quirk for Negan's second-string, wasn't it. "What's up?" She asked, that suddenly, and with no tact to spare. "I mean, before…"
"You scared of walkers?"
Vi-xen [Kat]
Kat's gaze shot over to the girl, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as confusion washed over. Was she that off her game? "Walkers? No. They aren't shit. I—" She bit her lip, sitting up a bit straighter. Smeared blood and tears were wiped across her cheek, her head resting on one of her hands.
"I'm not scared of walkers. They are just corpses that don't know they're dead yet. I… I'm scared of… clickers—It's dumb, and really none of your business. I know you don't exactly care, but uh… I dealt with some shit a few years back, so clickers tend to be a no-go for me. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freeze up like that. I tend to have my head in the past a bit too much for my own good, and I guess it hasn't cleared up as much as I thought. Clickers… they uh- They've caused me a lot of grief, to put it plainly, and to avoid telling you my whole life story. Just… C—Can you please… tell me if it's actually gone…?"
Art [Clementine]
None of my business. Well, that's good. Clementine, eyes shut, crossed her arms and sighed through her nose, frowning the whole while. "Whatever, kitten."
"Just don't wander off."
Dot [Ellie]
Everyone eventually made their way inside the lodge, settling in, while Ellie stood near the door. As Clementine passed, Ellie sent her an apologetic gaze, for getting snappy earlier. Though the moment lasted hardly a second.
As Kat entered last, she shut the door behind them. At least, for now, they can rest before checking out the rest of the camp. And Ellie could find some clean clothes.
She wasn't sure which one sounded better.
LadyLedge [Lydia]
Eventually, they all made it up the steep hill, Lydia warily trailing behind. When they entered the lodge, she quickly split off from the rest right when they started talking about picking the place apart for supplies. The girl had other plans… Desperately needing to get away, she retreated down a random corridor without haste. Straight after she entered the nearest room, a slam of a door was quick to follow. Lydia used a nearby chair she'd found to barricade the door from the inside, propping it up against the knob so no asshole could casually open it from the other end. Once all was said and done, it was time to get comfortable. This is where she was going to be staying for the rest of the night, until next morning probably.
Dot [Ellie]
This place still had a surprising amount of shit left over. They'd found enough food to last them another day, which definitely helped given how little progress they'd made the day before. Kat had found a couple bullets for her gun and a cool gas mask shaped like a plague one from the… it was a really long time ago, I think? Thirteen-hundreds? Fourteen-hundreds? Whatever. Clementine had found a whole stash of bullets, or at least nearing a dozen, so at least their gun situation was looking better. Ellie's find of the day had been a white t-shirt with a girl on it, with devil's horns and a floating crown, along with some hoodie with a shield on it, with a star in the middle. Better than nothing, since she'd given hers away. But the real find…? A bar of fucking soap. How much she missed that already about living in Jackson. Lydia and Carl found some video camcorder upstairs, but hadn't found batteries yet to turn it on. Suppose they would soon, wouldn't they? They still had a couple more cabins to check.
Now, she had that t-shirt laid out next to her in the grass, just far enough away that she wouldn't splash it by accident. Leaning towards the surface of the creek ahead of her, she splashed the water in her face, trying her best to scrub away the dried blood, before trying with the soap. Eventually, her skin felt clearer… it just took a few times to get there.
Her mind drifted, thinking back to that nightmare, each passing image forcing her to stop for a second, lest she get soap in her eye. She hated feeling like this, like she was being haunted. Haunted by her past, definitely, but at least ghosts weren't really real, right?
Right?
Then there was the walker earlier, and how similar it looked to that asshole. Had she hesitated any longer, someone could've gotten hurt. Knowing that, and what already happened, letting herself freeze wasn't an option anymore. What if a walker grabbed Clementine and she couldn't…? Fuck, just… stop thinking about it.
Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she dropped the bar of soap to the ground next to her knees. Clearing her throat, she tried to smile. "Hey, Clem. H—How's everyone?" She was mainly curious about Kat, after that moment she had before, but Ellie hadn't had a chance to check up on her yet.
Art [Clementine]
The sun was inbound for the valley behind the moss-green hills. Clem wished she could follow it there, over the rainbow. "Hey, bunhead." Something was up. No biggie or nothin'... just that bolt of lightning in her chest. The type that struck when Ellie smiled at her, looking so damn pretty. Her own look had to've been of a fool with a fly catcher for a mouth.
"I don't know. Bad, I guess," Clementine admitted, small sympathy in her eyes. "No one likes getting bloody."
"That coming out alright, by the way?" Her head tilted slightly to the side, like every other time she set her mind to inspect something. That cozy little day, Ellie's hair looked just a tiny bit more redder. "You looked... pretty cool. Back there."
Dot [Ellie]
Guess she shouldn't be surprised. Lydia was being… Lydia, and Kat was likely still shaken up. Seemed like Carl was the only one that kept his head together under pressure, besides her and Clementine. Frowning, Clementine's question brought her focus to her hair, and the itchy feeling of blood coating it. "Haven't tried yet. You'd caught me before I could bathe." She shrugged, sighing. "We got lucky with the soap. Don't think it'd come out otherwise."
To her comment, Ellie smiled. "Thanks," she said, continuing in a half-hearted tone. "Tripp had us training like crazy to join the supply team. If you can't protect yourself, you can't go out. Guess that's something."
Art [Clementine]
"Show me a move sometime." Clementine widened her smirk. "You are the older one. You have to... I don't know, pass on your teachings. Like in those kung fu movies.
"Anyway." Clem lifted her chin up, arms crossed, and a smile leaking with sarcasm. "You look like you need help. Bet I could find you something in the lodge.
"Hm, that place is so old, though... might actually smell more than you do."
Dot [Ellie]
Ellie rolled her eyes. "Pfft. What more could I teach you that you haven't already learned before we even met?" Still, she returned the sarcastic smile with one of her own. "Nevertheless, I accept you as my apprentice. We train at dawn."
Pushing herself to her feet, she grabbed her spare shirt carefully, tucking it back into her backpack. Better than getting it covered in blood while they searched for whatever it was Clementine needed to 'help her'. Hopefully a bucket. Not easy washing hair in a two inch deep creek.
"Just don't tell me I smell again. The Sensei doesn't like that." She couldn't make herself seem serious saying that out loud.
Art [Clementine]
"I'll try, Elle."
They took to the big scary cabin no one had called dibs on. You'd have to be crazy to sleep there anyway. Place was probably haunted by whoever lived there. Clem went in first, opening the old front door with her good hand.
She tried to imagine what it looked like before: tables loaded with dinner plates, the smell of food ushered on past the window. Bright yellow lights shining across the wooden floor, before it was infested with termites. It gave Clementine all the courage she needed to light a flashlight on and explore. "Hope you guys cleared it good..."
It wasn't just getting dark, it was getting quiet, too. She really would've killed to hear the singing of a bird instead of the creaking of the floor. Clem followed along the walls to where they led. And where it led was... somewhere interesting.
"There's a big hole there. You see it?" Not on the wall, like you'd think, but on the floor. A big chunk of empty space dividing the hallway in two. Wasn't that deep, though. The real issue was all the mud at the bottom. Clementine, with all her insight, couldn't help but imagine some type of disgusting thing down there as well. Like a snake... or The Bogeyman. Anyone else would have turned back. But anyone else wouldn't have been looking for the bucket lying on its side, drowned by a thick layer of sludge, and easy to reach for if you could do it from across.
Assuming you could jump it.
"Wanna rock-paper-scissors for it?" Clementine asked, dreading the thought.
Dot [Ellie]
That cabin, mixed with the company she kept, brought her back to a worse time. Eying the gap Clementine had found, she judged the distance. They'd need a helluva jump. Seemed almost easier to just trudge through the hole, but who knew what was down there. Snakes? Mice? Both? Pfft. No. The snakes would've eaten them already, dummy.
She was pushed out of her thoughts by the offer of a timeless classic. Having no objections, she smiled. "Oh, you're so going to lose."
A count of three later, they let loose, Clementine coming in hot with a clenched fist, and Ellie with the flat hand. A silent 'yes!' left her as she returned her gaze to the hole.
"Alright, well… I'll be right here." Let's see how this goes. "I'll make sure you don't sink into the mud." She smiled a little at that, taking several steps back to allow the girl room.
Art [Clementine]
"Asshole," said her girlfriend, who had a big jump to make.
Clementine pulled at the brim of her hat, to make sure it didn't fly away on its own. She took the needed steps back, leaned forward and bolted down the hallway. Her boot planted on the floor an inch before the ledge, Clem jumped all the way across the gap. Though her chest landed before her arms, Clementine held on, climbing up the edge. "I got it!"
Kind of.
Finally, Clem reached down the hole and pulled the bucket up from where it lay buried. Her hands were plenty dirty before, so this was no great loss. "Gonna jump back now, okay?" All it'd take were the same steps, the same leap, the same cool landing, but with a bucket in her arms. Clementine jumped across one more time. No sweat.
That is, until said landing came, and she nearly lost her footing. Like a hand pulling her back, Clementine's blood went cold as she held back a shriek. The cabin ghost had come for her, and it wanted her covered in mud.
Dot [Ellie]
Clementine wobbled, balance going whack. Ellie reached out to try and stop her from falling into the hole, but the girl's backward momentum proved too much. Cursing, Ellie found herself yelping as they fell into the hole. Clementine let go of the bucket—or maybe the bucket let go of her, at this point Ellie couldn't tell which was which—and it fell to the muddy ground next to them, spilling its contents. The two girls, however, landed straight into the mud.
Groaning, Ellie tried to push herself up, but the mud made it difficult to even move. Instead, her face was filled with the fabric of Clementine's shirt, over what she assumed was the girl's stomach. Coughing, realizing that the girl's knee had collided with her own stomach, Ellie croaked out for her girlfriend. "Clem? You okay?" The ballcapped girl took the brunt of the fall, though maybe the mud hadn't been all that bad.
If it was anything like what Ellie had felt through the force of Clementine's knee, then maybe not. Fucking ow.
Art [Clementine]
Clem heard, felt, and tasted the splash of mud behind her. There was no sound after... just the shock of the cold paste dripping down her ear. That's when she knew. "Oh, ew..." Clementine spat to the side until there was none of it left in her mouth anymore. A good start, if there was any.
"Hey, can you move? You're kinda on top of me." Clem let out a loud, unearned chuckle. No snakes down there! Just Ellie. What a day...
Dot [Ellie]
"I'm trying," Ellie stressed through a wheeze, deciding to stop trying to push herself to her feet and instead use the jagged edge of the wooden hole. Carefully. It worked, if only to place her knees into the mud. Too bad about not getting those jeans dirty. Pushing herself to her feet, she set herself down on the edge, holding out her hands to help Clementine up.
"If anyone asks, this never happened."
Art [Clementine]
"Yeah, 'cause I so wanted to tell Lydia all about it." Clem, keeping her laugh in check, didn't hesitate to grab Ellie's hands whatsoever.
That stuff went all over. Her eyes were full of mud, the flashlight was full of mud, her socks were full of mud. Had to've been her worst idea in a while. "Can we go use that bucket now?"
Dot [Ellie]
So they were holding hands again now… that—that was a thing. It wasn't a long walk—unfortunately—back to the creek. Ellie took the bucket and filled it with water, splashing it out, in hopes of cleaning out the remaining mud in there. It flowed downstream in brown clumps, disappearing into the forest. Eventually, it was clean enough to use. She filled it up with water, placing it next to the creek as she sat down. Well, her jeans were already ruined anyway, so maybe this wouldn't be so bad. She'd just have to leave them out to dry later, when she finally had the privacy of her own room for the night.
"I'll help you clean up after," she said, looking towards the muddy girl next to her. She'd kill for the showers back home right about now. Clementine indicated for her to lay out, so she could wash her hair, and Ellie did as she was told, looking towards the gray sky above.
The water was fucking cold, but she tried her best not to squirm. Instead, choosing to voice the demons that've been bothering her all day. Perhaps it was finally time to just… talk about it. Bottling it up this past year hadn't done much good for her…
Sighing, hair soaked through with water and a small amount of soap, she glanced towards Clementine above her. "I, uh… I keep having dreams. About Simmons." Great start, Ellie. Excellent segue. "About what he did to us. To you, and Lee, and… what he was gonna do to me." She shivered, and not from the cold.
"I haven't had a good night's sleep in I don't know how long?" She continued, eyes drifting. "The dreams keep coming, and they're all different, but he's always in them. Doing something worse than the one before. It's like the fucker's haunting me from the grave."
She fell silent, closing her eyes. Somehow, he was still there, vivid as the day she'd killed him. A monster in a man's body, lip missing and bleeding. She opened her eyes again, trying to relax her muscles, to no avail. "He tried to—" She choked. "And I—Fuck. I just… I bit his lip off, Clementine. I fucking—"
"I just want him to leave me the fuck alone." Bitterness seeped into her tone, vile like poison. She rubbed at her eyes, then, roughly. "It's over. I know he's gone. But, I just… I can't—"
She stopped then, feeling like she'd said too much. These thoughts had been lingering for so long, they felt like they'd made a permanent residence in her mind. She fucking hated him. She hated him so much that she wished he was here now, just so she could kill him again.
Worst of all, she hated that she felt that way. She closed her eyes again, hoping that her hair would soon be clean. At least, then, she could make herself useful.
Art [Clementine]
Clementine's jersey lay next to the other pile of dirty clothes, begging to be tossed into a river. Better that way, even if the short sleeves underneath turned her skin to ice. With the sun gone, the red in Ellie's auburn hair had all but left with it. Chunks of mud and blood, woven into brown streaks. Clem ran her fingers through the roots of her hair all the way down to the ends, working from top to bottom. Always gentle.
As far as talking went, she was nothing if not deliberate, taking in the pauses to sink into thoughts of her own. Heavy stuff like that... was not her forte. She could think of one person who'd know what to say...
"Lee would tell me... 'It's just a bad dream.'" She rinsed, squeezing out drops of excess water. Clementine had to fight back a frown. "I have those all the time."
Her hands didn't quite stop in one place, though Ellie's hair was well and washed. It was good enough to keep them somewhere soft, so they wouldn't tremble. "You know what I do? I... I don't think about it. And... sometimes it's harder than that. Sometimes I can't."
"But I know it's easier when you're around."
Clem shook her hands around to dry them out in the wind, looking very much stuck in her own head. She was glad Ellie was facing the other way, missing out on the wrinkles on her forehead that told everyone she was struggling. "So... you can come to me, if you're scared." Clementine, sudden as she was, hugged Ellie from behind, crossing her arms around her chest like an unbreakable shield.
"I'll do this. Whenever you need."
Dot [Ellie]
What about when you're gone? She wanted to ask that, but she knew better. Was it wrong that she didn't feel any different? Clementine was trying, and Ellie loved her for it, but a problem like this wouldn't just… go away.
"Thinking too much has always been my weakness," she said, sighing. "But someone once told me that stuff like this is just… rocks… weighing you down. Drowning you." She let out a single, dry chuckle. "Funny. I don't even know how to swim. No wonder it's so easy."
Hands clasping around arms, squeezing them, Ellie wriggled out of her grip, allowing Clementine to take her place. Time for her to play hairdresser.
"You know it goes both ways, right?" She said, lathering her hands in soap. "I'll always be here for you. And I, uh… kinda miss the old days. The sleepovers. Having you there just… always made me feel safer. I'd do that for you, too. If I could."
She fell silent, if only for a moment. Thoughts bubbled to the surface: anger and grief, guilt and regret, love and warmth, so many conflicting things that mixed together into a single, anxious feeling.
"I don't like feeling helpless," she said, nearly a mumble as she gently worked through Clementine's curly hair, taking care not to let her fingers catch and pull. No one was getting hurt today. "I don't like knowing that my actions hurt someone I care about. I'm—I'm not letting that happen again." She knew for a fact that she was letting it happen again, purely by letting Clementine leave Jackson on her own.
She didn't voice that fact.
"The next time I see a Simmons out there, I'm pulling the trigger," she vowed.
Art [Clementine]
"Me too," Clementine answered, though she didn't sound half so sure. The cold water running down her neck made her fight and flinch, like a fussy child. Ellie must've been the only other person she'd let anywhere near her hair.
But Clem smiled to herself, knees and elbows huddled together to put up with the chill. "I like how I feel now, though."
Dot [Ellie]
Since when was Clementine the one making things mushy? Ellie smiled, a lopsided thing, while massaging the soap through the girl's hair one last time. At least Clementine couldn't see it. She was tired of looking stupid.
"Oh yeah?" She asked, voice warm. "What's that?" She knew the answer, but if Clem was gonna be a sap for five minutes, she might as well tease her for it.
Art [Clementine]
Ellie could only see the back of her ears turn rosy, no hair to hide them behind. It was no hard question. Clem felt safe. Heard and understood. She felt sunny even though it was nighttime, bright without a light. Most of all, she was in love, in all the silly ways you could be. She loved living that moment, not because it wouldn't end, but because she knew it would. And she knew just how much she'd miss it.
Was that... too much?
"Uh..." Clementine watched the creek flow right under her toes, keeping her cards close to her chest. Though her giggle certainly betrayed her. "You know."
Dot [Ellie]
All the horrible things forgotten, Ellie couldn't help herself from smiling deviously. She liked seeing Clementine so flustered; it was a rare thing. Then again, so were moments like these. Even more so now.
Hair as clean as could be, she leaned in from behind her, her mouth near the girl's ear.
"Do I?" she asked.
Pulling away, pushing herself to her feet, she circled around Clem, dropping to her knees in front of her. Funny how, even on their knees, Ellie still towered over her a couple inches. Yet, it was hard not to notice that Clementine had grown a little since she was kicked out. Guess time really was a thing. Leaning in, she planted a kiss on the girl's forehead.
"Yeah, I guess I do."
Art [Clementine]
Clementine rubbed timidly at where Ellie had kissed, holding on to the smile she didn't want to share. "Okay, that's enough," grumbled the tired girl, "...or I'm gonna push you."
Dot [Ellie]
Fair enough. She chuckled at the girl's response, shaking her head. "Buzzkill," she said playfully, pushing herself to her feet, dusting herself off. Returning to the shore, she slipped on her socks and shoes once more, thankful that some part of her outfit wasn't soaked through. At least she still had the spare shirt.
The sky was turning shades of orange and black, the sun disappearing beneath the mountains. She was just happy they had the light long enough to finish up. "Alright, um… guess it's time for me to go change. This shirt feels fucking horrible." Slinging her backpack over her shoulders, she looked towards Clementine again, for a second too long.
She broke the eye contact, smiling as she playfully saluted with two fingers. "See ya later, Ballcap. Thanks for the, uh, pep talk. And everything else."
Awkwardly, she began to trudge back through the field, towards the lodge. Some small part of her felt disappointed, but that's just how things were, wasn't it?
Alright, focus. We still got a long road ahead of us.
Dot [Ellie]
Getting her hair to dry took a while without a towel. Instead, she'd used some shirt she'd found earlier that was much too small for her to wear, speeding up the process a bit. Now in clean clothes, and a pair of shorts she'd overlooked before—to allow her jeans to dry—she returned downstairs. Here, massive windows gave almost picturesque views of the camp, the hills and mountains, and ultimately, an easy way to make sure nothing was coming up on them.
She found Kat sitting in a rocking chair near one corner of the room, and Ellie waved gently as she approached.
"Hey… You doing okay?" She asked, quietly, before taking the lounge chair next to her. After her freak-out earlier, Ellie couldn't live with herself if she didn't check up on her. She'd done the same thing for her once, a long time ago.
Vi-xen [Kat]
"Huh…?" Kat perked up as Ellie's voice prickled at her ears, drawing her attention from her book, which she happily closed and re-stored in her bag as Ellie took a seat. There wasn't much time to read nowadays, so it's best to take whatever time you could get.
Of course, when the subject turned to the one topic she hoped everyone would ignore, her welcoming smile dropped to one of more embarrassment. "Oh, uh. Yeah. I guess I'm doing a bit better. Sorry for choking up on you guys." She leaned on her hand, the chair quietly creaking as it swayed ever so gently along with her.
Dot [Ellie]
"It's okay if you're not okay," she said, knowing that she sounded ridiculous. "I mean—I totally get it."
Relaxing into the chair, she ran a hand through her hair, mentally preparing herself to talk about this once again. "There was a walker out there. Looked like someone I knew. It almost got me, too." She smiled then, hoping it'd help. "Then I thought about everyone else, and I knew what to do.
"So don't apologize, okay…?" She continued, breathing in. "I know what it's like. I know what you've been through." She didn't want to pry too much. She remembered Kat's story about her ex, who left her to die with a bunch of clickers, and the thought of it was enough to make her blood broil.
"And, um, if you ever wanna talk about it, I'm always here for you."
Vi-xen [Kat]
Kat's eyes seemed to scan Ellie as she spoke, her expression unreadable, dull. As Ellie spoke of her own issues, Kat seemed to look away, looking over at the window. "The past has a funny way of sneaking up on you. I guess we both have rocks we're struggling to swim with." She forced out a laugh, looking back to the girl as she let her smile drop once more.
"I think I'm more curious on if you're okay or not. Talking is a two way game," she said, straightening up to get a better look at the girl.
Dot [Ellie]
Ellie nodded once, smile faltering. "I'm okay," she assured, though not that convincingly. Thinking about Simmons had its ways of breaking down her mental barriers, though everything she'd said before helped… in a way. "I've gotten to talk about it, recently. It's… a lot to take in."
She smiled, then, a sardonic thing. "The past is a bitch, ain't it?"
Vi-xen [Kat]
The girl stifled a laugh, shaking her head. "Tell me about it. The present isn't too pleasant either. Maybe if we're lucky, we can have a better future. Heh, the second I get the chance, I'd love to leave everything behind and live somewhere like this. You can't tell me the view isn't gorgeous." Kat said, nodding towards the horizon with a smile. She was always a sucker for sunsets, sunrises, starry skies, and well… gorgeous views.
"I could argue the light leaves a nice glow on your smile, too. Glad to see you get to have one, E. You worked hard for your girl."
Dot [Ellie]
"I'm right there with you, K. Place like this… besides the infected we had to deal with, it's… calming. Nothing like home." She'd be tempted to live here if they weren't so far away from everything. Having electricity was nice, too.
When Kat brought up Clementine, Ellie couldn't help but smile wider. Was it that obvious…? "Yeah…" She breathed, eyes trailing towards the window. "I'm gonna miss her. When she's gone. It's hard to think about that part of it, but I can't forget that this's only temporary.
"Some small part of me knows we'll see each other again, but… I just… hope it won't be too long, yeah? Life has a funny way of surprising you, though. Both good and bad."
Vi-xen [Kat]
"She'll come back. You found a good one, and… that's rare these days. With everything that happened, you're still working out. Not many people get a chance like that. You mess up once, and it's all over. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try… and try… nothing happens. Nothing comes out of all your work to maintain your relationship, and they leave you for some… prick so into himself that he might as well have fucking married his reflection. And you sit and wonder for months on months what you did wrong—And how do I fix it…? And will she ever take me back, or am I not good enough? And… and if it's not my fault, then did she ever actually love me? Maybe she was confused when it happened, and she has yet to find time to talk to me…? I—Ahem… What I mean, is… this hypothetical situation didn't happen to you… cause you… you made it. You found someone who gets you…"
Kat seemed to force a small smile, looking away from them just long enough to wipe the tear that begged to escape her eye. Yeah, she had baggage, but hey, that didn't matter. She's a Savior, so she's not supposed to feel like this.
Dot [Ellie]
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kat was talking about her ex. Hearing about it, it made her heart sink. Kat didn't deserve to be treated so callously. She tried to smile back, although weakly. "Well, clearly they don't see what they're missing out on."
With that, she stood up, patting the girl's shoulder before pulling away. There was still much to do before bedtime, and Ellie wasn't sure if there was much more she could do here. Knowing that Kat was okay, at least a little bit, set her mind at ease.
Now they just had to keep it that way, for however long this journey takes.
LadyLedge [Lydia]
With each second that passed, it felt like the flow of time was gradually slipping away into a pit of uncertainty. Minutes felt like hours, or did the hours feel like minutes? Either way, Lydia had given up on trying to keep track.
The peculiar scent of a dusty carpet lingered in her nose, smelling how it looked: like a rundown room with worn out fixtures and fittings. It bore a striking resemblance to the place she had in Jackson. Unlike that one, there was no peace of mind here, taking into account the several other people who were under the same roof.
A nauseating sense of claustrophobia was coming back, like the air was getting humid and dry, anxious that she'd start choking with every breath. Last time she recalled this sensation was in Andrea and Carl's house. When the girl was too scared to turn those corners, knowing that woman would be there, watching her like a hawk. Worried that the Whisperer girl was going to corrupt her 'precious Carl'. She never had to say it… but Lydia knew.
Eventually, sitting down in dead silence became too much. That was when she finally retreated to the bathroom, half a bottle of water and a rag in hand. Reluctantly so, she found the mirror, a rusted out sink straight below it which she used to place down the items.
Both hands outstretched, they gripped either side of the sink, using it as support as she leaned forward. Lydia's head dipped, taking a moment to compose herself with a big breath. Then, she forced herself to look.
Her blonde was now part crimson, hair messy in the reflection, eyes still looked a bit red from earlier, but parts of her face were much redder, courtesy of walker blood. Least she could do was get it off.
As she fumbled with the water bottle, only then did she realize how badly her hands were still shaking. Bad enough to make twisting a lid feel like the most impossible task in the world. Until it popped off, falling to the ground, a hollow click echoing across the tiles as she watched it roll away.
She set the bottle aside after dabbing the rag in some water. Looking down at the hand that held the piece of cloth. The trembles were getting worse. Don't do this. Not now.
The teenager closed her eyes, quickly grabbing her wrist in an effort to steady it. Breathing was the key, wasn't it? Slowly, through deep inhales, she placed the wet rag to her cheek, wiping away the blood stain.
Working her way down the neck, she peeled back Ellie's jacket far enough that her shoulder were exposed, cleaning off the gore that had trickled under.
Every second in the mirror was agonizing, as was resisting the urge to tear her eyes away from her own reflection. The thudding in her chest became harder, as did the scrubbing on her shoulder, like the two were in complete sync. Blood disappeared to make way… not for clean, healthy skin. But the sight she dreaded most. Those disfiguring marks that clung to her like a lifelong curse. Ones that the rest had now seen.
A cold shockwave shot through her body, she hated staring at them, so much… yet, she didn't stop, she couldn't. Lydia's poker face, within a matter of minutes, began to crumble. Harder and harder, she rubbed at skin that was already clean. Her face was scrunching up, eyes beginning to burn, a mixture of grunting and whimpering.
"Cry."
"No," Lydia whispered back through gritted teeth, short and panicked breaths leaving her. The rag wasn't working, so she scraped away at the scars even harder.
"You can't get rid of us, neither can you live as one of them. You know you can't. So cry, Lydia."
Dropping the rag to the ground, Lydia started to use her nails instead, sobbing in agony the deeper she tore away at her shoulder. She wanted them gone, her ravaged body beyond repair, she wanted it all to disappear. What had she done to deserve being born a Whisperer? Why did it have to be her? Why?
The burning on her skin became too much to bear, and her nails started to draw blood. Having exhausted her options, Lydia screamed at the top of her lungs at the mirror, screeching in the face of the complete wretchedness that stared back at her.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, in a fit of rage, she balled up her fist and sent it flying towards the mirror without a care in the world, shattering it. Immediate pain shot up her hand, blood spewing from where shards of glass were embedded in her knuckles.
Squeezing her eyes shut to snap back the tears, Lydia grabbed both sides of her hair, viciously pulling on it. Like she'd reverted back to a mindless beast that didn't know what to do. All the memories, the only way she could get them out was to distract herself with pain. Finally, the adrenaline-fueled girl dropped to her knees, weeping, slinking down into a fetal position onto the cold bathroom tiles. Blood continuously gushed out of her hand, forming a small pool. Not that she cared much.
Even now, she could feel her mother's eyes on her, smiling in amusement. The damage had been done, and there would never be anything she could do to reverse it. Never.