Disclaimer: I do not own Telltale's The Walking Dead, only my characters.
On the Road
October 21st, 0627 Local Time, 2003
Kenny knew he wasn't a perfect man. Hell, he knew he wasn't even a good man sometimes, but he always justified his actions as the best thing to do for his family and close friends. From Hershel's farm, to the Cannibal's at the Dairy, and finally the motel, he did what he thought was right. Were there some regrets? Of course, but then again, when wouldn't there be?
And now here he was, driving an R.V. filled with supplies and what remained of his group- his friends. The lack of Travis and Ben did cause Kenny some guilt now that he had calmed down, knowing that he had effectively doomed two helpless teenagers to a fate worse than death, but what's done is done, and there's no changing the past.
Zoey had always had his back. Always. No matter what they went through, she was always there to lend him a helping hand, even if he said he didn't need any. She was always the first person he could go to to confide about his feelings outside his family. Their friendship seemed almost unbreakable at this point, leading him to consider her and Clementine an extension of his own family, so if it came down to sacrificing himself to protect them, so be it.
Carley and Mark, although not as close to Kenny as Zoey was, were still two good, trustworthy people that the fisherman could fall back on. Carley had proven herself time and time again to be willing to be a mediator in negotiations, something he knew would be vital when they found more, hopefully friendly, survivors. Mark meanwhile had shown that he was a good man with a strong heart, a valuable tool in the coming days that they remained on the road.
Yeah, for however long we may have this thing. Kenny thought as he continued down the cracked asphalt, the sun not having made an appearance over the horizon yet.
Looking in the rear view mirror, he could see that everyone was still asleep. Carley's eyes were still red, but her calm breathing proved that she had managed to get some rest after her angry tirade some hours back. Clementine was also now resting her head against Zoey's shoulder, a content look on her face as a soft smile formed from her lips.
"They're quite the youngsters, aren't they Ken?" A female voice asked, bringing his attention away from the mirror.
Turning to his wife, Kenny raised an eyebrow for a moment. "You say that like we're old Kat." Kenny replied before shifting his attention back to the road ahead. "But yeah, they are. For being such a 'youngster,' she's done one helluva job raising her." Kenny complimented the sleeping teenager.
At least, better than I ever did before. He depressingly thought about himself. But I won't make that same mistake twice.
Katjaa had been with her husband long enough to know what he was thinking purely by his expression. She had seen this particular look before whenever he talked about spending more time with her and Duck when back at the motel. It broke her heart to see him, the man she so dearly loved, act like this.
Leaning towards him, she placed her left hand on his right shoulder and gave him a worried look. "Kenny dear, how about you take Duck and get some rest. I got plenty so I can take over for the time being." She softly stated, the implication clear to her husband.
Kenny was about to retort giving his usual 'I'm fine Kat,' but opted against it anyway. His wife was right, he was exhausted at this point, nearly having remained awake for almost twenty four hours by now. With a sigh, Kenny silently nodded before slowing the R.V. down and taking Duck from Katjaa's arms.
Making his way to the back seat, he curled Duck up on the couch and wrapped him in a blanket before going over and sitting next to a still sleeping Carley. A quick glance outside showed that the sun hadn't even begun rising over the horizon yet, so he figured he still had some time to get some shut eye. As that's exactly what he did.
Katjaa quietly giggled at the snoring.
On the Road
0742 Local Time
Zoey slowly opened her eyes but immediately regretted the decision, quickly shutting them as the warm sun poked through the blinds of the RV. Rather than opening her eyes again, she instead opted to rub the sleep out of them first. Opening them a second time, she was greeted with the soft interior of the R.V, the fabric of the floor and walls seemingly glowing from the sun's golden rays.
Sitting up, she stretched her arms upwards whilst yawning before rubbing her neck. While it wasn't the best sleep she'd had, it was nowhere near the worst, so she took that as a plus. It didn't take long, only a few seconds actually, for Zoey to realize that someone was leaning against her, and after a short glance, saw that it was Clementine.
Recognizing her predicament, she slowly got up from the seat and gently laid Clementine down, allowing herself access to move freely throughout the R.V. Almost immediately, she saw Kenny resting his head in his arms at the table that she, Clementine, and Carley were sitting at, and since the R.V. was still moving, that left Katjaa as the obvious person left awake.
Moving quietly so as to not disturb anyone's sleep, Zoey made her way towards the front of the R.V. Stopping midway however, she glanced down at Mark before giving the man a worried look. Of course, they had the supplies to stop any infections and keep his wounds closed, but that didn't stop her from being worried about her friend's wellbeing, the scene of him getting shot playing over in her mind.
With a sorrow filled sigh, she continued on her way and, once she reached the front, sat down in the passenger seat. To its credit, the seat was probably the most comfy one she had sat in in months, the survivalist barely able to resist the urge to fall back asleep in the new position as she let out a relaxed sigh.
"Pretty comfy huh?" Katjaa asked without taking her eyes off the road, the glistening colors of red, yellow, orange, and brown leaved trees filling the empty space ahead of them.
Zoey gave her a nod. "Yeah, better than the booth anyway." She replied before reaching into her backpack and pulling out a small book and a pencil. When she opened it, Katjaa could see that some pages were filled with various rough sketches of many different items: A bottle of water, a box of cans, the R.V, and even what appeared to be a scratched out attempt at Kenny's face, just to name a few.
Katjaa eyed the booklet with intrigue for a moment before eventually asking the burning question that was on her mind. "You draw?"
Zoey nodded once more. "Started a few months into the apocalypse." She answered as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I wasn't much of an artist before everything went down. Heh, the last time I even did a doodle was years ago, but with all the boredom the apocalypse brought, I figured why not give it a shot right? They're not exactly what I would call, uh, good."
Katjaa never thought she would see the day when Zoey, the guiding light that had done so much to help them, was embarrassed about something as small as drawing, it was quite amusing to see the late teenager try to somewhat hide her drawings in her arms. "Nonsense, I think they're really good." Katjaa complimented with a warm smile.
"Oh! Uh, thank you." Zoey stated with a bit of surprise. Duh, of course she'll like them. This is Katjaa we're talking about! She thought.
Deciding to keep herself busy, she looked around the R.V. for some motivation before ultimately settling on trying to draw the interior of the vehicle. After nearly half an hour she could definitely see that it was coming together, but the occasional bump on the road would mess something up and she would have to fix it.
The sketch itself consisted of the more obvious shapes that made up the R.V's interior, showing a larger general image with overall familiar and easily definable details rather than anything super specific or small. All in all, Zoey was proud of what she managed to accomplish in the end. It wasn't a pretty drawing, but it wasn't bad either. Maybe she was just being too harsh on herself after all.
The rest of the ride was spent in a soft, easygoing silence, the hum of the engine filling their ears with its shaky rhythm. For the first time in weeks, or months for that matter, Zoey truly felt at peace. While the loss of the hotel was a tremendous defeat, the universe had apparently decided to bless the group with a calm sense of safety. After all, other than fuel, there was nothing that could stop them from getting to Savannah now.
"Oh my…" Katjaa said in a stunned voice as a wrecked train came into full view of the driver and passenger.
Dammit, just our fucking luck. Note to self, don't jinx it next time. Zoey begrudgingly thought.
"What do we do now?" Katjaa asked as she brought the R.V. to a stop some meters away from the train.
Zoey gave the question some thought, occasionally glancing between the train and the group. "Stay here with the others, I'll go take a better look real quick." Zoey informed before leaving the R.V.
The outside air was cool and refreshing as it blew against her face. Taking her bat out from her backpack, Zoey threw her bag over her shoulders and cautiously made her way towards the freight train. The sound of autumn leaves rustling in the wind gave the area a serene feel to it.
Going alone was not the best idea, but she was going to remain in perfect view of Katjaa who could wake everyone up should something occur. On top of that, she was well armed and ready for an encounter should one rise out of nowhere. Thankfully though, she didn't have to worry.
Scanning the immediate vicinity, she couldn't see any active or potential threats. Walking around to the side of the road, she checked the brush for any signs of life but came up empty. Seeing no possible way around without having to abandon the R.V, Zoey let out a sigh of disappointment before heading back to the vehicle in question.
Watching her return, Katjaa asked, "So, anything?"
Zoey shook her head. "No. Good news is that the area seems pretty safe. Bad news? The entire path's blocked."
Katjaa looked down at the floor for a moment. "So what do we do now?"
Zoey shrugged her shoulders. "Unless we want to turn the R.V. around, we'll have to make due. I'll take Carley and see what's up with the train. Who knows, we might be able to move it." Zoey said with a hint of optimism. Of course, nobody expected the train to actually move, but it was certainly worth a shot since all they needed was enough room to pass through.
Waking up her soon-to-be exploratory companion was not difficult, with Carley only needing to be shaken for a few seconds before her eyelids finally etched opened. After a few lengthy yawns and stretches from the ex-reporter, she was, as she put it, "As awake as anyone can be after the worst day of their life." Of course, with a few extra choice of words thrown into the mix.
Making their way to the edge of the train, there wasn't anything overtly spectacular about the giant machine, its dull red paint slowly being chipped away by the elements. Behind the train itself were a bunch of derailed cars, fallen trees, concrete cylinders, and other excess heavy debris.
"So, what's the plan?" Carley asked as she stood next to Zoey, staring at the endless chaos before them.
Zoey remained silent for a moment, her mind processing what they had just gotten themselves into. "…We move the train or find a way around." She hesitantly replied, steadily growing unsure of her own idea. "We've used too much fuel already, so turning back ain't an option."
"And just how are we going to do that? It doesn't exactly look like it can go anywhere." Carley roughly stated. Zoey gave a surprised look at the way her friend spoke to her, causing Carley to widen her eyes at how she spoke before lowering her head in shame. "I'm sorry."
Zoey put a steady hand on the shorter female's shoulder. "We'll find a way, don't worry." Zoey said, vocally ignoring Carley's outburst.
She just needs some time to mourn, that's all. Zoey reminded herself. The whole situation brought up bad memories of her father in those first few days, Zoey still haunted by them to this day.
Shaking the doom and gloom from her mind, she turned around and looked over towards the front of the train. From their position, she could see that the glass was cracked and the steel rusted, but was otherwise in good condition. "Let's go check out the front cabin. Maybe this thing still has some power." Zoey told her.
Carley didn't respond, likely due to her wanting to remain quiet so as to help keep her emotions in check. Once again, Zoey couldn't help but empathize with the woman, but now wasn't the time to stop and talk about it. They just had to keep going forward for now, and that's what she planned to do.
The tiny ladder that led onto the walkway of the engine car creaked under the weight of its unexpected users, the dull paint chipping away revealing the gray steel underneath. If Zoey had to be honest, the steel beast they now stood on was a wondrous marvel of engineering, at least for apocalypse standards. If they could get it running, then who knows what they could be capable of, considering the number of railways that were interconnected throughout the country.
As they neared the door, passing four unknown side compartments, they managed to get a good look inside through the cracked glass that made up the window. The thing that caught their attention quickly however was the quiet body that was laying face first on the ground next to what seemed to be the control panel. Seeing this, Zoey held up a finger to mouth, to which Carley nodded in response.
Readying her bat, Zoey waited for Carley to get a hold on her pistol before slowly opening the cabin door. Taking a step inside, her boot muffled the sound of her footsteps, allowing her to get the jump on the walker. When she finally got close enough, she did not take any chances with the corpse as she swung her bat down onto its head with all her might, causing the decaying flesh and bone to cave in completely in one hit.
When the corpse failed to give any reaction, Zoey and Carley let out a collective sigh of relief. Now free from harm's way, they took an immediate look around the room, making it hard to overlook the bright glowing button that continuously flashed on the console. Seeing as they couldn't find any instructions on how to operate the controls, nor any real other options, the pair nodded to each other before Zoey pressed the button, resulting in a hissing of air coming out from the wheels of the train.
Seeing their success for once, Carley and Zoey couldn't help but let out excited hollers and celebrate. By now, everyone else had woken up and gathered outside within the minutes prior, all of which were able to spectate the spectacle that was the train effectively going online. Although he was still somewhat tired, Kenny rushed towards the cabin of the engine car, a newfound glee in his eyes.
"Holy shit, this thing actually works?" He asked, his voice filled with amazement.
"I know right? Imagine what we could do with this thing! Oh man, I've ALWAYS wanted to drive a train!" Zoey shouted, sharing the excitement. She was like a giddy kid who had learned that they had just won free candy for the rest of their lives.
Releasing a yawn, Kenny stared at his family through the window, his wife returning his gaze. The two smiled at each other before Kenny turned back to the females in the cabin. "Well now that we know she works," He said before pausing to look at Zoey specifically, "Zoey, I want you to try and get a grasp on the controls. Carley, you and I will go check the railcar. Maybe it has something that can tell us how to run this thing."
The two of them nodded before Carley followed Kenny out, leaving Zoey to her assigned task. With the 'Engine Startup' page they found earlier torn up, she had nothing to go off of to even try and start the train. Fortune would soon have it, however, that after a brief search of the corpse, there would be a second page that, when held up to light, appeared to show numbers and images scribbled on it.
Holding it close to her face, she could barely make out the word 'startup' at the top of the page. Seizing the opportunity that was mere inches away, she hastily fished out her pencil and began coloring over the page, remembering her father doing the same thing occasionally whenever there was supposedly hidden writing on a piece of paper.
Some seconds later, she was able to read the paper with ease as she looked over the instructions. Following what was written down, she flipped the appropriate switches and turned a few knobs on the central panel before getting stuck at the final two steps, unable to locate them on said panel. Leaving the room, she went over to the side compartments she had passed earlier and, after looking through each one, finally found the last step. Turning the final knob, the engine spun to life with a satisfying hum.
It wasn't even five seconds later that Kenny and Carley were approaching Zoey with something in his hands. "Well I'll be damned, you actually got this thing running. Great job!" Kenny complimented.
Zoey smiled at the praise. "It wasn't exactly easy, but yeah, I got it." She replied before pointing at his hand. "What's that?"
Kenny held out the clipboard for her to see. "It's a map of the rails that go through the state. See this one?" He questioned as he pointed at the rail that went east. "This track leads straight to the coast. We could take this train all the way to Savannah if we wanted!"
Zoey couldn't believe what she was seeing, let alone hearing. A direct route towards their goal? And with an unstoppable beast that could plow through any number of walkers no less. She was almost afraid to say it, but their luck might just be looking up now.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get everyone and everything loaded up." Zoey stated with some authority.
"About that, we might have a problem." Carley pointed out. "We're still stuck to the smashed cars back there and the coupling won't budge."
Kenny thought it over for a moment, his eyebrows furring as he went over different ways to detach from the rest of the train. "Wait, what if we move the train? That should loosen it up enough to get us free." He suggested.
Carley and Zoey glanced at each other for a moment before shrugging. Kenny's idea made sense, so might as well go with it, right? Once they had gathered back in the cabin, Zoey pushed the lever that was clearly the throttle forward, pushing the train forward before feeling something pull back on it. Pulling the lever back, she looked back towards Carley and Kenny and nodded.
From there, everything went smoothly. They managed to decouple the train from the rest of the cars and got everyone on the train, making sure to load up the rest of their supplies as well. With all that done and nothing stopping them anymore, Zoey sat back in the engineer's chair and pushed the throttle forward again.
"Savannah, here we come." She thought aloud as the train began to slowly but surely pick up speed.
Train to Savannah
October 21st, 0935 Local Time, 2003
All was quiet in the cabin of the freighter, the rumbling of the train as it passed over cracked wood and rusted steel, barreling its way down the tracks. The trees shook roughly under the weight of the moving mechanized beast, the wheels giving their distinct "clickety-clack" sound as it sped over the rail joints.
Thanks to a watch Kenny had found and given to Zoey, she knew that roughly two or so hours had passed without interruption. A new record. Let's hope it stays that way. Zoey thought. The watch itself was nothing fancy, but it worked, and for her that's all that mattered.
She had agreed to take control of the train for the time being so as to let Kenny rest and spend time with his family, as well as to give Carley some space. Clementine had been adamant that she remain close to Zoey for the duration of the trip, so the girl was currently occupied with drawing in her notebook on the floor nearby, her stuffed dog idly sitting next to her.
Alongside the watch, Kenny had also lent her a random guitar they found leaning against the boxes that made up a corner of the boxcar, its previous owner nowhere to be found. He had already asked Carley if she wanted it to which she had refused, and he had no real use for it, which meant that she was the last one to give it to. And although she had no idea how to play in the first place, the trip was going to take a while, so might as well start practicing.
Zoey gently ran her hand over the wood instrument. Before the apocalypse she would have never found any interest in playing guitars, instead preferring to listen to them in songs over the radio. But now they no longer had that luxury, so if she wanted to listen to music again, she'd have to learn.
Tugging at the strings gave way to the familiar tune of the guitar, something she missed dearly after months of survival. Letting out a solemn sigh, she set the guitar down against the metal panels that made up the wall. Leaning back, she lazily let her legs dangle and sway in the air an inch or two above the ground, the chair slightly too tall for her.
If my friends were here, they'd certainly joke about my height. Zoey thought, a frown etching its way onto her face. Now that she thought about it, she never did learn if her friends from high school had survived the initial wave of undead, let alone gotten as far as she had. Great, just had to make myself sad again. Woo me.
Thinking of her friends, Carley soon came to mind as well. Having witnessed the ex-reporter's harsh change in behavior, it was clear that it would take some time for her to get past Doug's passing. Just how fast her attitude went from cheery and helpful the day prior, to an almost nigh unwillingness to talk to anybody was rough for morale.
Looking over towards Clementine, Zoey watched her as she continued to draw on a page in her notebook, taking note of how many times she was moving her hair out of the way. This got her thinking, if she couldn't see something because her hair was blocking her vision, then her hair could become incredibly detrimental. With that in mind, Zoey undid her ponytail to see just how long her hair had truly become, and was surprised to see that it went past her shoulders.
Now aware of her own hair situation, Zoey decided to do a basic braid for the time being, as it would keep her hair from reaching just below her shoulders, as well as allow her to wear her beanie without any issue. However, this gave her an idea.
"Hey Clem." Zoey said, getting the girl's attention.
"Yes?" Clementine asked, oblivious to Zoey's thoughts.
"What do you think about a haircut?" Zoey asked the girl, hoping that the change of subject that plagued everyone's mind could help lighten the mood.
Clementine appeared to give the idea some thought before giving a response. "Well, my hair has been getting long, which is getting annoying when I have to do stuff." Clementine said with a slightly annoyed huff as she moved some more hair away from her face.
Zoey nodded at the answer. "Well, sounds like we really need a haircut then, huh?" She jokingly questioned, smiling when Clementine nodded. "Ok then. Go get Kenny and have him bring some scissors. We're gonna cut our hair and look good as new, ok?" She instructed.
"Ok!" Clementine exclaimed as she set her stuff aside and made her way out the door. Less than a minute later, she returned with Kenny in tow, a pair of scissors in one hand and a few hair ties in the other.
Taking the supplies from Kenny, she crouched down to Clementine's level for a moment. "Go wait for me outside ok? I'm going to talk to Ken for a minute." Clementine nodded and proceeded to go back out the way she had came and sat against one of the engine compartment doors.
"So, cutting hair huh? You know what you're doing?" Kenny questioned.
"Eh, a little. My dad used to cut my hair sometimes when we were on camping trips, but that was a long time ago." Zoey replied with a shrug.
Kenny let out a short laugh at the thought of a police officer being a stylist out in the middle of nowhere. "Ah well, I'm sure you'll do just fine. Honestly, what's a bit of messed up hair in an apocalypse." He joked, getting a laugh out of Zoey as well.
"Speaking of messy hair, you're not looking too pretty yourself." Zoey countered, satisfied at her comeback.
Kenny rolled his eyes before lifting his hat and ruffled through his hair before putting the cap back on. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. We'll see about that in a few minutes." He replied with a smirk. "Anyway, go ahead and do your thing. I'll take over for the time being."
Zoey nodded appreciatively. "Thanks." She said before leaving the cabin. Going up to Clementine, she crouched beside the girl and held up the scissors. Understanding what she was getting at, Clementine adjusted her position to allow Zoey to get to work.
Cutting the outer strands first, Zoey slowly but steadily snipped away at Clementine's curly hair, the many strands that once rested on her head falling to the ground and being blown away in the wind.
"Do you think I can have a ponytail like you?" Clementine wondered as she looked back at Zoey.
Zoey smirked at the request. "I'm not exactly a stylist, but I'll see what I can do." She replied. Satisfied, Clementine giggled with excitement as the anticipation built up over the course of the next few minutes.
Making sure to keep the overall amount of hair balanced on both halves of her head, it didn't take too long to get the desired result. Once Zoey was finished cutting down Clementine's hair, she took one of the hair ties and wrapped the remnants into a small ponytail that hung down towards the middle of her neck.
Not only was there a large visual difference in Clementine's new hairstyle, but an incredible weight difference too. To Clementine, her head felt lighter and easier to move around, so all-in-all it was a win-win situation.
"So what do you think? Feels pretty cool right?" Zoey asked as she set the scissors down.
After feeling the new hairstyle Zoey had done, Clementine smiled at her before getting up and hugging Zoey's midsection. "I love it! It feels so free and awesome!" She enthusiastically complemented.
Zoey chuckled as she returned the hug. "Well I'm glad you like it. Now it won't get in your way when you 'have to do stuff.'" Zoey said, replicating what Clementine had stated earlier. It was then that her eyes widened in shock and horror as a thought went through her mind. "Oh crap!" She suddenly exclaimed before racing back inside the cabin, leaving Clementine alone.
The girl didn't know what to make of Zoey's actions, quickly assuming the worst as she stood up and chased her guardian. Did she see something? Was there someone following them? What had made her panicked? Clementine quickly grew on edge as she awaited the answer.
When she got inside, what surprised her was the fact that Kenny was casually standing off to the side now with a relaxed look on his face. Seeing this, some of the tension in Clementine's body was released. Now she was more confused than anything. If Zoey was worried about something, but Kenny wasn't, then it couldn't be something bad, right?
Her question was soon answered when Zoey pulled something out of her backpack. Its surface was smooth and gray, and the way the sun shined off it made it obvious that it was metallic. Zoey turned towards Clementine and crouched, a fresh smile of joy on her face.
"Happy birthday Clem." Zoey said with a bright smile as she held out the bat.
Clementine was taken aback for a moment, clearly not expecting to have been given a gift, let alone on the week of her birthday. She took the bat and held it the same way Zoey had taught her for so long. It was still a little too big for her hands to wrap around the handle entirely, but she accepted the gift nonetheless.
Before Clementine could thank her, Kenny gasped and pushed his way past Zoey, grabbing the controls, and, without warning, pulled the throttle back, locking the wheel mechanism in place. The sudden loss of motion failed to break the laws of physics, tossing everyone forward as the train came to a screeching halt.
Frustrated as to why Kenny didn't warn them he was going to stop the train, Zoey pushed herself off the ground and helped Clementine up first before turning towards the Floridian with an angry look. Just as she was about to chew him out on it, however, she managed to get a look at what he had stopped the train for. All her frustration vanished and was replaced by immediate appreciation as they were only a few dozen meters from colliding with a crashed tanker.
Kenny and Zoey shared similar looks of dread. It always seemed like no matter what, there was always going to be a problem, a wrench thrown into the middle of their plans, and for all they knew, this wrench might just be the one that breaks the gears that kept them going. Soon after coming to a stop, Katjaa, Duck, and Carley joined them at the front of the train, with Katjaa keeping the children occupied whilst everyone else convened outside.
Feeling a new unbridled rage boiling within her, Zoey clenched her fists as her expression darkened, her eyes glaring menacingly at the wrecked tanker. "CAN WE GET A BREAK FOR ONE GODDAMN MINUTE?! FIRST THE MOTEL, NOW THIS?! WHAT ELSE CAN THIS FUCKING APOCALYPSE POSSIBLY THROW AT US?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs at the inanimate object that stood in their path.
Everyone was shocked to see Zoey lose her cool so quickly, the regularly calm and practical survivalist seemingly falling apart right before their very eyes, the burden of trying to keep the group alive with all she knew taking its toll on her. Nobody was invincible, they knew that, but watching her finally crack under all the stress, torment, and loss was surprising nonetheless.
What was more surprising were the tears that followed, leading to a complete breakdown. Kenny rushed to her side as she fell to her knees in defeat, guilt coursing through him as crouched beside her.
Zoey turned her head towards him before staring back at the ground. "I- I'm sorry, I… I don't know what came over me. I'm supposed to be strong a- and help you guys..." She said as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.
Kenny kept a confident hand on her shoulder, shaking her to get her attention. "Kid, look at me." He commanded, waiting for her to turn to him once more. When she did, he would continue. "You've done enough, hell, MORE than enough for all of us. It's ok to cry every once in a while, nobody's gonna judge you. You've helped us all the best you can, so it's about time you stayed back and let us take care of something."
Zoey stared at Kenny blankly trying to process his words. In the end, she would simply nod and, with Kenny's assistance, stand and make her way over to a nearby rock. I must look like a total wreck. Zoey thought. She listened as Kenny and Carley's voices faded away towards a ladder leading to the top of the bridge. As this was happening, she heard a light set of footsteps approach her.
Although she could determine who it was, she looked towards the source anyway only to see Clementine stand a few feet away with the most heartbroken look Zoey had ever seen come from the girl. The two silently stared at each other for what felt like minutes before Clementine finally moved, her small arms doing their best to wrap around Zoey's body.
As if on instinct, Zoey took her left arm and wrapped it around Clementine, bringing her close as she also took a seat on the rock. Zoey could feel the tension in her body lift itself off her a little with the action, but found it quickly replaced as the gravity of the situation continued to dawn on her further.
They were stuck, and they needed a way out.
"Are you ok?" Clementine timidly asked, the worry ever evident in her voice.
Zoey sighed and faced Clementine, their eyes catching for a moment before she turned away. "I... Clem… No, I'm not." She answered truthfully.
"Oh." Clementine already knew what the answer was going to be, but hearing it out loud from who she considered to be the strongest person she'd ever known struck deep. "Will you… be ok? After we find my parents and get a boat, I mean." She then asked, hoping that somewhat changing the subject would help.
Zoey shrugged. "I don't know Clementine." She replied dejectedly, the heavy emotion dripping from her tongue as she spoke.
Knowing not to push it further, Clementine nodded and shifted her position to try and snuggle closer against Zoey. She wanted to speak, to try and help cheer Zoey up like she had done for her so many times before, but found herself at a lack for words. Zoey had been like a beacon of light for her ever since she first found her back in her old treehouse.
From the farm, to the pharmacy, dairy, and even motel, Zoey hadn't given up, even on the days that it seemed like she was close to doing so. Zoey was always there for her whenever she needed her, but now it was evident that it was the other way around.
A few minutes passed and it seemed like Kenny and Carley were getting nowhere. They had already searched the wreck for any way to move it but came up empty with every turn. A frustrated Kenny eventually returned to Zoey and Clementine with the bad news.
"Doesn't look like there's any way to move it, and I'm not exactly keen on trying to push the entire thing off the bridge. I sent Carley to check a building we saw while up there down the track. Hopefully she finds something that'll help us get through this damn mess." Kenny explained. When he didn't get an answer, he rubbed the back of his neck with a hint of awkwardness. "...Hey uh, this may take a while, so how about you two go ahead and get back on the train." He said before turning to Clementine. "Maybe Zoey can finally get around to showing you how to shoot."
That got both of their attention with Clementine appearing especially surprised at the notion of being taught how to shoot a gun. Zoey on the other hand let out a sigh and nodded after a few seconds.
"Yeah, why don't we go do that." She said, purposely making sound more like a statement than anything else. Pushing herself up, Zoey started making her way to the boxcar, intending to use the bottles in the large crate as target practice.
Clementine merely followed, glad that the subject at hand had changed.
Outskirts of Savannah, Georgia
October 21st, 1002 Local Time, 2003
The silhouettes of modern skyscrapers, suburban homes, and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge cast their great shadows atop the urban landscape of Savannah. From the view on the train, Savannah was a large, twisting concrete jungle full of dull colors that meshed with and against itself, the sprawling industrial landscape going on for what looked like miles.
A round of cheers erupted from the group that filled the front of the train, filling the air with a multitude of voices all full of excitement that they had, at last, arrived at their destination. The two newcomers, a couple named Omid and Christa, weren't as elated as the rest of the group but still joined in on the celebrations, understanding just how important such an event was.
The couple had been picked up by the group at the last second when they were leaving the bridge. Some time after Zoey had begun her training with Clementine, Carley had managed to find a blowtorch and, after some time and an incredibly dangerous stunt she and Kenny pulled, cut the rear trailer from the tanker, clearing a path for the train. In the middle of starting up the train, Omid and Christa popped up from the forest and flagged Kenny and Carley down.
From what Kenny had told her and Katjaa, Omid and Christa saw the train about a mile back as it was rushing down the tracks, and Omid had made it a personal mission to catch up to it, leading to the couple running after it. If it weren't for the crashed tanker forcing them to a stop, they highly doubted they would have ever made it.
The bad news about getting the tanker out of the way was that it had destroyed the ladder leading back down, forcing the four survivors to jump onto the roof of the train, which they luckily managed to pull off even if Omid sprained his ankle on the landing. To him though, that was a much better fate that awaited them had they not started the train, that being a horde of walkers that were shambling their way towards said mechanized beast.
And now it doesn't even matter. We're gonna find a boat and get the hell off the mainland, no amount of walkers are gonna stop that. Zoey said with a fresh resolve, her mind having eased itself over the course of the rest of the trip.
Feeling a hand on her right shoulder, Zoey turned around and was met with Kenny standing no more than a foot behind her. "We fucking did it! I can't believe we managed to actually fucking do it!" He exclaimed as he pulled Zoey into a tight embrace.
Zoey could only smile as she returned the joyous gesture. "Well, you best believe it Ken, because we're finally going be able to escape this shithole." Zoey replied with a toothy grin.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Kenny stated before looking past Zoey towards the city.
Carley, Omid, and Christa were currently situated on the front of the train, leaving Kenny, Zoey, Katjaa, Mark, Duck, and Clementine in the cabin. Mark had been given the chair so as to keep him off his feet and let his leg heal, so the remaining survivors were left staring out the windows towards the sea, the sun's light reflecting off the graceful waters of the Atlantic.
It was a breathtaking sight of beauty filled with peace and hope, but was soon interrupted as a mysterious static developed from Zoey and Clementine's radio.