Clementine kept her eyes fixed on the empty plate in front of her, avoiding looking up to see her parents in such a horrible situation.

The girl stopped crying some time ago, already without strength, she hasn't said a word since, hasn't made a sound, hasn't even looked anywhere but at the plate.

The stranger, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, just ignored the girl's state, talking animatedly about his life.

- I asked my people to bring my wife and my daughter Clementine, you will love them, I can already see the three of you getting along.

He said, taking a bite of meat right away, and looked at the girl smiling, not bothered by the girl's silence.

The doors of the cafeteria opened, and through them two more female walkers walked with ropes tied around their bodies, binding their arms.

The stranger stood up and pulled out two chairs, "helping" the two walkers to sit down, and kissing each of the "women" on the head.

- Aren't they beautiful?

he asked, not taking his eyes off his wife and daughter.

This was the first time that Clementine changed her gaze, looking at the two walkers that the stranger was hugging.

An intense look, cold, angry, but at the same time, sad.

The girl then looked at the reason for her suffering, the reason everything had gone wrong in her life.

That "man" who hugged the two walkers tightly had taken everything important to her, tortured her, made her suffer.

He deserved to die.

Little by little, that sweet childish look in which she always tried to keep, faded from her eyes, nothing left but the shadows of what she once was.

If she hadn't acted like a naive and stupid child, none of this would have happened, she wouldn't have had to see her parents like that, she wouldn't have been kidnapped by a sick bastard.

And Lee would still be alive.

" Just like the St John's."

Her mind went back to the cannibals she faced, vividly remembering Lee beating them and leaving them to die.

If she were strong, she could do the same.

If she was like Lee, she could kill that man in front of her with ease and walk out of that place.

"Killing is bad no matter the reason, I do it because it is necessary."

Lee's words echoed through her mind.

" Right now it's necessary too, right?"

She thought, quickly looking at the kitchen knife in front of her and remembering the places she had to cut to immobilize a man.

Unfortunately, the knife was serrated and had no sharp edge, it would be more difficult with it.

- Clementine, sweetie, you haven't even touched your food, don't be shy, everyone is waiting for you to eat.

The stranger approached the girl, putting some food on her plate, she lowered her head, avoiding to look at him.

- Clementine, please don't be a bad girl now.

He said a little more seriously, staring at the motionless girl, growing annoyed with every second she stood still.

- CLEMENTINE!

he shouted, hitting the table hard and scaring the girl a little bit, it was amazing how fast he got angry.

Despite the scream and the loud banging on the table, Clementine didn't move, she just stared at the plate in front of her.

- This was supposed to be a happy family feast, now it's all ruined because of you!

She remained still.

- ANSWER ME YOU LITLE BITCH!

he shouted again, slapping Clementine hard across the face. The girl cried out in surprise and her body fell to the side.

She put her hand on her cheek, feeling the burning sensation spread over the entire length of her cheek.

- Ah... Oh my God... Oh Clem, look what you made me do... Oh God... I... I didn't want this to... Oh fuck!

He looked shocked, "ashamed", "guilty", but to Clementine it only made him look more pathetic.

- Go to your room honey, tomorrow we'll try again and I promise you'll be happy, we all will.

He said softly, almost in a whisper, leaving the cafeteria and walking down the hall, asking some men outside to take the girl to her room.

Lee opened his eyes slowly, feeling his whole body complaining of pain, especially his injured spots.

He was no longer bleeding, but because of his weakness, he had passed out before he could even drink some water.

He was still badly injured, and needs treatment soon.

Lee Everett, once again, being the Luckiest Unlucky Man in the World.

There were no more hospitals, let alone doctors to treat those injuries, all he had was some first aid kits, and the hope that he would survive.

Luckily, the bullets in his abdomen had not perforated any important organs, at least, he didn't think so, otherwise he would be dead already, or in a much worse condition.

Taking the pliers again, he removes the large bandage he had placed on his abdomen and proceeds to remove the bullets from inside his body.

His groans of pain echoed through the interior of the car, his wounds started bleeding again, but much less than before.

After some time in excruciating pain, he finally removes the two bullets in his abdomen, thanking God that the bullets had not shattered inside him.

Lee cleaned the wounds and covered them with dry gauze, placing another bandage over them.

Now he could only count on luck that he would survive, and for that, he needed some food.

He should be grateful that the bullet did not hit his lung

Thankful that he still had the strength in his body to go after Clementine.

And thankful that God had given him this chance to kill whoever the bastard had kidnapped his girl.

He was still dizzy, weak, but still, he started the car, there hadn't been many drivers in the last few months, so as long as he didn't pass out at the wheel, he would be fine.

Picking up the map once more, he looked at the nearest road towards Savannah, while eating a few energy bars in a hurry.

He took a deep breath, calming his trembling hands, this was no time to let his weakness overwhelm him, he had a job to do and a person to kill.

Shifting gears, he sped off in his car, driving as fast as he could down the empty road, hoping that the gas he had would be enough to get him to Savannah.

Clementine looked at the man next to her, one of the men the stranger had ordered to take her to her room.

He was alone, his partner had stayed behind to deal with the walkers in the cafeteria.

That was what her parents had become, walkers.

Her golden eyes watched the corridor ahead, slowly approaching "her" room.

It was then that her eyes focused on a pipe propped against the wall a few steps away.

She turned back, checking to see if anyone was behind them, and turned forward again when she saw that they were alone in the hallway.

As she approached the pipe, she picked it up silently, looking at the man beside her who still kept his eyes on the corridor.

Her small golden eyes focused on the knife at the man's waist, and a plan formed in her little head.

Quickly, she slammed the barrel behind the man's legs, causing him to fall forward and groan in pain.

Clementine stepped forward against him, slamming the pipe as hard as she could into the man's head, and grabbing the knife from his waistband shortly thereafter.

She climbed over the man's body, and without hesitation, without blinking, without thinking, she thrust the knife into the man's eye, again and again, ignoring the blood that splattered from her small hands and splattered all over her face and clothes.

As soon as she saw that the man was dead, she got off him with the knife in hand, her golden eyes staring at the body of the motionless man in front of her.

Her small hands trembled, an urge to throw up rose in her throat, and her whole body felt revulsion at the blood that stained her.

But she had no regrets, she felt bad for killing the man, but she did what was necessary.

She did what Lee would do.

- Clementine?

The stranger's rough voice echoed down the hall and penetrated Clementine's ears, and she looked slowly at him, watching him with a few more men approaching her.

- I hope you have a good excuse for...

He approached with an irritated look on his face and his fists clenched, but was surprised to see the girl hugging him, and beginning to cry into his clothes.

- He tried to attack me, he... he...

She pretended to sob, pretended to dry the non-existent tears on her face, and feigned that weeping tone that seemed to convince the stranger of her story.

The man bent down and hugged her, Clementine felt the strong urge to pull away from that disgusting man, but restrained herself.

- Oh dear, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... None of this was supposed to happen, it wasn't supposed to be like this...

He tried to comfort her, not even noticing the cold look Clementine had hidden between her hands.

That was one of the things she learned when the motel inn was attacked by the bandits.

There was value in lying.

She would trick the stranger, just as Lee had tricked the bandits.

Because it was necessary.

"Right, Lee?"