Omid gazed tediously at the fire, arranging the wood he had laid down and increasing the fire. The soft rain made it a slight challenge to let the fire burn.
He sighed slightly as he watched the fire get a little stronger, but it didn't last long, the wood was too wet to burn, even if he made a small cover over the fire.
Beside him, Ben was leaning on a tree trunk, his eyes fixed on the fire, "playing" with the knife he had in hand while keeping a neutral expression.
Omid's attention turned to Crista, who approached him with a tired look on her face and sat down beside him, sighing heavily as she did so.
Omid- How was it?
He asked softly, more serious than he really meant to be. That playful and positive air still lived inside him, but it wasn't often that he showed it, after losing his first son, he had become a bit more closed off and serious.
However, Crista was the one who had really changed, and lately, she found, or at least tried to, refuge in trying to get along with Clementine, maybe because she wanted to feel that feeling of being a mother again.
Crista- Same as always, she doesn't talk much, doesn't answer my questions, and doesn't seem very willing to hold a conversation.
She put her head down, running her hand through her hair and sighing heavily once again.
Omid- I still think she needs some time, she will talk when she is ready.
He tried to comfort her, although even he didn't believe those words.
Crista: You've been telling me this for almost two years now.
Omid - I know, but even I don't like to remember the past, it was a traumatic situation for her, damn it, it was a traumatic situation even for me, and I wasn't even hurt that badly.
He put some more wood on the fire, taking a piece of dry paper from his pocket and burning it with a lighter.
Crista-... There's something wrong with her, I don't know what it is, but it's definitely not normal.
He sighed, hugging his wife around the waist.
Omid- I can't even remember the last time I saw something "normal" honey, we can't judge her.
She rested her head on his, also looking at the fire.
Crista- Remember that parking lot? She killed a girl without hesitation, she didn't even blink, she just pointed the gun and shot.
Omid - The girl wanted to rob her, we heard her say so.
Crista- Even so, she didn't have to kill the girl.
Their attention turned to the three people approaching.
Duck was carrying a pile of wood, placing it right next to the fire, the wood was not very dry, but it was good enough to at least not let the fire die.
He had grown a lot in the last few years, his features had become a little harder, he no longer looked like the "goofy boy" he used to be, although he still kept some of his childish features.
Carley had not changed much, she had become more bitter, and her relationship with Clementine was not the best, for some reason, she blamed the girl for Lee's death, it was clear in her eyes, but she tried not to let her frustrations take over, and managed to be civil to the girl, at least.
Clementine, mentally speaking, was the one who had changed the most in Duck and Carley's eyes, that sweet innocence that once inhabited her gaze had left no trace behind, it was as if it had never existed. Except for Duck, and sometimes Ben, she didn't talk much to anyone and always tried to stay away when they tried to start a conversation, didn't feel like talking, and always hid her feelings behind a neutral expression, which practically took over her face in the last years.
She hadn't grown up much, she still had some childish features, but everyone knew that she was only childish in appearance.
She plundered, hunted, and killed like an adult, and seemed to have the mentality of one, as did Duck, who turned out to be much more mature than the others thought.
It took a while for the group to get used to such "adult" children, but, as Omid said, nothing was normal in those days.
Duck - Clem and I are going to the river, to try to catch some fish, one rabbit is not enough for everyone.
He said, fixing the knife and the gun on his waist and looking at Omid, who even thought of telling them to stay, but dismissed the idea, he knew those "kids" well enough to know that they wouldn't listen to him.
Omid- Well, good luck.
Duck nodded and turned, walking back into the forest accompanied by Clementine.
-...-
Duck- Crista tried to talk to you again?
He asked after a while of walking around, looking for some decent twig on the ground, hearing a low sigh coming from the girl next to him.
Clementine- Yes, she doesn't seem to understand that I don't want to be best friends with her.
She answered wryly, with a slight mocking tone hidden in her voice.
Duck- You know, if you talked to her, at least a little bit, maybe she'd leave you alone, at least for a while.
He analyzed one of the branches he picked up, tossing it aside seeing that it wasn't sturdy enough.
Clementine - Oh, not you too.
Duck- I'm just saying, you don't have to be "best friends" with her, just answer some of her questions, vaguely if you want to, and she won't bother you so much.
Clementine grimaced in disgust and rolled her eyes internally, picking up the machete on her back and starting to carve a branch she picked up off the ground, casting a few glances at the river ahead, getting a little irritated by the strong current, doubting they would catch anything.
Clementine- I don't know her well enough to talk to her about my life, and she should just stop trying to make conversation, it's getting annoying already.
She said, watching the primitive spear she made and walking closer to the river, ignoring the cold wind that chilled her skin.
Duck- You don't know her because you don't want to. And you don't need to talk about your life, specifically, just talk, I don't know, try to at least have a good relationship with her, we are surviving together, you could at least be friendly with each other.
He stood next to Clementine, looking for a spot good enough to position himself, while looking for fish in the water.
Clementine- "Friendly" isn't it? Like Carley? What's her problem anyway? It seems that everything I do is wrong for her.
She moved a few steps away from Duck, scanning the water, walking along the shore to a good enough spot.
Duck- I don't know, and this arguing you two have has got to stop, seriously, it's already pushing everyone over the edge.
The boy raises his spear and watches a fish swimming upstream, getting very close to the shore. He attacks, hitting the bottom of the fish and pulling it out of the water, smiling for having managed to catch something, even though the fish is not very big.
Clementine- Hey, she's the one who starts this shit, talk to her about it, maybe she'll do us all a favor and shut the fuck up.
She said angrily, throwing the spear heavily at the small body of the fish, pulling it out of the water and throwing it backwards.
Duck sighed and looked at her.
Duck-... She blames you...
Clementine - I know!
interrupted him, saying loudly, almost shouting.
Clementine- But I don't need her reminding me of that shit every day, much less blaming me when she wasn't there herself!
She leaned on her spear, sighing again, irritated, as she tried to push away the memories that kept flooding her mind.
Duck looked at her for a moment, then looked down.
Duck-... I'm sorry.
He said softly, turning his gaze back to her.
Clementine ... It's okay, I lost my temper over nothing.
Duck-... If it's any consolation, I don't like Crista much either, she said she was with my father, and "out of the blue" he disappeared. I'm not saying she did anything to him, but she didn't deny it either.
He confessed, making Clementine look at him. They both enjoyed those little conversations they had, being the only "kids" in a broken group that had long since been destroyed, both had lost parents or people important to them.
They were great friends, Clementine trusted him with her life, and Duck did the same.
They remained there for a while, in silence, just watching the river flow and trying to find some pleasure in the cold wind that blew over their bodies.
Until a muffled scream rang out in their ears, they looked at each other and turned, running towards the small camp.
The voices became more audible as they got closer, and they hid behind some trees, watching the people who were holding their group hostage. It was a slightly larger group than theirs, there were seven people, four men and three women, all with guns drawn.
- Did you see them or not?
One of the men asked, pointing an Ak-47 at Omid, who had his arms raised.
Omid- I just fucking said, we just got here! I don't know who the fuck you are talking about.
He replied a bit agitated, but keeping his cool, despite the harsh words he used.
- You'll be sorry if you're lying, search the place, there might be more of them.
Clementine already had her gun in hand, ready to shoot, but she put it down when she heard the man say to search the place, it was too risky to start shooting at that moment, not only her whole group could die, but they were also outnumbered, besides those people had better weapons.
"Probably from a community."
She thought as she saw the clean clothes they were wearing, the good looks compared to the other survivors they had already encountered, and of course the great firepower, they all had rifles or shotguns in hand.
She looked at Duck, and they both started to walk away slowly, there was no point in starting a firefight at that moment.
But Clementine heard a noise next to her, and soon after, she felt something grab her arm and a cold, metallic object touch her neck.
- Hey, there's more of them here!
He shouted, and a gunshot echoed through the forest. Clementine felt the man's grip weaken, and soon he fell to the ground with a hole in his head.
Looking forward, she saw Duck with his pistol raised toward where the man was standing, with some smoke coming out of the barrel.
Duck- Run!
he shouted, and they both started to run in the opposite direction from where they were, back towards the river.
They heard some men shouting, and a few bullets whizzed past them, hitting some trees around them.
Duck shot back whenever he could, concentrating mostly on just running.
They ran down the river, still being chased by the men.
Clementine's eyes widened slightly as she saw some walkers approaching, the noise caught their attention, and the dead were probably lost in the forest because of the difficulty of finding the source.
She took the machete in her back, knocking down the walker in front of her by stabbing its leg, without stopping running, and without worrying about killing it, with luck, they would slow the men down a bit.
But, that didn't seem to be the case.
She looked to the side, watching Duck kill a walker, and screamed as she saw a bullet pierce the boy's leg.
She picked up her pistol again and fired at the men still chasing them, giving Duck time to get up.
Duck- Clem! We have to split up!
He shouted, shooting from behind the tree, groaning slightly in pain.
Clementine- Are you crazy?! You're hurt!
She shouted back, trying to move toward him, but falling back behind the tree after a shot hit the ground inches in front of her foot.
Duck- I'll be fine! But if they get me, they'll get you too!
He raised his gun again, shooting at the walker that was approaching behind the girl.
Clementine - No way!
Duck- I didn't ask if you agree or not, I said how things are going to be!
He shouted again, slightly irritated by the girl's stubbornness, getting up and shooting towards the men again, taking advantage of the protection of the trees to "run" in the opposite direction of Clementine, who looked at him indignantly.
Clementine- Goddammit Duck!
she shouted, shooting a few more times and running in the opposite direction of Duck.
The girl dodged and knocked down all the walkers in her path, trying to get away as fast as she could from the men chasing her.
After a while of running, she came across a hill, where the river flowed just below. Turning around, she tries to run again, but feels her arm being grabbed.
She looked at the walker that was holding her wrist, pulling her arm towards her body as hard as she could, until she managed to take a machete and stab the walker in the head, freeing herself from his grasp.
She almost breathed a sigh of relief, if not for the approaching footsteps. As she looks forward, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a rifle.
The girl tries to run, but the man shoots in her direction.
She felt the side of her head ache, blood ran quickly from her temple, her body was thrown back, and all she saw was the river below her approaching fast, before the darkness took over her eyes.
