Luke removed his machete from the skull of the zombie he had just killed, looking around for any more. The forest was a treacherous and confusing place, not only for humans, but for the dead as well, so in a way, they had a certain advantage.
Nick approached him with rifle in hand and a knife at his waist, looking quickly at the fallen body.
Nick- I'll take it from here.
He said simply, receiving a nod from Luke, who walked towards the campfire of the small camp they had made.
It had been two days since they left the cabin, they were heading north, to the same place Clementine and her group were going before they split up, she had a slight hope in her chest that she would find Duck along the way, or even in Wellington, if the place really existed.
Due to Pete's situation, and Rebecca's pregnancy, they didn't really have a moment of peace where they could relax, even more so with the slow steps they were walking.
Clementine watched the campfire, the tall fire was surrounded by rocks, which hid some of its light. They had found a cabin along the way, it wasn't as big as the one they were in before, but it was already a safer place for Pete and Rebecca to spend the night.
She heard Luke walk up next to her, and sit down a few inches from her. The girl sighed a little; whenever he had the opportunity, he tried to find out more about her.
Clementine understood why he did that, she was practically a stranger to them, but she still found it annoying, and it reminded her of Crista's countless attempts.
She remembered Duck's words, that it would be good for her to talk some more, even if vaguely, so whoever was asking too much would stop, eventually.
Luke- That's a big scar.
He said, pointing to the scar on Clementine's temple from the gunshot that grazed her head.
Clementine- I don't mind, I think it's kind of cool.
She replied, without looking at him.
Luke- I agree with that, scars are way cooler than people think.
They were silent for a while, but Clementine knew Luke wouldn't stop there, he was probably thinking of some way to start a conversation.
"I think I should talk some more, maybe then he'll stop trying to talk all the time.
Luke- Where did you get this hat?
He asked, leaning on his knees and bending his body toward the fire.
Clementine- My dad gave it to me, before all this.
Luke- Cool... is he in your group?
Clementine- No.
Luke- Oh... hmm, what happened to him? I mean, I assume what happened to him is what happened to everyone's parents...I guess.
He seemed a bit embarrassed to ask the question, and tried awkwardly to explain himself.
Clementine was no longer affected by remembering her parents, she always remembered them at that fucking table, tied to a chair, but she felt nothing.
She loved her parents, that was clear, but it was as if those memories had died, along with the innocence she once had.
She couldn't explain it, it was just strange.
Clementine - He died, along with my mother.
She replied neutrally, without taking her eyes off the fire.
Luke- Oh, I'm sorry I, I... I lost my folks too, when it all happened.
He said in a sympathetic tone, glancing at the girl.
Luke- Have you been with that group for a long time?
Clementine - In a way, I've been with some of them since it all started, others I've met along the way.
Luke - Really? Well, lucky you, you're still with the people who took care of you.
He said half-enthusiastically, turning his gaze to the fire.
Clementine- ... Not really...
Luke- Oh, I mean, before you split up, you know...
He got a little awkward again, and Clementine lifted her head a little higher, looking up at the sky through the treetops.
Clementine- It's not that, they helped me survive. But it was someone else who really took care of me, he found me alone when it all started.
She said in a half-traveled tone, letting herself be consumed by the darkness of the starless sky, responding to Luke almost "automatically".
Luke- Oh, ahm, alone? I mean, did you meet by chance?
He looked a bit disbelieving, she didn't blame him, people tend to worry only about themselves in high stakes situations.
Clementine - He was in a car accident, he came to my house looking for help. He decided to take care of me and we have been together ever since.
Luke - What happened to him?
She closed her eyes slowly, remembering everything they had been through together before they had seen each other for the last time.
It was always like this, in the beginning, whenever she remembered her parents, she started to cry with the missing feeling pounding in her chest, now, whenever she remembered Lee, she fought the same urge, and it seemed to get even harder not to think about him, since anything made her mind flooded with memories.
Whether it was the darkness of the forest, a flashlight, a knife, or even a walker, she always remembered him.
Just as she always remembered her parents, the moments before they left for Savannah, before the world turned to hell.
Clementine-... I left him behind.
She answered after some time in silence, sighing heavily as she tried to control the tears that wanted to come, and trying to scare away the last memories she had of him.
His last words.
Luke looked at her with a heavy expression, almost as if he had regretted asking. And in a way, he was.
Luke- I'm... sorry for... for asking...
She opened her eyes again, looking back to the fire.
Clementine- It's okay...it happened a long time ago, anyway.
She stood up, picking up the sheath of the machete on her back and walking towards a nearby tree, placing the machete beside her body and lying down on her arm.
Luke- Clem and I are going to check the bridge, Nick, you will cover us in case anything happens, but only shoot if it's really necessary, we don't need to draw walkers onto us without need.
He said, closing the map in his hands and putting it in his backpack.
Carlos - Do you think it's a good idea to separate the group like this?
Luke- I never said it was a good idea, but it's better than risking the whole group.
He turned, not wanting to hear an answer from Carlos, and started walking down the dirt road toward the bridge.
Nick was walking behind him and Clementine was beside him, with her typical neutral expression.
They had gotten used to the girl's manner, although they still didn't find it very normal.
But anyway, what was normal nowadays?
Luke - It seems that your relationship with Rebecca is not going very well, huh? She came down hard on you last night.
He looked at Clementine.
Clementine- What's wrong with her? I don't do anything, I don't even look at her, but she always tries to start a fight.
She said, slightly irritated, Rebecca's actions towards her were beginning to drain her patience.
Nick- She's been a little stressed lately, with a baby coming, this whole Carver situation... But still, it seems she has a problem with you in particular.
Clementine- Well, I still don't have a problem with her, so she'd better cut the crap, or our relationship will get even better than it already is.
She said in an unchanged tone, but the anger in her voice was audible, making Luke and Nick look at each other.
Luke- Just... give her some time. She'll like you...eventually. Like Nick said, she's just stressed.
Clementine- I don't want her to like me, I want her to leave me alone. Just for the record, I don't like her, but at least I try to be civil.
"Jesus Christ, is this how Lee felt every time Larry got angry with him?" - She thought irritated.
They walked for a while longer, until Nick stayed further back, hiding among the few trees, giving them cover.
As they reached the bridge, they both saw two zombies standing with their backs to them.
Luke- Okay... I only see two.
He said, looking around for other walkers.
Clementine walked calmly towards the nearest zombie, ignoring Luke's surprised and incredulous tone calling her.
She kicked the zombie in the leg and killed it, stabbing her machete into its head.
The girl looked away, watching Luke kill the other zombie.
Clementine - What did you call me for again?
She asked ironically, smiling victoriously internally at the look on Luke's silly face.
Luke- Okay...you can take care of yourself, I shouldn't be surprised...just, at least say it before you walk towards one of them like that.
"Whatever"- She thought, but it was probably a good thing Luke thought she was just a little girl.
She still didn't trust them, even though they proved to be decent people... except Rebecca.
They walked across the bridge. Clementine stopped in the middle of the way and approached a metal beam and struck it with her machete.
Luke looked at her surprised, confused and somewhat worried.
Luke - What are you doing? You're going to draw them all on us!
Clementine - That' s the plan, Nick is covering us, if we walk across the bridge we could be caught by surprise, at an angle where he can't help us, now if we draw them all in, we don't have to worry about that, and Nick has a good view of us.
She explained, kicking one of the approaching walkers in the leg, and killing him quickly.
Luke stood still for a while, surprised at the girl's reasoning, especially since it made sense.
Clementine was like a box of surprises, no wonder she had survived this long.
Luke recovered and walked towards one of the walkers, stabbing his machete into its skull and throwing its body to the ground.
He then pushed the next walker over the approaching one, and killed them both as they fell to the ground, one on top of the other.
Clementine watched the approaching walker, until an idea crossed her mind.
She walked to the end of the bridge, waiting patiently for the walker. When the undead got close enough, she kicked his leg and pulled him back, watching his body fall off the bridge and crash into the water further down.
"Okay...this is strangely amusing."
She gave a slight smile, turning to the next walker that approached.
When the walker went to grab her, she kicked its leg and pushed it over the undead next to it, and with some force, kicked the two fallen bodies off the bridge, watching as they crashed into the water.
"Hahahaha, that's satisfyingly weird... and quite amusing."
She turned around, running into Luke, who was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
Clementine- What? This is the closest thing to entertainment I've had in a long time.
Luke- Okay, that was clever, I admit it.
He said, a little breathlessly, pulling the last zombie off the bridge, and watching it fall into the water beside Clementine.
Luke- Actually, it's strangely satisfying...
He said, a little surprised and with a slight smile on his face.
Clementine nodded in agreement, and turned, walking across the bridge.
Her golden eyes focused on the two men approaching, both with rifles in hand, one wearing a dark blouse, and the other wearing a red blouse, older than the first.
Clementine- Two men approaching...
Luke stopped beside her, watching the men.
Luke: Well, just stay calm. And you do the talking.
Clementine - What? Why me?
Luke- Because I don't want to get into a fight. And you think they'd shoot a little girl?
Clementine-... I would.
Luke looked at her, incredulous.
Luke-Well, then I hope they're not like you. But if they are, don't worry, I'll shoot first, and Nick should have an angle to do something in case things get out of hand.
The men stopped walking a few meters ahead, remaining silent for a few moments.
- So, who are you?
He asked, almost shouting due to the distance between them.
Luke - Who's asking?
- I am.
Clementine-I'm Carley, this is Nick, we don't want any trouble.
She said, taking a few steps forward.
- Carley and Nick... Okay.
They moved a little closer, stopping a few feet away from them.
- Huh, you don't look like assholes... are you assholes?
Clementine-I'm not an asshole.
She said, and Luke looked at her.
Luke- So "I" am the asshole?
Both men giggled slightly, moving a little closer.
- Nice to see friendly faces for a change. Are you going north, like the others?
The man in the red shirt said, approaching with a gentle smile and a friendly tone.
Clementine: Like the others?
- Yes, we see at least one group a day going north... a place called Wellington. Sometimes we come across a group of assholes, so we have to be careful.
The man in the black shirt said, holding his rifle in one hand.
Clementine's eyes widened a bit when she heard that, it was possible that Duck had walked by, but she had no way of knowing, so she tried not to get her hopes up.
Clementine- Why don't you go north too?
- We will, eventually, just waiting for the right time to leave.
Clementine - Is it just you two?
- No, just like you did with your group, ours stayed behind, you know, to take care of things.
She and Luke looked at each other uncertainly.
- Like I said, from time to time we run into some groups of assholes, we have to be careful. I'm Matthew, this is Walter.
He introduced himself, pointing to him and to the man in the red shirt next to him.
Walter - I have to say, you don't look so good. We have canned food at the station back there.
Clementine - Well, that's strangely generous of you... what do you want?
Matthew- We don't want anything, if we did we would have called our group and shot you as soon as you approached.
Luke - Well, thanks then.
Walter - You're welcome, as I said, it's nice to see some friendly faces for a change.
"Are you going to trust them that easy Luke? And are they going to trust us that easy...? What?" - Clementine thought, kind of confused, she was used to being attacked by kind faces, so it was clear she was hesitant about them.
Luke- Look, I'm sorry but, my name isn't Nick, I'm Luke, and this here is Clementine...
He said a bit awkwardly, making both men laugh slightly.
Walver- Hah, no problem. Luke and Clementine.
He said, turning and walking towards the station.
Luke also turned and signaled to Nick, walking with the men ahead of him soon after.
