Lee stared intently at the few rays of light that passed through the treetops and illuminated in random ways the dirt road ahead.

The forest was quiet, it was a good place to sleep at night, especially in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

There were no zombies around, and the fire kept most of the dangerous animals away.

It was almost peaceful, somehow.

He sighed slightly, watching a deer running through the trees a few meters away.

Strange as it may seem, abandoned places like that, or simply away from everything and everyone, reminded him of how things were before the dead started walking, gave him a false sense of normalcy.

And he allowed himself to believe in that lie for a while, allowed himself to embrace that false sense of tranquility.

If he didn't do that, he probably would have been closer to madness by now, even though he had Molly and Kenny by his side all this time.

A small noise echoed from inside the cabin, and Lee looked at Brenda, who walked through the door with sleepy eyes, a little disheveled. She looked at Lee for a moment, then sat down in front of the door.

- You haven't slept?

she asked after some time in silence, apparently enjoying the light breeze on her face, and the peacefulness of the forest.

- No.

Lee answered simply, leaning his back against the cabin wall and looking up at the surrounding trees.

Despite all the false tranquility, all the false normality, his body yearned to get rid of that feeling, to get out of that quiet place and go back to the hell the world had become.

It was strange, maybe it was the fact that he longed to find Clementine, and always wanted to keep walking in search of her.

Or maybe, just maybe, deep down, he had gotten so used to "kill or be killed" that he no longer wanted to get rid of those feelings, no longer wanted to get rid of that chill he always felt when there was something or someone dangerous around.

He had stayed still long enough in that building in.

Maybe he thought that by doing that he would become weak, and this would prevent him from finding Clementine.

He had to be strong to see her again, the world was cruel and merciless, so he had to be tough enough to endure it.

- Were you up all night?

Brenda asked again, looking at Lee in surprise.

- Is that so hard to believe? I'm used to it.

Lee answered, grabbing the backpack that was right beside his feet and opening it, tossing a can of peaches toward the girl, who caught it in the air.

Brenda stared at the can for a while, thoughtful, even a little curious.

- At the camp where we were, the guards always changed shifts. One would stay half the night, then another would show up and stay the other half. Everyone had a fixed amount of hours to sleep. Sometimes I passed out in bed from exhaustion. How do you manage?

She answered after a while, lifting her head and looking straight ahead, just running her eyes through the surrounding trees. Then she looked at Lee curiously, waiting for an answer.

-Well, it's a practical way, the more you rest, the better, the more alert you will be. But, human beings are... interesting creatures...

He began, sitting down a few steps beside the girl, who was looking at him curiously and attentively.

- Human beings can adapt to almost anything. Since we don't have specific places to ourselves, all places can potentially be ours. There is no situation that is unique to us, so we can adapt to any kind of situation.

He explained, taking his knife from his pocket and extending it to the girl, who was still looking at him curiously, but with a gleam of understanding running through her eyes.

- So, in other words, you have adapted to sleeping less?

she asked, taking the knife from Lee's hand and looking at the can in her hands.

- In a way, yes.

He answered, looking with some amusement at the girl next to him, who was having some difficulty opening the can with the knife.

- Here, you do it like this...

He said, taking the knife from her hands and placing the can on the ground, making some light circular movements, opening the can with some ease.

The girl looked at him with red cheeks, slightly embarrassed.

- Thank you.

She said quickly, turning the can of peaches over in her mouth and devouring its contents with some haste.

Lee looked at her amused for a while.

- How old are you? You look quite young.

He asked, taking a few steps back to sit beside the girl, putting away his knife as he turned back to face the forest.

-... Fifteen.

She answered after a while, a little hesitant, and Lee noticed the girl's trembling voice.

He had a strange feeling in his chest, something bad that the girl had certainly experienced. He didn't know what it was, it was more of a hunch, but he couldn't help feeling a little suspicious and curious.

-... How was the camp you were in? Why did you leave?

He asked, trying to be as gentle as he could, noticing the girl next to him trembling slightly at the question, which only increased his suspicions, and gave more credence to his hunch.

-We... it was a "work" camp... we were forced to "work".

She answered after a while, shrugging and hugging her own body.

Lee looked at her slightly, having an idea what this "work" would be, feeling his stomach turn at that thought alone, and hoping inside that his guess was wrong.

His mind went back to Alice, just a little girl of eleven, if he was right, then the camp they were in before was worthy of burning in hell.

- Some people decided to run away... Pete helped us... but, well, those men managed to find us... and here we are.

She continued after a while, with a heavy tone of voice and looking darkly at the dirt road ahead.

-I'm sorry to hear that.

Lee said gently, looking at the little girl who was walking out the door of the cabin.

- Good morning Alice.

He wished with a gentle smile on his face, waving slightly to the girl, who waved back and said something inaudible while yawning, making Lee laugh slightly.

- Well, Wellington is still a long way from here. We don't have the luxury of going north without going off the beaten path, not without a car, anyway.

Lee said, opening a can of peaches and handing it to Alice. He stood up and zipped up his backpack, placing it on his back.

If his memory wasn't wrong, from what Molly had shown him on the map the day before, before they saw the helicopter crash at the airport, there was a town not far from there.

With luck, they would just follow the road and find some sign that showed the way to the town.

It didn't seem to be a big city, which was great.

- We will get you some new clothes, some supplies, a map, if we are lucky. It's going to be a long day of walking.

Lee said, watching the girl finish her meal and put the empty can aside, getting up soon after.

They got their things, and some time later, they started walking along the dirt road,

It didn't take long before they reached the city. Lee looked at some buildings just ahead, with some abandoned stores, where one could see some silhouettes walking slowly, aimlessly inside. Some were completely motionless.

Lee just ignored these places. They walked slowly down the deserted streets of the city.

Lee was looking for a clothing store, or any establishment that looked decent enough to be worth checking out.

His gaze fell on a store up ahead, hidden between two huge buildings, one on either side.

The glass door of the place, unlike the others, was intact.

They walked to the place, still crouching.

When they arrived, Lee took his knife and raised it slightly, stepping cautiously into the abandoned store.

The place was a mess, not that this surprised him. Shelves and racks were lying on the floor, dusty clothes were all over the place, shoes were lying around, and a few pieces of glass lay on the floor from the broken window.

However, compared to all the other places, this store was practically intact.

Before entering a little further, Lee tapped the counter three times with the handle of his knife, hearing a few grunts soon after.

He walked towards a zombie that was trapped under a fallen shelf, and stabbed it in the head.

Then he turned to the other walker that was trying to get up, and killed it quickly, stabbing his knife in the middle of the forehead of what had once been a woman.

Looking around, he makes sure that he has dealt with them all, and turns to the two girls when he realizes that there are no more bodies around.

- Look for something that will suit you, or that will please you. I'll stand guard here in front.

Lee said, walking to the window next to the door and watching the road ahead, along with the other abandoned places, spotting a few bodies walking to some random spot.

His gaze fell on a tennis shoe lying in the corner next to him. He looked at it with some interest, not sure when would be the next time he would have the opportunity to pick up some new clothes, especially a new shoe.

Lee smiled with satisfaction when he saw the shoes on his feet, they had fit perfectly, and were a nice change from the old shoes he had worn before.

He stood up and looked at the window again, finding it slightly odd that a small group of zombies were forming near a car.

He narrowed his eye, his gaze fell on the car, it was almost impossible not to recognize it.

"...That's the car we were in..." - He thought, recognizing the vehicle he had used for so long.

He widened his eyes when he saw a person walking towards the store, with a rifle in hand.

It was a man, not very tall, with short black hair, no beard, wearing new clothes, apparently, although a bit dirty.

Quickly, Lee stooped down, and caught the attention of the two girls, who looked at him in surprise.

- Come out of there! We've seen you!

The man shouted, standing a few meters in front of the door. Lee rolled his eyes and cursed softly, looking at Brenda and Alice who stood beside him. Both had a very dark look on their faces.

-... Do you know him?

He asked softly, watching the girls' expressions.

-... They are members of the camp. They are from the group responsible for getting supplies.

Brenda answered after a few moments, with terror and anxiety in her voice.

" Fucking hell" - Lee thought, looking once more out the window and sighing as he saw two more men join the first one.

- Come on! We don't have all the time in the world!

He shouted again, and Lee looked around, looking for some way out of there. But, unfortunately, that store had no back door.

He then takes his backpack off his back and hides the weapons, along with a few cans of food, in the corner of the store, throwing a few clothes on top of them and placing a loose shelf, just in case.

- Stay behind me. As far as you can.

he said.

Sighing, Lee puts his arm up and slowly stands up.

- Get out of there!

The man shouted again, and Lee left the store, watching the three men carefully.

They all had rifles in hand and pistols in their waists, which meant that their camp was very resourceful.

A large community.

- Look what we have here... our little Alice, and our lovely Brenda.

The man said again, the other two who stood next to him walked towards the girls, pointing their rifles towards Lee.

How many times had he been at gunpoint? There had been so many that he was getting used to it.

- So, I assume that you are the guy who killed our friends. Take the guns away from him and take the girls to the car, and he and I will have a little talk.

The man said again, and Lee just stood still as he watched the other two take his pistol and his knife, as well as remove his backpack from his back.

- There's not much here. A rope, scissors, flashlight, batteries, and some canned food.

One of them said, putting the backpack on his back and taking Brenda by the arm.

Lee glanced at the girl, watching as she began to hyperventilate, her hands began to shake, and she had a terrified expression on her face.

Alice wasn't much different, however, it seemed that she couldn't speak. She looked at Lee with a frightened look, but at the same time, as if she was trying to call out his name, to cry out for his help.

- I missed you, Brenda.

The man further ahead said, placing his hand on the girl's head, who just shrunk a little more at his touch, trying to pull away from him.

They were both led toward the car. Lee's eye met Alice's desperate eyes. The girl didn't struggle, or resist the man's grip, probably because she already knew what would happen if she did.

- Into the store, go.

The man said, aiming the rifle at Lee's head, who just sighed.

He walked backwards with slow steps, thinking of the many ways he could get out of that situation. And everything had just gotten a little easier for him once they had entered that store.

The other two would not see what would happen there.

- I know it's strange, but Brenda doesn't like to see people dying, you know? She is a little angel, pure. Maybe that's why I like her so much.

The man said, staring at Lee's face, as if trying to intimidate him, but this only served to make Lee more angry, although he did not show it.

Lee was a little confused by this attempt at intimidation. After meeting so many people, he knew the difference between an extremely dangerous and threatening person, and a person who was just trying to look scary, but was really just a scaredy-cat.

-... You are sick. She is just a child.

Lee said softly, feeling his anger spreading through his body, but kept his face cool, even though his blood began to bubble.

- Nah-ah, she's a teenager. I surrendered to the pleasures of the flesh when I was thirteen. She may look that way, but when it's just the two of us, she stands there, she doesn't say anything. Where I come from, this is a sign that the other party has accepted, deep down, I think she likes it.

Lee closed his eyes, trying to control his anger, which was growing by the second.

- But that's not why I called you here. When we arrived at the place, one of our people had transformed, and was eating another of our friends along with other zombies. As i said before, i assume that it was you who killed them. Where is your group?

he asked, slowly approaching Lee, who looked at him seriously.

It was something Lee had, something he was beginning to be proud of, as well as finding useful. It was that murderous look that always appeared when he was angry, or when he was about to kill someone.

He had talked to Kenny about it, it was like he adapted himself to kill in the best way. And often, it was great for intimidating someone.

Lee noticed the slight tremor that occurred in the man's arms, noticed when his breathing became slightly heavier, and when his eyes became a little more hesitant.

-... Why do you think I'm in a group?

He asked, taking a slight step to the side, there was a way to make a man miss a shot from that distance.

Fear.

Just a little tremble was enough to make that the last mistake he would ever make.

- Don't give me that! There's no way you could have killed all of them yourself!

The man said, a little louder.

Lee watched his body language.

The man was getting restless, he began to tremble a little more.

Brenda was right, he was the type who was just trying to prove himself tough, but in reality, he was no big deal. He was a like a school bully, just bullying those weaker than him.

- If they weren't so focused on humiliating an injured man, maybe they wouldn't have been killed so easily.

Lee said, his deep, rough voice causing shivers to run down the man in front of him, who was already affected enough, trembling enough to miss a shot from that distance.

- Where is your group?

He asked again, swallowing dryly, feeling more and more afraid of Lee's gaze.

-... Behind you.

Lee answered, calmly, even softly, because he knew that, that was enough to fool someone like that guy.

The man turned, startled, but was confused to see no one behind him.

He turned around again, only to take a powerful punch to the face, causing his body to be thrown backwards as he felt a sharp pain spread through his nose.

Blood dripped, one of his teeth went limp, and that pain prevented him from thinking straight.

Lee crouched down and picked up a piece of broken glass, and quickly stabbed the man in the neck, watching the huge amount of blood pouring from the open wound.

Lee looked for a few moments at the rifle, but the chances of missing a shot with that weapon were high.

He then took the pistol that was in the man's waistband, looking with some intensity at the gun in his hand.

It was a customized pistol, with some gold details down the barrel.

"... Interesting."

Alice watched breathlessly as Brenda was forced into the car, this was already a "normal" part of her day to day life. It had always been that way, since everything had started.

They were forced to do things they didn't want to do, and whenever they refused, they were beaten. She had learned to keep her mouth shut so she wouldn't get kicked, or slapped, or worse.

She hated those men.

She hated all the people in that camp, whether they were men or women. To her, they were the same, they both forced her to do things she didn't want to do with the same intensity.

- Take it easy there, you know Erik's going to be a pain in the ass if you hurt the girl.

Alice looked at the man holding her by the arm.

She hated him, and she stared intensely at him, as if trying to put a hole in his head with just one look.

He should just die, she had seen many people die, both good and bad, and that man certainly deserved death.

Alice continued to stare at him, mentally wishing him dead.

And it seemed that the heavens had heard her request.

Her eyes focused on Lee.

She watched, almost in slow motion, as Lee took the knife from the waist of the man holding her and stabbed him in the head, killing him.

She followed Lee's movements with her eyes, and watched closely as he took the pistol and shot the other man in the head, who had turned toward him.

Blood dripped from Lee's hand, but he didn't seem to mind it. Alice, even less.

A strange glint flashed in the girl's eyes when she saw the inert bodies of the men on the floor, and a small smile broke out on her lips.

- My God... are you all right?

Brenda asked, worried, but most of all relieved to see the dead bodies on the ground.

And grateful to see Lee standing in front of her.

Lee looked at her for a moment, sighing slightly.

-Do you know how to use a gun?

he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Brenda looked at him confused, and shook her head in denial.

Alice just kept looking at him, reviewing the previous scenes vividly in her mind.

There was something about the way the blood had dripped from the men's bodies that intrigued her.

And there was something in Lee's movements, something in his look as he killed, that fascinated her, in a way.

-Well, before we move on, you need to learn to take care of yourselves.