- Looks like there's no one home.
Scott said, looking out the window of the small farmhouse they were in.
He took a few steps away and looked to the side. Zoey was walking around the house, heading for the barn, while Lee was walking towards the garage.
Lee looked back for a moment, watching Scott descend the few steps to the entrance of the house and walk calmly towards the back.
Lee crouched down, he was going to try to pull the gate up, but mentally cursed when he saw the padlock that locked it.
Getting up, he turned and walked towards Scott, who was looking out the back window.
- Did you see something?
Lee asked, moving toward the door next to the window, putting his hand on the doorknob.
- Apparently there's a grandma in there, one of the fat ones.
He answered, and Lee looked at him with an arched eyebrow, curious and mildly amused.
He opened the back door and looked at the woman Scott was talking about. The huge skin had turned a "fur" across the body of what had once been a middle-aged woman.
Lee grimaced in disgust at the sight, mixed with the smell that wafted from within the place.
- Holy shit... do we really want to go in there?
Scott asked beside him, putting one hand over his nose while shaking the air with the other, making a face even more dramatic than Lee's.
- Yes. Look for any keys, and anything else that might be useful.
Lee said, approaching the woman with the machete and stabbing her in the head. He watched that mangled body fall to the ground with a grimace of disgust.
- Anything useful? Like what?
Scott asked, standing next to Lee as he looked at the woman, even a little sorry for the state she must have been in before she died. There was no bite mark on her.
- Farmers like this, away from the city, usually have a few guns at home.
Lee replied, looking around him, scanning the kitchen. He turned and walked towards some cupboards, opening them.
- Whatever was in here I bet she ate.
Scott said, and Lee let out a loud laugh at the man's remark.
Lee walked into the living room, and his eyes focused on some keys on the table in front of him, right next to the old TV.
- I'm going upstairs.
Scott said, passing Lee and walking to the stairs, climbing the steps in some haste, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the empty house.
Lee looked at him with an arched eyebrow for a while, but then shook his head, ignoring it.
He walked back to the kitchen and out the door, reaching for his machete as he heard footsteps approaching, but calmed himself when he saw that it was only Zoey.
- I found nothing in the barn, nothing useful at least.
She said, looking for a few seconds at the woman's body on the kitchen floor, and then shifting her gaze to Lee.
- I found this key, I'll try to open the garage. Scott is upstairs.
Lee said, turning and walking toward the garage. Zoey looked inside the house for a few more seconds, and then walked toward Lee.
He unlocked the garage and threw the key aside, pulling the gate up.
He looked at the old pickup truck for a few moments, the car, although dusty, looked well maintained, it could still have gas in it.
- Does this thing start?
Zoey asked beside him, and the woman walked over to the driver's seat of the truck, opening the door shortly after.
- If you have the keys, you can try.
Lee replied, walking to the back of the garage and looking at what was in the trunk of the car.
- Hah, buddy, I learned a few things from my brother when he got out of jail for stealing some cars.
She said, and Lee looked at her, somewhat surprised and even a little amused. Zoey shook her head with a smile as she looked at him in the rearview mirror.
- Okay, that's a first!
Lee said, removing the cloth that covered the bucket.
He arched an eyebrow at the find.
A gallon of gasoline, a hose for the gallon, a rope, nothing else.
- What did you find in there?
Zoey asked, squinting slightly as she fiddled with some cables just below the steering wheel.
- Not much, but useful stuff. A gallon of gasoline, for example.
He said, listening to Zoey try to start the car.
She made a few more attempts, and after a while, just threw her back against the car seat, giving up.
- It could be the battery, or gas. The car is well maintained, it must have been here for a long time.
She said defeated, getting out of the driver's seat and closing the door.
- Well, it was worth a try.
Lee said, picking up the gallon of gasoline and placing it on the ground. Then he took the hose and tried to suck some gasoline into the gallon. There wasn't much, but it was enough to fill it up a bit. Then he took the hose again and arranged it around what was left of his other arm, which only went to just below his biceps.
- Hey guys.
Scott's voice caught the attention of both men, who turned to the man.
- I found this, there are only four bullets, counting the two already in there.
He walked over to the front of the car, smiling slightly as he brandished a shotgun.
A classic twelve-gauge, a little dusty. Scott seemed excited about his new find.
- This little beauty can do some damage.
He said, placing the shotgun on his back next to the rifle, keeping the two shells he had in hand in his pocket.
- So, does this car start?
He asked, walking over to Lee and grabbing the gallon of fuel, giving it a gentle shake and listening to how little gas was in it.
- No, have you checked for gas?
Zoey said, turning to Lee as she asked the question.
- Yes, there was just a little, but it's something.
He answered, walking out of the garage.
- It's a shame we have to abandon this little beauty here, so well maintained. My grandfather had a car just like it, even the color. Oh, he loved that car.
Scott said, looking ruefully at the truck, even a little nostalgically.
- We can lock the garage again, it's been here for so long and no one has found it until now. We can come back for it later.
Lee said, picking up the lock and lowering the gate, locking it immediately afterwards.
- Okay, I think it's about time we went back, we got another gallon at least.
Zoey said, looking around once more, just before she looked at the two men in front of her.
They both nodded to her, and they started walking back down the road they came from.
(Some time later... )
- Let me get this straight... You were stabbed in the eye and fell out of the fucking second floor window?
Scott asked, looking directly at Lee with an intense stare. His dramatic and spontaneous manner made Lee laugh lightly; it was rather pleasant to be near Scott, despite all the noise he was making.
- Look, I've met some unlucky people in my life, but you, my friend, should win the prize.
Scott said after Lee waved to him, looking forward with a distant look, imagining the scene.
- It must have been horrible, I can't imagine going through something like that and dealing with it the way you did.
Zoey said, mentally agreeing with Scott about Lee being unlucky.
- I would have stayed down and died from the shock, I know myself well enough.
Scott said, looking at Zoey with a dramatic look, causing both the woman and Lee to laugh lightly.
- Maybe I wouldn't have even gotten that far, I would have died of a heart attack before I even hit the ground.
He said again, looking back ahead with that same distant look.
- Come on, it wasn't even that... well, you would have survived.
Lee said, cutting off his own speech as he remembered the pain he felt. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but his anger was greater than his pain.
The thought of rescuing Clementine made him ignore it.
- What about the arm?
Zoey asked, looking at the road a few meters ahead.
- It was just after I fell out the window.
He answered, and both Scott and Zoey looked at him, surprised and curious.
- This bad luck of yours isn't contagious, is it?
Scott asked, grimacing and looking straight ahead again.
Lee smiled aside.
- I don't think so. I was bitten.
He answered, and the two people next to him made pained faces, the most dramatic of course being Scott, who squirmed all over his body at the thought.
- Okay, now I can say that I've heard it all in my life. And I can say that you are the most fucked up guy I have ever met.
Zoey said, looking at Lee with a "kind" smile.
- I couldn't stay there, so I went back inside the building. I spotted the infirmary, and thought about the options I had at the moment. I stood there, trying to keep calm, until I decided to cut my arm off with my machete.
He said, and the looks on both their faces only grew more incredulous with each word.
- Man, I remember when I used to squirm when I went for vaccinations, I couldn't even stand the pain of having a needle pierce part of my arm. I take my hat off to you partner, I sure couldn't do what you did.
Scott said, turning to Lee and taking an imaginary hat off his head, even striking a somewhat awkward pose.
Lee looked at him with a smile as he shook his head at Scott's performance.
- Nah, you would. Extreme situations require extreme measures. When you think about what motivates you, that's when the adrenaline kicks in, and you are able to do things that even you would doubt. Your potential is only revealed in situations like this.
Lee said, looking around as soon as they reached the highway, finding it even a little strange that he hadn't seen any zombies wandering around all day.
- So you have a lot of fucking potential my friend, I would probably be desperate.
Scott said, looking at Lee as he tried to clap his hands, but couldn't because of the gallon of gasoline he was holding.
- I agree with Scott, I don't know if I would get desperate, but I certainly wouldn't sit around and wonder what to do, at least not in the situation you were in.
Zoey said, putting her hands in her pockets as she thought about everything Lee had told her so far. It was hard to believe, but if he had made it all up, kudos to him for making it sound so convincing.
- So, what happened next?
Scott asked, looking at Lee curiously. It wasn't every day that he heard stories like that, and he couldn't help feeling a little excited.
- I used the strength I didn't have to find the guy who kidnapped her. He was just a crazy son of a bitch, it wasn't hard to get him to let his guard down. I chopped off his hand, stabbed him in the knee, slit his wrists, and left him for dead. That was the first time I felt good about killing someone.
Lee said, and the two looked at him puzzled, but couldn't really judge him.
- Ouch. A painful end. But I would do the same.
Scott admitted, shrugging his shoulders at Zoey, who looked at him with an arched eyebrow.
- What? I really would, I'm not ashamed to admit it.
he said, causing her to shake her head.
- I'm not judging. I would do something like that too, given the circumstances.
She said, smiling complicitly at Scott, and then looked back at Lee.
- And how did it all end?
she asked, looking back at the road.
- I found her, and tried to get her out of there. Did you know that if you cover yourself with zombie guts, they can't tell the difference between you and one of them?
he asked, and felt the urge to laugh as he saw the disgusted and incredulous expressions of the two standing next to him.
- You're kidding, right?
Scott asked, looking at Lee as if begging him to admit that he was joking.
- No. I found out by accident. That's how she got out of there, I thought I was going to die, so I told her to leave me there, and get out of that building. That was the last time I saw her. After everything, I woke up a few days later and... well, here I am.
He finished saying, staring at the other two, trying to figure out what was going on in their minds.
- This would make a good movie.
Scott said, and Lee couldn't stop the involuntary laugh that came out of his throat.
- That was the same thing Lilly said.
He said, still laughing slightly, looking back at the road.
- I admit it was going to sell a lot. I'm surprised you're still alive. Do you think you'll find her?
Zoey said, looking ruefully at Lee, but genuinely curious.
- Yes. One day, sooner or later, I will find her. That's the only reason I'm still here, without it, there's no reason for me to be alive.
Lee answered sincerely. At that point, death no longer frightened him, no longer worried him. He had lived with it long enough to get used to the idea.
And as a man who believed in God, he believed that death was just the beginning of something greater.
Whether it was to eternity in suffering, or to a deserved peace.
He didn't mind dying, at least not after he had accomplished his goal.
After he found Clementine again, he would accept death with open arms.
- Go for it, man. You will find her again! Damn, that's a great reason to be alive. And it even sounds cool, one last task in the world, awesome!
Scott said, cheering Lee on in a somewhat... "Scott" way.
Lee smiled gently, and even grimaced at the man, glancing at Zoey as she slapped her own forehead at her friend's manner.
It wasn't long before they reached the spot where the others were standing. Lee waved to Lilly, who had already returned with the others and was leaning on one of the trucks with her arms crossed.
- You took your time.
She said, watching as Scott put the gallon of gasoline on the ground, and Lee threw the hose beside it.
- Yeah, we stopped for a while to admire the scenery, we missed you too.
Scott said mockingly, walking away from Lilly before the woman decided to beat the crap out of him. He knew very well that she was capable of that.
- We didn't get much gas, just a little.
Lee said, looking around, seeing Brenda talking to Nicole.
But he missed a figure.
-... How long have you been here?
Lee asked, looking at Lilly a little worried, making the woman look at him a little curious.
- About five minutes before you arrived, literally. We arrived almost together, practically.
She replied, and just as she finished saying it, a gunshot echoed through the forest just behind them.
Everyone was alerted by the gunshot. Lee and Lilly looked at each other for a moment, before running towards the forest.
- Stay behind the trucks! Victor, Scott, with me!
Lilly said, taking the rifle from her back and walking briskly towards the trees.
The other two men stood right next to her, and the four of them began to crouch in the direction the shot was supposed to have echoed.
They saw a silhouette further ahead, and hid behind the trees.
Lilly looked at the men, and after a few moments, she nodded.
They came out from behind the trees quickly, aiming their guns at the person standing in front of them.
Their eyes widened as they saw the scene.
Alice had a pleased smile on her face, almost hypnotized. Beside her were two bodies.
Lee lowered his gun and looked incredulously at the bodies of Derek and Francis lying on the ground. A pool of blood had formed below the boy, and a certain amount of that crimson red was dripping from Derek's chest.
What stood out most in that scene, to Lee, was Alice's bloody hand, along with the knife lying right at her feet.
- What the fuck?! Derek!
Scott shouted, running towards his fallen companion.
As soon as he shouted, Alice looked at them, as if she had just come out of a trance.
A strange glint flashed in her eyes when she faced Lilly, but as soon as she saw Lee, the girl opened a wide smile and ran towards him, ignoring Scott, who was trying to make Derek wake up, and Victor who pointed his rifle in her direction.
- You're back!
She said excitedly, looking smiling at Lee, ignoring his incredulous look.
The girl acted as if nothing was happening. As if there weren't two bodies lying right behind her.
Bodies that had been killed by her hands.
-Alice... But... what...?
Lee tried to say something, but couldn't, the words just wouldn't come out of his mouth, he didn't even know what to ask, what to say in that situation.
The girl looked at him confused for a while, but then turned around, looking at the bodies behind her and making an understanding expression.
- Now I'm just like you!
She said excitedly, taking Lee's hand in both her small hands and squeezing it lightly, as if she thought he was proud of her.
-What?
Lee asked incredulously, looking deep into the girl's dark eyes.
- You always do such a good job! The way you kill is so fascinating that it inspired me! I wish I could kill like you, do it the beautiful way you do! Like a work of art!
She said, tilting her head a little to the side as she broadened her smile.
Proud of herself.
- So... isn't it beautiful?
she asked, releasing Lee's hand and turning to the bodies, pointing at them as if she were pointing at a painting she had just finished working on.
(...)
- She can't go with us, not after what she did, not after that. Fuck, she... holy shit!
Victor said, clearly agitated, not knowing how to act in a situation like this, he never thought he would witness a child doing something so horrible, so grotesque and sickening as that.
- And what do you suggest? That we abandon her here? A child?
Nicole asked, leaning on the container of the truck as she looked at Alice further ahead. The girl was talking normally with Brenda, who agreed to distract her for a while while they talked.
- Nicole, I understand that this may sound horrible to say, but that "child" killed one of our people and a boy! You heard her, she thought it was something beautiful! Damn, what kind of "kid" thinks murder is beautiful?
Scott said, also disturbed, maybe as much as Victor. He paced back and forth, breathing heavily as he ran his hands through his hair several times.
- But I agree with Nicole on something, we can't abandon her here. The girl has suffered enough.
Zoey said, bowing her head as she crossed her arms, feeling a little strange to be talking about something like this. Something she never imagined she would go through, not even in her worst nightmares.
- Lee, look, I know you're attached to that girl. Remember our conversation earlier? Yeah, man, you know what that little girl is, and you can't change that anymore! You know what you have to do.
Scott said, looking intensely at Lee. There was no anger in his gaze, only a bit of despair and sadness. Scott didn't like that idea, but it was something they were practically forced to think about because of the circumstances.
Lilly didn't say anything the whole time, she just kept her arms crossed and watched the situation unfold.
She herself didn't know what to think about that situation, but she agreed with the fact that the girl couldn't go with them.
She was a potential danger, who knows what she would do in the future.
The discussion ceased when Lee stood up. He had a serious expression on his face, but if someone attentive enough looked deeply enough into his eye for a moment, he would see the great sadness and heaviness hidden behind that expression.
-I'll take care of it.
He said in a hoarse voice, turning and walking towards the girl.
Lee had replayed that scene over and over in his mind, Alice's words repeating themselves over and over in his head.
He should have done something earlier, he had always noticed those strange looks from the girl, he knew there was something wrong with her.
But he ignored it, he chose to remain oblivious to those looks, and three people died that day.
Francis, Derek... and Alice.
Before approaching, Lee took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what was to follow.
He then approached with an excited smile on his face, looking in a "warm" way at Alice, who as soon as she saw him, opened a smile.
Sometimes he was thankful that he was such a good liar.
(...)
Lee was walking with Alice through an open area of the forest. The girl admired the landscape that the field provided; the green seemed a little more alive there.
She looked around, listening to the words of Lee, who had told her to pay attention to nature, as it was a good way to improve her art.
- It is a beautiful place. But how does it help me improve?
she asked after a while, looking at Lee.
He turned his head towards her, and smiled slightly.
- Do you see those flowers?
He asked, pointing to the girl's left, who turned to the spot, shaking her head.
- You said that killing was like art, right? Well, to be a good artist, you have to know the basics of art, several other things that don't involve art itself.
He explained, moving closer to the flowers, stopping only a few steps away from them.
- You... know how fragile human life is. Life, it's like a flower, delicate. I want you to look at these flowers, and imagine, pay attention to everything I say, and you will improve as an artist. Don't look away from them, not until I tell you to, okay?
He said, looking at the girl, who was listening intently. She nodded and stared at the flowers.
Lee took a few steps away, and stood behind the girl.
- Imagine that you step on these flowers, they will die. Same thing with a life, shoot someone in the heart, and they will die. To understand death well, you have to understand life, since both go together, but act in different ways.
He bowed his head as he said this, gathering his strength, gathering all that will inside him, to be able to do what was necessary.
- Imagine that you step on a flower that is important to you. That you kill someone you love, how would you feel?
Lee asked, taking the pistol that was on his waist, and deactivating the safety lock.
- I would feel... happy, the feeling of taking the life of someone important is much better than that of a stranger. I still remember how I felt when I killed my parents.
Lee closed his eye, it was sad to hear this. It wasn't the girl's fault for thinking that way, it wasn't her fault for being who she was. It was the others who changed her, and Lee realized that even if he had tried to do something to help the girl, it wouldn't help, he would at most delay the inevitable. She had wounds too deep to change who she was.
- It was amazing... it was the only good thing I felt when I was in that camp.
She said, and Lee opened his eye again, determined.
-You know, good artists, no... good killers, they don't kill randomly. They don't kill just anyone who crosses their path, that's stupid. It is not just about knowing how to kill, it is about knowing how to think, how to observe, and how to act. Good killers, they wait, they analyze, and they choose their victims.
Lee took another deep breath, feeling his body tremble as he said those words.
- I am a good killer... I chose mine.
He said, and slowly, he raised the pistol toward the girl's head, still with her back to him.
- Really? And who did you choose?
the girl asked, in a genuinely curious tone.
Lee didn't answer.
He felt his blood run cold, his pupils thin.
The air around him grew cold, and everything went silent.
The green field, the flowers, everything was gone, and there were only he and Alice in the darkness that had formed.
Holding his breath, he pulled the trigger.
The sound of the gunshot echoed through the trees of the forest. Blood stained the white petals of the flowers ahead, and Lee saw in slow motion the girl's body fall forward.
A lone tear ran down his face... both the tear and Alice's body fell to the ground at the same time.
