Lee used most of his strength to look at Brenda's deformed face. She had bruises all over her face and bare body, scattered cuts, and a wide gash on her stomach.

Judging by the situation, Lee would say that she had been beaten, raped, and died from loss of blood. He raised his head a little and closed his eye, trying not to cry or scream in frustration in that place full of walkers.

He felt he had failed the girl, who, despite her cold, dark face, was older than the last time he had seen her.

When he caught a glimpse of her in a truck from the new frontier, he didn't decide to follow them, because he thought it was impossible for her to be in that place. He was already too far away from the village, she shouldn't be there.

But this bad feeling lingered inside him for days, until he finally decided to investigate further.

-If I had decided to do this earlier... maybe you would still be alive.

He said in a whisper, looking again at the girl's deformed face. It wasn't fair to her, to die in that horrible way. She had spent most of the apocalypse trapped in a crazy camp, only to be killed in the end in a crazy camp.

He should have taken her with him. At least, if she died, it wouldn't be that way.

-I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I... I know it doesn't mean anything... especially now, but... I'm sorry...

He whispered again, remembering when he had seen her thrown into the back of the truck some time ago... he had been so angry, he had run after the vehicle for a long time, until he found that arena.

What Lee didn't know that day, was that the truck hadn't gone to that prison right away, it had gone to Richmond. He destroyed a prison, killed countless people, in which they probably deserved to be killed, and did not find the girl.

It was then that he found David, and he didn't have the same look as the others, plus he hadn't seen him with those guys, just for that, he let him live.

That was why he was there, he had gone after her... or at least, tried to. He was too late.

- This... is not right... you shouldn't be here, in a situation like this... you should be surrounded by people who love you, faithful friends... I failed Alice before, and now, I have failed you too.

Lee said, taking the knife at his waist and squeezing hard on its handle, not feeling mentally prepared for what he would do... but, he had to do it anyway.

- I... I should have gone back to the village, when I saw Wellington destroyed... I should have taken you with me.

He said, lowering his head and closing his eye tightly as he remembered when he found the community destroyed.

It was a few weeks, maybe months, after he had left the village. He had walked a lot, day and night, walking into the unknown, finding nothing but dead along the way.

He even found a newly destroyed community, they had been hit by a horde, it seemed. The place still had weapons and supplies stocked, which made him stay there for a while.

He even found a body of a man beaten to death by a crowbar, the bloody weapon was right next to the body.

He hadn't found anything alive the whole way, and when he finally arrived in Wellington, the place was also dead. He remembers the despair he felt at first, followed by the feeling of defeat and anguish.

But it was then that his hope was renewed... he had found the body of the woman he had saved back in Savannah when he went to rescue Clementine. At that moment, he didn't even think about going back, he just kept moving forward, walking at a fast pace towards the forest.

If he had gone back to Brenda, maybe, the girl would be alive.

- I will find who did this to you... I know it's not much... but these... these "people" deserve to die... they will pay... I will make sure of that myself.

He said, taking a deep breath and raising the knife towards Brenda's head.

Just one quick movement, and the girl's head fell towards her chest.

Once Alice, and now Brenda. Two little girls he saved, two little girls he cared for... and two little girls he killed.

He swallowed the urge to cry and closed his eyes again tightly, they had died because of him. He had made the right decision to take care of them, but he hadn't done a good job, and maybe that was exactly what had cost them their lives.

Or maybe, it was just their time, God didn't want them to suffer anymore...

This thought was bullshit, and Lee knew it... God had nothing to do with it, what Brenda and Alice suffered was the work of human hands.

And those particular humans would pay.

Lee wrapped his arms around Brenda's torso and stood up with her on his shoulder. He would not leave her body in that filthy place. He would bury her in a beautiful area, in a flowery field, or somewhere with a splendid view.

The girl deserved at least that, even if she was long gone.

It didn't take long before he left that infested place, he hoped he would never have to go back there again.

His body continued to walk through the forest, he was already far away from the prison, his arm ached from carrying her body for so long.

It wouldn't be long before night came, he had been walking with her on his shoulder for hours. He walked until he found a beautiful place with the afternoon sun. Unfortunately, it was still possible to see the destroyed city, but it had a beautiful view of the horizon, where one could see the sun setting.

Lee set it down carefully, and looked around for any place nearby that might have a shovel. He smiled at this naive thought, he would be surprised if there really was a shovel nearby.

Maybe Richmond would.

He sighed tiredly, he wasn't far from Richmond at that moment, but he didn't want to leave Brenda's body there, exposed like that.

Lee shook his head, he had nothing more important to do at that moment anyway. Besides, it was extremely unlikely that someone would simply steal the girl's body.

He took her by the shoulder again and walked towards the forest, leaving her leaning against a tree trunk. He turned and started walking towards Richmond, with luck, David, and that woman Ava, would have already solved the problems that followed after Joan's death.

He entered the town after a while of walking. His attention was drawn by the sound of cars driving toward him. Lee's eyes widened slightly and he ran to the side, hiding in the nearest alley.

Vans and a few cars were speeding down the deserted road out of town. Lee stared at those vehicles with a confused and curious expression, and a slight bad feeling spread through his stomach.

He turned and started running along the empty road, killing the zombies that followed the noise of the cars on the way.

It wasn't long before he reached Richmond. He sighed heavily and bowed his head as he saw the state of the place, putting his hand on his waist as he saw the destruction.

The community was gone, the gates were broken, the walls were destroyed, fire was spreading through some of the buildings, and the dead had taken over the place.

Lee put his hand to his head, it was a rain of shit being thrown at him all the time. Shit after shit, nothing was going right.

He was frustrated, sad, grieving...holy shit.

He killed a nearby zombie and reinforced the guts through his body, walking towards the destroyed community.

Lee looked around, almost in surprise at the state of the place. Destruction like that was only caused by bombs, grenades, that sort of thing. He didn't know that the community had grenades, not to that extent.

He looked around, it didn't look like there were any survivors left there, they all left as soon as they could.

He turned around and thought about heading towards the building they used as a hospital, however, he sighed as he saw that the building was on fire.

"The bastards must have taken what they wanted and burned what was left, so the other survivors wouldn't get their medicine..." - Lee thought, getting more and more angry with those people.

Karma, that shit no longer existed, the people who did that would get away with it. So he was more than motivated to go after them and end it once and for all.

He turned around and started walking through the wreckage of the community, hoping that something hadn't been blown up, or gone up in flames.

He walked for quite a while among the dead, searching among the debris, among the relatively intact buildings, but found nothing.

He even snuck among the ruins of one building, arching an eyebrow when he found a cap, next to two severed hands, where one was firmly holding the other.

Two people had died together, and the mark of the explosion, along with the remains of their bodies, were fixed in what remained of the destroyed walls.

What struck him most was that the cap was identical to the one Kenny used to wear... hmpf, ironic.

No chance that he would be there...

He turned and left the building, night had already come, and the only thing that illuminated that place was the fire that burned the buildings, and even some burning bodies that took their last steps before collapsing on the ground.

He decided to have one last look around the place before giving up and leaving as soon as possible. Lee walked towards the remote part where they used to use as a planting area, which, like all the rest of the community, was destroyed.

He walked down the dimly lit street, looking around for something.

The sound of incessant knocking on a door caught his attention. He turned and looked at a zombie ahead, who was trying to enter through a metal door inside one of the buildings.

Lee arched an eyebrow and walked towards the zombie, stabbing his knife into the back of its head as he approached.

He looked at the body of what used to be a man for a few moments, until his eyes focused on the person lying on one of the beds inside the cell.

The person was motionless, but her light breathing was evidence that she was alive. Lee opened the door of the cell and walked slowly towards it, from what it looked like, that person was just another prisoner who was lucky not to have been caught in the destruction of the place.

But, it could also be a member of the new frontier who got lost from his group and sought refuge there.

Just in case, he held up his knife, and gently touched the woman's arm with his fingers.

- Miss? Are you all right?

He asked, arching a confused eyebrow as he felt the woman's body twitch. The woman turned her head to him slowly, and Lee's eyes widened as he recognized that face.

- Carley?

He asked surprised, thinking that his eyes were just playing tricks on him, that he was already so crazy as to imagine her there.

But it was becoming more and more real with the incredulous look on the woman's face, as surprised and unbelieving as he was.

The woman's trembling hand went to his face, and she let out a tearful sigh as she felt the warm skin of his cheek.

-Lee...

She said his name weakly, sitting up in bed, still staring at him in disbelief.

Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she saw the face of the man she had thought was long dead.

Unable to control herself, she entwined her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace, where she buried her face in the hollow of Lee's neck and let the tears flow down.

Lee returns the hug, somewhat shocked and confused, but also squeezing Carley tightly against his body.

He didn't expect to find her there, and he certainly didn't expect her lying on a bed in a cell while everything was falling apart around her.

How long had it been since he had seen her? How many years, exactly, had they been away from each other?

She looked different, her expression, though surprised and shocked at that moment, was downcast. She had a depressed look about her, she didn't even look like the Carley he had seen years ago.

His eyes widened again, if she was there, then Clementine could also be around. But with all the chaos and dead people outside, would he really think it was a good idea for her to be nearby?

- What... what happened to you?

Carley asked weakly after a while, drying the tears that insisted on running down her face, and trying to look at him. This was the same Lee she had seen years ago, even though he was older, with a little more frown lines, a lot more scars, without an eye, without an arm ... this was the same Lee ...

At least, she wanted to convince herself that he was.

Her eyes were swollen from crying, and Lee placed his hand gently on the woman's face.

- A lot of things... Carley, what happened to you? How did you end up here?

He asked, feeling the woman place her hands on his, "laying" her head to the side and enjoying his touch.

-We were kidnapped a few days ago... Kenny and I were in this cell...

She began to explain, closing her eyes in a mixture of relief and pain. It was very cruel for her to have her hopes nurtured again, after they had been crushed so many times.

The woman knew that Lee was anxious, and she knew the answer he wanted...

"Where is Clementine?" That was the question he wanted to ask, of course it had something to do with the girl.

Of course he had spent all that time looking for her... and that was great, but painful at the same time.

It was great because it proved that he was a dedicated man, that when he had a goal in mind, he wouldn't stop until he reached it... even if it meant walking through the world of the dead.

And it was painful, because he was looking for someone else, not her.

But still, she was happy to see him again... in fact, "happy" was too weak a word to describe what she was feeling, it was something... new. Good, pleasurable, but at the same time, scary.

- Clementine came here... Kenny went with her... they went after some people with a little girl... Mari... I think that was her name.

Carley said, opening her eyes and feeling the tears dripping on her clothes, looking at Lee, who was wide-eyed.

"Mariana knows Clem?! She was here?!" He thought incredulously, feeling the urge to get out of there almost overwhelm his chest.

He was so close to the girl, and he hadn't even realized it. If she knows Mariana, then she knew David... or maybe, that guy, Javi...

" Fucking hell!" He shouted in his mind, annoyed with himself. If he had stayed, he would have found her. Or if he had told someone he was looking for a little girl, maybe they would still have a chance to meet again.

The anger in his body was fading, and Lee thought more rationally, taking a deep breath as he organized his angry feelings inside.

"Okay... that was just today... maybe before I found Mariana? So they could still be around!" He thought hopefully, feeling Carley gently squeeze his trembling hand.

He lifted his face and looked at the woman, who was looking at him with a sad smile, and a tornado of feelings swirled furiously in her eyes.

-You are still looking for her... even after all these years.

She said in a tired, even impressed tone, with a slight nostalgic smile on her face. Lee looked at her, there was something in her defeated expression, an anguish that cried out for mercy. That she longed for it all to end.

-Of course, Carley. I couldn't just forget about you guys, pretend that nothing we experienced together was just a dream.

He said, and a strange gleam came into the woman's defeated eyes. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he might cry at any moment now.

-Still... many in your place would have given up, Lee...it's been years since we were apart...years since I thought you were dead.

She said, releasing Lee's hand and straightening her posture, putting her feet out of bed and sitting down next to him, looking at the floor.

- I haven't given up, Carley. I can't give up... not after I've come this far.

He said, looking at the large tears streaming down the woman's face. There was a sadness in those tears, a loneliness he understood well.

The loneliness he lived with every day ... the loneliness he hated, and loved so much.

- But I do, Lee.

She said, looking at him with an expression of anguish, slightly opening her trembling mouth for strength.

- I've given up... I can't take it anymore.

She said, almost in a confession, and Lee looked at her in agony. He was confused, sad, angry, frustrated, anxious, resentful...

- You can't say that Carley...

He said, in fact asked... almost in supplication. The woman bowed her head and wiped the tears from her face, looking forward, allowing herself to be consumed by the darkness in the corner of the cell.

- Don't ask me to, Lee... it's no use... my heart beats, but I don't feel alive... not even a little. I lost everything, a long time ago. I tried to go on, hoping that I would find something, but... there is nothing left for me out here. I don't want to be just an empty shell of the great journalist I once was.

She said, crawling back a little and putting her feet back on the bed, hugging her knees.

Lee didn't want to hear that, he didn't have the strength or desire to hear something like that. How could he go on when everything and everyone was giving up around him, dying while he was still alive.

It wasn't fair.

It was driving him crazy.

It seemed that the more he longed for human contact, the more alone he became.

Was this his destiny? To be alone, forever? To chase after something he could never reach?

- Kill me, Lee... just kill me.

She asked after a while in silence, and Lee leaned forward, leaning his elbow on his thigh and running his hand through his hair in frustration.

This was not how he imagined his reunion with the people he had lived with before ... not that craziness, not that suffering.

- Carley...

He said her name almost in a whisper, like a plea, begging her not to ask him to do that.

He would like to say that there was still something to fight for out there, that there were still good people left... that things would get better...

But, he himself didn't believe any of those words... any of that bullshit...

Maybe there are good people somewhere, like that guy, Jesus, who seemed like a pretty decent person. Maybe there is some community that will endure all the evils of the world, and prevail over the others.

But if there really was, it was far out of his reach... even if he found good people again, and a place as good as the one he imagined, he wouldn't be happy... he wouldn't be complete again.

Not without Clementine... not without the people he had lost...

- Please, Lee... I can't go on anymore... and I don't want to go on. I just want it to be over. I'm not strong like you, I can't do what you do, these scars show everything you've been through to get here, I couldn't do this.

She said, pleading with Lee, who now felt a solitary tear running down his face, felt his throat closing and his heart aching with every beat.

Why did things have to be this way?

Was it so hard to find people willing to cooperate with each other? Were people so ignorant to that extent?

Of course they were, the human being has always been that way, always been ignorant... always been greedy.

Lee grabbed the pistol he had at his waist, but kept looking at the ground, where his lone tear was dripping on the cold concrete.

Carley looked at the gun in his hand, and smiled... relieved at the thought that all of this, that all the nightmare she had lived through all those years, would be over once and for all.

Finally.

Lee stood up and closed his eye tightly, trying to control that feeling of death that was spreading through his chest.

Trying to control the sharp pain he felt in his heart.

And greeting his old friend loneliness... in which he lived every day.

He gathered the strength he didn't have, and turned, pointing his pistol towards Carley's head, who closed her eyes with a light, almost happy expression.

For the first time in a long time, she felt happy, and the irony was that it was moments before her death.

- Thank you...

She thanked him, and a gunshot echoed through the cell.

The bullet shell fell to the floor, along with a tear from Lee, who looked at Carley's body, lying on the bed with a peaceful expression on her face...

Now he had one more body to bury. One more person he knew, dead...

(...)

He didn't know if it was some sick joke of fate, or if he was destined to be that way, to do those things.

He didn't know what else to do, he didn't know where else to go... where else to look for that ghost that he always ran after but never reached.

He just knew that it was fucked up... a real shit show that revolved around his life...

It was as if he was made to suffer...

He didn't know if what he felt was real, or if he didn't feel anything...

Was he alive?

There was a heart beating in his chest, but it sure didn't feel like it.

He didn't feel like he had a heart.

Maybe because it had been crushed so many times, been cut, punctured and humiliated so many times, that he didn't even know if it was really a heart, or just a fragment of his imagination. As if he had been dead for a long time, and just hadn't realized it yet.

He looked around David's empty apartment, in the small hope that he would find some sign of life there, but just like everywhere else, there was nothing.

There was never anything, anywhere.

The tears came down harder down his face, the sadness was so strong that it seemed to tear at his flesh the more it spread.

Then came the anger.

He stood up angrily from that couch and threw the table away. He grabbed the chair next to him and threw it against the wall.

He punched the window hard enough to break the glass, and a loud scream of pain, anguish, and despair escaped his throat as he knelt on the floor of the overturned apartment.

He was alone again... He was alone again...

He was alone...

Alone...

...