Clementine looked at the fire that was spreading in the ranch ahead. People were desperately running out of the place, trying to save themselves from the flames.

There was a car overturned in front of them, with some injured people not far from the vehicle.

The girl felt her chest burning at the sight, and she ran worriedly towards the flames, grabbing the pistol from her waistband as she approached.

One of the men who was wounded and lying on the ground looked at her, and he took the pistol that was lying beside him and aimed it in her direction.

Clementine looked at him for only a matter of seconds, long enough to shoot him in the head and be on her way.

The screams and the sounds of gunfire became increasingly clear as she got closer, it was somewhat obvious that what was left of the new frontier had really gone there to finish the job.

She thought she would find more people there, but seeing from the fire and destruction, they probably figured that was enough to finish the place off for good.

Two men appeared in the hallway ahead, both shooting at the people running for safety.

Clementine ran as she shot at both men, using up almost all her ammo to kill them as she ran.

She had no time to deal with those guys, that war was no longer hers, and the moment she found AJ, she would get out of there as soon as possible.

As soon as she had killed both men, she crouched down and picked up their rifle and pistol, putting what little ammo she could find in her pocket.

The girl stood up and looked around, at the two paths the corridor followed.

On the right, the fire was more intense, and there were a few people screaming for help as they became trapped in the debris and were caught in the flames.

On the left, several people were still running desperately towards the exit, and more shots were heard from there.

With no choice, Clementine runs to the left, approaching a man and a woman with rifle in hand, who were going door to door shooting any and all survivors who were still there.

Clementine raised her rifle and shot them in the back, entering every door she could see down the hallway, finding nothing but dead bodies of both adults and children.

But, no sign of AJ.

For a moment, she felt disoriented. Her nervous eyes searched the entire place for somewhere he might be, and it seemed that her desperation had overwhelmed her body.

Clementine felt the air in her lungs fail, her hands became shaky, and she felt her throat close up, along with the sudden urge to cry and scream that surged through her mouth.

She began to take deep breaths. She leaned against the wall beside her and closed her eyes for a few moments, controlling her breathing and calming herself down.

Again, the girl opened her eyes and surveyed the place, turning her body around as she walked down the now empty hallway.

Her golden eyes focused on a door ahead, with children's drawings pasted in front of it, and a dim light passing through the gaps.

The girl ran towards the door and opened it with some haste, finding only a woman inside the room.

The woman didn't look so old, wore glasses, and seemed a bit nervous, restless? she was afraid, and rightly so.

- Get out of here! Don't come any closer!

The woman shouted, pointing a gun with her trembling hand at Clementine, who was not intimidated.

- A child, a little boy, two years old, his name is AJ. Where is he?

Clementine asked, looking coldly at the woman as she took a few slow, short steps to the side.

The woman looked more frightened by this, and walked the other way with staggering steps, nervously alternating her gaze between the door and Clementine.

- Y-you're not going to get him! You have no right to do that! These children deserve a safe place! I won't...

The woman said in a shaky voice, but Clementine had no time for that conversation, and in one swift motion, just shot the woman in the head.

She turned around, searching every corner of that room for a possible place where the children might be hiding.

It was then that she heard a cry coming from one of the closets next to her.

Clementine put the rifle on her back and approached the closet, opening it with some haste.

Her eyes widened for a moment, but then softened at the relieved expression on her face.

A sigh escaped her lips as she found AJ crying with his back propped against the closet wall.

The relief she felt at seeing him was so great that her legs almost lost their strength.

She took him by the shoulders and pressed him against her body, staring into the crying face of the boy, who, when he saw her, stopped crying for a few moments.

As if he admired her face.

They stared at each other for a while, until Clementine came out of her trance and turned, walking toward the door.

They had to get out of there.

(...)

- Whoa, Whoa, wait.

David's voice caught the group's attention, and they looked at him, then turned to where he was pointing.

Javi and Jesus' eyes widened when they saw some cars parked further ahead, on the shoulder. The same vehicles that the new frontier had used to leave Richmond, days... or maybe, weeks ago.

They looked at each other, and walked behind David, who took the lead as he walked with a rifle in hand, looking around all the time.

As they approached, Tripp and Jesus checked the interior of the vehicles, while David and Javi stood guard straight ahead.

- These cars have been here for some time. They don't look like they've been used for, I don't know, days, maybe longer.

Tripp said, closing the car door and walking towards Javi, who was still looking at the forest suspiciously.

- Those assholes are definitely around here. They didn't even bother to hide the cars, pieces of shit.

David said between his teeth, irritated. Javi looked at him for a moment, understanding the reason for his anger, he himself was angry with Max, and didn't know what he would do if he met him again.

- Well, anyway, the cars are still in good condition. We can take them, Hilltop could use a few more vehicles.

Jesus said, walking beside Tripp and looking around. They were not far from their new camp.

A few hours' journey on foot.

At first Javi wondered how Jesus managed to make those long searches for supplies, but as he did, he got used to it. And with the company he had, it was not so boring to search.

- They are not far from Hilltop, if they are around here, we need to catch them.

David said, entering the forest just after seeing a silhouette ahead. It wasn't a person, it acted too strange to be one of the members of the New Frontier.

Jesus stared at David's back for a while, sighing. He liked him, and his soldierly ways had proven to be very useful, Paul just didn't like unnecessary conflict.

If they take the vehicles, what was left of the new frontier would have no way to approach Hilltop, not that quickly, or efficiently.

Besides they would be alone in the forest.

Tripp passed Jesus, following right behind Javi, and Paul sighed once again, defeated.

- Careful up ahead.

Javi said in a whisper, crouching down right next to David, who looked where he had pointed.

It wasn't people, just a zombie wandering aimlessly around.

They got up and approached it. David was leading the way, Javi right behind him, Tripp and Jesus were providing cover, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

As they approached, their eyes widened as they recognized the zombie. Even though its deformed face showed that it had been dead for some time, it was almost impossible for David not to recognize it.

- Lonnie?

He asked in surprise, watching the zombie turn in his direction.

David lowered the rifle he was holding and picked up his knife, walking towards Lonnie and stabbing him in the head.

- Ahh, guys... he wasn't the only one who died.

Javi said further, and David's eyes widened as he saw the bodies strewn about the now-abandoned small camp.

Many of those who had fled Richmond were dead. David began to check the bodies, noting the bite marks, and the bullet holes in their heads.

- Looks like karma has done its work.

Javi said, coming out from inside one of the tents with a half bottle of wine in hand.

- No... I don't think it''s been Karma.

Tripp's voice echoed through the trees, somewhat impressed... or maybe, bothered.

Javi and David looked at each other, and walked towards Tripp.

Their eyes widened as they looked at Max's condition.

He had a rope around his chest, hanging from a tree branch. His dead form could only grunt weakly, unable to use his arms, or move in any way.

What was worse, were his legs and part of his abdomen, that no longer existed flesh. His bones were exposed, and his organs had fallen to the ground because there was no longer anything to support them.

- Oh my God...

Javi whispered, putting his hands on his waist and looking with a disgusting frown at what was left of Max, it was an uncomfortable sight... a cruel death.

C He didn't have the stomach for something like that.

- Yeah, for sure, it wasn't the work of karma. But, he just reaped what he sowed... still, a bitter end.

Jesus said with a sigh, crossing his arms and looking heavily at Max, who could do nothing but grunt, a groan that almost seemed to be a cry of pain.

- Hmpf, whoever did this, he has my gratitude. Now we don't have to worry about this piece of shit invading our gates.

David said, looking somewhat nonchalantly at Max's body, before turning and walking back to the highway.

Javi sighed at his brother's manner and followed behind him. Tripp followed soon after.

Jesus watched Max's body for a few more moments before following the rest of the group.

Hoping that they wouldn't find any more people like that.

(...)

Lee took another sip from the bottle of whiskey he had found lying on a false floor of some place he had found... or, maybe it was the place that had found him...

The sun was just rising, and setting, and just like the cycle of day and night, he was in a cycle of shit after shit.

Walk, survive, kill, sleep, and that shit repeated itself every day.

Lee laughed humorlessly, leaning his body forward slightly as loud laughs of sadness were forced out of his throat.

- You know, it's funny... during this time, I have found several communities. All of them thinking that they are safe, that they will survive in those places.

Lee said with a laugh, looking at the cross nailed on the wall, just behind the altar of the abandoned church he had found a few hours ago.

- But... maybe it's just me, but... I haven't met anyone these past months... years?

He stared at the cross, hoping that the image of Jesus would simply tell him an answer. To tell him something, anything...

Even just to say that he would burn in hell...

Anything, goddammit!

- I walked... and walked... and walked some more... but I couldn't find a fucking thing!

He said angrily, breathing heavily and lowering his gaze to the drink in his hand.

A smile broke out on his lips, and another laugh echoed through the empty church.

- I'm sorry for the swearing... and for getting drunk in your house... ah, fuck it. Does it still exist? Does sin... that shit still have any meaning? Any relevance?

He asked, turning back to look at the cross further ahead, not caring that he didn't get an answer...

He never got an answer... about shit!

- You know... these last few years I... have been in several places... I'm chasing a fucking ghost! A person who I don't even know if she' s alive or not. And for what?! She probably doesn't even remember me anymore! Fuck!

Lee shouted angrily, getting up and throwing the drink bottle on the floor.

The glass shattered, and the alcohol splattered on the floor.

- I walk and I walk and I don't seem to be getting anywhere! None of this shit seems real, nothing seems to make sense! Why am I still here?! Why haven't any of the thugs I've encountered been able to put a bullet in my head?! Why did I kill them all?!

He shouted again, walking nervously towards the cross, taking out the frustration that had built up in his chest. It had been building up inside him for so long.

- Is there still something worth fighting for in this fucking world?! Because I'll be honest, I haven't found a fucking thing!

Lee bowed his head as he reached the altar, putting his hand over his eyes and taking a deep breath.

What made him different from a zombie was that he could talk and didn't eat human flesh.

Other than that, he was identical to one.

- I always think that I am approaching her, that I am reaching her... then she... disappears, again. I'm late... I'm always late...

He said in a tired tone, sitting down on one of the altar steps and looking at the floor.

What a pathetic situation he was in. Completely at the mercy of despair...

How had he not shot himself in the head at that point?

It would all be over if he did...

All that pain, loneliness... all that suffering, would be gone...

Maybe he was already in hell...

His soul was already being punished, and this was his punishment...

To chase a ghost without ever being able to reach it... to deal with that pain every day without being able to do anything about it.

to walk alone for all eternity...

Maybe, that was why he couldn't kill himself...

Or maybe, he was just another coward...

- Everyone is dead... why am I alive? Everyone I cared about is dead! I-I don't know... maybe... maybe David and his family are still alive!Maybe... maybe that boy, Glenn is still alive, after all these years... but... what does it matter...?

He said through a tired sigh, lifting his head and looking at the destroyed doors of the church.

- I haven't found... not a single living thing, in months now...

Lee said in a whisper, having a distant look on his face, as he watched the leafy trees sway gently outside.

- Am I the only one left...?