Clementine looked at the machete in her hands with a distant expression, sitting on the bed in her room, her head flooded with thoughts.

Her life flashed through her head like a movie, each event passing one after the other, and the more she thought about it, the more surreal it seemed.

She had never stopped to think how many times exactly she had come close to death, how many people exactly she had killed, or how many zombies she had stabbed in the head.

It must have been a pretty big number, for those three things.

And she had come to terms with it, that this was how she would live the rest of her life, dodging bullets, killing zombies, killing people who tried to attack her...

She never really thought that she would stay in a room in an abandoned school in the middle of the forest, waiting for a vote to either kick her out, or let her stay there.

The girl didn't know if this was good, or bad. It was better than dealing with zombies all the time, but still, it was a rather strange change from her everyday life.

She sighed lightly and ran her hand gently over the blade of the machete. That blade had already spilled a lot of blood, since many years ago.

And to think that a weapon that had once been used against her would now be one of the objects she was most attached to.

- You never said how you got this machete.

AJ's low voice brought her out of her thoughts, and the girl looked at the boy nostalgically.

- Lee gave it to me the last time I saw him.

She answered simply, handing the machete to the boy, who stood admiring the blade for some time. Clementine never let him take it, and looking closer, it was even more beautiful than it looked.

- Is it like a family heirloom? Did his father gave it to him?

The boy asked after some time admiring the weapon, looking at Clementine with a distracted look.

- No. Right after we left that motel, three bandits chased us. Lee put me in a car and dealt with them, one of them had this machete. Since then, he kept the weapon with him, and gave it to me soon after.

She answered in a distant tone, looking at the handle of the machete with a certain intensity.

AJ stared at her for a while, until he shifted his gaze to the blade in his hands. Because of its size, the machete was quite large for him.

- I did what you said... and they didn't even care.

He said after a while, holding the handle of the machete with some strength, looking deeply into the ground.

- Yeah, that's how people are. They are still confused, still in shock, still trying to get used to the fact that their leader was a crazy asshole. I'm not defending them or anything, but, people get stupid in situations like this, where feelings are fighting fervently inside them.

She explained, crawling to the corner of the bed and propping her back against the wall, crossing her arms shortly after.

- I said I was going to make up for what I did. But how am I supposed to do that if they won't let me fix it?

He said, this time a little louder, and holding the machete tighter than before.

- People do stupid things when they're angry, AJ. Calm down.

She said, watching the boy close his eyes and take a deep breath, running a hand through his hair in nervousness.

- I know, but... I am really mad.

He said, placing the machete beside him and looking down at the ground, resting his head in his hands as he propped his elbows on his legs.

- And you have every reason to be mad.

She said, pulling him to her side and wrapping her arm around his shoulder in a small hug.

AJ looked down at the machete at his feet for a moment, and sighed wearily.

- I did what you said, but it didn't work. Why did you tell me to do it if it wouldn't work?

he asked, and Clementine looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

- AJ, things aren't always going to be the way you want them to be. People won't always accept the truth, your excuses won't always work. That's just the way it is. You stated your reasons, whether they accept it or not, whether they like it or not, fuck it. They will remember your words, and I think that's good enough. Maybe later they will realize that they can't judge you.

She replied, leaning her head against the wall as AJ leaned on the side of her torso.

- This is hard.

He said after some time in silence, and Clementine laughed lightly.

- People are difficult creatures to deal with, AJ. Especially angry ones.

She said with a small smile, everything in those days was complicated, there were only a few things that go smoothly for them.

- I don't want to leave here. I like it here. The people are nice... well, not now.

he said, and Clementine sighed slightly.

- Yeah, I know you don't want to leave. For what it's worth, I'm not too keen on going back out there either, this place is safe from zombies, at least.

Clementine rested her chin on AJ's head, thoughtfully. She really didn't want to leave, it was a good place, almost peaceful if you consider that very few zombies appear around there.

Besides having plenty of food at that moment, a river not far from there. She didn't have to worry about waking up in the middle of the night to check on AJ, he wasn't at risk of being attacked in his sleep.

The bedroom door was opened slowly, and Clementine looked at Violet, arching an eyebrow in surprise at seeing Louis there.

The girl was frowning, and her head bowed slightly.

Clementine sighed softly and stood up, waiting for them to say, even though she already knew the answer.

- We took the vote. You have to leave.

She said, and Clementine looked at the sad expression on AJ's face. The girl shook her head and picked up her machete from the bed, putting it back in its sheath.

She then turned and picked up her backpack from beside the bed.

- Get your things, AJ. How many bullets do you have left?

she asked, turning to the boy as she checked her own ammo.

- Three.

He said almost in a whisper, walking over to the bed on the opposite side of the room and grabbing his knife from under the bed.

- What? That's it?! You're just going to accept this bullshit?!

Violet asked, looking somewhat incredulously at Clementine, who turned to her with an arched eyebrow.

- Violet, if people are willing to cover up what Marlon did just because they were close to him, then I think AJ and I are better off alone.

She said, placing her hand gently on AJ's shoulder, who was looking at the floor with a defeated look, controlling himself not to cry.

- The gun, where is the gun?

Louis asked, looking at AJ with a neutral expression, he looked a bit conflicted with himself, as if he didn't want to act that way, but for some reason, he had to.

AJ took the revolver from his waistband and showed it to him.

- Give it to me.

He said, walking a few steps toward the boy.

- Louis...

Violet scolded him, looking at him with her hands on her waist.

- What? I'm not going anywhere near him while he's got that thing in his hands.

AJ was surprised by this sudden approach, and looked at Clementine with a doubtful expression.

- It's your gun, AJ.

She looked at the boy seriously, and he understood what she meant.

- I don't let anyone take what's mine.

he said, putting the gun back in his waistband.

- Hmpf, okay, let him continue with the murder weapon.

Louis said, crossing his arms and looking away.

- So fucking stupid.

Violet said softly, crossing her arms and looking irritated at Louis.

- You said you would accept if...

- If we voted fairly, I counted five people in favor of them staying, and only four against. If you hadn't gotten used to hiding your head in your ass, you would have seen that you only changed your own vote because of Mitch.

Violet said, and Louis shut up, looking at the floor with a lost expression.

Clementine arched an eyebrow at the whole thing, maybe there was still a chance they wouldn't get kicked out?

- I won't change my vote... Marlon may have screwed up, but he didn't deserve that. You can hate him all you want, but you can't say that AJ isn't dangerous too.

Ok, never mind.

- Okay, fine by me. We'll leave, as soon as we get some of the food we brought.

She said, putting her hand on her waist when she saw Louis's confused expression.

- What? If I remember correctly, until before Marlon died, I hadn't decided whether or not I would stay, and I said that when we left, we would take some of the food, since I was the one who found it in the first place.

She explained, staring into Louis' somewhat lost gaze.

- Of course, I'll have Tenn pick it up.

Violet said, noticing Louis's silence, and Clementine nodded to her.

- We'll meet at the gates. Louis and I will escort you past the safe zone.

Violet said, turning and walking toward the door.

- You don't have to do that.

Clementine said gently, she appreciated the concern, but it really wasn't necessary.

- Exactly, we could just kick them out of our gates and never see each other again.

Louis said, staring at the ground with his arms crossed, and Clementine just ignored him.

- Don't worry, it's the least we can do.

Violet said, turning to them before leaving.

- Wait, where's Tenn? I have to say goodbye, and return the cop he gave me.

AJ said, walking a few steps toward Violet.

- He was pretty upset about the vote, and didn't want to talk to anyone. For the record, he wanted you to stay.

She said softly, and AJ bowed her head slightly, glad that Tenn had taken her side.

- Can you give it back to him?

he asked, handing the policeman to Violet, who nodded at him.

Clementine placed a hand on AJ's shoulder gently, before they left the room.

(...)

They walked through the empty forest with a rather heavy air around them. Clementine and AJ were further ahead, while Violet and Louis were a few steps behind.

Clementine looked around, wondering what to do now, where they would spend the night.

- Are we going to find another car?

AJ asked, snapping Clementine out of her thoughts.

- Probably not. We got lucky last time.

She answered, looking back at the path on which she had seen those three people in the forest. If they were still around, then the train station was a no-go.

- Then we are walking.

AJ said in a despondent tone, rolling his eyes.

- My shoes are going to break.

- Well, we have to hope they hold up. Hopefully we'll find some abandoned ones lying around.

- My feet will bleed again.

- We'll rip off a shirt and tie it around them if we have to.

Clementine arched an eyebrow at the boy, realizing that he was trying to make Louis feel sorry for them.

It wouldn't work, but it was a good try. Funny, at least.

- It's not that bad.

Louis' voice caught both of their attention, and Clementine looked at him with a mixture of doubt and incredulity.

Louis made a silly expression at the look on her face.

- I mean, you've been doing this for years. You're probably pretty good at it by now.

He explained, placing a hand on the back of his head.

Clementine looked at him for a moment, and a giggle burst from her lips, causing them to look at her in confusion.

- Really, Louis? Are you just saying that to try to make yourself feel better? At least say something that makes sense, "it's not that bad. Hahahaha.

She laughed, shaking her head.

Louis stared at her for a while, and then bowed his head, admitting internally that that wasn't the best thing to say.

- Here we are. The road's not far now.

Violet said after a while of walking, stopping beside a tree.

- Anything you want to say before we go?

she asked, looking at Louis.

- I've said enough.

He said, and Violet just sighed.

- Thanks for trying to help us.

AJ thanked him, squeezing his wrist while keeping his eyes on the ground.

- You're welcome. I wanted you to stay.

Violet said.

- Yeah, me too. Maybe things would have been different if things hadn't been so fucked up.

Clementine said, crossing her arms.

- Marlon fucked things up. Even dead, he's still ruining this shit.

Violet said.

- Jesus, Violet... give him some fucking peace!

Louis said angrily, and the girl just rolled her eyes.

- The same peace he gave Minnie and Sophie? Yes, of course.

Violet said ironically, crossing her arms and looking away from Louis.

- Just be safe. Both of you.

Violet said, waving to them once more, before turning and starting to walk back to the school.

Louis sighed wearily, and looked at AJ for a moment, before following Violet.

- Well, let's go. The sun will set soon.

Clementine said, starting to walk towards the road. Maybe they could find some abandoned place to spend the night.

Or, at worst, have to sleep in the forest.

- How do you know?

AJ asked, walking right behind her.

- Just look at the orange I can feel it, like a cold that settles on my skin, it happens just before a storm, too.

She explained, looking around with suspicious eyes.

There were no zombies around, which was strange, there should be at least a few stray ones nearby.

- I don't feel it.

AJ said, looking down at her own body.

- You haven't been on the road as long as I have.

She said, still looking around.

She stopped walking when her eyes focused on the bodies of a few zombies ahead. Clementine threw the bag of food behind her, behind some nearby bushes, and grabbed the pistol from her waist.

- What?

AJ asked confused, also grabbing his gun and looking around.

Clementine didn't answer. She bent down and put her hand on AJ's shoulder, making him bend down as well.

They were silent, and Clementine could hear some muffled footsteps nearby.

Someone was there.

It could be a zombie, but from the sound of footsteps, it sounded as if someone was walking in a cautious manner. Too quiet to be a sloppy walker.

Clementine pointed her gun in the direction of where the footsteps were approaching, as she and AJ walked slowly toward the tree next to them, taking cover.

She watched analytically as a man slowly emerged from behind some bushes, looking around as if searching for something.

- Shit, where did they go?

She heard him mutter, and arched an eyebrow.

"Is he looking for us?" She thought, putting her arm protectively in front of AJ as they hid.

She could kill that guy right there, but if she shoots him, the noise is sure to get the attention of the other people he was with.

She had to do it quietly.

Clementine sighed and shook her head, putting the pistol in her waistband in a way that was easy to pick up, and took the machete from behind her back, waiting for the man to have his back to her.

Clementine watched as the man passed the tree they were hiding in, and walked down the dirt path, still looking for them.

The girl slowly began to approach his back, gripping the handle of her machete tightly.

Before she could kill him, however, a shot echoed through the forest, opening a hole in the ground just beside Clementine's foot.

The girl was startled, and the man turned back, also startled. He focused his eyes on Clementine and tried to aim the gun in her direction, but Clementine was quicker and kicked the man in the leg, knocking him to the ground.

Clementine tried to stab the man in the head with her machete, but he put his arm forward out of pure reflex.

A sharp cry of pain came from the man's throat as he felt the machete stabbing into his forearm. The man looked angry and punched Clementine in the stomach.

The girl arched her back and groaned in pain as the air left her lungs.

The man then stood up and punched the girl in the face, knocking her to the ground shortly after.

He tried to pick up the shotgun that had fallen to the ground, but Clementine was quicker and kicked him in the face, leaving him stunned for a few moments.

She stood up quickly, grabbing her machete as she advanced toward him.

Clementine kneed him in the nose, causing him to fall to the ground. She knelt over the man's chest and raised her machete, intending to stab him in the head.

- I wouldn't do that if I were you.

A female voice stopped her from killing the man, and she felt something metallic touch the back of her head.

She grunted angrily, tossing the machete aside and raising her arms to slowly stand up.

The man groaned in pain, getting up with some difficulty.

- You really are useless, you just got your ass kicked by a little girl.

The woman pointing the gun at Clementine's head mocked the man, who pointed his middle finger at her while staring at his bleeding arm.

- That bitch caught me off guard, that's the only reason I got beaten.

He said angrily, looking deadly at Clementine, who just raised her eyebrows quickly, as if to ask "do you want more?"

- If I hadn't shot her, you'd be dead. If I hadn't come here, you'd be dead as well. I saved your life twice. Maybe you're not worthless, the girl is just too good.

The woman said, taking Clementine's shoulder and turning her to face her.

Clementine's eyebrows knitted together as she saw the woman's surprised face. The girl was confused for a moment, but soon she widened her eyes in recognition.

- Lilly?

she asked, almost in disbelief. She didn't even know how many years it had been since she had seen the woman; to her, she had died in that attack at the motel.

- Clementine?

Another voice called her name, and the girl looked at the person behind Lilly.

She widened her eyes again, this time really in disbelief.

- Sarah?

She almost shouted the girl's name when she saw her standing there, looking at her with a rifle in her hand.