Soon: ...Ah, shit. That was way too one-sided. I had a feeling that the choice needed to be re-balanced a bit, but I still thought it'd be at least somewhat more divided than this. I think we've already well and truly got our answer to the question - "Will he be willing to sacrifice his friends' lives to protect what he loves most?" - haven't we? The answer is a near-unanimous "YES!", it would seem.

Don't any of you care enough about Kenny & Carley to even take the risk for 'em? I mean, how would you all have felt if you'd been given the time to rescue both parties when you went for those guys first, huh? But you were all just like - "Oh no! Hold on guys, I'm coming to - oops, Clem's in danger, never mind! Gotta go, guys! Love ya!"

I mean, don't get me wrong, I saw it coming, but ... for near enough all of you to be willing to make the sacrifice for Clem's sake? ... Perhaps I've underestimated your new-found apocalyptic mindsets, huh?

Reply to The Rose of Hedylogos: *opens reviews* ... *gets blown back by the resulting sonic-boom* ... Welp, Soonian Customs dictate that I must shout at all those who shout at me. So, here we go...

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE" - MOSTLY AROUND TOWN! ALTHOUGH AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME HAS ALSO BEEN SPENT ON THE TOILET! BEST NOT TO ASK ABOUT THAT, THOUGH!

"THIS IS GOLD MY FRIEND!" - HOLY SHIT, I'M RICH!

"I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS RIGHT NOW!" - I KNOW, RIGHT? LORD SQUIRRELTON IS DEAD! T~T

"THIS IS BEAUTIFULLY FLAWLESS!" - THANK YOU SO MUCH! NOW I JUST FEEL FABULOUS!

*deep breaths* ... *coughs* ... My voice box may not recover for a while ... but it was totally worth it. Thanks for the review. :3

Reply to Nemesis Anonymous: Well, thank you. Although, my story-telling prowess isn't really going to be tested during a short-story like this one. That test will come in time, with my larger, more sprawling adventures. ;)

Reply to Guest 1: Hooray! Someone went for Carley & Kenny, at least! However, even if you're right about the rock coming loose (nice theory there), how does going to help the others first really alter that situation at all? I mean, the rock is still gonna be coming loose afterwards, right? ... Just something for you to bare in mind.

Reply to Guest 3: Couldn't bring yourself to utter the words "Help Lilly", huh? ... Haha! It's okay. I understand.

Reply to santiagoponcini20: Aw, thank you. Also, "Lily is better", you say? ... Well, we here at Soonian Enterprises do not take sides in such matters, of course, but ... uh ... *slips you a thumbs up sign under the table*

Reply to ZombieSlayer995: Yes, yes, I am very psychotic. This has been well estab ... wait, what? And yes, you certainly can use a collapsing cliff-side in your own fan-fiction. I do not own the legal rights to such an event, unfortunately, as then I'd be extremely wealthy by now. I believe the common courtesy around here is to leave a shout-out to another author who has inspired you, however, so if you wanted to do that then I'd be fine with the arrangement. Just so long as you don't reveal my secret identity, we're cool...

And anyway, if you prefer Kenny to Lilly, did it not even cross your mind to try and take the extra risk for his sake? I mean, come on, man! Think of the dude's family here! :P

Reply to leafs nation: "Have you ever seen the Star Wars kid video on Youtube? You know, the one where the teen with the glasses is spinning a broomstick around the room and he ends up falling straight on his ass?" - I'd forgotten about that kid, honestly, but ... yes, I have seen it. I always thought that the best one was where someone actually edited out the broom for a real light saber. Now that was one badass klutz, right there!

"God damn, seriously he's like Shaggy from Scooby Doo" - Ah, that was as close as we got to a "Goddammit, Ben!" - I'd been hoping to receive one of those. Haha!

"I don't think Lee would be able to forgive himself if Clem were to fall down a rocky cliff." - We may find out the answer to this very question shortly... And although I agree with you, it doesn't mean that he wouldn't have been willing to take the risk for the sake of the others. After all, Lee is willing to jeopardise Clem's safety in the meat locker for the good of others, isn't he? As long as there's a greater good in mind (and as long as Clem isn't literally on death's door, which is ... debatable right here), then Lee has been known to have the ability of putting the needs of his friends before the needs of Clementine.

"The only thing that needs improving is for Ben to get his head out of his ass and start using his brain for a change!" - *gasps* ... Blasphemy! How dare you suggest such an outrageous thing! I mean, if Ben were to start actually using his brain, then everything might go smoothly for a change ... which I'm sure we can all agree would make for horrible story-telling! Anyway, what's The Walking Dead without someone always screwing everything up, y'know? XD

Reply to BlechblachBleeeh: Get yo' damn memes outta mah house! ... But yes, this certainly was a trap, just not as good of one as you're probably thinking. It's merely a simple bluff, not the far more intriguing double bluff, unfortunately. I'm not quite so evil as to fool everyone straight off the bat like that. ;p

Reply to DarkStar35: Yep. I went with the old "calm before the storm" strategy, hehe. And thanks again for the reviews. :)

Reply to smeake: Well, you may yet get your chance to bring down the hammer of judgement on Ben, so ... stay tuned for that, won't you? However, who will be killed and spared for each of these individual outcomes has already been pre-determined. I'm not really the type of writer who spares a character just because people ask me to, y'know? So, Kenny's fate is already well and truly set in stone, but you'll have to wait for the following update to find out what happens, I'm afraid.

Soon: Right then. Now that you've all (or rather, most of you) elected to go with the [Help Lilly] option, let's instead go in entirely the opposite direction and post the [Help Kenny] results first, shall we? Hehe! The game is up, I'm afraid, so I may as well reveal my cards at last ... even though most of you already have me beat.

So, let's get on with this...

This is the first of the three different outcomes that you can select for this story, "A Perilous Choice". If you're reading this, then you have either elected to go for the [Help Kenny] option, or else you went for one of the other two instead, and merely have a rather morbid curiosity about how selecting this particular choice will play out. If that is the case, then feel free to give your thoughts on this outcome in the review section after reading.

I should probably warn you, though, that you will also be expected to make yet another tough decision later on in the chapter, so ... don't go thinking that your work is done just yet. ;P

Either way, this is gonna be a bumpy ride, so ... hold onto yer butts.

Outcome 1: Help Kenny (& Carley)

Lee had made his decision. Clenching his fists tightly and momentarily clamping his eyes shut tight, he summoned up his resolve and forced his body to move to the left, tearing off across the ledge towards Kenny & Carley's location, all remaining caution for the stability of the ground apparently forgotten. He needed to move fast.

"LEE!" he heard Lilly yell angrily from behind him, as he set off to running in the opposite direction. The hint of disbelief (and betrayal) in her voice did nothing to help the mad panic now swelling within him, but he couldn't turn back now. Hesitating any further would just waste even more time, and could potentially cost the lives of all of his friends. He'd made his choice. He just had to hope that his hunch was correct, and that Lilly would be able to hold on long enough for him to save everyone. It was a calculated gamble. Kenny & Carley were certainly closer to going over the edge than Lilly & Clementine were, there was no doubt about that.

Within seconds he had latched his arms onto both of Kenny's, and began to slowly drag him - and, by extension, Carley - back onto the ledge. Kenny's pained grimace turned into a grin of relief as his friend helped him back onto solid ground, and Carley audibly murmured, "Oh, thank god", as she, too, was hauled towards safety.

Lee dragged Kenny away from the edge, and then tossed him roughly to one side, as he hurried to help Carley up too, who was now scrabbling slightly on the uneven rock, in her haste to try and reach her salvation.

No sooner had he ascertained that Carley was safely onto stable ground, then Lee turned hurriedly on the spot, sprinting off towards the opposite side of the plateau instead. He could see that the rock which Lilly was clinging onto had now snapped almost completely in two.

"I-Is something wrong?" panted Carley, the surprise evident on her face, as Lee immediately took off again, without so much as a word. Apparently, she was not yet aware of Lilly and Clementine's plight.

With a backwards glance, Lee sputtered only a single word to her over his shoulder, "Cl-Clementine."

Carley blinked in confusion and then looked to Kenny for answers, who was still lying face down, exhausted, on the ground next to her. "Oh, fuck…" Kenny gasped, forcing himself to sit upright, as the full realisation of the situation hit him. "Come on!" he yelled, yanking forcefully on Carley's right arm, so as to aid her in getting swiftly to her feet.

Lee was halfway back across the ledge when it happened - the stone that Lilly was so desperately clutching broke away from the rest. It had been the only thing preventing them both from falling … and so it followed.

Time was slowing down again. Lilly's eyes, widened with shock, couldn't have been locked onto Lee's for more than a fraction of a second, but somehow her disbelieving stare seemed to go on forever. And then she was gone, vanishing from Lee's eye line with a startled yelp, with Clementine no doubt joining her. Lee skidded to a halt at the tattered remains of the southern edge a mere second too late.

He peered over the edge, watching on in horror, as the two of them plummeted down the rock face at startling speed. They were both almost completely silent in their descent, the breath seemingly having been ripped from their lungs.

Lilly hastily threw out her arms, in a desperate attempt to catch hold of one the many jagged rocks poking out of the cliff face as she passed them by. Just as all was looking hopeless, the large, overhanging branch of a tree seemed to materialise out of the darkness below her. She thrust her body weight forwards to try and get closer to it, but misjudged the distance, and ended up catching herself painfully on her left side with the crooked point of the first branch. It tore clean through her clothing and skin, causing her to unleash a howl of pain that carried all the way back up to Lee and the others. Thankfully, however, the impact had drastically slowed her fall, which allowed her to make a wild lunge for the second branch hanging directly below the first one. She gratefully locked her arms around the brittle-looking wood, in what would best be described as a bear hug.

A glimmer of foolish hope ignited in Lee's chest, as he saw Lilly turn and once again throw out an arm (her left this time) in an attempt to catch Clementine too. However, it was far too late. Clementine had already tumbled way beyond Lilly's reach.

Lilly seemed to give herself a second to digest the consequences of her failure, before drawing her arm meekly back in again. Feeling that it was best for her to get herself to safety first, she then clumsily started to clamber along the branch, which was beginning to wobble ominously under her weight. Eventually she reached safety, dropping down onto the thin mountain trail just below the branch, though her injured side was clearly hampering her efforts somewhat. Once the soles of her boots were firmly planted on solid ground again, she cautiously leaned over the edge to try and catch sight of Clementine. Perhaps she, like Lee far above her, was silently praying that Clementine would mimic Lilly herself, and somehow manage to grab hold of one of the many rocks and branches protruding from the cliff face, but they both knew that she had already drifted too far away for this to be a realistic possibility.

They both watched on helplessly as Clementine continued to fall, her frail limbs flailing around pointlessly in mid-air, as she turned this way and that, frantically searching for something she could use to save herself. But nothing came.

"LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

With one final, gut-wrenching scream, Clementine's tiny form disappeared into the forest below, which was followed immediately by a series of loud crashes and bangs, confirming that she had made heavy contact with the many treetops that rested there.

Silence.

A silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, during which both Lee, and Lilly below him, stood rooted in disbelief, neither one able to truly take in what had just happened. As the truth started to sink in, the harsh reality of the situation settled itself upon them both.

There was simply no way that she could have survived that fall. Clementine … was dead.

Lilly's saddened eyes lingered on the treetops for a few more seconds, as though she hoped that Clementine would suddenly re-emerge from between the leaves on the back of a flying horse, or some other mythical saviour. When this (predictably) failed to come to pass, however, she slowly lowered her head, and cupped her hands silently over her face with a shuddering gasp, the nasty injury on her side momentarily forgotten.

Many feet above her, Lee was still standing in the exact same spot, his expression of disbelief frozen in place, as though his body had suddenly been encased in ice. Kenny and Carley finally joined him at his side, both of them panting heavily.

"Did you get 'em?!" Kenny asked rather redundantly, as a single glance at their surroundings would have been enough for him to see that neither Clementine nor Lilly were present.

"What - What happened?" breathed Carley softly, her emotion seeming to constrict her vocal chords somewhat.

Lee didn't answer them. He couldn't answer them. He doubted whether he would ever be able to utter a single word ever again. He felt numb. Empty. His life seemed to have been torn apart, then put back together again, only to then be shattered into a million irreparable pieces, all within the space of just a few minutes. He didn't want to face the truth. He couldn't. The pain was too much for him to bear. There was simply no way that Clementine could be…

In an attempt to give his stuttering mind some form of clarity, or perhaps just to give himself something to do, Lee allowed his eyes to drift towards Lilly, who was still standing on a narrow ledge some distance below them. Her body seemed to be shaking slightly as he watched her, but otherwise she looked OK. Lee tried to find some solace in this fact, but he didn't quite feel able to process such an emotion right now. Then Lilly made a sudden, dramatic movement, turning swiftly on the spot to stare up at them all.

And as Lee caught sight of the expression on Lilly's face, what he saw there actually made him take a step backwards in alarm. Her features were contorted, her jaw was locked tight, and her hair was dancing wildly in the high wind, all of which added to the unexpected wave of terror that had just washed over Lee. He had never seen Lilly look at him like that. He had never seen Lilly look at anyone like that. It was beyond anger, even. It was something far more powerful than that. Something much darker. Something frightening. To say that it made him apprehensive would have been an understatement. He felt a sudden chill creep down his spine, one which had nothing to do with the cold mountain wind.

Then they heard the growls. Dozens … no, perhaps hundreds of lifeless souls calling up to them from the forest below. The sound of the rocks tumbling down the cliff face seemed to have echoed off into the surrounding trees, and they were now paying the price for their lack of discretion.

The walkers were coming.

Their heads all turned as one to look down towards the base of the cliff, but Lee, Kenny and Carley were much too high up to see what was happening that far below them.

Lilly cast wary eyes out into the forest. She glanced left, and then right, apparently trying to discern the best possible way to go about making her descent. Her lips were drawn into a thin line as she silently pondered her options, but then a sudden surge of pain caused her right hand to shoot back towards her injured side. She gingerly pulled back her torn leather jacket to reveal a nasty looking gash on the left side of her abdomen, no doubt the result of her head-on collision with the overhanging branch. She could only hope that the splintered wood had not punctured anything vital. She seemed to be bleeding quite heavily, and was starting to look a little pale - whether this was from blood loss or the sheer shock of the fall, however, it was difficult to tell.

Grimacing slightly, Lilly tore off a piece of her tattered tank top, folded it haphazardly with her left hand, and then placed it firmly onto the wounded area, releasing a soft hiss of pain as the material made contact with her partially shredded flesh. Readjusting the strap of the rifle that had been digging into her neck, she cast another worried glance downwards, towards the base of the rocky structure, where numerous bodies were now starting to emerge from the shadow of the trees.

She then turned to look towards her companions at the summit once more - or rather, one of them in particular. Her gaze was cold, with no trace of forgiveness or understanding present in her eyes. Her lip curled slightly in disgust as she glared up at Lee. She was looking at him as though she were seeing him clearly for the first time, and she didn't seem to particularly like what she was seeing, either. It was a leer of deepest loathing.

And then she was gone again. Bending low, she set off down the cliff face once more, with surprising speed for someone with such a crippling injury. A few seconds later she had disappeared into the night completely.

A single bead of sweat trickled down Lee's forehead, as he continued to stare at the place where she had vanished. Although his head didn't really have room for any genuine concerns right now, he had to admit that somewhere, deep inside of him, he had experienced the smallest flicker of fear, upon seeing the way that Lilly had first looked at him. Put simply, there had been murder plastered all over her face, and seeing such a dreadful expression, from one of his closest allies, had truly shaken him to his core. He had never experienced anything quite like it before. Even in his current state of numb disbelief, he already knew one thing for sure - he wasn't looking forward to reuniting with Lilly again at all. In fact, he was now dreading the prospect. To merely face her wrath would have been one thing, but he would then also be confronted with his own guilt and remorse. Could he even justify his choice to himself, never mind her? And would Lilly even be interested in listening to his excuses? Upon remembering that chilling expression on her face, he didn't think so somehow…

"What the hell happened?" asked Carley once more. Her tone was more forceful this time, though it was still quavering slightly with suppressed emotion.

"I … I don't-", Lee began, without being entirely sure what it was that he was planning to say.

After a few tense seconds of silence, Kenny said awkwardly, "Er… Clem an' Lilly went over the edge, too. At the same time that we did", evidently seeking to aid his friend by uttering the words that he could not bear to. "They were both hangin' on the last I knew, but … well, I guess they must'a fallen after Lee came to help us…"

Carley looked simply outraged. "So you just left Clementine there?! What the hell were you thinking?!" Just like Lilly before her, Carley was gaping at Lee as though she were seeing him plainly for the first time. Thankfully, however, her anger seemed to stem from shock and disappointment, rather than outright betrayal or hatred.

"I - I thought that Lilly could hold on a little longer", Lee stammered, nearly choking on his words as they tumbled out of his mouth. "I thought she had it. She told me she had it!"

The sudden surge of anger that had just flared inside Lee's chest burnt out almost as quickly as it had ignited, dying down to mingle with the unstable mixture of guilt and sadness that was now pressing in on him from every angle. He knew that he couldn't blame Lilly. She had tried her best, and nearly lost her life in her attempt to save Clementine. No, there was only one person he could blame here … and that was himself.

"I thought she could hold on…" he repeated softly, his voice the mere faintest of whispers, barely audible to his companions.

"So… Clementine is-?" Carley asked hesitantly, her eyes widened in trepidation, clearly fearful of hearing Lee's next response.

"Dead", said Lee in a hollow voice, confirming the dreadful truth that none of them wanted to hear. "Lilly tried to help her, but she … she couldn't hold on. She just couldn't…" Lee's words seemed to die in his throat. He placed both of his hands over his face, as though trying to shield himself from the cruel reality that the world was displaying for him. He didn't want to let that reality sink in and, though his body shook with the effort of restraining it, he also didn't want to let any of the pain seep out. Doing so would somehow make it all the more real, and would kill the last piece of hope that was still flickering inside of him - the hope that, somehow, Clementine had survived the fall, that she was still alive … although, he already knew this to be impossible.

As though reading his mind, Carley asked the question that Lee had been dreading the most, "Did you … actually see her die? I mean, couldn't she have … I don't know … maybe survived somehow?"

Lee slowly lowered his shaking hands from his face, his tormented expression telling a story all of its own. He felt as though he had just endured a thousand years' worth of pain in the last two minutes, and yet still more waves of anguish continued to cascade down upon him, beating his tortured body even further into the ground. He didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted - no, needed - to unleash some of the misery that was currently wailing inside of him, but didn't have the first idea how to go about doing it. Even if he had wanted to cry, he wasn't sure that he would have been able to. This pain was … past the point of tears. It ran far deeper than that. It was inside of his soul, eating away at his very core.

"…No", he said finally, his voice now devoid of all emotion. "I didn't actually see it, but … no one was surviving that fall. She's … gone."

And that was when it finally hit him - she was gone. He had failed. Failed in his task of protecting her. His one last hope of redemption for his past mistakes, his greatest reason for continuing to live … had just been snuffed out. The light of hope that had been burning inside of him these last few months was now well and truly extinguished. His life had lost its meaning again…

Carley slowly shook her head, staring at Lee in disbelief. She seemed to be caught in two minds - while part of her still wanted to rage at him, shout him down for being so foolhardy, the other part of her didn't seem quite able to manage it. As she watched him, standing there like the hollow shell of a man, she found her anger ebbing away from her. He had already suffered more than enough pain for his actions. She didn't need to be adding any more right now. "I can't believe it…" she murmured quietly, apparently unsure of what else to say.

"I just wanted to save you both", Lee mumbled in that same lifeless tone, turning to look at his two remaining comrades. "I wanted to save everyone. I thought…" But once again, he found himself unable to finish the sentence, and settled instead for trying to swallow the immense lump that had now formed in his throat, constricting his speech.

Kenny gave Lee a long, sorrowful look, clearly doing some thinking of his own, and there was pity on his face as he observed the man before him. He turned first to Carley, his voice deep and full of emotion, as he said, "Look, whatever happened happened. It's done. An' there's nothin' that we can do to change that now. Lee made his choice an', no matter what we may think about it now, I'm sure that he had his reasons." Then he turned back to Lee, who looked up into his face as he said sadly, "It's like you once told me, right, pal? 'In a moment, when things are really outta control, you don't have any choice.' That's what you said to me way back when, an' … well … it seems pretty damn appropriate right now, y'know?"

Lee didn't say anything in response to this. One could only guess as to what was going on behind those troubled eyes. He looked up at Carley, who was staring at him silently, a woebegone expression now firmly settled on her face.

"This is the second time that you've saved my life at the expense of someone else's", she said quietly, her sadness apparent in each syllable that she uttered. "It seems to be becoming a bit of a trend…"

Again, Lee said nothing to this, but instead watched Carley closely, carefully taking in her every word.

"First Doug, and now … Clementine?" Carley shook her head again in saddened disbelief, before peering meaningfully into Lee's eyes. "I just … I'm beginning to wonder how many more people are going to die for my sake, you know?"

"...I'm sorry, Carley", whispered Lee softly, his voice still barely more than the faintest hiss. "I'm truly … truly sorry." And then, at last, he felt the sudden sting of tears in his eyes, but he forced them back with all his might. He wasn't about to go to pieces now. Not here. Not yet. He had to keep himself together, at least for a little while longer. They needed to survive this … as pointless as that notion seemed to him now.

The agonising silence dragged on for another ten seconds or more, before Kenny finally cleared his throat to speak again.

"Awright, look, I know that we're all still a little shaken up about what jus' happened, but … we've gotta move. Those things are prob'ly on their way up here as we speak, an' it's only gonna get harder to push our way through, the longer we leave it."

Carley looked to Lee, who nodded his head once without reply. Kenny drew a deep, steadying breath, seeming relieved that his companions were so willing, and then set off towards the route down the mountainside from which they had come. Carley reached her hand into the back of her jeans, as though preparing to check on the status of her handgun once more, only to retract it a split-second later, having remembered that her precious Glock had fallen from her grasp, and down to the rocky terrain below. Finding it again would have been a near-impossible task, even in broad daylight. With a sombre sigh of resignation, she turned on her heel and headed off after Kenny, motioning delicately for Lee to follow her as she went. Lee, however, was busy taking one last look over the edge of the cliff, scanning the darkened scenery one last time.

He would never forget this accursed place. Never, for as long as he continued to live … which may not even be that much longer anyway, he thought gloomily. Death was not even a frightening prospect to him anymore. Had it not been for the lives of his companions, he may have given up right here - waited for the dead to come and claim him, never leaving this spot. As it was, he, too, turned on his heel and headed off after his remaining friends, steeling himself once more for the battle for survival that was surely to come.

His family … His friends … Clementine … What was this cruel world going to take from him next?

"Hey", came Carley's voice from a short distance away. "Hey, I think he's still alive!"

Lee picked up his pace, raising a curious eyebrow. He arrived at the scene of the fallen monument to find Carley crouched over Ben's unconscious body. Both of her hands were on the boy's back, and she was now shaking him gently.

"Ben? Ben! Can you hear me? You've got to wake up! We need to go! Ben!"

"This fuckin' piece o' shit is the whole reason this even happened in the first place", grumbled Kenny crossly, glaring down at the youth by his feet with something close to disgust.

"That isn't true", retorted Carley dismissively, continuing to shake Ben more ruggedly by the second.

"Don't try an' deny it. If it wasn't for him causin' that damn rockslide then Lilly an' Clem would still be here with us right now."

"What are you getting at, Kenny?" spat Carley angrily, clearly losing patience with Kenny's unwillingness to help her rouse the boy before them.

"I say we leave 'im."

"Are you fucking serious?!" Carley almost shrieked, her mouth hanging slightly agape, as she turned to stare at Kenny.

"Think about it", Kenny demanded fiercely, gesturing wildly from one companion to the other. "We need to leave right now, an' he don't exactly look like he's wakin' up anytime soon. So, we'd have to - what - carry the sonnuva bitch down the mountain?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do", said Carley, equally fierce. "Right, Lee?"

"An' then what happens when we run into those walkers down there, huh?" mused Kenny, clearly humouring her now. "How are we supposed to fight 'em all off if we've gotta worry about protectin' this sack o' shit, too? Huh?! Explain to me how exactly we're gonna go about doin' that, Carley! 'Cause if you've got any solutions, then I'm all ears!"

Carley merely scowled at Kenny for several long seconds, but then she lowered her head in defeat. Apparently, she had no solutions to that particular conundrum. "…We can't just leave him here", she muttered quietly, after several further seconds of contemplation. "He's not ready to cope out here on his own. He'll die." She looked despairingly to Lee, her eyes seeming to shimmer with a silent plea for help.

"...Lee, you're not actually buyin' this bullshit, are ya?" enquired Kenny hastily, after realising where Carley was now looking. "Clementine died because of this shit-", he kicked Ben hard in his left side. "-right here. An' if we're not careful, then he's gonna get us killed, too. We've got no choice but to leave 'im! Come on, Lee, you know that I'm right about this…"

"Lee, please", Carley whispered sadly. "He's still just a boy. A scared, stupid boy. And he needs our help."

Lee looked from one face to the other - Carley, kneeling on the ground beside Ben with her eyes still wide and pleading; Kenny, his right hand outstretched to display their getaway trail for Lee, his expression tense and expectant, as though merely waiting for Lee to make the correct decision. Lee allowed his gaze to fall back towards the unconscious boy at their feet, thinking hard. He had heard both Carley's and Kenny's arguments, and now the only question was … which one was he going to listen to?

Take Ben

Lee's chest expanded momentarily as he drew breath, and then contracted again as he released it into the night-time air. "Let's get 'im up", he said decisively, bending down to help a relieved and delighted-looking Carley shift the few remaining rocks which had fallen onto Ben's legs, thus trapping him in place.

Kenny gave an irritable twitch as he watched the pair work, and then grumbled, "This is a bad idea, Lee. We don't have time for this."

"No one else is dyin' today", said Lee firmly, pausing to throw Kenny a look of intent. "Not if I can help it."

Kenny seemed to dwell on Lee's words for a second, then merely gave a shrug of his shoulders and a small shake of his head.

Lee turned back to focus on the task at hand and, with a little help from Carley, succeeded in dragging Ben's unconscious body out from underneath the rocks. As he hoisted Ben into an upright position and flung the boy's limp left-arm over his shoulders, Lee once again turned to Kenny, only this time with a request. "Gimme a hand, would ya?"

Kenny hesitated. Lee's fierce expression was still very much in place, but there was now a slight plea mixed in with the determination. Kenny heaved a huge sigh, and then went to help, pulling Ben's right arm across his own shoulders. He then shot Lee small smile, clearly having resigned himself to helping out his friend, even if it was against his better judgement.

It was then that Carley passed by Lee's opposite side, closing in swiftly and planting the gentlest of kisses on his left cheek, whispering just a single, "Thank you", as she did so.

Lee stared at her sadly. In any other situation, he probably would have smiled in response to her affections, but ... not tonight. Not after all that had just happened. He turned back to Kenny and nodded just the once, confirming his intention to move. Together, the two of them effortlessly lifted Ben into a standing position, and then began the slightly awkward task of carrying the long and lanky boy towards their only confirmed escape route. As they reached it, Kenny paused and panted, "So… what do we do now, folks?"

"We'll have to try and fight our way through", said Lee heavily. "No other choice."

"I don't have a gun anymore", Carley pointed out fearfully.

Lee gave himself a few seconds of deliberation, then retrieved his own gun from the back of his jeans. "Here. Use this one instead." He handed it to her delicately with his free left hand.

Carley gratefully accepted the weapon without hesitation, then immediately set to checking the clip, to make sure that everything was in good working order. "So, we've got two guns, and not a lot of bullets", she said glumly, glancing from Kenny, who was looking slightly annoyed, to Lee, who was now looking serious and concerned.

"Well, we'll just have to make our shots count then, won't we?" he shrugged, trying not to sound as apprehensive as he felt.

"I always do", said Carley proudly. "And you?" she prompted anxiously.

"I'll be fine. I've still got my left hand, don't I?"

Carley flashed him an understanding smile, clearly aware that Lee was putting on a brave face for her benefit. "Okay, then. Let's go", she said finally, hopping down onto the ledge below. "Whatever you guys do, try and stay behind me, alright? At least until we're off this godforsaken rock."

"Will do", Kenny grunted reservedly, not entirely meeting Carley's eye. He and Lee then set about the task of lowering Ben on to the next level, with Kenny going first, and having Lee pass the boy down to him afterwards.

Lee's eyes seemed to be slightly glazed over as he climbed down after his companions, reaching out for Ben's left arm again after he had assured his own safe footing. He was in the zone now. He was determined that nothing was going to faze him until he and his friends had found somewhere safe for the night. He had no other choice but to keep moving. However, the inside of his brain was still reeling from what had happened to Clementine.

What would the others say, if or when they found them again? And - Lee's heart skipped a beat at the thought - what would Larry have to say about all this? The old man had promised to punish him if he ever did anything to hurt either Lilly or Clementine, and he had just somehow managed to lose both of them in a single night. And even if Lilly made it back safely, was he really any better off? All she would do is confirm for the group what Lee had actually done, and he was honestly fearing her wrath more than he was fearing her father's at this moment in time.

And Clementine … innocent little Clementine … his sweet pea. Where was she now? Was her body stuck in a tree somewhere, disfigured and grotesque? Was she on the forest floor, perhaps, getting picked apart by hungry walkers and forest critters? Or had her brain survived the fall? Could she have maybe reanimated? Lee banished these unbearable images from his mind, determined to keep marching forwards, to not break down. And yet, even if they succeeded in climbing down the cliff face, and then made it through the forest in one piece, he was sure that there would come a time, several hours from now, when he would sit himself down in a lonesome room and truly be confronted with what he had done for the first time. He would no doubt ask himself - "What is there left for me in this world now?" - and … he wasn't sure that he would be able to give himself a favourable answer. What was left for him in this world, now that Clementine was gone?

One step at a time, Lee told himself. One step at a time.

Leave Ben

Lee's chest expanded momentarily as he drew breath, and then contracted again as he released it into the night-time air. "We're leaving 'im", he said decisively, taking a step back from the place where Ben still lay, silent and helpless, on the uneven ground. He turned to a gobsmacked-looking Carley and motioned for her to get up too, adding briskly, "Come on. Let's go."

Kenny gave a small sigh of relief. "Awright, good. Let's get a move on then, 'fore it's too late."

Carley, however, didn't budge. Her accusing glare was now focused solely on Lee, and he thought that he even caught sight of an angry tear in her eyes as she said, "So, that's it, then? You're just going to leave him here to die?"

"It's either he dies, or we all die, Carley", Lee stated bluntly, his expression now cold and unfeeling. "And I'm not prepared to risk all our lives for someone like Ben."

"But he's one of us!" Carley pleaded desperately, searching Lee's face for some hint of compassion or mercy. "He's been travelling with us all this time, hasn't he? Helping us, laughing with us, suffering with us - does that mean nothing to you?"

Lee peered at her for several long seconds, drinking in her words, and considering her request. Kenny's was shuffling his feet and looking slightly uncomfortable, his eyes travelling back and forth between the two of them. Eventually, Lee broke the silence…

"He's had his chance and he blew it. I'm just not willing to take the risk, Carley. I've made my decision."

Stunned disbelief was gradually replaced by a hardened scowl as Carley listened to Lee's words. She allowed her gaze to fall back onto Ben's motionless form once again, her eyes seeming dance about restlessly in their sockets. After a moment's pause, she turned back to Lee and muttered mutinously, "And if I refuse to go with you?"

A flicker of anger shot across Lee's face at this. Apparently, he didn't appreciate her challenging his judgement, least of all with what he clearly considered to be low-blow tactics. Sensing danger brewing, Kenny decided to intervene…

"Look, we don't have time for this, alright? You're welcome to bring the kid with us if you want, Carley, but you'll have to carry 'im yourself, 'cause me an' Lee ain't about t' risk our lives for this asshole, okay?"

Carley's eyes snapped shut, a look of sheer revulsion upon her face. Then she rose to her full height (which, admittedly, wasn't much) and dusted off some dirt from her clothing. She shot a rather nasty look in Kenny's direction, then walked straight up to Lee and whispered, "Is this who we are now, Lee? First Clementine … and now Ben? Are we really becoming the type of people who allow children to die?"

These words acted like a dagger to the gut for Lee, and once again he felt a great pool of anger bubble up from deep inside of him. Was she really doing this? Now, of all times? He closed his eyes and took another steadying breath, in an attempt to tame his rising temper once more. Then he opened them again and stated firmly, "We'll talk about this later. If you wanna live, then move."

It was a silent standoff. Carley noted the cold determination present on Lee's face, then returned an equally frosty glare of her own. She had never known Lee to act like this, in all of the time she had known him. "I don't even know who you are anymore, Lee", she hissed waspishly, before tearing her gaze away from his, and streaking past him towards their escape route.

As Lee stood there, trying to master the powerful frustration now building from within, Kenny clapped a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to whisper, "You made the smart choice here, pal. She may not appreciate that fact right now, but ... she will … in time."

"…Yeah", murmured Lee with a non-committal grunt, while absent-mindedly flexing his fingers to form a fist. Truth be told, even he wasn't sure if this was the right decision or not, but he knew that they'd never make it out of this predicament if they weren't prepared to make some sacrifices. He hadn't been forced to watch on as sweet, young Clementine had met her demise, only for them to then also lose their lives defending the clumsy, hapless oaf known as Ben shortly afterwards.

"Are you guys coming or not?" asked Carley from a short distance away, her tone now as icy as an Arctic blizzard. "Because I thought you said we were in a hurry", she added snidely.

"Yeah, we're comin'", muttered Kenny passively, tapping Lee briefly on the arm, and then gesturing for him to follow.

As both Kenny and a very unsettled-looking Lee reached her, Carley glanced briefly at the pair of them with one eyebrow raised, then glared angrily off to the side as she conceded, "I don't have a gun anymore."

Lee and Kenny exchanged sideways looks, as Carley continued, "I lost mine back there, when I was hanging over the edge. So, if you two want me to help fight those things off then I'm gonna need a new weapon."

Kenny's moustache twitched nervously, then he turned to Lee and said sadly, "She's got a point, Lee. She's prob'ly better with a pistol in hand than either one of us. Looks like one of us is gonna have to go bare-handed, huh?"

Lee gave himself a moment to consider his options - he certainly wasn't looking forward to having to fight off walkers with his bare hands, as that was never an enticing prospect. However, if he was being completely honest with himself, the real reason behind his hesitation was the thought of being confronted by Lilly without a weapon, rather than the undead. He would have liked to believe that she wouldn't ever do anything to hurt him, but then … he would also have liked to believe that she could never look at him in the way she had done earlier on. Still, if worse came to worst, he at least knew that he wouldn't have to face her alone.

He sighed and reached into the back of his jeans to retrieve his Glock. "Here. Take it", he said shortly, his expression pensive and his tone serious, as he handed Carley the gun.

Carley seemed to chew moodily on her tongue for a second, as though she were actually considering declining Lee's offer, but then she released a sigh of her own and, swallowing both her anger and her pride, accepted the weapon that he was offering her. As if by habit, she immediately checked to see if it was properly loaded. "Not a lot of bullets", she commented evenly, slotting the half-empty clip back into the gun.

"Better make 'em count, then," Kenny advised her. "Otherwise, we're all screwed."

Carley made no further comment as she hopped down onto the level below, completely ignoring Kenny's gentlemanly gesture to allow her to go first.

Kenny gave an irritable tut, then coiled his arm sympathetically around Lee's shoulders, helping to guide him towards the gap in the rocks. "Come on, pal. Try an' keep it together, yeah? Just for a little while longer…"

Lee barely heard Kenny's words of encouragement, as he wearily climbed down after Carley. His mind was all over the place, but he was desperately trying to prevent himself from falling into the pit of misery that was now threatening to engulf him. He turned his head as he landed, taking one last look back at Ben, who still showed no signs of stirring. He just hoped that he was doing the right thing. He wasn't sure if he even had any more room left in his head for additional regrets, but he knew that he had only lost Clementine because he had been unwilling to risk losing Carley & Kenny. He had tried to save everyone, but had instead ended up losing his most treasured companion as a result. He wasn't about to make the same mistake again. He had to prioritise what was most important to him going forward, and weighing the lives of Kenny & Carley (as well as his own life) against Ben's had really been no contest whatsoever. Unlike Kenny, he still held no ill-will towards the boy. Honestly, he felt just as responsible for all of this as Ben was. And yet … this was just something that had to be done. A sacrifice for the greater good. Although, Carley didn't appear to see it that way…

His thoughts then turned to the others who were still missing. What would Katjaa have to say about him losing not only Ben, but Clementine as well? What of Larry, Mark and Duck? And what of Lilly? Would any of them be able to forgive him? Would any of them even try to understand? Or would they all judge him harshly? Proclaim him a monster and a murderer of children, just as Carley seemed to be doing at this very moment?

Either way, he had no space left in his heart to spare for any of them right now. The only thoughts that he was willing to give way to, as he shimmied steadily along slippery rocks and across dangerous crevices, were the thoughts of Clementine ... his sweet pea ... now gone forever … and all because of him. Was Carley right? Was he becoming a monster? Or had the monster always existed beneath the surface, with Clementine's innocent smile acting as his only lasting restraint? His only true escape from sorrow and madness…?

These were questions that he would have to ask himself in due course, but now was not the ideal time for soul-searching. He glanced at Carley to his right, who was still staring bitterly straight ahead of her, and then he glanced towards Kenny on his left, who now seemed to be silently wrestling with the guilt which accompanied the decision they had just made, as Lee was himself. Was he even happy that they were both still alive? He supposed that he must be, deep down, but … such emotion did not really feel accessible to him anymore.

Only one feeling prevailed, above all of the things that were currently swirling around in his chaotic mind - he needed to survive this. They all needed to survive. For Ben's sake. For Clementine's sake. They couldn't allow this to all be for nothing…

And with that thought there to sustain him, Lee tensed the muscles in his arms, once more preparing himself for the inevitable battle that was still to come.

Soon: Well, there you have it. That's what happens if you choose to help Kenny instead of Lilly - Kenny & Carley are both still alive and well, whereas Clementine is almost certainly dead. Lilly is still alive as well (when last sighted, at least), but doesn't appear to be altogether pleased with your decision ... to put it mildly.

I may have gone a little overboard on the reaction to this one, but ... hey, it's not every day that you get to kill Clem off, y'know? Especially with Lee having been the one at fault. I just wanted to explore Lee's reaction to such trauma in greater detail, is all.

So, for those of you who made this choice - how do you feel about it, having now read the outcome? I would assume that most of you who selected this option did so because you hoped that it would give you enough time to save everyone (which was my actual intent heading into this choice, of course), but Lee's efforts fell tragically sort, and thus resulted in Clementine's death.

I suppose that it's also entirely possible that some of you merely valued the lives/companionship of Kenny & Carley over Lilly & Clementine, so ... for those people, how do you feel about this outcome? Are you satisfied? Saddened? Do you regret your decision at all? ... And are you pissed off that Lilly somehow managed to survive, but not Clementine? Haha!

Also, did you take Ben or leave him? And what was your rationale behind making that particular choice? Are you happy with your companions' reactions to said choice? Let me hear from ya!

Now, let's completely ruin the mood with a Skit, shall we? ... What? Hey, it's only a damn short story. So, you know ... Bill me! Anyway, moving on to the actual Skits themselves - I'll give ya two of 'em this time, 'cause I'm generous like that. Enjoy.

Skit 3 (Tree Hugger)

Lilly: *manages to grab hold of an overhanging branch as she's falling, hugging it for dear life* … "I'll never let go, tree. I'll never let go."

*titanic music starts playing*

Sir Branchalot of the Western Keep: "Why hello, my fine lady!"

Lilly: "Y-You can talk?!"

Sir Branchalot: "Why, yes! So good of you to drop so suddenly into my midst - like an angel falling from heaven!"

Lilly: "Uh…"

Carley: "Aw, that's sweet."

Soon: "Lee had never seen Lilly hug a tree like that. Lee had never seen Lilly hug anyone like that."

Lee: "Um… Why are you narrating my thoughts?"

Soon: "Because otherwise the readers won't be able to - … oh, never mind."

Kenny: "Never had her pegged for a tree hugger…"

Carley: "I think I've found my new OTP." :3

Kenny: "Hehe. Don't you mean you've found your new O-Tree-P?"

Carley: "...Ugh, that's just gross."

Lee: "Yeah, Kenny, you're kinda stinkin' up the place, man."

Lilly: "THAT IS SO BAD!"

Kenny: "Tch. Fine. I'll jus' go an' take my cultured sense of humour somewhere it'll be properly appreciated, then."

Ben: *groans from underneath the rocks*

Kenny: "You stay out of this!"

Skit 4 (Fairy Clem)

*Clementine flies out of the forest with glittering fairy wings on her back*

Clementine: "I'M ALIVE~!"

Carley: "Alright~!"

Kenny: "Not bad!"

Lee: "Nice."

Lilly: "Good! Now get me off of this fucking branch already!"

Sir Branchalot: "B-But … I thought that we had something, my lady?" :'(

Lilly: "You just stabbed me, asshole!"

Sir Branchalot: "A - A simple miscalculation. I was merely trying to catch you, my lady."

Lilly: "Yeah? Well, your aim is fucking terrible then, isn't it?!"

Carley: *sighs* ... "Well, that ship certainly sank quickly."

Kenny: "Like all of her relationships, no doubt."

Lilly: "I HEARD THAT, KENNY!"

*Lord Squirrelton's corpse falls out of her jacket and plummets down to the forest below*

Lilly: *gasp* … "I dropped my squirrel! Nuuuuuuuuu~!" T~T

Kenny: "Oh, nice one, Lilly! Now we're all gonna go without dinner t'night!"

Lilly: "This was your fault! If you hadn't distracted me-!"

Kenny: "Here she goes again - deflectin' the blame, like she always does."

Lilly: "I HEARD THAT, TOO!"

Sir Branchalot: "Now wait just one moment. You - You murdered Lord Squirrelton?! Wh-What manor of treason is this?!"

Lilly: "…Uh-oh. Er … Any - Any time now, Clem."

Clementine: *still whizzing around at high speed* "Weeeeeeeeeeeeee~!"

Soon: And they all lived happily ever after ... except for maybe Lilly ... who's currently stuck on Sir Branchalot, so ... hmm. Ah, well. I'm sure she'll be fine, right?

I'll be uploading the outcome of the [Help Lilly] option tomorrow, I think. So, for those of you who selected that one and are still eager to see the results (or else dreading them), you'll have to sit tight for a bit longer, 'kay? Until next time, guys. ;)