A place to call home

Chapter 8: tough decisions

Well, well, here's chapter 8, everyone, and I'm super excited because The Walking Dead TV show is starting in around half-hour my time and I'm super excited to watch it. Now some of you may not like the show and only the game, or vice versa, but that's all right. Me, personally, I like both. As I go to watch the show, enjoy the next chapter, folks.


Kenny sighed. "Well, y'all, I have some more bad news. There's a capacity problem. There's eight of us here, and the boat'll only fit five of us. So...three of us will have to stay behind."

Every group member turned towards one another, nervous expressions across their faces, especially Ben, who has the feeling that Kenny was not going to let him on regardless of what happened next.

Chuck was the first to speak up, still holding a bottle of wine in his hand. "Well, if it means getting ya'll to safety, you can count me out. I'm an old man and ain't got much left. Don't you all worry about me though."

Now only seven remained.

Ben squeezed his eyes shut and pulled at his dark blonde hair. Clementine could see that he was trying his hardest not to panic, but it wasn't easy for the teenager. Kenny looked his way and raised an eyebrow.

"You got somethin' to say, shitbird?" he asked suspiciously.

Ben was about to say something, but instead, he folded his arms together and remained silent. "No..." but despite his fear, he was getting tired of Kenny pushing him around.

Clementine remained silent a this point. She hoped Lee or herself would not be one of the people who had to stay behind. "Are you sure it's only five? I'm only little and don't weigh that much."

Kenny seemed to think about it. "That's what the boat will fit, but I ain't sure about the weight."

"Is that a maybe?" Clementine asked, her hopes gaining somewhat.

"I reckon," said Kenny.

"You need help?" Lee offered.

"I'm fine, Lee. But we need to discuss this little situation," Kenny replied, glancing at Clementine.

Clementine returned a look towards Kenny. What did he mean by that?

Lee and Kenny walked away from the group to talk about whatever Kenny had in mind. Clementine decided not to eavesdrop as that would likely do no good. She looked over at Ben, who still looked fearful and panicked.

"Well, this sucks." Omid spoke up and leaned back into his chair with his arms folded together. He had high hopes everything would be fine if they joined their group.

("We were so close.")

("I wish we had a bigger boat.")

("What are we going to do?")

("...")

"I wish there was a bigger boat." Clementine admitted as she took a seat next to Christa and Omid on the same couch.

Christa and Omid looked down solemnly, wishing the same thing. Ben stood up and decided to sit in one of the bedrooms upstairs alone to pass the time.

"I wonder what's wrong with him," said Christa.

"Kid's probably worried about the boat." Omid assumed. He noticed Christa looking at him somewhat confused. "He's probably worried because of what happened with Kenny earlier."

"That was stupid, what he did," Christa pointed out. "But I think Kenny may have overreacted, he's lucky that Chuck was there."

"Kid's just scared." Omid defended him.

Lee and Kenny returned after having their little conversation. Now it was time to hear what they had to say, but regardless, there was going to be one too many.

"We can take Clementine because she won't take up too much weight," Kenny announced. "But we still need to get rid of someone else..." His brown eyes scanned around for Ben, only to find him nowhere in sight.

"So, Chuck isn't coming, Clementine won't count as a capacity." Omid began to state the details. He turned towards Clementine whilst doing so. "No offence or anything."

"It's okay." Clementine assured with a smile.

"So, that makes me, Christa, Lee, Clementine, Kenny, Katjaa and Ben." Omid continued, realizing that they still had a problem and that someone had to stay, but who? "We still got one too many."

Now this was the decision they had to make. Someone was going to stay behind, but who? Lee and Clementine were like father and daughter, Kenny and Katjaa were married, Omid and Christa were a couple, and Ben was alone.

"Should we put it to a vote?" Lee suggested.

"I say we do." Clementine agreed with her guardian's suggestions. She looked towards everyone present and regardless of who it was, she loved every here like her own family, but Ben was a danger to the group like he said.

("I abstain.")

("We leave Omid.")

("We leave Ben.")

("...")

She closed her eyes, not wanting to do what she did, but was left with no option. "I say we leave Ben."

Since Chuck decided to count himself out, he had no say in the matter and decided to keep out of it.

"Well, I think leaving Ben is the best choice, too." Omid agreed, but Clementine could tell by his face that he did not want to do it.

As much as Clementine wanted to go by her old saying, "We don't leave friends behind," she knew that she had made the right choice. Ben probably wasn't going to survive for much longer, either way, in his state.

"Both of you are makin' the right choice," Kenny praised. "A little surprising comin' from Clementine, but I like it."

"Kenny, do we really-" Katjaa began.

"Yes," Kenny cut her off firmly.

Lee and Christa were the only ones not to vote yet. Those two were the ones left to vote. Kenny's vote was more than obvious and Katjaa decided to abstain.

Lee, who usually put the lives of the group first, closed his eyes and sighed. "I think I'll abstain. Christa?"

Christa seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments before giving out her decision. "I know he means well, but I think we should leave Ben. After he put Katjaa in danger, I don't want to risk any more trouble with him."

Then it was settled. Ben was going to be the one who had to stay behind. But now all they had to do was tell the teenager. Speaking of which, Ben had just came back downstairs and approached the rest of the group with a curious eyebrow raised. "Hey, what's going on?"

The rest of the group looked among one another. Who was going to tell Ben their plan of leaving him behind?

"Ben..." Lee began, already looking regretful. "We had a discussion about the boat, and I'm so sorry, but-"

"Your ass is gettin' left behind," Kenny snarled, crossing his arms. "You really thought that you were coming with us, after putting my WIFE in danger? Fuck no! And who knows, Lilly could've been right about you bein' the one to trade supplies. I can believe that, y'know. Who the fuck knows if YOU CAUSED MY SON'S DEATH?"

"ALL RIGHT, IT WAS ME!" Ben finally confessed the truth and waved his hands in the air. "Yeah, I did. They threatened to kill us all if I didn't do what they said. I thought I could keep them off our back until you could get the RV working! I'm sorry."

Everyone was left shocked (except for Clementine, that is). It was true that Ben was the one who was trading the supplies with everyone. Now Kenny was beyond angry.

"Dude, just-" Omid tried to get involved but Christa placed her hand upon his shoulder, her eyes telling him not to get involved.

Kenny's eyes widened, and Clementine had never seen someone so furious in her short life (other than when Ben admitted his mistakes before). He immediately tackled Ben to the ground and began slamming his head on the hard floor repeatedly.

"YOU FUCKING WORTHLESS PILE OF DOG SHIT!" Kenny hollered. "YOU MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH! YOU GOT MY BOY KILLED, AND NEARLY KILLED MY WIFE! I OUGHTA KILL YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW!"

Lee and Omid jumped up and restrained Kenny's arms, pulling him away from Ben but he continued struggling nevertheless.

"Kenny, man, he didn't mean to kill him!" Omid told him, even though he and Christa were not present when his son had died.

"DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER!" Kenny exploded, elbowing Omid in the face. Whether that was accidental or intentional, Clementine didn't know. "THIS FUCKFACE CAN JUST DROP DEAD IN A FUCKIN' GUTTER FOR ALL I CARE!"

That was the last straw for Ben. Even since they first met, Kenny had did nothing but push Ben around, always claiming he was useless. He tried to put up with it, but now he lost his breaking point. He may have been responsible for Duck's death, but that was no excuse for Kenny to become a bad person, two wrongs did not make a right. He stood up and wiped the blood off his nose and stood up against Kenny who was still being held by Lee. Omid went to go and sit down.

"FUCK YOU, KENNY!" Ben snapped with his face full of anger.

Kenny's face went from a look of fury to a look of pure shock. It was safe to say that the rest of the group, including Clementine (who hadn't seen it before), were astonished too.

"I accidently killed Duck, and I'm sorry, I really am! But don't act like you're the only one who's lost people! I remember what Lilly told me, she told me you killed Larry in that meat locker when he was still alive! He was a dick, yeah, but you had no right!" Ben raised his voice when Kenny was about to speak. "NO! At least you have family here with you, I have no-one! You got to see your son die and got to say goodbye to him. I lost my best friend and my teacher! And I never even got to know what happened to my family. My parents, my little sister, they could be alive, dead, walkers, or worse and I don't know! It's bad enough I'm getting left behind, but you have don't have to push me around like that, Kenny! SO GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!"

Kenny's jaw dropped, obviously not expecting something, anything, like this to pour from the teenager's mouth.

"...Ben...I'm-" Kenny began, but something outside caused him to stop.


That brings us to the end of this chapter, folks. The boat is ready to go and Ben has finally confessed to his deal with the bandits, but it looks like the group is going to have some more trouble with some old friends. Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger, but the next chapter will be here soon.