The leaves on the tree were an orange-gold combination, rustling in the light wind of fall. I sat on top of the RV, gun in my hand and prepared for anything. The gun was a good weapon for me. I preferred using that instead of the screwdriver because I didn't have to get so close to the walkers to use it.

I scanned my eyes around the motor inn. Ben was stood giving something to Clementine, who had a happy smile of excitement on her face. She took the item and began picking at it, and I realised it must have been stickers as she put them on the walkie talkie.

Ben walked back to Travis and they were talking, then both their heads turned in my direction. I quickly moved my gaze onto the next person, seeing Lilly looking out of an inn window. She'd been stuck in there for days, refusing to come out much and limiting her social interaction with the group. Lilly gave me an emotionless expression before dropping the curtain back and disappearing from my sight.

Carley was flicking her gun around in her hand. I hoped it was unloaded, because she seemed a bit careless spinning it in her hands like that and it did make me somewhat nervous.

Kat and Duck were talking together by themselves, Kat smiling at her son as he rambled on excitedly about things I couldn't hear.

"Hey," a kind voice caught my attention. "You want a break? I'll keep watch."

I looked at Ben who stood at the bottom of the vehicle. "I'm fine here, there's not much else I'd do anyway. You're welcome to join, though."

Ben smiled a bit and climbed up onto the RV, sitting with his legs dangling over the side.

"You okay?" I asked, feeling like he was looking to say something.

"I..." Ben looked at his classmate who approached and corrected himself. "We were wondering how you're coping... with the nightmares, I mean."

"Uh," I looked down at the gun. "I'm good, I think. I can't say I've been sleeping particularly well, but the benefit to that is that there's no nightmares."

"You look like shit," Travis commented, pulling himself up beside us. "No offence."

"You don't look fantastic yourself," I shot back. The look on his face made me feel a bit guilty, because he seemed like he didn't mean it. "I'm sorry. Tired."

"It's fine," he said, patting my arm. "Why don't you let us take over for a bit? You could try sleep then."

I sighed and passed Ben the gun in defeat, moving from my chair to allow the other boy to sit.

"Lee and Kenny are back," I pointed to the two men as they walked back into the motel.

They went to Lilly's room and I heard Kenny speak first.

"We got the kids on watch again?"

"What did you get?" Lilly ignored his comment.

Kenny continued. "We might as well leave a sign out that says 'the men are gone, come rape our women and children'."

I groaned out loud, only for Travis and Ben to hear though.

"I hate him calling us kids," I swung my legs over the side of the vehicle. "I hate him speaking like everybody in this world is disgusting, too."

Travis agreed. "I'm eighteen, not eight. And I could protect you guys... probably."

"He doesn't mean it," Ben defended Kenny. "He's just saying that to pick up on Lilly not doing this."

I shrugged. "It still bothers me, he's called me a kid the whole time I've known him."

"Well, we're still seventeen," Ben mumbled.

"Yeah, technically you guys are still kids," Travis smiled.

I punched him playfully in the arm before jumping down from the RV and walking away from where I could hear Kenny and Lilly arguing.

I walked to the bathroom. It had a cracked mirror, taps that didn't work, a toilet that didn't flush and a shower that unsurprisingly also didn't work. I glanced in the mirror, noticing the huge bags and dark lines under my eyes. My skin looked deathly pale with marks of dirt on it. My eyebrows were losing definition since they'd been left to grow out with not having time or tools to fix up my face and my lips were cracked, peeled and dry. My blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of my head with an elastic band, looking greasy and tangled. My red hoodie was stained with blood, my jeans ripped around the knees, and my white tank top looking grey, dirty and bloody.

"I look disgusting," I complained to myself.

"We all do."

I let out a shriek in shock, spinning to the side where I was greeted by Travis.

"You could knock on the door!"

"Sorry," he said, lacking any apologetic tone to his voice.

"What's up?" I asked, straightening my hoodie and brushing some stray hairs back behind my ear with my hands.

"The argument kicked off pretty badly, Lilly went mental and screamed at everyone to get out of the room, so now people are just sulking around."

"That's all you came in here to say?" I raised an eyebrow. "You followed me to a deserted bathroom and decided to tell me that everyone has fallen out when I least expected?"

Travis seemed to blush a little.

"Seriously?" The corners of my mouth turned up into a small smile.

"I just wanted to check if you were okay," he lifted and dropped his shoulders in a quick motion.

"Travis, I'm fine. Honestly. Are you?"

He looked at the ground and began biting one of his fingernails.

"Gross, don't do that! You've not washed your hands and you've had walker blood on them."

He dropped his hand and pulled a disgusted face. "I didn't think of that. Um. Okay, I'm a little suspicious of Ben."

I crossed my arms, leaning on one side against the wall. "I thought he was your friend?"

"We were in band together, but I hadn't really talked to him much before the whole," he waved his hands looking for words. "Zombie apocalypse thing."

"So why are you suspicious?"

"Well, I was on watch with him the other night, right? Carley was too, but she had to go to the bathroom so that left just us for a few minutes. There was a noise in the woods, like people talking, and then Ben suddenly started acting all nervous. I asked him what was up, and he just brushed it off and said nothing was up. That's weird, right?"

I thought about the anecdote for a second. "You should tell Lee."

"I don't want Ben to get in trouble or anything!"

"And if he is hiding something?" I replied quickly. "A secret that could get us killed or worse?"

Travis sighed. "I'll go tell him now."

I smiled in a comforting manner before walking around him in the doorway and going back outside to the RV. Travis walked closely beside me, his face looking uncertain and anxious.

When we were behind the RV, Ben's voice suddenly picked up in the silence. "What's with the third degree? I didn't break any flashlight!"

"Okay then." That was Lee.

I raised an eyebrow and Travis mirrored my face.

"Now?" Travis checked with me.

"Go," I told him. "He definitely isn't acting normal."

Travis nodded and we walked around the vehicle just as Lee went to walk away.

"Hey, Lee? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

I climbed up the ladder and back onto the van, ignoring Lee and Travis as they walked away.

Ben looked nervous. I smiled at him, and he returned it, though not very naturally and we remained in silence.

"Nice... nice weather we're having," Ben stated.

I resisted the urge to giggle. "I guess."

Travis and Lee returned after a few minutes, the older man seeming to study Ben before turning to me.

"Marcey, mind speaking with me real quick?"

I got down from the RV and walked with Lee out of everybody else's earshot.

"There's something I want to tell you," he awkwardly held one of his arms and avoided my eyes a bit.

"Is something wrong?"

"Before I met Clementine... I was going to prison."

My eyes widened a bit. How could someone like Lee be going to prison?

"I killed a guy."

"Do you mind me asking why?"

"Caught him with my wife," he looked sad.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Listen, I don't really care about who everyone was before the apocalypse. People change, they have changed. We've all killed now, anyway."

"It doesn't mean what I did was right," Lee sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"I know but... it just doesn't change my opinion now, okay?"

He nodded his head. "Thanks, Marcey."

"You've told Clem, right?"

"She was the first I told. Carley already knew."

"Good," I smiled.

He smiled too, although his were more like half-smiles and almost undetectable.

"I should be getting back to watch now," I said, turning my body slightly and pointing to the van.

"Wait, Marcey? You haven't broken a flashlight recently, have you?" Lee inquired, his tone suggesting he already knew I hadn't.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I didn't even think we had them."

"Okay, never mind."

I smiled again before going back to the RV.


The views, favourites and follows I have had for this fic have shocked me a bit. I didn't expect anyone to read this, let alone like what I am doing! So thank you so much readers. Your feedback and acknowledgements make my day x