What's this? An early chapter? Well, today has been a very important day and I just got accepted into university! I'm so happy I thought I'd spread that happiness with another chapter. :D

I'm aware that some readers are a bit confused regarding the timeline, so in the end note (as to not spoil anything about this chapter) I've explained further.

"I hate the cold," Ashleigh informed.

We'd been walking for hours since waking up and the snow had become heavier on the ground, making it difficult to move as easily. The crisp ice crunched under our feet as we travelled, reminding me of the day when Omid started a snowball fight.

"I miss the Florida sun," she continued to create conversation.

"You're from Florida?" I asked. "We knew a family from there."

"Yeah, my parents and I were visiting my sister in Kentucky though when the outbreak started so I was quite far away from home. She was gonna get married a few days later."

I said nothing because I didn't know what I could possibly reply.

"My dad used to make jokes at the start," Ashleigh recollected, a small smile on her face with her memories. "He told me that he didn't like Joe anyways so it was a good job the apocalypse started and Gaby didn't marry him."

I let out a little laugh. "Sounds like something my dad would have come out with."

We continued our journey in a comfortable silence. Ashleigh amazed me, she was so young and had witnessed a lot in the past few weeks alone. I guessed she'd seen a lot more before then, too. Yet somehow, she acted so positive. It reminded me of Clem in the days before Lee died. She always hoped to find her parents. As we searched for signs of Clementine, Ashleigh hummed old songs that I remembered from pre-apocalypse. I joined in with the tune, smiling as we went.

"C'mon, Travis, you can do vocals."

"I played guitar in band, I didn't sing," he laughed.

"I'm sure you're a wonderful singer," Ashleigh giggled. "We could change the song and you can rap, if you want."

"I think that'd be even worse," he chuckled.

"Aww, Travis, try to rap!"

Travis shook his head, laughing as we walked.

"Christmas carols! I bet it's Christmas soon," Ashleigh grinned before beginning to sing the songs.

I joined in while Travis kept his stance on not singing, though I was sure I could hear him humming along with the song.

In that moment, I felt almost carefree. Clementine was still at the front of my mind and I wished that she could have been signing with us, but the happy tone made my hopes raise that we could find the little girl. I felt like apocalypse wasn't happening, like I was just walking thorough the woods with friends.

But moments like that never last.

The shriek pierced my ears, and I spun on my heels as Ashleigh was screaming and reaching out to me to save her. This was too late though, the walker was biting into her at the shoulder. Travis fired the gun and the walker fell backwards.

I rushed to Ashleigh as she was crying loudly, the positivity suddenly sucked out of her life and replaced with a young, frightened girl.

"Help me! Please, don't let me die like this!"

I felt the tears sting my eyes as my heart raced. God, I was so fucking stupid. I'd let it happen again- let my guard down for five minutes and now another person was going to die. Because of me.

"Marcey!" Travis cried out.

There were walkers swarming around us, and we only had a few bullets left, a knife, and a bitten teenager.

Travis aimed and shot at a few of them while I stabbed the others, but there were still more approaching. The gun clicked again, though nothing fired.

"Out of ammo!" Travis gasped. "We're gonna have to run!"

"Where do you suppose we run, Trav?!"

Ashleigh's rapid breathing and loud sobs weren't helping and now it was two against five oncoming walkers.

I faced Travis with an expression of helplessness. That had to be the end for us. Trapped, practically defenceless and terrified. Then, suddenly, there were sounds that shocked me, freezing me on the spot but filling me with a moment of joy. Gun fire rang out five times and the walkers dropped to the floor, completely motionless.

"Is anyone hurt?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

When I located the source as a woman with curly hair, my eyes shifted to Ashleigh.

"She's been bitten?"

I nodded. The woman approached the young girl cautiously and examined her shoulder.

"There's nothing we can do about this," she sadly stated.

"N-nothing?" Ashleigh sobbed.

The woman looked back at us. "No. I'm sorry."

She stepped away from Ashleigh, and I wrapped my arms around her but was careful to avoid the bite.

"I should have been more alert," I apologised. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"It wasn't," she shot back immediately, though was fighting to talk through her tears. "I guess it was meant to happen."

I let her go of the hug as she wiped her eyes.

"I... I don't want to go like this. Can you..."

I followed her gaze to the gun that the woman held. Ashleigh wanted me to kill her? I couldn't do that to a child.

"I'll do it," Travis volunteered.

The woman passed her gun to Travis without any question.

I turned around so I couldn't see what was happening when a weak voice called out to me one last time.

"I hope you find your friend," Ashleigh told me. "And thank you for helping me forget."

"Thank you, too. Goodbye, Ashleigh."

"It'll be okay, you won't feel a thing," Travis told the girl sadly, his voice heavy with sympathy.

"Bye, Travis."

I shut my eyes and the gunshot burst through my ears. I'd let down another person- someone I could have saved.

I felt arms embrace me into a hug and I leaned into it.

"We can't save everyone."

"I know," I replied to Travis.

We were silent for while until I moved to look at the woman that had killed the walkers and offered her gun. She looked back at me sadly.

"Thanks for the help," I said. "Um, I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Tavia," she informed.

"I'm Travis," my friend spoke. "This is Marceline."

I looked quizzically at Travis. I took his control in the conversation as suspicion.

"Was I right in hearing that you're looking for someone?" Tavia enquired.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "A little girl from our group."

"Well I come from a camp not far from here," Tavia explained. "We recently got another group come in with two girls, the younger is probably eleven and the older fifteen."

"Can you describe the younger one?" I asked, the desperation evident in my tone.

"Dark hair, curly and cut short. She's pretty tough, deals with situations well as they arise."

I looked up to Travis, my heart racing. That did sound like Clementine.

"We're based at an old hardware store so it's safe and secure. There's quite a lot of people in our community and I can guarantee that if you were to join us, it would be much better than being out here in the open."

"That does sound..."

"We'll come with you," I stated. "If Clem's there then we have to go."

"Great," Tavia smiled. "Let's to before walkers come, that shot would have drawn them."

The woman began to walk away and I took Travis' hand in my own, feeling like our struggles were over. No more bad people in the woods, no more death of people I begin to care about... Soon we'd be back with Clementine and the three of us could find safety again. That was all I wanted.

Leaving it at a bit of a cliff hanger! But you have a shorter wait until the next chapter (unless you're reading this once it's fully published.. then you have no wait).

Now to explain the timeline! I think I've done this right..

So Clementine spends one night at the cabin, which is the day Marceline and Travis split up from her. The second day then is when Carver finds the cabin and the group have to leave. This is the day Marceline and Travis meet Henry. The cabin group walk for five days until they reach the mountains and meet Kenny again, and within these five days this story has taken place. When the cabin group get to the lodge, they are taken away to Howes and one night passes. The following chapter will occur on the evening that Kenny reveals his plan to escape.

I hope that was all correct, if not I'll probably cry because of how long i spent trying to work that out. Pretty embarrassing.

Anyway, much love to you all for continuing to read- I am so thankful for that. See you next chapter!