We set out again in the morning, Arvo leading us with a miserable expression as he limped along.
We'd been walking through the snow for hours, and Kenny was growing less patient by the minute, and my leg was protesting against the journey.
"How are you feeling?" Clementine asked me.
I forced a small smile. "Good enough to last until we get to this house. Hopefully it'll be warm."
"I'm starving," Travis complained. "I'd literally eat any food that was being offered."
"When we went to the ski lodge, a man there made us peaches and beans," Clem recalled. "It was gross."
I laughed a little. "I'd imagine so."
"I remember that," Sarah said. "There was a Christmas tree with lights."
"I love Christmas," I told her. "Especially getting to decorate the tree with my family."
"My dad used to let me put the star on the top of it. Maybe we'll find another tree and we can all decorate it," she hoped, smiling at us.
"That'd be great."
"How much further?" Kenny snapped at Arvo up ahead.
"I don't like when Kenny gets angry like that," Sarah mumbled to Clem.
"He's just trying to get us there faster," she responded kindly.
When I looked forward again as Kenny continued talking to Arvo, something caught my eye. "I'm really startin' to think... you're full of shit."
"Kenny!"
"Behind you!" Clem shouted.
"What the fuck?!"
The walker pounced at Kenny, pushing him down to the floor.
Clem darted forward, aiming her gun without a moment's hesitation and shooting through the walker's skull.
"Kenny," I panicked, rushing over as fast as my leg would let me. "Kenny are you okay?"
"Jesus Christ," he muttered to himself, pushing the walker off of him and standing up.
"That shot will attract more," Travis spoke, holding onto my arm and walking away. "Come on, we need to move now."
"Hey, hey," I said, nudging his hand from my arm. "I can't walk that fast. My leg is gonna give out on me in a minute."
"Right, sorry," he apologised.
The others caught up with us and Arvo nodded his head to across a frozen lake, where to my surprise I saw a cabin house.
"There," he pointed out.
"That piece of shit?" Kenny inquired in disbelief. "It's half built."
"We're here for the supplies, not the house," Jane reminded him.
"It's warm. Fireplace. Very warm."
"I hope so," I said.
"Is there any other way to get there?" Clem wondered. "Do we have to cross the lake?"
I observed the ice, noticing how it looked paper thin... It would surely break under our collective weight.
Travis looked at me, thinking the same thing.
However, we did decide to cross it. Arvo offered to go first, though I knew he would have been there any way so Kenny could keep his eye -and gun- on him.
Clementine voiced my thoughts, saying we should walk individually rather than together to avoid the ice breaking, and so we did.
"Be careful," I told the girl as she walked up ahead by Kenny.
"We should stay together," Travis said to me. "You can barely walk by yourself, it'll take you forever to cross this."
"I'd rather be slow at crossing than end up in that water."
He sighed, then took my hand in his. "Don't panic. Call me back if you're struggling."
"I'll be fine," I assured him.
He nodded and set off after Luke, though kept looking back to see where I was.
I waited for a few seconds until he was far enough ahead that I felt would be okay for the ice before starting to walk across it myself.
Each step felt like I was risking my life, and I was just as scared of slipping as I was of the ice breaking. I stepped carefully, trying to keep my weight balanced rather than being too heavy on one leg.
I realised rather quickly that I was falling far behind, but Travis had stopped.
"Keep going," I called to him. "Don't stand still, the ice..."
"Okay," he reluctantly replied, though I noticed how his pace was slower as he continued glancing back. "Oh, shit."
"We got some walkers behind us," Jane noticed, following Travis' gaze.
I didn't even want to take the time to look behind me, though I felt like my steps were heavier as I tried to hurry, my heart racing with fear.
There was a crashing of ice behind me, making me slip slightly in fright.
"Marceline, you good?" Kenny worried.
"I'm fine... I'll be with you in a minute... Keep walking, guys."
As the man had turned back to check on me, Arvo took his chance and ran, which snapped rage inside of him as he chased.
"No, Kenny, don't hurt him!" Clem begged.
Thankfully, he listened. Arvo, Kenny, Mike and the baby were safe in the snow, with Sarah and Jane not far behind.
The weight below my feet crunched and changed, and I was frozen on the spot. Those who heard turned around to see what had happened.
"Marcey, get the fuck off that spot," Travis ordered in a tone full of concern.
Clem and Bonnie started to walk to me.
"No, no! Stay there!" I waved my hands for them not to approach me. "The weight will definitely break-"
It crumbled beneath me.
The ice cold water stung my legs as they plummeted through the thin sheet, but my arms held onto the part that remained in tact.
"Marceline!"
"The walkers are almost here, hurry!" Clem cried out.
"Just... just shoot them! I... I've got this."
"Clem, go back for her," Bonnie instructed. "You're light, you won't break it."
"Don't you dare come over here, Clem," I shouted. "If this ice breaks more... All of you just go. Please."
"I'm coming to get you Marce," Travis said.
"No!" I shook my head furiously. "Just cover me!"
Finally Bonnie raised her gun and began to fire at the walkers, and then Travis joined her with his face as pale as the ice itself. While I attempted to drag myself out of the lake, I realised Clementine was approaching me carefully. I felt my legs tingling like pins were stabbing them and I knew I couldn't get out of the situation alone, but I couldn't have Clem risk herself to save me.
"I've got you!" Clem reassured me as she reached her hand to hold onto mine. "It's gonna be alright."
"Clem, no, please go back," I shivered.
"No, we can-"
Then the ice gave way, sending us deep into the lake.