Sorry, this one took so long, I've been trying to make it, but not knowing how to get the group into this situation.
The group had been walking for two days and had just passed the entrance to Savannah, keeping as far away as they could from the city without getting lost. They were back on familiar ground after they found the train tracks they had come to the city by. The four carried on, keeping directly next to the train tracks.
"So, how do you spell…train?" Lee asked.
"T-r-a-i-n…?" Clementine asked, pausing with each letter, holding Lee's hands as she attempted to balance on the steel of the tracks.
"That's right, good job, Clementine!" Lee said. He had been teaching her Maths and English as they walked, trying to keep her entertained and educated.
Clem looked around, noticing another pair of tracks running parallel to the ones she was standing on. "What are those tracks for?" Clementine asked.
"Those ones take trains the other way round," Omid said, walking up next to Clem with the map. He pointed at a yellow line on the map tracing all the way from where they were standing looping round the outside of Savannah and back again. "See, this goes around Savannah so they can drop off whatever they're carrying then back around, so the trains would end up there."
Christa pretended to yawn, covering her mouth jokingly.
"Oh, you know you love it when I talk about trains," Omid said.
"I do…?" Christa giggled.
"Alright, what about Math…what's ten plus sixteen?" Lee asked.
Clementine took her spare hand that she wasn't keeping her balance with and counted on her fingers. "Twenty…five…? No…six!" Clementine said, happily.
"That's right!" Christa smiled.
"Good job, sweetie," Omid said.
"Alright, what about…" Lee paused, thinking he heard something coming from the surrounding forest.
"I hear it too…" Christa whispered.
Lee listened closely, it was a bouncy happy whistle. Lee took out his revolver and held it close to him. Clem took Lee's old pistol from Omid's backpack he had gotten from the shopping village. Christa took her large silver pistol from her pants and held it up towards the forest where the whistling was coming from. Omid did the same with his rifle.
The whistling grew louder and louder until a young man emerged from the forest, rustling the leaves, carelessly. He paused in front of the four pointing guns at him. The boy was tall and skinny, with some small muscle showing through a red t-shirt under a black hoodie, with a brown leather pistol holster wrapped around the shirt, inside was a military-grade pistol shining under the sun. He was also wearing a pair of regular-fitted black jeans. He was also wearing white and red running shoes on his feet. The young man had blonde messy hair, and a face with wide blue eyes, slim cheekbones, and a kind smile.
He stood awkwardly in front of them, with one hand raised in a half-hearted wave. "Hey…uhm…hi…" The man said.
Lee kept his revolver aimed at him, not trusting the boy at all.
"Hi." Clementine said, lowering her pistol slightly, still keeping it aimed at him, following the adults' example. The boy smiled and waved at Clementine, with a sweet smile.
"Who are you?" Lee interrogated.
"My name's…uh…Jeffery…uh…you can call me…Jeff…" The boy said.
"Get the story straight, asshole," Christa growled.
The boy dropped his arms by his side. "My name's Mason." He sighed, putting his hand up in a surrender.
"You got a group, Mason?" Omid asked, lowering his voice, trying to sound tough.
"I'd suggest not taking me as a prisoner to them. Our leader may have this code of ethics bull', but this cancels it out." Mason said. "I'm not threatening you, I'm warning you."
Lee looked over to Christa and Omid and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure what to do with the boy, he could never shoot him if he took him back to his group they may kill him, Clem Omid and Christa, but if he let him go his group could chase Lee and the others down.
"Although…" Mason began. "I could take you back to them. I noticed you've got a kid with you. You guys don't look too good either, I wouldn't exactly feel right leaving you here. But it all depends on something…"
"On what?" Lee asked, slowly lowering the revolver.
"Do you know how to operate a train? Any of you?" Mason asked.
Lee looked over to Omid and Christa with a smile. "Well…Mason, as a matter of fact, I do." Lee said.
"Okay…then we could possibly have a deal. First I need you to stop pointing your weapons at me. I'll take you to the group." Mason said.
Lee nodded at the group and tucked the revolver back in his pants. Mason smiled as the rest of the group did the same and put their weapons away.
"I didn't catch your names by the way." Mason started as he began to lead the group down the tracks, around a loose, but long corner.
"I'm Lee." He said. "This is Omid and Christa."
"It's great to meet you all," Mason said, with a polite smile. "And who's the little princess?"
Clementine giggled and shyly stood behind Lee. "This is Clementine," Lee said.
"Nice to meet you, Clementine," Mason said. "Okay, they're just around this corner."
Lee held the group behind a couple of feet, just in case. The group distantly followed Mason as he walked around the corner. Lee and the others followed him as a large metal train came into sight. The locomotive. Aside from the location just as Lee had left it, the singular carriage and the main train covered in stains and rust, just like before.
"There you are! What are you thinking?! We were worried about…you…" A man said, walking swiftly over to Mason as he rubbed the back of his head guiltily.
The man stopped in front of Mason. He looked past him and with his mouth open and his finger pointing at them. "…You?" He asked.
"You?" Lee asked. Lee recognized the man after some searching in his memories. It was Captain Joshua Reed, the leader of the men that had wandered into Crescent Camp.
"Him?" Mason asked, not knowing what Joshua was talking about.
"He was the man who put the knife to Allen's throat," Joshua said.
"Oh…Him…" Mason sighed.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for the continued support! :D Make sure to leave me a review and let me know what you think! I love reading them :D