Hey! If you're reading this, I just have a few quick things to say. Sorry if the story is a little slow paced. I'm finally figuring out where I want to take it, and I don't want to rush things. I'm trying to not ignore the relationship between Kenny and Clem for what I want to accomplish plot-wise. This chapter will be a little fillery and cheesy. I just wanted to have this to guide us into the next chapter. Thank you for reading!

CHAPTER 6

Kenny sat by the bedroom door, Clementine's gun grasped firmly in his clammy palm. Fatigue was washing over him, but he wouldn't allow himself any much needed rest. He had been sitting here for hours, making sure the house was safe. His ears picked up every little noise in the house, and none of them suggested that people or zombies had found their way in.

He occasionally glanced over at Clementine. The peaceful expression on her face combined with the calming rise and fall of her chest and her soft, shallow breathing filled him with affection. Kenny recalled her weary voice telling him to rest, and how moments later she was murmuring in her slumber.

Before he put Clementine to bed, the two of them had thrown together a crib for AJ. Kenny couldn't help but also smile as he watched the infant. He was sleeping so gently, a beacon of innocence and hope in this dark and inhumane world.

With each passing moment, Kenny found it harder and harder to stay alert and awake. He chalked the weariness up to his blood loss, because all-nighters had become all too common for the man. Although life was better at the ski lodge, and he was surrounded by family and had found a new love, he had spent many nights lying awake, staring at the ceiling. Hauntings from his past and unanswered questions had danced through his mind on those nights. On some of those nights, he simply gave up and allowed his demons to control him. On others, he pushed for sleep and was treated with nightmares.

He recalled one evening from back at the ski lodge. He was lying in the bed he shared with Sarita, crying after one of the worst dreams of his life. The night flashed vividly before him.

Kenny stood shakily, back at his old home. His house was in shambles, with items tossed about and all his family's furniture torn apart. Suddenly, he felt pulled towards the upstairs. He crept slowly to the second floor, shivering at the sight of last year's family portrait. Normally, looking at the picture brought a smile to his face. They had all gotten dressed up so nicely for the picture, but minutes before it was taken, Duck spilled a soda all over himself. His son had the dumbest grin in the photo, and so did Kenny himself. However, this time the photo brought a frown to his face. The glass was broken, and splatters of dried blood covered his wife and child's face.

Upon reaching the upstairs, he was pulled towards his son's room. He cautiously opened the door and entered. He walked to the center of the room, and heard the door slam shut behind him. Kenny jumped, and forced himself to turn around.

Kenny collapsed to his knees in anguish from the sight before him. Katjaa and Duck stood in front of the door, zombified. They both had a gunshot in their heads. Katjaa lunged at him, leaving Kenny to anticipate the bite. Instead, she whispered into his ear.

"You got us killed Kenny! You killed my boy! You couldn't stop me from killing myself! You didn't even try!"

"I-I did try. I just couldn't-"Kenny tried to reply, but he was cut off.

"Look at him!" Katjaa exclaimed. "You did this to him!"

Kenny couldn't pry his eyes from the ground. He felt his head being jerked up. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block everything out. Katjaa's gripped tightened and Kenny felt his jaw breaking. He shook his head, and finally relented.

For the first time, Kenny took a good look at his son. His flesh was decaying and hanging off of his small frame. Ribs were apparent for the skin above them had rotted away. His precious face was destroyed by a gun wound. His lifeless, bloodshot eyes were focused intensely on Kenny, and he growled at his father.

"I hate you, dad," he snarled "You couldn't save me! You can't save anyone!"

"I am so sorry. So sorry." Kenny's voice was finally breaking with tears. His words were barely legible.

Katjaa grabbed his chin and yanked it so he was looking right into her lifeless eyes. "You aren't sorry! You are a horrible, selfish man, Kenny! You are a monster!"

"Please," Kenny begged. "I know I've done some bad things, but-"

"I'm glad I raised the gun to my head. At least I could escape you. But I can see that you never cared. You already moved on." Katjaa stated coldly. She chuckled.

Duck butted in from across the room. "Sarita is gonna die too, daddy. You won't save her."

Katjaa spat in his face and said her last words. "You are not the man I married."

She and Duck then disappeared, leaving Kenny by himself. His eyes looked around his son's room, taking in all of Duck's old toys and drawings. Memories of his old life flashed before his eyes. He remembered playing catch with Duck in here on a rainy day. The taped up lamp was a testament to that night. On the wall was Kenny's favorite of all of his son's little doodles. It was a picture of the three of them, all with mustaches. When Duck had showed it to him, he had cracked up. Now, he stared at it, deeply despaired. He couldn't believe Duck would never play with any of his toys or create anymore of his childish drawings.

Out of nowhere, a gun appeared on the floor beside Kenny. He picked it up, and toyed with it. He was so against what he was about to do, but everything was too much. He wasn't strong, and he sure as hell couldn't fight this anymore. Kenny raised the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger. Everything went black.

Still, Kenny's nightmare wasn't over. He was back at the ski lodge now, in the main room by the massive fireplace. Matthew, Walter, and Sarita lie dead on the floor. Their stomachs were ripped open by walkers and their faces were stretched in an eternal expression of horror and pain. The cold chill that went through Kenny was an extreme contrast to the snapping embers of the fire.

A zombie was still clawing at Sarita's intestines. It turned around, growling. He was greeted by the face of his wife. Before finally waking up, Kenny heard his son's disembodied voice.

"I told you that you couldn't save them."

Kenny woke up in a pool of sweat. It took him a moment to realize that he was sobbing. Beside him, Sarita stirred under the thick blankets. She groggily called Kenny's name. Kenny tried to suppress his cries, but the tears kept falling and his throat kept choking. He was embarrassed that this stupid dream had made him so emotional. He knew that both Katjaa and Duck wouldn't feel that way towards him, and that his nightmare was cliché in a way. But truly, the dream spelled out those unspoken fears that he was flailing to bury.

Sarita pushed herself up to look at Kenny. After a moment, her weary mind took in the scene. "Kenny? Are you alright?"

Kenny managed to push out a few words between sobs. "I'm fine."

Sarita placed her hands on the man's tense shoulders. He tried to push her hands away, but she massaged his shoulders regardless. After a few moments, Kenny stopped his cries.

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, Kenny. Still, it might make you feel better." she said gently, still massaging his shoulders.

"It was just a bad dream, hon. Go back to sleep. You weren't supposed to see me like this." he replied.

Sarita released him and tried to make him look her in the eyes. Kenny avoided eye-contact, obviously ashamed by what Sarita had witnessed.

"You don't have to be ashamed. You have been through a lot, and it's okay to cry. You told me that you lost your family once. I don't know if this is about that, but I can promise you one thing. It will never be easy, getting over that. Still, I know we can make it. Together" Sarita squeezed Kenny's hand. "I love you, Kenny."

"I love you too, babe." Kenny replied in a forced voice. He pushed Sarita away and collapsed down on the bed. He rolled himself over and threw a pillow over his head, ending the discussion. Sarita's words repeated in his head.

I love you, Kenny.

If only Sarita knew what happened to everyone he loved.

That night had felt so long ago. The dream had originally broken Kenny, for the words of his wife and son resonated deeply within him. Now, looking back, the nightmare had become reality. As Kenny pondered the dream, the power of sleep pulled him under. He drifted asleep, leaving no one to guard the house.