Chapter 4

A/N: I'm not sure why my story hasn't been updated since last year. I know for a fact that I added a new chapter about a month ago. Maybe it's because I had started writing chapter 3 last year (which doesn't make any sense).

If the dialogue seems familiar it's because I am trying to not stray away from the original storyline too much. But rather incorporate my own characters and ideas for the show and game and eventually combine them.

Please leave feedback and reviews on ways to improve this story. I'd really appreciate it.

Reign POV:

We had barely made it to Macon before Kenny's truck ran out of gas. I fell asleep halfway through the ride.

"Well, looks like this is as far as we can go," Kenny said getting out the car.

"Well, then it's far enough," Lee replied.

We all got out and started to look for some help. Possibly some more gas. I took my bag out and slung it over my shoulder, just in case.

We barely made it far from the truck before Lee lingered in front of a drugstore on the corner.

"Hey, look," Duck yelled and pointed in the direction of a person hunched over behind some turned over cars.

"Hey there," Kenny yelled and waved his arms in the air to get their attention. "You friendly? Truck's run outta gas."

The person turned around at the sound of Kenny's voice. It was then that we realized he wasn't a person. Well…not anymore.

"Shit!"

More of them emerged from behind the tipped over cars, growling and snarling as they did.

"Fuck," I said as I looked over my shoulder. "There are more over there."

"Gah! NO!"

I looked back to see Duck screaming as one of the walkers fell on top of him.

Then, out of nowhere, a gunshot rang out and the walkers brains splattered all over Duck.

There were then two new people among us. Actual people. A woman with a short brown bob and her gun aimed at the walker that attacked Duck. The other was an Asian man with a baseball cap on his head. He was standing in front of the drugstore with the gate open.

"RUN," he yelled.

Kenny picked up Duck off of the ground and ran into the drugstore. The rest of us followed suit while the woman continued to shoot at walkers a few more times. She then followed us in and so did the man.

We were immediately met with angry woman with long brown hair. A tall burly, older, grey haired man stood next to her with an equally angry expression. A man with short blonde hair was looking out the window of the store.

The angry woman then proceeded to chew out the girl who helped us.

"When I say 'that door stays shut no matter what' I fucking mean it," she hissed. "We don't know who these people are; they could be dangerous!"

"Or worse, they could've led 'em right to us," the older man added.

"Whoa, we have kids here, man," I spoke up.

"Who cares," the man yelled back at me.

"See. They just got here and they are already causing problems," the woman said. "You shouldn't have let them in."

"Whoa, chill the fuck out lady," Lee snapped. "We're just people trying to avoid those things. Just like you!"

"Don't you dare come in here and swear at me!"

"I'll say whatever I want if you start threatening these people."

"Sorry," the shorthaired girl said. "You'll have to excuse her."

"Like hell you will. This is about survival. Do you not see what's happening?"

I saw Clementine grab onto Lee's hand and whisper, "I have to pee."

"In a minute, Clem."

"Lilly, they have kids," the Asian man said, trying to reason with the woman.

"Those things outside don't care," Lilly replied in a callous tone.

"Heartless bitch," Marlene scoffed.

"Maybe you should go join 'em," Kenny said. "You'll have something in common."

"Godammit Lilly," the older man said. "Control these people!"

"Carley and Glenn are the ones that just ran out there!"

"Well, she's an asshole that's for sure," Lee whispered back to our group.

"That's what it takes."

"Holy shit. Fucking shit! One of them is bit," the older man whispered. He was staring at Duck and Katjaa.

"He wasn't bitten," Lee replied.

"Like hell he wasn't! We're ending this. Now!"

The man began to make his way over to Duck, a determined look on his face, until Kenny stepped between them.

"Over my dead body!"

"We'll dig one hole."

"I'm sorry but who the hell do you think you are to threaten a child like that?" I snapped. "You need to back up!"

"He won't be for long."

"I'm cleaning him up! There is no bite," Katjaa pleaded while wiping Duck down with urgency.

"Don't you people get it?! We've seen this before! We let someone with a bite stay and we all end up bitten! We've gotta throw him out! Or-or smash his head in!"

"Kenny, please! Stop him," Katjaa yelled.

"Lee, help me out here. What do we do," Kenny asked. He must've trusted Lee's judgment from on the farm.

"We reason with him," Lee replied.

"With the bloody end of an axe-handle!"

"Fuck that! Kick his ass Kenny," Marlene said, giving her two-cents. "It's either him or Duck!"

"Everyone chill the fuck out," Carley commanded.

"No one is doing anything," Lilly retorted.

"Shut up, Lilly," the older man ordered. Who exactly is the leader here?

"And you," he said turning to Carley. "Shut up! They will find us, they will get in here and none of this will matter! But right now, we're about to be trapped in here with one of those things!"

"Fuck you, Larry," Carley snapped.

"What the hell are you goin' on about," Kenny asked.

"He's bitten! That's how ya turn!"

"He's not bitten! Lee, please stop this! It's upsetting Duck," Katjaa said.

"What if it was your girl," Lee said trying to coax sympathy out of this asshole.

"That wouldn't happen!"

"Well it's 'his' son," I added. "You don't go around threatening to kill someone else's kid! That's not your decision to make!"

"Look around, girl," Larry said. "I've got family in here. You've got family in here-"

"Well so do Katjaa and Kenny," Marlene interrupted.

"Get your head outta your ass, girl!"

"We've all got people we care about in here," Lee yelled. "We can figure this out without killing anyone. There is another way."

"Yeah, with a shovel."

"Even if he is bit, which he isn't, he's just a kid," Marlene said. "All that weight on you, all of these grown adults in here but you're scared of a little boy turning and getting the best of you?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying you're a punk! You're big ass is shitting your pants about a little boy possibly turning."

"You wanna be stuck in here with one of those things?!"

"He's not bit," Katjaa insisted.

"I'm gonna kill him, Kat," Kenny declared. "You just worry about Duck."

Clementine began to yell across the store to Lee about the bathroom door being locked.

"The key's probably behind the counter, Clem," Lee replied.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm just looking out for my daughter," Larry said.

"No, you're just the guy arguing for killing a kid," Kenny corrected.

"He's covered in muck. She'll find the bite. Just watch!"

"She. Won't."

"And if she does," Larry asked sinisterly. "The first thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his mother's face."

"Then, when she's dead, I bet he'll make a nice little meal out of your daughter's next." He was talking to Lee now. "Especially the little one."

"We'll deal with it then. But right now your ass is making a big deal out of nothing," Lee said.

"Well you better be ready to deal with it, because that boy is bitten!"

"It's not gonna happen," Kenny ground out.

"It is. And we're tossing him out now!"

"No," Lee snapped. "You don't touch that boy. You don't touch anybody! I've got people I'm trying to protect in here too."

Lee began to approach Larry, seemingly ready to fight.

"You wanna get violent you old fuck?! Well, come on! You better have a plan to kill me though, because it's me before anyone else in here!"

"AAAHHH!"

Clementine's scream rang out throughout the drugstore. I looked to the bathroom door where she was before. The door was open and a walker fell out and began to crawl towards her.

"Clementine!"

Lee began to half run half limp to Clementine's rescue but fell after bumping into Lilly.

I took the bag off of my back and began to search for the knife Marlene had given me.

I couldn't have packed that much stuff, but for the life of me I couldn't find it.

"Get away from her you son of a bitch," I heard Lee yell. I looked up briefly then continued to look for my knife.

There was more snarling. It continued for a while and then a shot fired from inside the store. Then it was quiet. Carley.

I looked up and saw her staring down the barrel of her gun, trembling slightly. The walker had been so close to Lee's face. It was a close shot, but a good one.

"You okay," she asked.

"Just fine. Thanks."

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked back. It was Marlene.

"Reign," she said and gently nudged my hip.

"What?"

She looked down briefly and nudged my hip again. I understood then.

My knife was still strapped to my belt.

I'm so stupid.

"Uh…guys," Glenn whispered.

The walkers outside began to pound and scratch on the boarded up windows from the outside. The noise from the gunshot must've attracted them. But I don't see how all of the yelling didn't.

"Everybody down! Stay quiet," Lilly whispered.

Everyone began to duck down behind the shelves, counters, and tables in the store.

"They're gonna get in," Larry hissed.

"Shut. Up." Kenny snapped.

Gunfire suddenly began to sound from outside the store. It was faint but we heard it.

And so did the walkers. The banging stopped and the snarls from outside began to die down.

"Is that the military," Lee asked, Clementine clinging to his shirt.

"Well, thank god for whatever it is," Glenn said.

Larry shot up and proceeded to rant and rave again.

"We almost died because of that bitch and her itchy trigger finger! That was stupid! That was—"

Larry suddenly began to clutch chest a look of pain spreading over his face. He fell to the ground and began to groan in pain.

"Dad!"

"Was he the one bitten," Lee asked.

"No! Don't be crazy! It's his heart!"

"My pills," Larry choked out.

"Nitroglycerin pills," Katjaa asked.

"Yes but we're out. We've been trying to get into the pharmacy since we got here! Please, someone get in there!"

Lee sighed and said, "We'll get in there somehow."

We began to get acquainted with one another as Kenny began to give instructions. Lilly tended to her father.

It was then that Glenn offered to go out and scavenge for supplies and gas for Kenny's truck. Marlene offered to go with him because it wasn't safe to go out alone these days. Lee gave him one of Clementine's walkie talkie's incase he needed something.

For a while it felt like I was lingering with nothing to do. I had nothing to contribute. Lee began to make his way around the store to check on everybody, including me. Our talk was brief. I wasn't exactly open to conversation at the moment.

When Lee went into the office with Clem to look for a way into the pharmacy, I followed. I needed to talk more.

"Sorry. I just really need to feel like I'm contributing."

"No problem," Lee replied.

A look of sorrow washed over his face as he looked around the office. There was a sleeping bag soaked in blood in the middle of the office floor. The stains became faint as it looked as though someone had been dragged out the backdoor. The windows were boarded up and a shelf was propped up against the door. There was a smashed picture frame on the floor.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

"Were you close to them," I asked. "I was a student at the university you used to teach at, before…"

He sighed.

"They were good people," he replied picking up an old cane. "Looks like they came in here hoping to survive but one of them must've been hurt. Probably my dad, always trying to be the hero."

"So where is your wife now," I asked.

"I don't know. I was on my way to prison when everything started to fall apart," he whispered.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Do the others know about what you did?"

"One or two of them might but I haven't really had a chance to talk about it with anyone. I hardly know these people and the last thing I need to do is give them a reason to not trust me."

"I see," I replied. "Well just in case you didn't notice, we're kind of being mistaken as your daughters by quite a few people."

"Oh, so now I have two kids," he said in amusement.

"Very funny, Mr. Everett."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he laughed. "I probably should set the record straight but if I'm being honest, I've always wanted kids of my own."

He sighed.

"Well I'll leave you to it. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

I made my way to exit the office.

"Hey…uh."

"It's Reign."

"Reign. There is something you could do. I can't take Clementine everywhere I go. There are some places that are just too dangerous for her. I'd appreciate if you would look out for her whenever I'm not around."

"I can do that."

"Thanks."

I left the office and leaned against one of the shelves in the store. Before I knew it I was dozing off.

It must've been about a 10-minute nap. I woke and Clementine and Lee were no longer in the office. Then we heard Glenn speak over Clementine's walkie.

"Hey there, it's Glenn here. I'm in a bit of a jam. Little girl if you're there, can you put your daddy on the phone or talkie."

Clementine handed Lee the talkie.

"Glenn?"

"Hey Lee. So…I'm down at the motor inn and well I'm stuck."

"Stuck?"

"Yeah I saw a chance to get some supplies for the group and a few of the roaming ones got the jump on me. I'm hiding but they won't leave."

"What about Marlene," I asked aloud. "Where is she?"

"I saw her run into one of the rooms and lock the door but I can't see her," he replied.

"Sit tight Glenn," Lee said. "We'll send a group to come get you."

"Thanks."

Lee and Carley offered to go and left within a few minutes. I stayed true to my word and watched Clementine.

"You doing okay," I asked.

"Sort of. It's just my parents," Clementine whispered.

"What about them?"

"Well they went on a trip to Savannah and left me with a sitter. We're on our way there but any time I mention it to Lee, he starts acting strange and gets this weird look on his face."

From what Lee told me her parents were more than likely dead. He said he had heard all of the voice mails her parents left when he went to her house for help. I know she had a right to know but I knew it wasn't my place to tell her.

"Maybe he's just worried about getting there. There are a lot of dangerous things around now. He wants to keep you safe."

Clementine swung her feet back and forth and looked down.

"I will tell you this, at least you know where your parents are. Mine are all the way in another state. They are in Texas. And Texas is so big."

She laughed a little.

"I haven't seen my parents in months. I barely remember what they look like. I guess I should be worried. Normally my parents come and protect me before anything bad happens. I remember my dad drove 15 hours to Georgia just to take me to a storm shelter when a really bad storm was on the way."

"But I'm sure your parents are fine," I said. I could tell her the truth. I could tell her that Lee heard her parent's last words over a voicemail system. I was a terrible liar. But I wasn't about to break this Clementine's spirit. It was Lee's choice to tell her. I just hope he breaks the news with care when he does.

She gave a small nod and smiled.

I hopped up on the counter next to Clementine and propped my elbows on my legs to rest my chin in my palms. I felt a light tug on a strand of my hair. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Clementine tugging on a single kinky curl, stretching it a bit, and watching it bounce back.

"My mom has hair like yours," she said absent-mindedly. "Accept it's bigger."

"Your hair isn't too different from mine," I replied.

"No," she pouted a little. "Mine isn't as big. My mom wanted me to grow it out but it takes forever. And I don't like when she has to comb my hair. It hurts."

"Well that's how it always seems at first. But your hair is longer than you think it is."

I grabbed a tiny strand of her hair and stretched it a few inches past her shoulders. Then I let it bounce back.

"Don't let shrinkage fool you," I said.

Lee, Glenn, and Carley returned about a half an hour later. There was blood splattered on their faces and Glenn looked distraught.

"Everything all right," I asked Lee.

Lee then explained that they had tried to save a girl that had been trapped by some walkers in one of the rooms. They "saved" her but she had been bitten and locked herself in the room so she couldn't hurt anyone. He said the girl stole Carleys gun so she could end it herself. They tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen.

"I should try and find that key. There's no time to waste."

Lee handed Clementine a granola bar. She took the wrapper off and broke it in half to share with me. I nibbled on the small piece of granola bar. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Marlene waving me over. I sighed and hopped off the counter to see what she wanted.

"What is it?"

"So, I've been thinking. We should head back to Hershel's farm and ask for a second chance," she offered.

"Marlene," I exclaimed. "Are you serious right now?"

"Dead serious."

"No, we're not leaving," I snapped.

"Reign, we had a solid hook up back at the farm."

"And it's gone now," I said. "We ruined it. And we can't ask Hershel to welcome us with open arms after we sat back and did nothing to prevent his son's death."

I saw the guilt in her eyes at the mention of Shawn's death.

"Besides, how would we even get there? We don't have a car. We don't have a map. We're out of food. And we don't know how to protect ourselves. And it's not like Hershel can hide the fact that his son died."

"If Joey and Lance knew why Hershel kicked us off his farm do you honestly think they could tolerate us, or even look at us the same, knowing what we did," I asked.

"Well it's better than staying holed up in a dingy old drugstore forever," she muttered under her breath.

"Marlene, this place is not permanent."

"Are you sure about that," she tested. "Because Lilly and her dad sure were pissed about Carley and Glenn letting us in? For fucks sake there is a lock on the fence that no one knows the combo to."

"Marlene, I really don't wanna talk about this right-"

I was cut off by the sound of an alarm bell ringing throughout the store. I saw Glenn run past me and grabbed his arm.

"What's going on?"

"Lee found the keys to the pharmacy. But he must've set off the alarm. He cut the lock off the gate to get them. We gotta leave now."

A/N: New chapter!

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