First of all sorry! I hadn't realised it was so long ago since I last posted a chapter. Adult life huh! However here's another chapter. And I will try to update sooner and not make you wait so long!
Another note I'm loving The 100! Clexa fans anyone?! Also! Is it me but does Clark look a bit like Claire Redfield? Like maybe a younger sister or something? Maybe an idea for a crossover for you writers, Id definitely read it! Any way enjoy!
A light breeze swept across the wasteland and the sun was beating down on Claire and Alice, making their way South to look for any settlements. Before setting off from Racoon City they had gathered resources that were available which proved to be scarce, however it brought a bit of happiness when Claire found a few smokes.
Both women had been walking for what seems the good part of the day, they noticed early on that there had been no sign of any living or even any of the zombie bodies. There were beginning to wonder if they would see any life anytime soon.
"How is it we haven't come across anything, we've been walking for hours and nothing, not even a zombie body." Claire welcomed the freedom of not worrying about getting attacked but it was strange to not see anything remotely engaging.
Alice looked around thinking about the question although it was obvious to why this was happening but she had to agree with the fact nothing has appeared in their tracks. "It could be the cure, the fact that Issacs had a horde of zombies following behind him could be the reason we're not seeing any sign of the dead."
"You're right but surely we would've seen something by now at least." Claire found it strange and oddly unsettling.
Alice smiled, "It's strange how for so long we became accustomed to how the world changed and always being alert, that now we find it off that everything has become relatively safe."
The women had been walking for hours and had finally sighted something different other than the wastelands, a small village or just a couple of houses.
Hiding behind a small boulder Claire looked through her binoculars scouting the area for any signs of living or the dead but only sighed in response.
"What is it?" Alice asked feelings Claire's frustrations whilst taking a sip of water.
Claire withdrew from the binoculars and passed them to Alice swapping for a sip from their bottle.
"I can't see anything apart from abandoned houses and a few bare trees." Alice brought her attention to the sudden smell of cigarette smoke.
Claire sat down, knees up and bringing the smoke to her lips and inhaling deeply holding in the need to exhale. "Exactly! How is it you're so calm about this?" The redhead finally blew the suppressed smoke out.
"Claire, what do you expect we find? It frustrates me too." Alice was starting to get irritated by Claire's impatience.
"I don't know." She felt defeated, she stood up and passed the rest of the cigarette to Alice and walked off to the houses not waiting for Alice.
Alice smoked the rest of what had given to her whilst watching Claire hastily walking away from her before following behind.
Thoughts were running around Claire's head about Alice, she needed space from her somewhere to think without being around her. The need to find someone alive became more about avoiding her somewhat confused and intense feelings about Alice than finding someone who is alive. If they did find someone Claire would be relieved that they saved someone but something to occupy her other than the dark-haired woman.
The redhead wasn't sure what it meant for her to be feeling this way, was it the fact after losing Alice again after the Arcadia battle then reuniting or was it because she came close to dying and not having a chance to develop their relationship further. Either way now wasn't the time to be dwelling on it.
Alice followed Claire into the same house but entered through a different doorway, she could see Claire looking at the floor kicking the rubble. She slowly and carefully walked into the same room, Claire clearly lost in thought.
"Found anything?" Alice spoke out causing to Claire to startle.
"Shit!" Claire jumped.
Alice smirked, "Jumpy?"
Claire composed herself before turning to Alice.
"The place is full of broken slats and shards of glass. Be careful on your footing." Claire looked around her surroundings, the sun was setting and was hovering at a horrible level making Claire squint.
Alice noticed too and thought be best to settle in for the night, "Maybe we should get comfy for the night?"
Claire dropped the rucksack she had been carrying on the floor by her feet, "I'll check upstairs. See if we can sleep on something less uncomfortable than the floor."
Alice nodded and tried to find some wood to create a campfire.
Whilst Claire was upstairs Alice had put some food on to cook and left to her own thoughts. She couldn't help but think that Claire's memory loss that she had when they met Chris was still apparent, it would explain the redhead's distantness and lack of feelings towards her but whatever it is affecting Claire's behaviour she wouldn't approach the subject, now wasn't the time.
"So, there's a bed and a few blankets." Claire walked down the wooden stairs and made her way to the campfire and sat opposite Alice.
"I'll take first watch while you rest." Alice said without letting them decide.
"I don't mind going first if you want to rest." Claire offered,
Alice shook her head before passing the can of food to Claire, "You take first watch tomorrow night."
Claire took the can and smirked, she knew best not to argue, "You just want a warm patch to lay into."
Alice smiled, "How did you guess?!" Faking to be shocked. Both chuckling to themselves before digging into their meals.
In the midst of eating Claire pulled out a bottle of liquid, "It's not desert but I did find something to swill the taste of mushroom soup down with."
It was a bottle of whiskey which lit Alice's eyes up.
"Where'd you find that?" Alice took the bottle from Claire's grip inspecting it.
"It was in the bedside cabinet amongst other things…" Claire's voice trailed off.
"Nothing dirty I hope." Alice winced.
"No, thankfully." The redhead chuckled.
Alice inspected the bottle and scoffed, "It's Jack Daniels."
She screws the lid off and takes a sip.
"How is it?" Claire asked holding her hand out to try some.
"Strong and…old."
Claire tried it herself, she enjoyed the burn until it reminded her of the last time she had some which caused her to take a bigger gulp. She wiped her lips and passed it back to Alice who was finishing off her food unaware of the emotion that flashed across Claire's face.
"Nice find." Alice took another swig before placing the bottle down, leaning back against the wall watching Claire's sudden change.
"No worries. Listen I'm going to take a walk outside. Just around the house. See if I can see anything." Claire got up and picked out one of the few smokes that were left before tossing them to Alice.
As Claire walked off Alice stared into the fire then looked over her shoulder to where Claire was walking out, "You're not going to see anything in the dark, Claire."
Claire ignored her and lit her smoke before walking through the dead grass, "No, but I can't breathe around you." She murmured once out of earshot. A headache was developing and she felt if she didn't get some air her brain would explode like a head-shot to a zombie.
The tall blonde made her way to the settlements mess hall to find her friend playing cards with the other survivors, lunch was upon them and soon it would be full of hungry mouths so she made her way to the spare seat next to the group.
"Sooo, who's winning?" She asked watching her friend concentrating on the card game.
"You mean who is losing?!" One of the survivors was the opposing player.
"Dude, you better not be placing bets if you're losing." The blonde warned.
The bald friend sighed, "Too late for that."
"Yeah! He's got the night shift if he loses." Jude explained getting excited.
Jude was one of the accompanying survivors along with the two friends before finding the safe zone. He was young and had lost too many people to the outbreak, he had a crush on the blonde when they first arrived but his advances were turned down many times that he moved on.
The blonde tapped her friend on the shoulder, "Unlucky for you."
The gruff man smirked and turned to his friend, "you mean unlucky for him!" He laid his cards out showing he owned Jude's ass in the game of cards.
Jude's face dropped and sat back in his chair, "Oh, fuck!"
"What did you think I did when I lived in a prison cell. Not by choice." He confessed.
The blonde looked at him in disbelief, "You were locked up?"
He shrugged, "Yeah until Alice came."
The blonde smiled upon hearing that name. She got up and headed to the food and getting best picks before others came in.
"Who is Alice?" Jude questioned.
"That is a long story my friend, a long story." The man answered before getting up and joining the blonde.
Jude turned to the other guys who were sat with him, "Sounds like hot chick who he fancied and died."
The others agreed before getting up following suit.
After lunch it was routine to sharpen up skills whether that meant shooting, crafting, sewing or anything that is handy within the settlement. It was set up by the people who claimed the settlement, they believed that anything can happen anytime and people should be ready to act.
The blonde woman walked into the weaponry unit and signed into the book that people used so the it was kept track of who was entering shooting range and using the guns for practise.
"Here again I see." An old man worked at the range to keep an eye out of weapon theft or if anything bad was to happen whilst there.
"The usual glock please." She asked before answering his question. "I need it."
"Say no more." He replied before letting the woman go.
She took stance in a box and aimed for the glass bottles, then let it go.
All bottles in her area were smashed, it didn't take no more than a minute to clear her targets.
Before coming here, she was a bad aim, not the worst but not the best and now one of the top-ranking shooters in the settlement. She was young when she arrived with her friend, they both knew some people in common but never really talked about what happened, therefore it haunted her. She knew best not entertain it so she brushed up on her skills and been at the shooting practise ever since.
"Cheers, Harry. Same time tomorrow." She said signing out.
"I'm sure you will." She replied before walking off.
"Hey missy! Not so fast." He called out to her, "The gun."
She looked down and realised she hadn't handed the gun in, "My bad!"
He walked over to her to retrieve it, "Nice try Kmart."
The redhead sat on the bed but couldn't sleep, she kept getting up and walking about and she knew Alice would have heard her.
"That memory! Where's is it from?!" She was frustrated, the whiskey took her back to place where she was with Alice but couldn't place it and it was keeping her from sleeping.
The memory only showed her that she is being cared for by Alice and Kmart, she was laying down on some sheets in a cabin whilst Alice tended to her knife wound and drinking whiskey to ease the pain.
She couldn't remember anything apart from that.
Alice wondered what was going on with Claire, she should be resting. The brunette made her way up the stairs to check on her friend to find that she was perched on the side of the bed. "Claire…"
Claire looked over at Alice who was stood by the door frame of the room.
"Can't sleep?"
"I haven't properly in so long. It's like a habit I'm trying to break." Claire said.
"I can understand that." Alice went to sit next to the tiring redhead.
"I know that there are things I can't remember still. I know there's more memories than the ones I've already got but there's something blocking others and it's exhausting to try to remember." Claire tried to explain.
Alice cleared her throat not sure what to say, "What is it you've remembered?"
Claire paused and looked at the floor, "I'm not sure. It's in bits and I can't make sense of it. I don't want to say until I'm sure it's what I remember to be true."
Alice nodded and accepted that, "Just don't fight it." She placed her hand on Claire's left knee, "It'll come back to you, in time."
Claire without thinking placed her hand on top of Alice's like it was natural but then retained it shortly after.
"I'm going to try to get some sleep. Wake me up when you want to swap."
Claire laid herself down after Alice left, again her thoughts wondering off. There was something about that touch but couldn't place it, were they just good friends, sleeping together or something else. Or was Kmart and me together or Alice and Kmart. This is too confusing!
Claire knew it was going to be a sleepless night again, with new added memories and feelings how was she going to sleep.
Alice was the person with the answers but she wouldn't let on anything, not without risking Claire's current erratic state.