Thanks to gaara king of the sand for helping out.
Brooke and Skylar turned to see Clementine just before the girl fell. Her eyes that gave a startled look as she let out a pained yell before collapsing, hard on the ground.
Their jaws dropped, and their eyes widened as the teen fell.
"We've killed her..." Skylar said. "We've killed the girl."
"Shit… What do we do?" Brooke asked. "She's gonna turn…"
"We can't shoot her unless we know for sure." Skylar said.
"Know what?" Brooke asked.
"If she's dead." Skylar replied.
"You're kidding?" Brooke shook her head. "Just shoot her!"
"No. I'm not a murderer." Skylar said.
"We've already murdered her!" Brooke snapped. "What do we do now...? If she's not dead, she's going to cause problems."
"Problems? What are you saying, Brooke? We can't just leave her."
"Why not? We might as well." Brooke retorted.
Suddenly the teen let out a groan, forcing her heavy eyes open. Her head hurt and her arm as throbbing. She could see blood slowly oozing from her wounded body. She thought spraining her wrist was painful, but this was pure agony. It was much worst than any sprain she had even gotten or any bone she had ever broke.
The girl tried to sit up only to have a bullet wiz pass her.
Startled, she forced her pained body up.
More gunshots were fired at her.
Panicking, the girl took cover behind a tree. "Stop shooting you assholes!"
"She spoke?" Skylar raised a brow, grabbing Brooke's gun. "Don't."
"Skylar, what the hell are you doing?" Brooke demanded.
"She just spoke." Skylar said. "Don't shoot."
Brooke lowered her gun.
Clementine stayed behind the tree, waiting for the two to stop shooting.
"It's okay." Skylar called. "You can come out now."
The teen hesitated for a moment before slowly coming out of her hiding spot. "Why the fuck were you shooting at me?!"
"We thought you turned." Brooke said.
"All those gunshots are probably going to draw those things." Skylar sighed.
"And who's fault is that?" Clementine grumbled.
"Calm down." Skylar said.
"Forget it… We need to get out of here." Clementine said.
"You're bleeding…" Brooke mumbled.
"Oh wow, genius. I didn't know that." Clementine said.
"No need to be rude kid." Skylar said.
Clementine rolled her eyes. "Oh, sorry. I should be nicer to the people who just shot me."
"At least let me stop the bleeding…" Skylar said.
"…Fine." Clementine sighed.
Skylar motioned for the girl to take a seat. She did.
"Look… We understand that you're pissed. You have the right to be." Skylar said.
Clementine rolled her eyes.
"We seriously didn't mean for this to happen. We're sorry."
Clementine scoffed. "Thanks so much for the apology. I'm all healed now."
Skylar let out a sigh, gently pushing the girl's sleeve up to look at the still bleeding wound on her arm.
"Just leave it, Sky." Brooke said. "Let her be a bitch."
"The only bitch here is you." Clementine said.
"Stop it both of you." Skylar said. "This might hurt." He warned pressing down on her arm.
"Ow!" Clementine yelped in pain.
"Sorry." Skylar said.
Clementine was silent for a little while before sighing. "I'm sorry too… I know you didn't mean to hurt me."
Skylar nodded. "I feel like shit for shooting you."
"It's alright. I'll manage." Clementine said.
Skylar moved his hand from her arm before speaking, "Bleeding stopped for now."
"Thanks." Clementine said.
"No problem." Skylar replied. "But..."
"But what?" Clementine asked.
"I need to get the bullet out..." Skylar told her.
"How?" Brooke questioned.
"I can probably use a knife..." Skylar said, digging into his pocket, he pulled out a pocket knife.
Clementine swallowed nervously, "Okay..."
Clementine gritted her teeth, gulping air into her lungs as she felt the knife digging into her arm. She felt like she would pass out any minute now.
The pain was too much. She couldn't take it.
Her body jerked involuntarily as she tried to move away from the pain.
"Got it!" Skylar said.
He dropped the bullet to the ground.
Clementine took a moment to catch her breath before speaking, "It that all? Are you done?" She gasped.
"I think so." Skylar said.
"Good..." Clementine said.
"Let's get out of here." He offered the teen his hand to help her up.
Clementine accepted the help. "Let's go."
The three of them walked for a while, Clementine clenched her teeth as her shoulder throbbed.
"How you holding up, kid?" Skylar asked.
"I'm okay..." Clementine shrugged.
Skylar scratched his head. "Um... You wanna take a break?"
Clementine shook her head. "No... Let's keep going."
"Where exactly are we going?" Brooke asked.
"I don't know... Anywhere safe." Skylar said.
"Like someplace safe exist." Brooke said sarcastically.
Skylar didn't respond. He just continued to walk forward, leading the way.
The group did their best to dodge zombies, not wanting to draw more to them, they avoiding shooting their guns.
Eventually they made it out of the woods and onto a darkened road.
"I can't see shit..." Brooke complained.
"Me either." Clementine said.
"Shush. Just stay close and we'll be fine." Skylar said.
The girls agreed. With the exception of the moon, there was no light. They could only hope they wouldn't walk into one of the walkers.
They started down the street and got about half a block or so.
It was quiet. Eerily quiet.
"It's too quiet." Skylar mentioned.
"Yeah..." Brooke agreed, looking around.
In the view there were about a dozen zombies. They could barely make them out through the darkness and hoped that it would be the same for the zombies.
"Let's conserve ammo unless they notice us." Skylar said.
Clementine nodded, but held her gun close.
The small mob didn't seem to notice them.
They kept walking, hoping to stay undetected.
The group had been anxious, everyone hoping Clementine would be alright.
Kenny found himself unable to sleep, he decided to sit on watch, just in case the girl showed up in the middle of the night.
"You alright?" Carley asked.
Kenny jumped at the sudden voice. "I'm fine…"
"You don't seem fine." Carley said.
"I'm just thinking about Clem… Poor kid is probably terrified." Kenny replied.
"We'll find her." Carley said.
"I sure as hell hope so." Kenny said. "I can't imagine a kid being alone during this shit."
"She has that gun. I gave her some extra ammo… hopefully she uses it wisely." Carley said.
"I'm sure she will. Girl is smart." Kenny said.
"Yeah." Carley nodded. "I'm sure she'll be fine."
Kenny sure as hell hoped so.
They had managed to make it a few blocks before walkers finally started to notice them.
Clementine tried to remain calm, but she noticed Brooke was starting to panic.
Skylar tried to reassure the two that things were okay. "We can still make it, just-"
Before he could finish that sentence a walker lunged at them. Brooke aimed her gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Clementine's eyes widened as the noise drew the attention of more undead.
The creatures started to stumble towards them.
"Shit... Run!" Skylar yelled.
"Where?" Clementine called. They were completely surrounded.
Clementine looked desperately for an opening. Once she found one the trio ran as fast as they could, trying to lose the walkers.
Brooke kept firing her gun, until it finally ran out of bullets.
Clementine ran forward, using all her strength to try and keep up with Brooke and Skylar.
She had used up a larger amount of energy than she had anticipated, she was starting to feel light-headed and woozy. It didn't help that her bullet wound was throbbing painfully.
Her speed became slower as her vision blurred slightly.
"Watch out!" Skylar screamed, noticing a walker quickly approaching the teen.
Clementine tried to turn, only to be pushed to the ground, falling face first onto the concrete.
Skylar and Brooke looked on in horror as more zombies started to close in on her.
There were so many, too many to focus on.
Skylar raised his gun, wanting to help the teen but Brooke grabbed hold of his arm tugging him.
"Skylar, let's go." Brooke said.
"But-"
Brooke stopped him, "We can't help her. Come on!"
Skylar nodded. The two of them made a break for it, leaving Clementine behind.
They heard a shrill scream as they ran and thought surely the girl was being brutally killed by those creatures. There was no turning back now.
Clementine let out a frightened shriek. She shoved the walker, fighting through the pain in her arm. She managed to get the walker off her. She quickly rolled to the side and made her way back to her feet, gun at ready.
Clementine looked around, trying to spot Skylar or Brooke, but the two were nowhere to be found.
Regardless, she couldn't stay there, there were too many walkers. She placed a hand over her wound, which had started bleeding again.
Maybe she was better on her own. Those two seemed like nothing but trouble.
Brooke and Skylar had headed back towards the woods, figuring it would be safer than the streets.
Skylar couldn't stop thinking about Clementine. They had just left that kid to die.
"You think she made it?" Skylar asked.
"Who?" Brooke asked.
Skylar shot her a look. "The kid."
"Who knows..." Brooke shrugged.
"Shit... I can't believe we just ditched her like that. What the fuck is wrong with us?"
"Anyone would do the same." Brooke replied.
"I don't know." Skylar sighed.
The two fell silent, both thinking their own thought.
Skylar eventually decided to go relieve himself. He walked off to go to the bathroom.
Brooke sat down, waiting for him to return when she heard footsteps approaching behind her.
"So now what?" She asked.
Getting no response, she sighed. "Skylar, what are you doing?" She walked up to the figure, only to realize it wasn't Skylar.
However, it was too late, as the monster grabbed her by the arm, pulling her towards it's hungry mouth. She let out a scream before it chomped down on her throat.
Skylar tensed as he heard a yell, a scream full of agony.
Skylar quickly zipped his pants and ran back towards when he had left Brooke.
"Brooke!" He screamed as he made it back. The smell of blood was heavy in the air as it dripped to the ground.
Blinded by rage her shot the creature attacking Brooke before watching in horror as she fell to the ground.
He dropped to his knees beside her. "You're okay... You're going to be okay."
She weakly shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.
Skylar felt tears of his own fill his eyes as he held Brooke. "Don't leave me."
It was clear that Brooke was in a lot of pain. Skylar couldn't stand to see her like that... The only humanitarian thing to do was to stop her pain. To kill her...
He held her closer as her wept.
He held her until her last breath, feeling her become motionless in his arms.
With tears still running down his face he stood. Grabbing his gun, he aimed it a Brooke's unmoving form and he pulled the trigger.
It was so dark, Clementine had no idea how she was going to make it back to her camp.
Clementine stayed on her guard, when she suddenly heard noise from behind her.
"Who's there?" Clementine asked.
She pointed her gun to the figure only to hear a familiar voice.
"It's me." It was Skylar.
"Skylar?" She called.
"Yeah." Skylar confirmed.
She lowered her gun waiting for him to come closer. "Where's Brooke?" She knew she should be mad that they had left her, but she couldn't force herself to be upset.
"She's dead." The man said.
"What?" Clementine was surprised by the news.
"One of those things got her..." Skylar said.
"Damn... What are you going to do?" Clementine asked.
"I'll figure something out..." Skylar said. "You should go find your group."
"I wish I could. I have no idea how to get back." Clementine sighed.
Skylar nodded in understanding. "How's your arm?"
Clementine shrugged. "I can't feel it anymore."
"Sorry again..."
"Don't worry about it..." Clementine said. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I guess."
"You don't want to come with me?" Clementine asked him.
"I'd rather not. I'm not group material." Skylar said. "You know what's crazy…?"
"What?" Clementine asked.
"Brooke didn't want to die. She got bit and I had to shoot her. Pretty ironic that when she decided she wanted to keep living that happened..."
"I'm so sorry." Clementine said.
After a moment of silence Skylar spoke, "I'm not going to kill myself."
"You're not?"
"No... Brooke would've wanted me to live... So I'll do that... As long as I can anyway." Skylar said.
Clementine nodded. "That's good."
"Yeah." Skylar said. "You go on. Take care of yourself."
"You too." Clementine replied, turning to walk away. She felt bad about leaving him, but she knew this is what he wanted and she couldn't force him to join her.
"It was nice to meet you Clementine." Skylar called as the teen walked away.
Clementine continue to walk, exhausted. The sun was just starting to rise. She had been out there for so long.
Nonetheless, Clementine was determined to make it back to her group.
She felt ready to collapse, she barely had the energy to move. She was dragging her feet like dumbbells.
Still she didn't slow down. She nearly stumbled over her own feet and was about to just give up, when she noticed a familiar sight ahead.
Her eyes widened, she had made it back! She only had to walk a little further. The next step she took was as far as she went, she collapsed to the ground.
Spent the girl laid there for countless minutes before slowly everything went dark.