Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help.
And thank you everyone for reading
A few weeks had gone by had been full of ups and down. Sailing on a ship with a bunch of traumatized women and teenage girls wasn't exactly relaxing. And was a continuous boat of changing emotions. And the few men they had aboard preferred to stay out of the drama.
However, as they all got to know one another, they started to feel more and more at ease. Though the women's pregnancies also gave them another thing to worry about. Clementine did however appreciate how some of the women talked to her about what to expect with her own progressing pregnancy.
They all had lost their homes, their families. And in result they had bonded close with one another over their alike experiences. They comforted one another, the encouraged and supported one another, and most importantly they watched each other's backs.
For the pass week things had been pretty calm. However, they knew they couldn't stay on the boat forever, and taking the entire group to find Wellington was out of the question, not with some of the women so close to giving birth. The last thing they wanted was for someone to go into labor on the ship in the middle of the water. So, they began actively searching for a community, or a town of some sort. Somewhere that would be safe to stay. Unfortunately finding such a place was turning out to be harder than they expected.
They were unsure of what to do, until one of the teens, Tori, spoke. "I have somewhere we can go..."
The others turned to her, waiting for her to continue.
"My hometown... I was there for a long time. Left to find food for my people... then I got kidnapped by those assholes." Tori said.
"Why didn't you bring it up before?" One of the women asked.
"It... never crossed my mind." Tori claimed.
"We've been out here for a month, and it never crossed your mind?" One of the women scoffed.
"Look, let's not fight. Which way is this place?" Carley asked.
"We're going the right way... Just keep sailing..." Tori simply said.
Clementine and Carley exchanged looks at that but obliged to the girl's words.
Hours had gone by, and night had fallen. Most of the inhabits of the boat had headed to bed, but Clementine found herself unable to sleep.
Once little Danielle was fast asleep, Clementine headed back to the deck, sometimes looking up at the sky and counting the stars helped put her at ease.
However, upon reaching the deck floor she realized she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.
Slowly she approached Tori, as the slightly older girl sat alone, staring out to the sea.
"Tori, are you okay?" Clementine asked the girl.
"Yeah… I'm fine…" Tori said. "What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep." Clementine shrugged. "I take it you couldn't either…?"
"No… I couldn't." Tori sighed. "Sleeping on a boat, isn't the best…"
"Tell me about it." Clementine said. "I'd give anything to sleep in a regular bed again."
"Well, hopefully you can soon." Tori said.
"Yeah." Clementine nodded.
There was a brief silence then Tori spoke again, "…They're good people…"
"Who?" Clementine asked.
"The people at the town I mentioned. They're good people. It's a nice place. They have a church, a school… It's not like things were before, but… it's close…" Tori said.
"That… Sounds nice…" Clementine gave a tiny smile at the thought.
"Yeah… It's kind of crowded there, but they'll help y'all. The best they can, anyway." Tori said.
"That's good. But… What do you mean "y'all"? You're coming with us." Clementine said.
"I don't know if I should…" Tori let out a sigh.
"Why not?" Clementine asked.
The other girl was quiet.
"Tori, what's going on?" Clementine slowly took a seat near her. "Talk to me…"
"I… I didn't really leave to find food for them…" Tori said.
"What?" Clementine asked.
"What I said before, that wasn't true… I didn't leave to help them… If anything, I hurt them…" Tori said.
Clementine was a bit confused. "How? How did you hurt them…?"
"I stole from them…" Tori answered. "We were running low on food… They were giving out rations, but it wasn't enough… My family needed more food… My father was sick… Very sick… So, I… I started stealing from the food shops. And eventually I got caught… I was scared so, I ran… I took one of the boats and left, but I was found by those cannibal assholes…"
"You left; they didn't kick you out." Clementine said.
"No… But I'm sure they would have…" Tori replied.
"You said they were good people, right…?" Clementine asked.
"Yeah…"
"Then maybe they'd understand. You did what you felt you had to. Your father was sick…" Clementine said.
"They won't see it that way…" Tori disagreed.
"You don't know that…" Clementine said. "Look, whatever happens, we'll figure something out… But if these people are really good, then they'll understand…"
"…Maybe…" Tori sighed. "I guess we'll find out soon…"
Clementine offered her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay…"
And something about that smile made the older girl want to believe her.
It was late afternoon when land came into view and Tori confirmed the place in the distance was the spot. While excitement was shown by the rest of the group, Tori seemed to be anxious.
As the others climbed off the ship onto the deck, Tori seemed hesitant. Noticing this, Clementine placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be okay… Come on."
As they got off the ship, they were met by a guard waiting on the dock. "Don't take another step."
"We don't want any trouble… We… We need some help." Carley said.
"Is that so?" The guard asked.
"Yes… We're just looking for a place to stay… Please…" Carley said.
The man paused for a moment then sighed, "We'll have to talk to our leader and—"
He seemed to stop as he locked eyes with Tori. "To-Tori? Is that you?"
"Yeah… I-It's me…" Tori said.
"Oh my gosh… I… It's been so long. We thought you were dead…." The guard said.
"…I'm not… Good news, I guess." Tori forced a pained smile.
"It's great news… your family was so worried." The guard replied.
"I'm sure…. How's my dad?" Tori asked.
The guard's face fell, and he hesitated to speak.
"Jan, how's my dad?" Tori asked once more.
"I…. I'm so sorry, Tori…" The guard, Jan said.
Tori's face paled and her eyes quickly grew wide. "Wh-What? What are you saying?"
"Your dad took a turn for the worse once you left…" Jan explained.
Tori quickly shook her head in disbelief. "No… No, No, No, that can't be right."
"I'm sorry, Tori… He didn't make it…" Jan said with a frown.
"No no no no… Wh-Where are Mom and Tyler?" Tori asked.
"They're at the old house—"
Before the man could get another word out Tori had rushed off, leaving her new group members confused.
Jan frowned but slowly looked to the group members. "I take it you guys are friends with Tori?"
"You could say that…" Carley said.
"What exactly brings you here? Tori left us on some… pretty strained terms…" Jan said.
"Strained terms…?" Carley rose a brow.
"She stole from us…." Jan said.
Clementine, having heard this story before, along with the reasoning, spoke to defend Tori. "It was only for her family's sake. She didn't feel like she had a choice."
"It doesn't make it okay…" Jan said. "I can understand why she did it, but not everyone was as forgiving…"
"I get that. And it… it doesn't make it okay… But people make mistakes. And Tori has learned from hers. She's been through a lot… We all have…" Clementine said.
"We came here hoping to find a place to stay… I can explain everything to you, but… please… we're asking for your help…" Carley said.
"I'll…. Talk to our leader…" Jan said.
"Okay…" Carley nodded.
The young man radioed their leader before turning to the survivors. "Follow me, please."
Upon meeting the leader, Carley had done the talking, explaining the situation to them. How they needed a place to stay, how they had women who were expecting, and the horrific events they had been through, and how she and Clementine had done their best to save and keep everyone going.
The leader was shocked, to say the least. And concerned about their wellbeing.
"Feel free to stay here as long as you want. It's pretty crowded, but we're willing to try to make room…" The leader said.
"We appreciate it. Thank you…" Carley said.
"I'll have one of the guards show you all around. Show you where you can rest and get you all a meal." The leader said.
"Thank you so much." Carley said.
Before long they were given a tour of the town, and soon after that they group was showed to a building where they were supposed to stay and given even food for each of them to eat.
The building they gathered in wasn't huge, but it was much better than cramming onto a boat. Plus, most of the group was grateful to have beds to rest in that weren't swaying to and fro.
It was a good substitute, at least for the time being.
While everyone settled in, Clementine couldn't help but wonder about Tori. Where was she, and was she okay?
She knew the girl was going through a lot and she worried about her. She just hoped she was okay.
The night continued on, and things remained calm, the group managed to sleep a peaceful sleep, without concern.
Clementine, however once again found herself unable to rest. Hope thoughts were spinning, and all she could do was wonder if Tori was okay.
Days had drifted by, and the women and teens had settled in. From the few days they had spent there, Clementine and Carley could tell that the community in fact did seem safe, and that was a big relief to them. They had stayed longer than planned to make sure the place was truly safe, not just a facade. And after checking the town, inch by inch, they were sure that the women and teens would be okay there. And that this could be a good place for the women who were expecting to raise their young children once born.
Clementine found her concern for Tori growing and unable to stop her worries, asked for direction to the teen's home. Upon getting there she was met by who she assumed was Tori's mother and younger brother.
"Who are you?" The woman asked, surprised to see this unknown girl at her house.
"I'm a friend of Tori's… Is she home?" Clementine said, feeling a bit awkward as she spoke to the woman.
The woman's face darkened, eye's narrowing. "Tori doesn't live here." She responded in a bitter tone.
"Well, can you tell me where she is?" Clementine asked.
"Hell, if I know…" The woman said.
"That's your daughter, right?" Clementine questioned, though she could tell the woman didn't want to talk.
"I don't have a daughter…" The woman bitterly claimed.
Clementine held back a sigh. "I know you think she left you… but she didn't… Tori only had you all in mind when she did what she did. She was worried about her father… And yes, she made a mistake, but she deserves forgiveness. We all make mistakes."
The woman didn't respond, for a bit.
"You know I'm right…" Clementine said. "Tori made mistakes, but she's here now. She loves you… And I'm sure you love her… Life's too short to hold grudges…"
"I'm done talking about Tori." The woman huffed before storming into the house, calling for her son to follow.
"Are… you really Tori's friend…?" The boy asked.
"Yeah… I am…" Clementine said.
"Well, you better watch out. Cause soon she'll ditch you too." The child said.
Clementine looked to the young boy who was maybe around eleven or twelve. "Your sister didn't abandon you… She wanted to help your dad… and things were just complicated."
"Complicated how?" The boy questioned.
"They… Just were…" Clementine said. "You'll have to talk to Tori to understand…."
"I wish everything was how it used to be…." The boy let out a sigh.
"I know, bud. A lot of us wish that…" Clementine said. "But I promise you, whatever Tori did, your family's best interest was in her mind. She never wanted to hurt any of you."
"I know… I just missed her…" The child replied.
"She missed you too." Clementine said. "You should probably head inside with your mom. I don't want you getting in trouble."
The boy nodded but before Clementine could walk away he spoke, "…Tori's not here… But I might know where she is…"
Clementine paused, looking back to him. "Where? Can you tell me…?"
"She used to go to the park and listen to the birds. She'd take me there sometimes when I was little." The boy said.
"I'll go talk to her… Thank you, buddy."
The boy gave a nod. "And Miss… If you see her… Can you tell her, "Tyler's not mad"?"
"Of course I will…" Clementine said.
"Thank you…"
With that, Tyler headed into the house and Clementine headed off to find Tori.
Clementine had taken Tyler's directions and head to search for Tori, eventually stumbling upon the park where she spotting the older teen seated on a bench.
"Hey…" Clementine greeted as she approached her. "I figured you be here…."
"How'd you know…?" Tori asked.
"Your brother told me…" Clementine said.
"Really? That squirt always knew me better than anyone else…" Tori said. "So you talked to my family?"
"Briefly… I was looking for you." Clementine said.
"What for?" Tori asked.
"I've been worried Tori. I haven't seen you in days." Clementine said.
"You don't have to worry about me. No one else seems to." Tori said.
"That's not true. A lot of people care about…." Clementine said.
"But they shouldn't…" Tori said. "It was my fault. I left and my dad died right after… My family suffered for so long, all thanks to me…"
"It's not your fault…" Clementine said.
"I'm sure everyone in this town disagrees with you." Tori said. "And now… I'm being shunned by my own family… My own mother and brother can't stand to see me."
"They love you, Tori… They really do." Clementine said.
"They don't show it." Tori said.
"Sometimes love is hard to show… Especially when someone's upset… or hurt… But they love you…" Clementine said.
"I've been thinking a lot about leaving… I wonder if I was gone for good, would that make things better." Tori said.
"I don't think things would be better. I think it'd make things worse for them. They need time to process, and they need time to heal… They were worried about you, and if you leave you put them through that worry again… All of you need each other…" Clementine said. "You don't know what I'd give to have my mom and dad with me now…"
"…Clem… I'm sorry…" Tori said.
"You have people who care about you. Don't forget that. And I'm sure your dad wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what happened." Clementine said.
"I try not to be I know they blame me…" Tori said.
"I think you blame yourself more than they blame you… You're angry with yourself, and you're pulling away. But they need you… You need to reconnect with your family…" Clementine said.
"I don't know if I can…" Tori replied.
"Well, I hope you do…" Clementine said, turning to walk off. "Oh… and Tyler wanted you to know, he's not angry."
With that the girl walked off, leaving Tori to her thoughts.
And as the days continued on, Clementine and Carley knew it was time for them to move on. Although the leader had welcomed them to stay, they knew it wasn't for them. This place wasn't their home. And large groups weren't their thing.
Although the place was safe now, they both knew things didn't always last, and they couldn't stay to stick around with such a large group if worse came to worse.
Not to mention, Clementine didn't see herself raising her child here. She wanted to find Wellington, and though this place seemed close to a safe haven, it wasn't where she wanted to be. Besides the place was crowded enough as it is.
They needed to move on.
"You're leaving?" The leader said.
"We are... We prefer to keep moving..." Carley said. "We have a specific destination in mind."
"We have room here, you could stay." The leader said. "I know your home has been a tight fit."
"It's crowded as it is... We appreciate your offer though. And your help." Carley said.
"We plan on expanding and with the boats we've been finding, and board walks we're constructing, we'll be able to expand even further." The leader explained.
"Like I said, I appreciate the offer, but we're ready to move on…" Carley said. "We're grateful though… For everything you've done."
"It'd be safer for the kid to stay." The leader sighed.
"She'll be fine. Thanks for your concern, but we can take care of her." Carley said.
The leader and Jan others exchanged looks but sighed.
"Okay... You all be safe out there." The leader said.
"We will..." Carley said.
"And if you change your minds, feel free to come back... We can always make space for you." The leader said.
"Thank you. You take care of these people. They've been through a lot... This could be a place of healing." Carley said.
"It will be... We'll do our best to keep them safe." Jan said.
"Thank you…" Carley said.
The trio said their goodbyes to the group they had rescue, getting many hugs and even some tears in response. As they readied to leave, they realize she couldn't find Tori.
Clementine felt disappointed, as they ready to board the ship. Tori had been one person she was looking forward to talking to.
As she started to climb onto the ship, she heard a familiar voice call to her. The girl flinched slightly as Tori called out to them.
Stopping her movement, Clementine looked to the girl as she ran up to her.
"Were you really going to leave without saying goodbye…?" Tori asked.
"Hey, I couldn't find you." Clementine said. "Trust me, I wanted to say goodbye."
"Yeah, yeah…" Tori joked, giving a slight roll of her eyes.
"I'm serious. I'll miss you." Clementine said.
"I'll miss you too, Clem." Tori said. "And… I've decided I should reconnect with my family and try to fix what I messed up."
"You'll do good. I'm routing for you…" Clementine said.
"Thanks, fangirl." Tori smirked.
"You take care of yourself." Clementine hugged the older girl.
"You too, Clem… Stay safe out there." Tori said back.
"I will." Clementine said.
"You better." Tori said.
The hug broke, but Clementine was surprised when Tori pressed a short kiss on her cheek.
Eyes widened and cheeks flushed, Clementine managed to stammer back, "Wh-What was that?"
"Clementine, come on!" Danielle called.
"Bye, Clem." Tori said.
Clementine simply waved, cheeks still flushing red. She headed on to join Carley and Danielle back on their boat, her face still feeling warm from the kiss.
"Back on the water again…" Carley muttered.
"…Do you think they're going to be okay?" Clementine asked.
"I'm sure they'll be fine... We've gotten them somewhere safe. That's all we can do." Carley said.
"Yeah… You're right…" Clementine said.
Clementine just hoped that they would stay safe. While also hoping herself, Carley and Danielle would remain safe as well.
"What if Wellington's like that?" Clementine asked.
"What do you mean?" Carley asked back.
"Over-crowded… or full? What if they don't let us in?" Clementine wondered.
"They'll let us in. After all we've gone through, they have to." Carley said.
"I hope so…" Clementine said.
If Wellington was truly out there, they had to let them in. They had set their minds on finding the place, and that's what they would do.