Chapter 6

Clementine had nightmares throughout the night, reliving that terrible day in Savannah. The second she shot Lee, she felt a jolt, immediately sitting up after waking up. That gunshot rang through her ears, she felt restless, the nightmares preventing her from getting a good nights rest. She heard voices in the kitchen, slowly throwing herself off the couch, she rubbed her eyes and entered the kitchen. She saw Luke and Nick sitting at the table, talking about something she didn't entirely understand, hearing something about a misunderstanding. Pete, and Carlos were preparing breakfast it seemed. She sat down at the corner of the table, and placed her head down between her arms, she still felt tired, unable to drive the thoughts of Savannah out of her mind.

"Hey Clem." Luke spoke first. "You sleep alright?"

Clementine shrugged, head still down in her arms. She didn't feel like interacting with anyone right now. Luke quickly realized that the little girl didn't feel like "talking" and decided to leave her be.

"Breakfasts ready!" Pete's voice sounded throughout the entire cabin. He brought two bowls of oatmeal and placed one in front of Clementine, and then walked off, towards the living room.

She raised her head, and pulled the bowl closer. Clementine sighed, dejectedly, and started slowly eating the oats. She saw Carlos, in her peripherals, walk out of the kitchen with two bowls. Luke and Nick got up to grab some food. She also heard heavy footsteps coming in, Alvin she assumed.

Luke and Nick both returned with their own bowls of oatmeal.

Luke tried starting another conversation with her. "You excited to check the fish traps?" He asked cheerfully. Clementine shrugged, she already knew the purpose of her going with Nick and Pete.

"What's up with her?" Nick nonchalantly asked, pointing his thumb her.

Luke stared at the young girl, gauging her body language. "Probably just something we talked about last night." He chose not to give an answer, probably not wanting to make her remember their conversation that night. She gave a sad smile at that and finished her bowl, standing up and placing it in the sink. She walked towards the living room and sat down on one of the couches, her eyes burned from the lack of real sleep. She didn't even realize she fell asleep again, when Pete nudged her.

"Come on, we're leavin' to check the traps."

Nick was right behind the man, carrying a rifle. She stood up, stretched, and followed the two men out the cabin.

During their walk through the forest, Nick told them "Wait up, I gotta take a leak." Pete decided to keep walking instead, Clementine choosing to follow the man.

"How ya holding up? I heard you got an earful from Rebecca last night. Once she gets going, there's no bringing her back. Her bark's worse than her bite." Clementine just shrugged, she chose not to dwell on the angry pregnant woman's antics.

"She was in a mood last night, that's for sure."

They continued walking in silence for a bit. Clementine kept stealing glances at the man's rifle, she'd only shot one once, to kill that man more than two years ago. She thought about the conversation with Luke yesterday, and then thought about the couple she killed, mainly what the woman had said. Her realization about how the woman had described her as a "new toy" before Clementine bashed her head in, made her shudder. 'Good riddance.'

"The traps ain't much further." He noticed Clementine staring at the rifle again. "Anyone teach you how to shoot? By that I mean taught proper. Any idiot with a finger can shoot."

Clementine nodded to his question.

"That's good. It's important nowadays."

"Nick was about your age first time I took him huntin'. Came across this beautiful 13-point buck just standin' there on the ridgeline. The boy takes the rifle, lines up the shot just like I taught him, then I hear him start whinin'. He turns to me and he says, "I can't do it. I can't shoot it, Uncle Pete. Please don't make me shoot it.""

Clementine smirked at the story. 'What a baby.'

They both heard running behind them and stopped, Nick was breathing a little heavy.

"Hey! Why didn't you wait?"

"You want us standin' around while you piss on a tree? You know where the river is, boy." Pete chided the young man.

They started walking again. "Anyway, so I grab the gun out of his hand before this big buck runs off when BANG! The gun fires. Boy nearly gut shot me. And of course the buck gets away."

"What're you goin' and tellin' her this shit for?" Nick angrily butted in.

"'Cause you almost blew her face off yesterday. Seems relevant. Tryin' to let her know it's nothin' personal with you." Pete bit back.

Nick got angrier that. "Why are you always giving me a hard time?"

"Because you're always givin' everyone else a hard time." Pete answered.

"I tried to apologize already. She ain't havin' it." Clementine raised an eyebrow at that, not remembering that happening.

"Well, can you blame her?"

"You're always trying to embarrass me." Nick stated.

"You're doing a good enough job of that on your own." Clementine silently laughed at that, although if they weren't busy arguing with each other, they'd probably wonder why she was breathing so hard.

Nick started walking ahead.

"Leavin' us again?"

"I know where the fucking river is!" Nick hissed at his uncle.

Pete sighed.

"So anyway, I found that buck later that season. Shot it right in the neck. Brought it up to my sister's, figurin' she'd want to freeze some of the meat. Nick didn't speak to me for weeks. Sometimes you gotta play a role, even if it means people you love hate you for it."

Clementine nodded at that, wishing she understood that before running away in Savannah.

"Uncle Pete!" Nick suddenly shouted.

Clementine and Pete both started running towards Nick.

"Nick...? Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." Pete interrupted himself, gawking at something ahead.

Clementine finally got into view of the riverbank. Dead bodies littered throughout the area.

Pete started poking one with his rifle. "Full'a holes."

Clementine stared at the man worriedly, wondering who did this.

Pete seemingly understood her reaction to the situation. "Not sure yet. But it ain't your average gang'a thugs, that much I know."

"Think about it. You're Carver, what do you do?"

Clementine looked at Nick, kneeling next to a body.

"Check those guys there. Be careful. Some of 'em might still be movin'." Pete ordered.

Clementine walked around, kneeling next to a body wearing a leather jacket, 'plastic toys' written on the back.

"Shot through the head?" Pete inquired, to which Clementine nodded.

"Check the rest. And look for ammo. We're runnin' low."

Clementine looked over at the tiny island separating the two streams. Noticing more bodies, she nudged Pete to get his attention and pointed.

"This wasn't no rinky-dink pissin' match."

"What was it then?" Nick asked the man.

"FUBAR." Was all Pete said, Clementine didn't know what that meant, but she understood it wasn't great.

Pete started walking towards the small island.

"Where are you going?! We need to get the fuck outta here!" Nick quietly shouted.

Pete just simply replied "Gotta check the rest."

"What?! Why?!"

"Calm down and think about it, son." Pete implored his nephew.

"Calm down?! We've gotta get out of here, now." Nick begged the older man.

"Jesus Christ, get a hold of yourself." Pete finally got to the island.

"One of these folks might still be alive, and they might just be inclined to tell us who did this."

"We gotta do this now. Stay here. Keep searchin' these." He ordered Nick.

Clementine hopped on some rocks to get across.

"This is a dumb idea." Nick complained.

"You know, Nick, I don't like this either, but sooner or later you're gonna have to realize a simple truth."

"What? That you're an asshole?" Nick insulted his uncle.

"That nobody in this world is ever gonna give a goddamn whether you like somethin' or not. You gotta grow up, son." Pete chided.

"Whatever." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Clem. You wanna be useful, keep a lookout on that treeline. Whoever did this might still be out there. Waitin' for another sucker to stumble across this mess. Just like baitin' a fish. It's what I'd do." Pete directed to Clementine, nodded at the order. But quickly started to wonder how she'd alert them, but started searching the small island.

She started searching around, a walker pinned to the ground by a spear started growling. They both walked towards it.

"Hm. Same deal. All shot to pieces. Hope this isn't anyone you know."

Clementine shook her head no.

"Good."

Pete ripped the spear out of the walker's chest, and impaled its skull with it.

Pete looked to the other side of the riverbank.

"Damn it. More on that side. You check out these ones. See if there's anything on 'em that'll tell us who they were."

Clementine stared at bodies, they already seemed looted. She started edging towards another body, and noticed her backpack behind a rock. Running towards it, she started checking the bag for anything, seeing everything still there, most importantly, her pistol. Clementine let out a sigh of relief, but immediately perked up when the body next to her started coughing.

She stared at the man next to her, coughing. Clementine immediately recognized his face.

"Please..." the man started begging, pointing at the water bottle in her pack. Clementine glared at the man, and closed the backpack, putting it on. "Please..." Clementine ignored the man's cries.

"Ah!" Pete's voice rang out. A gunshot followed right after.

Clementine stared at the man in worry.

"Pete!" Nick cried out.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Just... just lost my footing! Damn it. Goddamn it!"

Clementine spotted a tear in his pants, then the blood. 'Oh no.'

Pete noticed the stare.

"Shit! Lurkers!" Nick yelled, gunshots ringing out on both sides.

"I'm outta ammo!" Pete yelled back.

"Come this way!" Nick told both of them.

"Son of a bitch. Damn it, you get your asses over here, both of you!" Clementine started looking at both of them, deciding on what she should do.

"I'll cover you! We gotta get out of here!" Nick tried telling his Uncle.

"Get over here, goddamn it!" Pete dead set on his plan.

"Can't you listen to me once?! Just one time?! I've got ammo!" Nick begged.

"Listen to me, damn it! I see a way out!" Pete was adamant about where they should go.

"I'll cover you!" Nick shouted at the man.

"I've got a clear path over here, goddamn it!"

Clementine chose to run towards Pete, deciding that she'd much rather follow the man she trusted the most out of the two, even if he was bit.

Pete shouted at both of them again. "Come on! Come on!"

A walker attacked Pete and knocks him to the ground. He grabbed its wrists, trying to keep the corpse off himself.

"Jesus! Fuck!"

Clementine grabbed a plank from a nearby pallet and smacked the walker's arm with it, breaking the limb off Pete. Pete then kicks it backwards and hits it with the stock of his rifle.

Nick yells and hits a walker with his rifle.

Pete tries to limp toward his nephew. "Nick, hold on! Nick!"

Nick panics and runs away.

"Goddamn it! Nick!" Pete screams.

Clementine drags the man's arm, trying to get him to run. She knew where the truck was, and hoped to find cover there. Pete, begrudgingly follows her, as walkers begin surrounding them.

Clementine held onto Pete's sleeve like her life depended on it, dragging the man towards the location of the truck she stayed in. After a few minutes of running they arrived at the truck, Clementine slammed the back doors open, jumped in, and helped the older man get inside.

"Well, they shouldn't be able to get through that. On the downside, we can't get through them." He remarked, walkers pounded on the truck.

They both sat down, Pete clenched his injured right leg. Clementine stared at the bite sadly, she might not've liked everyone in the group, but she didn't want the man to die, or Luke.

"What're you lookin' at? Starin' ain't polite." Clementine looked in the man's eyes, he didn't show it yet, but fear showed in his eyes.

"Hand me that there." Pete nodded his head at something behind her, her hand axe.

Clementine hands it to the man, watching him cross his leg and lift the axe. The man grit his teeth, in anticipation for the pain, but then tossed it aside.

"I'd bleed out like a stuck pig. What are you gonna do, carry me outta here on your back? Hell. Just...just give me a minute." Clementine stared at the man, she only knew the man for nearly two days, and truly wished he wouldn't die. Lee's missing arm flashed in her head again. She wouldn't let that happen again.

She grabbed the bottle of water from her backpack, shaking it around.

"Anything in that?" Clementine found the opening she needed, handing the bottle over to the man. Waiting for when he started drinking.

Clementine rushed over and grabbed the axe, slamming straight down on the man's leg cutting halfway up his lower leg.

Pete spit the water. "Ah, fuck!" He shouted in agony, dropping the bottle.

Clementine had only gotten halfway through, she raised the axe and slammed it down even harder, blood splashed on her face as the leg had been severed into two pieces. She grabbed rags out from her backpack, tying them together tightly, then grabbed a half foot long stick, that was about half an inch wide. She then wrapped the bundle of rags just under his knee multiple times as tightly as she could. Leaving enough fabric to use as a support for the stick, she then placed it over the two ears and tied them extremely tight over the stick. She then start twisting it, making a makeshift tourniquet, once the blood flow stopped, she placed Pete's hand over it. The man was in shock it seemed, but could understand what she was asking him. She looked around the truck, for anything to help with cleaning the wound. Finding nothing, she looked for at least anything else she could use to cover it. Finding some more rags she had, she bundled a bunch together and placed it over the wound. Then she grabbed another rag, placing it over the bulk and around his leg. Tying it in place with another rag.

Clementine kept searching for anything useful, and found it. Her raincoat, the blood and guts had dried since she had to abandon it. She quickly threw the coat on, hoping it was enough, and grabbed her notebook out of her backpack.

'I'll get help, be back soon.' She wrote, showing it to Pete, who simply nodded, still groaning in pain.

Clementine stood up, grabbed the tools the scavengers left behind, and walked towards the front doors of the truck, throwing the passenger door open, and slammed it shut. The walkers, hearing the noise, came towards it. One of the closest walkers, attempted lunging at her. Sidestepping, she then started sprinting past the group of shambling corpses, back towards the cabin to get help.

Clementine had crossed the river, still running, her legs burned and her lungs were screaming for air, but she didn't stop. She'd gotten a little lost for a while, unfamiliar with the area, and unable to think straight from the exertion she'd put herself through. She took a quick breather, trying to regain some semblance of direction. Spotting the trail that Pete and Luke had carried her through, she started following it. Eventually spotting the cabin through the trees, she started sprinting even harder.

She practically broke a hole through wall, when slammed the cabin door open. Carlos, and Rebecca ran out the kitchen, surprised at the noise. Clementine had her hands over her knees and was breathing heavily.

"Clementine, are you alright? Luke's not with you?" Carlos worriedly asked.

Rebecca questioned her. "Where's Alvin?!"

"What happened? It's been hours. Where are they?" Carlos got a little louder.

"Clem?" Rebecca's voice softened.

She pulled her notebook out of her backpack.

'Pete got bit, walkers swarmed us, I cut his leg off, in truck other side of river, help him' She tore the page out and shaved it into Carlos's chest.

The man frowned at that, but his eyes widened as he read the note, and handed it to Rebecca.

"We gotta go!" Rebecca exclaimed.

Carlos tried calming the pregnant woman down, not wanting to take the risk. "Just hold on a minute."

"My husband is still out there! Get the guns!" She shouted at the man, who promptly ran off into another room.

"Luke and Alvin went out looking for you. I told them not to go. Damn it, Luke!" She paced around.

Carlos returned with two rifles, handing one to Rebecca. The man nearly exited, before stopping.

"Clementine, can you... shit." The man realized she was covered head to toe in blood, and walked to the stairs.

"Sarah! Rebecca and I are going to go fishing, just stay in your room! We'll be back in a bit." The man then turned to her.

"Don't let her see you covered in that, and don't let anything happen to her!" The man hissed, then took off after Rebecca.

Clementine sat down against the wall,next to the door, still breathing heavily, she had been running around for so long. Once she could no longer feel her lungs burning, she stood up slowly, using the wall as support. She entered the kitchen, and sat down on a chair. This was her chance to finally leave, she placed the notebook on the table. She placed her pencil on on empty page, and froze.

What was she going to say? She thought for what felt like an eternity.

Shen then finally decided what to write.

'If you're wondering where I am, I left, I'm sorry for taking for taking the medical supplies, even if you left me no choice.

You all will most likely never see me again. I'm leaving the forest, and will probably leave North Carolina.

If Pete survives, tell him, thank you for being nice, and I'll never be able to repay you, Luke, I'll never forget you, for defending me, even if everyone was against it and didn't believe me. And also for dropping me. Here's a little gift for you two, from me, I didn't know what to get, so here. They're empty, as I can't risk not being able to make fire.

And sorry for whoever's watch this was, I was really angry when I grabbed it.

Goodbye'

She tore the page out, placed it on the table, and then pulled out the watch.

Clementine grabbed two lighters, she then started etching their names into the lighters, using a screwdriver she had found in the storage room after looking around for something to do it. Once she finished the lighters she placed them next to the watch.

She then exited the cabin, and started walking away. Clementine was about halfway to the tree line, planning to find her duffle bag.

"Hello there!"

Clementine froze, she recognized the voice clear as day. Turning around, she saw the same man, whose group had been practically tormenting her for months, walking towards her.

Once the man was in front of her, he stared at her, a light smile plastered over his face. Clementine shyly nodded to the man, hoping the man didn't notice how badly she wanted to escape.

"How are ya?" The man asked her, still smiling, but his eyes seemed to be looking into her.

Clementine shrugged in response.

"Not much a talker are you?" He joked. Clementine put a finger up, and placed her pack down. Grabbing her notebook, and looking through the pages she had dedicated to conversation starters/information about herself.

She found the page that said she couldn't talk, showing it to the amused man.

The man nodded in acknowledgment at the gesture. "Sorry 'bout that, don't really come across many mutes these day. Except for the dead people." He joked again, the man finding the whole situation funny.

She finally took notice of the man's holstered revolver.

"My family and I are set up a ways downriver. I'm... kinda surprised we haven't run into each other yet. What's your name?" The man lied easily.

Clementine held herself from furrowing her eyebrows at the blatant lie. She switched to the first page.

'I'm Clementine, what's your name'

"My name is George, honey." George offered her a handshake.

Not wanting to take any risks, she accepted and shook his hand back.

"Pleasure to meet you, Clementine. You mind if I come in for a bit?" He gestured towards the cabin.

Clementine was at a loss, she wasn't prepared for this. She remembered Carlos's words, and even though she hated the man, she didn't want to risk his daughter getting hurt, if George was, in fact, Carver as she suspected.

She wrote 'it's locked' and left it at that.

"I see, sorry for assuming the place was yours." George apologized to her, he seemed to be enjoying the situation.

"Where's your group, hard to believe a sweet, little girl, like yourself is out here by yourself?"

Clementine shook her head, 'Alone'

"Really?" He seemed surprised at, although she also saw something else, recognition maybe?

Clementine nodded.

"Well, I'm impressed." He pat her on the shoulder a few times.

"Well, I'll cut to the chase; I'm looking for my people. Seven of them, to be exact. They've been gone a long while and... I'm worried they might've gotten lost. Maybe you've seen 'em. Couple of farm boys and an old man... Spanish guy and his daughter. Quiet girl, bit taller than you. A big black guy. This big. And a pretty little pregnant lady." The man did a bunch of gestures to try and give an idea, of what the group looked like.

Confirming her suspicions on who the man was. Shaking her head, she wrote something else down.

'I passed by a bunch of dead bodies, down by the river, could be them.' Showing him the note, and pointing in the direction of the river.

"The river? You sure about that?" He checked.

Clementine nodded yes to the question.

"Well, no offense, but I'd guess that wasn't them. 'Cause the ones I'm lookin' for are very careful people."

Clementine shrugged at that.

"Just passin' through?" She nodded.

"Hey, listen, kid. I hope you're not one of those nuts headed up north, lookin' for Shangri-La."

Clementine stared confused at the man.

'What's Shangi-La?'

The man laughed "It's Shangri, S-H-A-N-G-R-I. Some place up north, supposedly. Some big community, takin' survivors by the dozens or whatever." He explains.

She shook her head at that.

"Oh good. Whole lot of people headed that way lately, north, that is. Me, I don't get it. Just as much nothin' up there as there is down here. And I can't stand that Yankee weather." He said disdainfully.

'I've noticed that really cold weather will slow the walkers down a bunch.' Clementine wrote, trying to explain the reason as to why people were going north.

"Well, that's not worth the trade, in my opinon." He countered.

Clementine pointed at the man, and then placed her hands together, pretending to sleep, and straightening up. She always felt embarrassed doing stuff like that.

"Sleep? Oh, down by the river there. There's a sweet little spot with a boat where we pitched camp. Got a few tents up and everything else. Almost surprised you haven't seen us yet."

'How long'

"Been there a good while now."

They both stood there for a while, he stared at, and Clementine stared back.

"Well, you're welcome to come with me, back to my camp. I enjoyed this little conversation, and you remind me of someone." Carver offered.

Clementine was now truly at a loss, if she didn't, he might kill her, if she did, she didn't know what might happen to her. She thought for a minute, about the recent days, the past two years of drifting from place to place. She hated to admit it, but she was tired of living like that. She so desperately wanted to make the truck work as a place to live.

This decision albeit hard, could quite possibly risk everything for her.

A/N

Ey two chapters in under 24 hours, anyways just wanted to say thank you to anyone who's managed to read this far. I know I'm not the greatest at writing, never have been, but I do truly appreciate anyone who has stuck around. Sorry about the cliffhanger though, but the major divergences from the original story start here as you might have realized.

Again, thank you to anyone who stuck around to read something my autistic ass just dreamt up one day.

Stay tuned, and see you in the next chapter. Bye, bye.