Chapter 4
Clementine had been forced to abandon her camp, because of the scavengers, three days ago. She hadn't eaten anything substantial for two. Today though, she had caught some type of weasel, roasting it over a fire that was much too wet, low and dim to even cook the damn thing. The rain was getting real bad lately, hell she'd probably be eating the damn thing for breakfast at this point. She'd been sitting on some fallen tree, waiting for the weasel to cook. Getting impatient she grabbed her backpack out from inside a slightly hollowed out part of the log in an attempt to keep it dry. She'd also stored her gun in there, as she was scared of damaging her gun. Searching around for a lighter, she grabbed her photo of Lee, staring for a few seconds at it before putting it in her back pocket. After a bit of digging she found the lighter and grabbed some scraps of paper.
Walking over to the fire, she lit the pieces of paper and dropped into the fire in the hopes it'd somehow make the thing grow. When that failed she searched around for anything that was somewhat dry, grabbing a split log she had sitting next to the flame and throwing it in. It took a second but the flame did grow a tiny margin, but not enough to cook the weasel. Realizing she had to get up and search around for more wood to burn, she left the fire unattended for a bit. Walking out into the darkness in search of tinder, she had found a couple of sticks, and rotting branches. As she was walking back though, she suddenly was forced to the ground as someone had pushed her. Spitting out mud that had gotten in her mouth, and standing up, she found herself face to face with the barrel of a gun.
"Where's your group?" A black guy in a grey hoodie asked shoving the gun in her face.
The girl tried to open her mouth and say she was alone, but the words refused to come out. So she tried shaking her head and pointing at her mouth, to try saying she can't speak.
"Jesus, are you fuckin' kidding?!" A balding white guy yelled.
"A mute, little girl out her alone? In the middle of nowhere?" Another one chimed in, another black guy, but this one had lighter skin and long hair.
"But we haven't met anyone yet. How many people are you with?" The guy asked her.
"Hate to see someone get hurt." The guy pointing a gun at her threatened.
'Shit shit shit' Clementine tried shaking her head again pointing her hands towards herself in an attempt to try saying she's alone. Only raising eyebrows as they tried to understand what she meant.
"Now, hold on, she's setting you up." The balding white guy tried arguing.
"You're obviously with someone. Where's your group?" The guy in the hoodie pushed the gun towards her head.
"Don't fucking lie to us!" The white guy yelled at her.
"Who do you think you're foolin'?" The hoodie guy questioned her.
"Give us the truth, and you don't get hurt." Baldy threatened.
Trying to figure out how to say she was alone again, she was brought out of her thoughts as she found herself on the ground again.
"You fuckin' with me? Where's the rest of your group?! The hoodie guy shouted.
Looking at all of them, desperately attempting to figure out how to get them to believe her. They started bombarding her again.
"Come on guys! She's not saying!" The light skinned guy got closer, pointing his gun at her as well.
"You expect us to believe you're out here all alone?!" Hoodie guy questioned her.
Clementine heard walkers approaching as the group kept yelling at her. Realizing it was do or die time, she waited for them to notice the shambling corpses approaching them, before throwing a rock at the white guys head and taking off.
"What the fuck?!" The guy groaned in pain, before pulling himself out of his stupor noticing the little girl running off. "Hey!" He shouted, chasing after Clementine.
Clementine ran as fast as she could in the muddy terrain, trying to escape the man chasing her. Gunshots ringing out from what she assumed was the other two fighting walkers.
"Get the fuck over her! NOW!" The one chasing her screamed.
Hiding behind a tree, Clementine tried to quiet down, her breathing rapid from the brief over exertion.
"Motherfucker! Come out here, girl. I'm not fucking around. Look, girl, ain't no way you're smart enough to get outta this. Just come out." The man tried drawing her out.
The man got closer to her hiding spot. Seeing no other choice she bolted, the man quickly taking notice of her.
"Shit! Get the fuck over here!" He ordered as he chased after her.
As she ran she realized a tree was blocking her way, crawling under it and continuing to sprint off. Lungs burning as they begged for her to stop.
"Goddamn it!" The man yelled, eventually catching up to her. Knocking her to the ground and dragging her by Clementine by her foot.
Clementine kept thrashing around, doing everything she could to break out of his grasp.
"Man, this is such SHIT. Come! On! Just--fuckin'--god, if you aren't a FUCKIN' pain in the ass!" He cursed pulling her along with him.
Clementine spotted and grabbed a rock, turning around and smashing it against his hand. Taking off once he let go.
"Ah, fuck! Shit!" The man screamed, clutching his hand, before chasing after the little girl again.
Clementine dodges past a walker, hoping for it to slow or kill the man.
The man kicked the walker's knee, making it fall down as he proceeded to stomp the hungry corpse's head in.
Clementine stops by a tree, ripping off a pointy looking branch.
The man charges towards her, dodging and countering it with a stab to his shoulder.
"Jesus, are you fucking kidding me?!" He yowled in pain. Knocking her to the ground again.
Clementine tried kicking his hands, attempting to aggravate the hand she had injured earlier.
"Ah, fuck!" He howled letting go of her.
Clementine continued trying to escape, stopping as she had nearly fallen off the riverbank.
The man grabbed her again.
"Stop fuckin' running! Quit squirmin'!" He ordered.
She bit down on his hand hard, drawing blood.
"Ah! Fuck! Ah! Ow, let go, you little bitch, Jesus Christ!" He released her and she tried crawling into a hollowed out log.
"Come out of there!" He grabbed her leg again, dragging her out of the log.
Clementine attempted kicking his hands again, but he refused to let go of her. As he continued dragging her, she grabbed onto a nearby tree.
"Jesus, are you fuckin' kidding me?! Come on, girl." Finally pulling her off the tree, and throwing her to the ground. He grabbed her wrists to hold her down, Clementine kicking him in an attempt to get away.
"Kid, you are on my last fucking nerve! Stop fucking kicking!" Spotting a walker nearby, she puts more behind this kick
"No, shit!" Getting him off and nearly getting him eaten.
She tried to run off again, but a walker had grabbed her arm through a tree. Struggling for a few seconds, she managed to break the walker's arm off. Sidestepping as another walker approached her, the walker going for the other guy instead, biting and ripping out his throat as he screamed.
Clementine broke out into a sprint, dodging walkers, before tripping on a root. Turning around and trying to crawl away, she grabbed a rock in some futile attempt to slow the walkers down. Breathing heavily as she continued crawling back, feeling nothing but the air as she fell over, rolling down the riverbank and straight into the rough waters.
She woke up feeling exhausted, wet, cold, and shivering. It had turned morning while she was out cold. Somehow her hat had managed to stay on her head. She got up, looking around spotting a broken canoe that had "JR. TANUKI'S KIDS CAMP" emblazoned on the side. The other half was stuck in the river, in between some rocks. Walking around, she spotted a broken set of stairs, jumping she tried grabbing the ledge but failed. Trying again, she managed to grip the ledge and managed to climb up with a struggle.
Looking around, she spotted a grave made from sticks, frowning at the sight. She also spotted a sign impaled into a walker's skull. Staring at the sky she also noticed the sun was already pretty close to setting soon, guessing she only had about two hours of sunlight left.
Seeing a dirt trail, she decided to follow it, coming across a wildlife warning sign.
YOU MAY ENCOUNTER:
BLACK BEARS
COYOTES
MOUNTAIN LIONS
POISONOUS SNAKES
OR OTHER SPECIES
BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS
'No shit.' She thought as she continued following the trail. Climbing over a tree in her path, and continuing on her way.
As she walked, she heard something rustling around in a bush. It had orangish colored fur from what she could she. Walking around she spotted a dog, who immediately started growling at her.
'Uh oh.' Clementine tried reaching out, calming the dog down as she managed to get a look at the collar. 'Nice to meet you, Sam.' She attempted to pet the dog, but he growled. 'Okay he doesn't like that one bit.'
The dog ran off a couple feet and started sniffing the ground. Clementine looked at Sam confused as he ran off.
Clementine's eyes widened as she chased after the canine. Eventually stumbling upon what seemed to be an abandoned campsite. It seemed to have been abandoned for a while, judging the appearance of it.
'God I hope there's food.' She looked around the abandoned campsite. Finding a picture of what seemed to be Sam and his owners inside the open van. 'Looks like they were a happy family once.' She frowned and placed the photo back. Searching a box next to the run down vehicle she picked up a disco broccoli toy. If she wasn't starving, she'd probably be happy about that. Tossing it back in the box she continued searching. Looking inside the grill, she found nothing on it. Moving on towards the ripped up tent, she looked inside finding nothing useful. She spotted a frisbee on the ground and stared at Sam for a second.
'Maybe later.' Walking away from the toy. She found a can on the ground, but she threw it away as it was empty. She eventually stopped at the blue cooler, staring at it.
'Please let there be something in there.' She prayed, as she opened the cooler and immediately regretted it as a horrid stench assaulted her nose.
'No food on the grill, nothing in the cooler... Ugh! I hate scavengers! They take EVERYTHING!' She cursed in her head. She began walking towards the only thing she hadn't checked yet, the trash can that was letting off a rotten smell. Scrunching her nose and rolling up her sleeves, she started digging around and grabbed a can that felt like it had weight to it. Lifting it out of the trash and looking at the can, she saw it was untampered. She went to grab her knife, but found herself grabbing air.
'Dang it!' It probably fell off her as she was escaping the group of bandits. She started searching around for anything she could use to open the can. Almost giving up, when Sam started barking at something behind a tree.
Clementine wondered what the hell the dog was barking at, in some desperate attempt to shut him up. As she closed the distance, she noticed a walker that had been tied up, unable to move away from the tree. She got closer, spotted a pocket knife stuck in the walker's shoulder, stabbing into a bite.
'Looks like he tried to cut it out.' Clementine frowned, remembering when she first noticed Lee was missing an arm, after she had shot the man that kidnapped her.
She looked at the knife embedded in the walker's arm. Then looked around for anything she might be able to use, to kill the undead corpse it was attached too. She picked up a branch that was a few feet away, stared at the walker that was desperately trying to reach her.
Clementine lifted the branch over her head, and slammed it against the walker's skull. Waiting for a bit as the walker didn't move for a second before snarling at her again. She bashed it over the head again and again, eventually breaking the walker's head open and putting it down for good. Searching the body for anything useful, she was left disappointed feeling the empty pockets. Getting back up, she yanked the knife out of the now dead corpse, she stared at the grimy, slimy liquid that was covering the blade. Wiping it on her jeans to try cleaning it, ridding the knife off of the blood. The blade was still somewhat sharp, she noted as the blade gleamed in the sunlight.
Walking over to the middle of the camp, she started opening the can with her new knife, making jagged cuts along the top. Prying the can open with the knife, and immediately began scooping the beans in the can with her hand. The dog sat in front of her whining, she contemplated sharing, but the lack of any real food for what was almost four days now, had caused her to just try eating faster.
Sam started growling at her, making Clementine jump a bit as the dog lunged at her, biting down on her arm and dragging her to the floor. Yelping in pain and surprise from the sudden onslaught, started punching the dog's face. Realizing the lack of any damage, she grabbed the knife that had fallen to the floor on her left, and stabbed Sam in the snout. The canine jumped back from the pain, before leaping straight back towards the injured child.
Clementine kicked the dog as it just barely reached her, throwing it straight behind the log she was sitting in a few seconds earlier. Picking the knife back up, she stood up and slowly started walking towards where the dog fell. Hearing its whines and subtle yelps, finally spotting the dog flailing around, impaled on some rebar spikes. She kneeled down next to the dog, staring as it desperately tried to escape the spikes that penetrated throughout its body.
'Sorry, Sam.' She brought the knife towards Sam's neck, slitting its throat and ending its suffering as it let out one final pitiful groan.
Standing back up, she rolled her sleeves down in attempt to keep the bite clean. She started trudging through the forest, the pain and exhaustion making her vision blur, and her head shake. She sat down next to a boulder, groaning as the pain worsened. Her eyes started getting heavy, but her ears had caught a walker coming towards her. Looking around she spotted one limping towards her.
Getting back up off the floor, using the boulder as support, she attempted to limp away. As she tried to escape the small herd approaching her, another walker that had caught up to her, pulled her to ground snapping its jaws at her. Trying her best to push the walker off of her, just as she started feeling her arms failing her, the walker's head disappeared. Looking around she sees another walker get its head pierced by a crossbow bolt. Then another and so on before a familiar voice came out.
"I'm out! Grab her, and let's go!" The voice she recognized as being Pete shouted.
"Come on, kid. We gotta get." Another one said, recognizing the voice as Luke, as the man lifted her up and took off.
They ran for a short while, before slowing down once they had made enough distance from the shambling corpses.
"I think... I think we're safe." Pete assured as they slowed down.
"Yeah... yeah, we're good. Hey, you alright?" Luke asked her, trying to start a conversation with the girl.
She just stared at him, not having the energy to even explain that she couldn't even talk. Choosing to just shrug in response instead.
"Okay. I'll take that as a no." Luke decided, looking at Pete for a second and continued on walking. After, a few seconds of silence they both started trying to talk to her again.
"What are you doing out here?" Pete asked her, Luke chiming in right after.
"Where are the, uh... the people you're with? There's no chance you made it this long on your own." He questioned.
"I don't want them thinkin' we're doin' anything but tryin' to help you. Hmm... not sure how the group is gonna feel about another mouth to feed." The older man thought out loud.
"I hate to break this to you, kid, but, uh... I'm an expert at talking to girls who don't want to talk to me." Luke joked.
"Well, you've got plenty of practice." Pete joined in.
"Pete. C'mon, man. I don't need yer help." Luke lightly chided the older man.
"Well, I'm Luke, and this is Pete." Luke said, deciding to make introductions.
"Hey, there." Pete smiled at her.
Clementine just stayed silent, trying her best to ignore the pain in her left arm.
"You uh... don't talk very much do yah?" Luke noted. Clementine just shrugged in response.
"Well anyways, for now, we're gonna take you back to our group, okay? We got a doctor with us, and you look like you could use some-- Oh, shit!" Luke spotted the blood on her arm and dropped her.
Landing straight on her injured arm, letting out a pained groan, she grabbed the injury in an attempt to soothe the pain.
"What? What is it?" Pete questioned, surprised at the action of the other man.
"She's... she's been bit, man. Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, what are we gonna do here?" Luke panicked, clearly not expecting the situation.
Pete just went 'hmm' in response to the panicking man's question.
Clementine shook her head rapidly, lifting her bleeding arm in an attempt to get them to see it wasn't a walker bite.
"The hell's that mean, kid?!" The man exclaimed in confusion at the little girl's actions.
"Think she's trying to tell you to look at her arm." Pete answered, to which she nodded yes in response.
"What? Why me? You do it man." Luke said in disbelief.
"Hmm... alright. Let's see it." The older man relented.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, watch yourself." Luke worried, to which Clementine furrowed her eyebrows and glared at the man. "Hey, don't look at me like that! You're the one that's bit here, okay?" He defended, crossing his arms and turning away.
Pete rolled up her sleeve, investigating large gash in her arm. He looked at the large bite for a while. Clementine looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction.
"Is it, uh... bite or not?" Luke asked the other man.
"Hmm... hard to say. It could be a bite, it could also not be. Now kid, you gonna tell me what did this?" Pete questioned, an inquisitive look in his eyes.
"Now, what... what does this matter, Pete? Seriously." Luke argued with the man
"I wanna know how believable her story is." He answered.
Clementine pointed at her mouth with her right hand, making a talking motion and then shook her head.
"Oh." Was his only response.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked the older man.
"She's mute." Pete replied back bluntly.
"Huh. That... kinda makes things difficult, don't it?" Luke joked, in a saddening way.
"Alright, just... look at me kid, I wanna know the truth. Did you get bit?" Pete interrogated her, she shook her head in response.
"Hmm. Alright, that's good enough for me." Pete declared.
"Well, what else was she gonna say?" Luke angrily stated.
"I've got a good bullshit detector, Luke. That's why you can never beat me at poker." Pete replied jokingly.
"You don't always beat me at... Alright, how can you be sure?" Luke asked the man.
"Well, I'm sure I ain't willing to leave a little girl in the woods to die when we got a doctor with us that can make a call. We can have Carlos take a look at it first." Pete answered.
"Nick ain't gonna like this... Not with what happened to--" Luke was saying before Pete interrupted him.
"You don't have to remind me of that, boy." Pete chided the younger man.
"Right. Sorry, sir." Luke apologized, looking away for a second. Pete pat Luke's shoulder.
They started walking again, approaching a cabin in some clearing. Both of the men stopped, watching worriedly as the little girl, limped towards them.
"Come on. Kid, are you feeling alright?" Pete worriedly asked her. Clementine nodded her head slowly, dragging her feet.
"Well, you better be fine. 'Cause I ain't carryin' you anymore with that bite on your arm." Luke stated.
Clementine just kept walking, her vision blurring, eyelids feeling like they gained a hundred pounds. Clementine, suddenly found herself falling to the floor.
"Ah, shit!" Luke exclaimed, being the last thing, she saw or heard before everything went black.
A/N
Sometimes, I like to think about the fact that if, Duck, had grown up in a normal world. He'd be yelling slurs in a 2008 MW2 lobby, or being one of the guys in the 'You Have UNO' video. Just a bit of a shower thought, you know.