The Morning After...

...It's too damn quiet in this city.

We have been walking through the streets of Savannah for almost an hour now and we haven't seen or heard any trace of anything alive or dead. I've scanned the streets, alleys, even the rooftops, but I've seen nothing. Everyone is on edge thinking that someone...or something could pop out at any moment. One thing I am aware of is that...stranger is out there in this city, waiting for Clementine for God-knows-what reason. If I ever see him or if he dares to lay a single finger on that little girl...

Omid's injury hasn't gotten much better. It's been cleaned, but who knows what got into his system before that? He's been limping ever since we all got off the train and I feel like he's only gonna get worse. We left the train on the outskirts of Savannah just in case any survivors here tried to take it. I didn't want to leave my duffel bag on the train so I took it with us, there's still a good amount of meds and ammo in it but who knows how long it'll last?

Despite the city being empty, it feels almost...peaceful in a way. The photographer side of me picks at the back of my head to take a picture of the empty streets around me...and I oblige. I only have enough film for a few more photos, I hope there's at least some out in this city, there's gotta be.

Lee decided that he would hold onto Clementine's walkie-talkie until she either confessed who the guy on the radio was or until the stranger tried to make contact with her again. Clementine has been eyeing it ever since she saw it hanging off of Lee's pants. I think she's aware that we're onto her little secret.

"Can't I just hold it?" Clementine looked up at Lee after she caught up to him, eyeing her walkie-talkie. "Just for a little while? We're getting real close to where my mom and dad are, maybe I can-"

"Not now, Clementine," Lee interrupted her. "Maybe later, okay?"

"...Elijah," The little one looks over to me. "Please tell him it's okay to-"

"We need you to focus, Clem. Keep your attention on the street right now."

"...Okay."

I know we're not being fair to her, but I'm not taking any chances.

"How's Omid?"

Christa looks back at Lee in concern. "Elijah did an alright job cleaning it up, but it's still pretty bad."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you need to rest. He needs to rest."

"Kenny," I call to him. "how much farther to the riverfront?"

"Should be just a few more blocks up ahead."

"And there'll be boats there?" asked Christa.

"There sure as hell better be."

"There'll be boats. Have to be. Have to be..."

"It's going to be okay," Ben says. Kenny knows what he's doing."

I don't think you should start kissing his ass, not after-

GONG! GONG!

"What the fuck?" We all stop in the middle of the street at the sound of a bell going off, I look around to notice a nearby church where the ringing is coming from. This could be bad.

GONG! GONG!

"Maybe this city's not so dead after all..." Christa remarked.

"Keep moving," Kenny faces us. "No one's ringing that bell, it's automatic, on a timer."

GONG!

Lee checks his watch. "What kind of church bell goes off at twenty past the hour?"

"..." I looked at the church again...and I saw someone run away from the bell tower, someone wearing a red jacket. "Someone's up there!"

GONG!

"Huh?"

"Are you sure? I didn't see anything."

"I know what the fuck I saw, Ben. I'm telling you guys that there's someone up in that tower! Someone alive!"

ZZZTTT!

The radio on Lee's hip crackles. "If I were you, I'd get out of the street. Now."

"I thought you said that thing didn't work!" Christa accuses Lee but he ignores her as he grabs the radio and holds it up to his head.

"Who the hell is this?!"

ZZZTTT!

I step closer to the radio, my anger rising with each step. "Answer him, goddamn it!"

GONG! GONG!

The bell stops ringing, leaving us more confused than before. I look over at Clem, she looks away with a guilty look in her eyes. We're gonna have to have a serious talk when we get somewhere safe.

"What the hell was that?" Omid asked. "Is someone trying to fuck with us?"

"Sounded more like a warning."

"...'Ask not for whom the bell tolls..." Chuck...started quoting John Donne for some reason, making us look over to him.

"What are you yammerin' on about?"

"..."

"...It tolls for thee'."

Walkers, more walkers than all of us combined could ever begin to handle without drawing more from within the city. I count at least eight, no, fifteen. Wait, why the hell am I counting?!

"Everybody, run!"

The group runs in the opposite direction of the Walkers, killing a few in our path that manages to get in the way. I manage to shoot at least two with my pistol and Chuck kills a few with his shovel. I check behind me to make sure that Clementine is keeping up with us.

"Ah, shit!" Kenny shouted, a Walker had grabbed him by his ankle and it made him trip onto the ground.

"Kenny!" I aim my pistol at the Walker and shoot it in the head, Kenny crawls away from its corpse.

"That was a little too close, don't ya think?"

"Ben!"

"Clementine!"

I turn back and see both Clementine and Ben being surrounded by Walkers, forcing them to back them into a brick wall. "Ben! Get her outa there!" Clementine looks up to the kid, hoping that he'll do something...but he runs away. You bastard!

"Goddamn it!"

"Mother fucker!"

Lee and I aim our guns at the surrounding Walkers, shooting as many as we can to make sure they never touch Clementine.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG! CLICK! CLICK!

Fuck! I'm out of ammo! I holster my pistol and run as fast as I can to Clementine...but a Walker is right in front of her. "CLEMENTINE!"

"NO!"

Thankfully, Chuck came along and knocked over the Walker on the ground and drove his shovel through its chest. "Get her the hell outa here!" He said as I grabbed Clementine's hand. "I'll catch up with ya!"

"Move your asses!" Kenny shouts as the three of us catch up with the others. "River Street's right up ahead!"

"That's not all..." Ben pointed at more Walkers that were now blocking our current path.

"Oh, give me a fucking break!"

"Wait, where the hell's Chuck?" Christa looks back, seeing the old-timer fighting off more Walkers.

"Shit, he's in trouble! We gotta help him!"

"There's no time!" Kenny argued...and I hate that I agree with him, we can't get cornered. "We've gotta go, now!"

"I'll be fine!" Chuck yells. "Just go!"

Fuck...thank you, Chuck. We run down the next street until we eventually find a house surrounded by a brick wall. We've been running long enough to where the Walkers won't be able to find us, I make sure that everyone gets inside the gate and into the backyard before I do. Omid falls to the ground and groans in pain before I close the gate behind him.

"You okay, dude?"

"Ugh..." He moves to a sitting position against the wall. "yeah."

"You've opened up your wound! You're bleeding! Shit, that's gonna get infected," Christa looks over at me. "Is there any more disinfectant?"

"Here," I kneel down at Omid's side and open my duffel bag to find the peroxide...but the bottle is completely empty. "What?!" I look in the bag, seeing a wet spot at the bottom. Son of a bitch! It must've opened in all the commotion and spilled out! "Fuck..." I hand Christa a few rolls of bandages. "Clean the blood as best you can, it's all we got now." That, and just a few boxes of ammo.

"Kenny, how's that door coming?" Lee asked.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!" He shouts in frustration.

"Well, work faster, would you? It won't be long before those things outside figure out where we went. You know they can smell blood!"

"Lady, I ain't the one who's bleeding!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" I shout. "We'll get inside but we won't get anywhere with all this shouting! Lee, Kenny, and I will find a way in. Just sit tight." Clementine has her eyes glued to the gate, looking down the path that leads to the backyard.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Do you think the dead people saw us come back here? Are they going to find us?"

"Don't worry, Clem. Even if they did see us, they can't get in here."

"We did. Why can't they?"

"Well, we're a lot smarter than they are. They're just mindless monsters, they can't open doors."

"Do you remember my pet hamster?"

"Mr. Cheesers?"

Clem nods. "Mm-hm. One night, he figured out how to open the door to his cage, and when we woke up...he'd eaten half a box of cookies."

"...I, uh, don't think it's the same here, Clem."

"Yeah, right. This time, we're the cookies."

"Just keep away from the gate, okay? Lee and I are gonna get us inside the house," Clementine sits on the ground next to Omid and Christa. I was about to check the door with Kenny...but I saw Lee glaring at Ben who was trying to look through a boarded-up window. "...Hey, Ben."

The kid turns around and sees us...and he starts shaking. "Uh...h-hey, guys."

Lee speaks first. "About what happened back there on the street..."

"I know. I don't know what happened. I just...froze up. Hasn't that-"

"You didn't 'freeze'," I interrupt. "You ran away."

"You just better hear what me and Elijah are saying, Ben. You put our girl in danger again, it won't be the Walkers you have to worry about."

Ben backs up until he hits the window behind him. "...I hear you."

Lee and I leave the frightened kid alone and join Kenny at the door. "How's it coming?"

"Door's locked up tight," He answered Lee. "Too heavy to force it without making a whole lot of noise."

"Maybe there's a better way in."

"What about this?" I point at the pet door just below Kenny's knees. "Pet door could get us inside."

"I tried that already," Ben said. "that's locked too."

"Who the hell ever heard of a locked doggy door?" Kenny asked like it was the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard.

"I have," said Omid. "My neighbor had one just like that. It's...radio-controlled, the dog wears a collar with a chip in it so the door only opens when the dog gets close to it."

"Well, shit," Kenny smirked. "Every day's a school day."

"Alright, so...where's the dog?"

"I have an idea where..." I point to the nearby doghouse by the corner of the backyard...where a cross is planted in the ground.

"Shit..." Lee grabs the shovel that's been resting next to the shed and walks over to the small grave.

"Hey, be careful," Omid warned. "Digging up dead things isn't what it used to be, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Lee nods. "I hear you."

Everyone but Omid approaches us as Lee starts digging up the grave. "What's buried down there?" Clem asks.

"Nothing you want to see, Clem."

"But-"

"Clementine, honey," Christa called her over. "come sit with me and Omid. Let Lee work." Clementine complies and Lee finishes digging up the grave...finding a dog's rotting corpse at the bottom. Its foul stench already fills the air around us.

"Oh, God, the smell."

"Disgusting..."

"Must've belonged to the people who lived here," Lee bends down and grabs the collar around the carcass but it won't come loose. "Can't get it off..." After a few tugs...the dog's head falls off completely off its body.

"Cono!"

"Okay, that is not cool!"

"Huagh!" Christa vomits into the bushes.

"Are you okay?" Clem asked the woman with concern.

Christa wipes some bile off of her lips. "I'm fine, honey. It's just the smell."

"Are you sure you're-"

"I said I'm fine, okay?"

"..." Okay, that was strange. I follow Lee as he now has the collar in his hands.

"Well, here goes nothing," Lee kneels down and places the collar near the doggy door, a small clicking noise comes from it and unlocks it.

"Yes!" Kenny happily shouts. "Goddamn!"

Lee bends down and opens the pet door, looking inside the house. "What do you see?"

"Nothin'. Looks like it's been empty a while. Lemme see if I can reach up in there," Lee tries reaching for the doorknob but he stands back up. "It's no good, I can't get it."

"I can try," I say. "Maybe- Clementine?!" I saw the little one crawl right through the doggy door before I could even react.

"Clem, what do you see in there?"

No response comes from inside for a few seconds, the door opens and Clementine proudly steps out, raising her hands in the air. "Ta-da!"

Holy shit... "You little sneak."

"Good job, Clem!"

"Yeah, way to go!"

"I did good, right?"

"Yes, you did!"

"Damn good, kiddo!"

"Can we maybe have this conversation inside?" Omid struggles to stand but manages to do so. "My leg's starting to hurt like hell."

"Looks okay from here. Everybody in!"

Everyone enters the house. Inside is just how I imagined the inside of a mansion would look like. Open kitchen, living room that's bigger than my house, and furniture that only rich people could afford. I take a quick picture before we all reach the living room, Christa helps Omid to the couch.

"Argh!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"No, it's okay. I'm good. Feel better already just being off my feet. Thanks, babe."

Christa comes over to Lee, Kenny, and me with a scowl on her face. "So, when were you gonna tell us about the radio?"

"Tell you what?"

"That it's working! That there's someone else on the other end of that thing! You didn't think that might have been worth sharing with the rest of us?"

"I was going to tell you," Lee explained. "The three of us only found out yesterday."

"So you all were keeping it from the rest of us?"

"Who gives a shit about the damn radio?" Kenny expresses his opinion. "I'm more worried about whoever it was out there ringing that bell and bringing the dead down on top of us! It's like that didn't want us to make it to the river!"

"What makes you think it's not the same person? Whoever was on the radio was close enough to see us in the street. And we didn't see anyone else other than the guy in the bell tower."

"Because that doesn't make a lick of damn sense. Why would they bring out the dead like that and then try to warn us about it?"

"Exactly," I agree with Kenny. "Whoever it is on the radio is clearly stalking us, and I don't like it. Not one fucking bit."

"Yeah, I don't like being followed."

"All the more reason to get on a damn boat, where we can't be followed."

"I think we all could use a little time to rest up and gather our thoughts, Kenny. At least until those walkers outside wander off and Omid's feeling better."

"He better heal quick. I ain't gonna wait around here too long."

"Place seems secure, at least," Ben remarked.

"I'll feel better when we know that for sure," Christa retorts. "We need to check the whole house."

"Alright, fine," Kenny looks to Ben. "You and me'll take upstairs. Lee, Elijah, y'all've got down here. Make sure you two check every door."

"Okay."

"Got it."

Kenny and Ben head upstairs and Christa goes to sit by Omid in the living room, Clementine walks up to us. "Can I help? What if there's another locked door?"

I chuckle and tug on her hat, ruffling her head. "I think you've been helpful for one day, kiddo."

"Why don't you see if Christa and Omid need anything, okay?"

"...Okay." She pouts but Clementine does what she's told.

"Well, I can check the living room and dining room," I say. "You got everywhere else?"

Lee nods. "I got it."

I start my search in the living room, checking both doors on each side of the fireplace. It was just a closet and bathroom so we don't have much to worry about in here. Next, I check the dining room, but the only things I find are a few bottles of whiskey, a grandfather clock, and a few knocked-over chairs.

Well, looks like I'm done in-

"JESUS!" I ran over to Lee after he shouted, looks like he had...opened a door and a broom fell out. I hold back a laugh but it comes out as a snort. "Not a fuckin' word, Elijah."

"What?" I cover my mouth, fighting the urge to laugh out loud. "I didn't say anything." Lee puts the broom back in the closet and we both head back into the living room. "Well, there ain't much in this place."

"We should stay here for a while," Lee suggests. "at least until it quiets down outside."

"Good," Christa smiles at us. "Thank you both."

"Is Omid holding up okay?"

"Yeah, for now. I cleaned his leg as best as I could, but I'm worried that it could've gotten infected. I don't suppose you guys turned up any meds while you were poking around?"

"Only dog food in the kitchen."

"And there's a few bottles of whiskey in the dining room," I add.

"...I was just asking Clementine if she knows who the man on her radio is. It's okay, honey, you can tell us. Who is he? What does he want?"

"..." Clementine looks away sheepily, Lee and I kneel down to her.

"Go ahead, Clem. It's okay. You're not in any trouble."

"You can tell us, we won't be mad," Not at you anyway.

"...It's just a friend. I don't think he wants to hurt us."

"What has he been saying to you? What have you been saying to him?"

"I told him I was trying to find my parents, and that they were in Savannah. He really seems nice, I think he wants to help me find them."

"Clem, listen to me, Kiddo. This man is just telling you what you want to hear, you don't know what he really wants."

"But-"

"Lee! Elijah!" Ben calls from upstairs, we meet him halfway up them and he looks terrified. "You guys need to get up here now."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Kenny." Lee and I follow Ben upstairs, eventually leading us to an attic ladder in the middle of a hallway. "Kenny said he thought he heard something up there, went to go look."

"He's up there?"

"I can't get him to come down."

"Did you even try going up there?"

"Well...I-"

"Don't answer that," I interrupt. "Come on, Lee." I start climbing the ladder leading up to the attic. Inside, I find Kenny on his knees. He's just sitting there and not moving an inch. "Kenny?"

"..."

Lee joins me in the attic and steps beside me, he looks at Kenny with the same amount of concern as I do. "Kenny, you okay, man?"

"..."

What is he seeing? Lee and I take a step closer to him...and the smell of something rotten fills my nostrils. "Oh, Jesus."

"What the hell is that..." Lee smells it too...but it's what we both see that leaves us in utter shock. "...Oh, my God."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph."

Across the attic...was a kid, but he had turned into a walker. He stood up and I got a better look at him, he's completely malnourished, nothing but skin and bones. When I see its face...it reminds me of Duck. Fuck... The walker boy saw the three of us and took a step, only to fall over onto the floor. Damn thing can't even support his own weight, all it can do is try and reach its hand out to us and let out small weak groans.

"Kinda looks like Duck, don't he?"

"He's...just a...kid."

"What the hell happened to him?"

"Ain't nothin' on him. Guess he must've been hiding out up here. Starved to death."

"Jesus Christ..."

"Poor fucking kid..." He must've been terrified out of his mind.

"I don't know if I can, boys," Kenny looks down at his knees. "Couldn't do it before. Can't do it now."

"I can't ask you to do this, man," Lee says before I can. "I'll take care of it."

"Lee, I can-"

"And I can't ask you to do it again, either," He interrupts me. "I'll take care of it." Before I can argue about it, Lee goes over to the walker boy. "Poor kid...must have tried to hide out up here until he starved to death," I hear him mutter.

This could have been Clementine if she didn't have us when this all started. I pit starts forming in my stomach at the thought, and it gets even bigger when I see Lee plant his foot on the walker's head. He probably wouldn't even have to stomp that hard to kill it. Fuck me...

"I'm sorry," He said right before he pressed his foot down, easily crushing the walker's skull like it was nothing. Kenny and I join him and look down at the boy's corpse.

"We should bury him," said Kenny.

"...I'll take care of it," Lee picks up the boy in his arms, the Walker's face is half crushed in.

"I'll go with you." Lee looks at me like he wants to protest but says nothing once I start climbing back down the ladder.

I wait outside by the dog's grave for Lee, it's gotten a bit foggy out here in the meantime, it doesn't take too long for Lee to get over here and place the boy in the grave next to the dead animal. I wonder if they were the best of friends before all of this. I just hope he wasn't being raised like some snot-nosed rich kid. Lee shovels more dirt as I silently pray.

Wherever this kid goes, may he, his family, and their beloved dog rest in peace knowing that they are away from all of this.

I look up and see Clementine coming out of the house. She watches as Lee continues burying the kid. Damn, I know she needs to grow up if she's to survive all of this, but it's still sad that she has to in the first place. I'd give anything to just be back in college, back in my house...back with my mom. Christa soon comes out, seeing what we are doing. She takes Clementine inside, Lee shovels some more dirt...but he stops when he looks up at me.

"What?" Wait...he's not looking at me. I turn around and see...a man...watching us from outside the fence. As soon as he makes eye contact with me, he runs off like a bat out of hell. "Hey! HEY!"

"Who are you?!" Lee grabs onto the fence rails. "What the hell do you want from us?!"

"You stay the fuck away, you hear me?! I'll kill you! You understand me?! I'll kill you!"

"Lee, Elijah," We hear Christa come back outside. "What's going on?"

"There was someone standing outside the fence, they were watching us."

"A walker?"

"No," Lee answered Ben. "too fast. Took off like a bat outa hell when we spotted him."

"Was it a man or a woman?"

"I think it was a guy," I say. "I only got a quick look."

"What does it matter?"

"I'm wondering if it's the same guy who's been following us. The guy on the radio."

"Kenny?" Lee saw the man step out of the house.

"I'm fine. Just...I'm fine. What's all the ruckus?"

"Lee and Elijah saw someone watching us from outside the gate."

"What?" Kenny's eyes widen at Ben's words. "Who?"

"We're not sure, Elijah only got a second look."

"I don't like this one bit. Not one bit."

"Me either," Christa agrees. "Walkers are one thing, but the thought of someone out there actually stalking us..."

"Alright, that's it," Kenny interjected. "We've stuck around here long enough. It's time to get back on track, time to get down to the river and find ourselves a boat."

"I don't know if Omid's well enough to travel."

"Well, he'd better get ready. Because I'm going down to River Street right now to find a boat, and as soon as she's ready to go, we're movin' out."

"I'm with Kenny," Lee agrees. "the sooner we get the hell out of here, the better."

"Yeah, I think I've already had my fill of city life."

"Well then, hell, what are we waiting for?"

"I'll go get my stuff."

"No. Ben, you'll only slow us down. Lee, Elijah, and I can go scout the river while the rest of you get ready to move out. You stay behind with Christa and Omid."

"Wait, can't I come?" Clementine walks up to me and Lee. "My mom and dad can't be far away now, maybe we can look for them on the way to the river."

"We can't right now, Clem," I say.

"But you and Lee promised we'd go find them when we got here. On the train, you both promised!"

"I know we did, sweet pea. We haven't forgotten. But Savannah's more dangerous than Elijah and I thought. We all need to stick together as a group."

"...Okay."

"Daylights burning. Gonna go grab my gear, then we'll head out."

"Come on, Clem," Christa calls to the little one. "let's go see if Omid needs anything. "

Everyone but me, Lee, and Ben goes back inside the house. "So, you guys are just gonna leave me on the bench here?"

"It's more than you deserve, honestly. After that stunt you pulled." I say and Ben should know exactly what two things I mean. "Just stay here and keep an eye on the others, can you do that one job for us?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

"Good," Ben heads back inside the house, leaving me and Lee in the backyard.

"Elijah. I noticed that you've been giving Ben more hell than usual, what happened?"

"..." I sigh, if there's anyone I can at least trust with this, it's Lee. "...Alright, but this stays between us."