"Open the goddamn door!"
Fuck...that hurt... Where the hell am I?
"You can't keep us in here!"
"Huuuuaaaaugghhhhh!"
My vision starts coming back to me, I see Larry banging on a door and Lilly vomiting in the corner of the room.
"Open up! I will tear you fuckers apart with my bare hands!"
"Will you stop that banging?!"Kenny? Is that you...? "We gotta find another way out of here!"
"Huuuuaaaaugghhhhh!"
"You sick fucking bastards!"
I finally manage to get to my knees. I look around and I finally see Clementine, she's staring in shock at Lilly. Lee is starting to wake up and I crawl over to him. "Lee..."
"Open this door, goddamn it! I will knock the goddamn door down!"
"Dad, stop!"
"Lee! Elijah!" Clementine notices us and runs over. "It...it was a person! They tried to make us eat a person!"
"But you didn't do it?" Lee asked and Clem shook her head.
"No..."
"Thank God..." I say under my breath.
"The rest of us did, goddamn it!" Larry stops banging on the door and turns to us. "If you two hadn't dragged your feet-"
"C'mon, Dad. Now's not the time."
"That evil fucking brat," The old man scowled at me. "he invited me to eat the meat! And all that time he and that fucker knew what it was!"
"Stay calm, Dad. We'll deal with it later..."
I ignore them and look to Clementine. "You okay, Kiddo? They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"
She shook her head at me. "Mm-mm..."
"Open up!" Larry goes back to pounding on the door.
"Guys, those psychos have my family and Sandra, and we're stuck in a damn meat locker!" Kenny shouted. "We gotta get the fuck outta here!"
"Wait, what?" I look around, finally noticing that Sandy isn't here with us... "Oh, shit!" I feel my anger rising. I swear if he does anything else to her...I'm gonna- Wait... I feel my pockets, now realizing that both my gun and knife are gone but my wallet is still in my pocket. "Fuck!"
"This goddamn thumbsucker was the one who brought us here!" Larry shouted at Lee who was starting to get up from the floor. Kenny gets angry and shouts back.
"Will you all just shut the fuck up?!"
"I'm scared!" Clementine clings to my arm as I stand.
"It's okay, Clem. Lee and I are gonna find a way out. That right, Lee?"
He nods. "That's right, just sit tight."
Kenny searched for any crevices in the meat locker while Larry and Lilly just bickered back and forth as the former didn't stop slamming his fist on the door. I found some boxes, all labeled with 'meat' on the side. I don't wanna know...even though I already do.
"Can I help?" I hear Clementine ask Lee.
"Sure, honey. You keep your eyes open for exposed screws or loose panels... anything we can pry away to open a passage out of here."
She nods. "Okay."
I go over to Kenny. "They've got Katjaa and Duck, Elijah! Those fuckers have my family!"
"I know. We'll get to them. What about Sandy? What did they do to her?"
"I'm not sure, son. But we're gonna show those fuckers hell when we get outa here!"
"Fuck..."
"C'mon, Larry," I hear Lee say to him, I go by his side to have his back. "Do you really wanna attract their attention?"
"Yeah, I wanna attract their attention..." He panted. "so I can fuckin' kill 'em!"
I roll my eyes. "Guess that new girlfriend of yours was a snake in disguise after all."
He turns to me. "What the hell is your problem, boy? First, you two refused to give me my day's rations back at the motor lodge..." He glared at Lee. "Then your boy thinks he has the balls to knock me on my ass... Then you two practically fuckin' push my face into that goddamn human barbecue!" Larry shook his head. "You two must really hate me. But guess what? You're stuck with me! I plan to be around long after you two are gone! And if either of you turn, I'll be the one to put the axe through your skull!"
"...No, you're not worth the energy to hate," Lee started with a frown.
"You're nothing but just a sad old man talking to himself...go ahead, have another heart attack."
Larry looks at Lee with a knowing smirk. "Don't forget, I know who you really are."
"...I don't care."
"At least he's a far better man than you ever were, or will ever be," I add before we walk away and Larry just goes back to pounding on the door. When Lee and I walk away, I notice an air conditioner hanging from the wall. "Hmm..."
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Lee asked me and I nodded.
"I think so..."
"I'll..." Larry starts sounding exhausted. "I'll break that damn door down!"
"Dad, you can't get-"
"Ah!" Larry clutches his chest and starts groaning in pain. Called it... "Haugh!"
"Easy," Lilly tries to calm him down.
"Nngh... Oh, God..."
"Dad?"
Larry collapses to the ground, causing Clementine to gasp. He's...not breathing. Lilly grasps her hands on both sides of his face, shaking him slightly. "No! Dad, come on! Dad!" Lilly puts her head on hi chest. "Oh, God, he's stopped breathing!" She starts performing chest compressions desperately. "I think he's had a heart attack!"
"Shit, is he dead?" Kenny asks.
"He's not dead! Somebody help me!"
"Fuck, if he's dead..."
"He's not dead!"
"You two know what has to happen," Kenny looks to me and Lee. "Think about it. Y'all saw that poor bastard at the motel. How fast he turned..."
Shit...he's right...
"What are you saying?"
"Lilly, I'm sorry. I truly, truly am. But in a few minutes, we're gonna be stuck in a locked room with a six-foot-four, three-hundred-pound, seriously pissed-off dead guy!"
"Fuck you! We can bring him back!"
"We'll mourn him later. But right now, we have to keep him from comin' back."
"No!" Clementine exclaimed.
"Goddamn it, Kenny! He's not dead!"
"...He may as well be," I say. "He's gone into cardiac arrest. Even if we give him the right amount of chest compressions, he would need serious medical attention which we don't have the time or even the resources for. CPR is only helpful until medical help arrives...he ain't makin' it out of this meat locker."
"Fuck you, kid! My dad's survived worse than this!"
"Look, guys," Lee says in a slight panic. "back at the drugstore when we all thought Duck was bitten, I gave him the benefit of the doubt! Maybe we should do the same now!"
"That was different," Kenny retorted. "Duck wasn't bitten! You heard what the boy said, we know this guy's not gonna make it! Remember what Ben said. Gotta destroy the brain..."
This is gonna be messy...
"Come on, Lee, I'm right about this!" Kenny shouts. "I know you've got my back! You always do!"
"...There's no happy ending here, Lee. We have to keep Clem and ourselves safe."
"Goddamn it, Lee! I need you! Please help me!"
"...Okay, let's get this over with."
"You fucking monsters! All three of you!"
"Clementine," I pull her aside, forcing her to face me. "Cover your ears and look at me, okay?"
"W-What are you-"
"Just look at me, cover your ears, kiddo," I command, she reluctantly does so. I pull her into a tight hug, forcing her to look away from what's about to happen.
Lee pulls Lilly away from her dad, keeping her back and she cries out. "I'm sorry, Lilly."
"No! No! No! Get off me! Don't do this!"
Kenny goes to the corner of the room and grabs a salt lick... I internally curse myself for doing this but in the end... "He brought this on himself," I mutter my last thought.
"YAH!"
Lee pulls Lilly completely away from Larry's body as Kenny brings the brick of salt down onto Larry's skull, his blood and brains splattering all over the floor. It's done...now he won't come back.
"God help us..."
I pat Clementine's back and whisper to her. "It's okay, kiddo. It's over..." She cries in my arms, making my heart twist. "I'm sorry you had to be here for that..."
Clementine pulls back from me, "Why?! Lilly said he wasn't dead, Elijah!"
"I'm sorry. We couldn't take that risk, Clem."
"You understand why we had to do this?" Lee kneels down to us.
"...So he wouldn't turn into one of those monsters?"
Lee nods. "That's right."
Clementine begins to cry again so Lee and I hug her. "Shh...I know, Clem. I know. It's terrible."
"But you gotta be strong now," Lee says as we pull away, he keeps his hand on the little one's shoulder. "We need you to be strong. Think about something else, something hopeful."
"...Like what?"
"...How about your walkie talkie?"
"Yeah, that's right," I agree. "Those pretend talks you have with your mom and dad. Those make you feel better, right?"
Clementine nods. "Sometimes. We're gonna get out, right? You guys found a way out?"
Lee and I stand and Clem sits down on the floor. "Elijah and I are workin' on it."
Going back to our original idea before...what happened, Lee and I got a proper look at the hanging air conditioning unit on the wall. There could be an air duct behind it, that could be our ticket out of here.
"There oughta be an air duct behind this unit," Lee stated my very thought. "maybe big enough for one of us to fit through."
"I dunno, Lee," Kenny says. "Seems like a long shot."
"Well, It's the only one we got," I add.
"Does the air conditioner come off?" Clementines asked.
"I think it could come off," Lee answered. "if I had something to remove the screws. The multitool!" He checked his pockets but soon scowled in annoyance. "Of course they took it. Shit."
"Maybe there's something else we could use. I've got a rock."
"I don't think a rock would help, Kiddo."
"But a coin might," Lee added. "Do you have a coin, Clem?"
She shook her head. "Uh-uh."
"I think I might," I say before pulling my wallet out from my pocket, thanking God for not having the St. Johns take it.
"You still carry yours?" Kenny asked me and I nodded.
"Can't let go of...some things," I mean my photos that I can never leave behind. I dig through my wallet, only to find... "Yes!" I pull out a singular quarter.
"Way to fuckin' go!"
Kenny pats me on my back before I move to the AC unit. All I need to do is unscrew the bolts on the bottom and it should slide right off. I use my quarter to loosen the screws, they fall to the floor in under thirty seconds. Once the screws are off, Lee and I carefully lower the unit to the floor, revealing the air duct behind it.
"Well, there's our way out, boys."
"Yeah, but I ain't getting through there..."
"Clementine can..." Lee looks over to her.
"...Are you sure about this, Lee?"
He nods. "I know she can do it."
"Looks like that duct'll lead right into that back room."
Lee approaches Clementine and kneels to her. "I know you're brave enough to do this, Clem."
"...I'm scared."
"I know, Kiddo," I add. "But you remember the treehouse? You and Sandy held out for a while before I came along."
"...Okay." Clementine agrees that she'll do it and Lee and I lift her up and she climbs in the vent.
"You got this, Kiddo."
"You're gonna be fine," Lee supports her.
"What do I do when I get out?" She looks back to us.
"Be as quiet as you can," I say. "Just get to the other side of the door and see of you can open it."
We all listen as Clementine crawls through the vent and gets to the other side. It goes quiet for a few seconds before we hear a small gasp from her. Shit...please be okay... After a few more seconds, Clementine comes through the door. Yes!
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"Did anyone see you?" Lee asked as well.
"No," Clementine shook her head. "But there's a man outside."
"We'll deal with him," I say.
"That's right," Kenny adds before he looks to me and nods.
Kenny is the first to leave the room, I wait for Lee as he tends to Lilly. "Lilly, we gotta go," He said.
"Leave me alone," She didn't even look up at us.
"Lee! Elijah!" Kenny called to us in a whisper. "I can see him!"
"We have to go," I say.
"For God's sake, kid!" She shouted at me. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."
"..." Whatever...
"You boys get in here!" Kenny whispered again from the other room. "I got an idea!"
"Stay here," Lee said to Clementine. "Take care of Lilly, okay?"
"I will."
Lee and I leave the meat locker and enter the room we found earlier, the air stinks of iron. I get a better look at what really lies in here... Jars of human meat, bloodied killing devices, and even a bathtub plastered with blood.
"I told you two there was something up with this room!" Kenny says to us. "It's a goddamned human slaughterhouse!"
Fucking monsters... I look around for anything I can use as a weapon, seeing a sickle, a hay hook, and a handheld cattle prod. I decide to take the sickle and I hand Lee and Kenny the remaining weapons, Lee takes the cattle prod and Kenny takes the hay hook.
"What's the plan, guys?" I ask.
Kenny slightly opens the door, I see Andy sitting on a hay bale at the barn entrance mumbling to himself. I also see that it's starting to rain, this could work in our favor. "That dumbass is so caught up in his own rant that we could probably sneak right up on him. You two just stick behind me in case anything goes down. When we get to the front, grab his gun."
"Sounds good," Lee says.
"Yeah, we got your back," I add.
"You two ready?"
Lee and I look at each other and share a nod. "Yeah, let's go."
"Stay close..."
The three of us crouch down and sneak a little ways into the barn, Danny continues to mumble to himself as we approach him. Danny's rifle rests against the hay bale.
"This is bullshit... 'Danny, do this... Danny, so that...' How was I supposed to know that legless asshole would wake up? I thought he had enough drugs in him to keep him out for the rest of the night."
"Dan," Andy walks up to Danny. "what are you doin' outside the barn?"
"Oh, shit!"
The three of us hide in a nearby stall to avoid being seen by Andy.
"You think he saw us?" I whisper.
"No idea..."
"Just guarding the place, like you said." We hear Danny answer him and Lee peeks out the door of the stall to see what they're doing.
"Well, quit sittin' out in the rain like a damn weirdo. Mama says we can't keep that many folks alive and not expect trouble. Pick two to keep and kill the rest."
Mother fucker...
"Why two?" Danny asked.
"I already picked that mixed girl to keep, the one that was always clinging to that boy."
"..." I'm gonna kill him...
"Can I at least pick the other one to keep alive?"
"Not the kid. Not enough meat on her to trade."
"These people need to die..." I mutter.
"We'll get 'em, son. Lee, what do you got for us?"
He looks back at us. "I'll keep an eye on Danny. You two be ready to act when I say."
Kenny nods. "See where he is now."
Lee takes another peek outside, soon looking back at us with a scowl. "Sick fucker thinks this is a game!"
"What is he doing?" I ask.
"He just set up a fucking bear trap in the middle of the barn."
"Sick fuck... See what he's doin' now."
Lee looks outside again for a few seconds before he looks back at us in concern. "I don't see him anymore."
"Where the fuck did he go?"
"I don't know!"
"Look again," I say. "There's no way he got past us."
Lee looks outside again, only to lunge forward and open the stall.
BANG!
"Shit!" I say as I reach for my sickle and Kenny grabs the hay hook. We burst out of the stall just as Danny was towering over Lee with his rifle and both I and Kenny stabbed him with our weapons. He drops his rifle and stumbles back a few steps...right into the bear trap that he placed.
"AUGH!" Danny cries out and holds his leg in pain.
"Where's my family, asshole?!" Kenny shouts as I help Lee to his feet.
"You can't have 'em! We need the vet!"
"NO!"
"Get your hands off me, pendejo!"
Katjaa and Sandy's cries make my blood begin to boil, and Kenny's too. "Kat! Boys, come on!"
"Just go," Lee says, a returning scowl comes to his face. "We won't be far behind."
Kenny sees our expressions and nods, he leaves the barn to go find his family. Lee picks up a nearby pitchfork and points it at Danny, towering over the sick fucker as I stand by his side.
He groans and looks up at us with a skin-crawling smile. "You see? Y'all understand now, don't ya?! You can have me! It's how the world works now! Give part of yourself...so others can live!"
"Mark never volunteered to be food!" Lee shouted.
"Aren't the walkers eating enough of us, you son of a bitch?!" I add.
"Y'all gotta keep me alive! If you kill me, the meat gets tainted! You can't eat it!"
"You're already tainted!" I retort.
"You ain't gonna kill me, neither you or your boy, Lee! Neither of ya had the guts to shoot Jolene! You don't have what it takes...fucking cowards!"
"..." I look to the side, seeing Lilly and Clementine coming into the barn, the former picks up Danny's rifle before she looks at us with disgust. "...Look away, Clem."
She looks at me...horrified. "W-What?"
"Look away," I say more firmly. She jumps a little at the sudden rising of my voice but reluctantly does. I look back at Danny, feeling a sense of hatred flow through my body. "...Do it."
"AHH!" Lee stabs Danny in the chest with the pitchfork, spilling his blood on the ground and killing him. The pitchfork stays upright in his chest, I feel satisfaction knowing that he won't hurt anyone else anymore. Only two left...
"God, no!"
"Katjaa!" Lee and I hear her screams and look to the outside of the barn.
"Just go, you two," Lily says to us. "...I'll keep clementine safe."
"Thank you," I say before Lee and I leave the barn, thunder and lightning crashes as it continues to rain, giving us the perfect amount of noise to sneak up on anyone.
"Kenny!"
I hear rustling in the cornfields next to us, seeing... "Carley?"
The woman stands, along with Doug and Ben. "Elijah? Lee?"
"Ow!"
"Shh!" Doug says to Ben.
"Is everyone okay? We heard screams as we were coming up to the house!"
"We need your help!" I answer.
"Yeah, when you guys didn't come back I figured something was up. What can we do?"
"What happened?" Doug asked.
"Larry's dead!" I say. "They chopped off Mark's legs and tried to feed 'em to us!"
"Shit!"
"God, that's sick!"
"Is everyone else okay?" Carley asks.
"They still have Duck, Katjaa, and Sandra in the house," Lee answers. "and I don't know where the fuck Kenny is!"
"Alright, we're coming to help."
"You can count on us," Doug added.
"The main gate is too dangerous," Lee says. "go around the fence and see if there's a back way in. Elijah and I will keep looking for Kenny."
"Do you guys have weapons?"
Carley smirks at me. "I never leave home without it," She loads her pistol. "Ben, Doug, stick close. And you two, be careful!"
The three leave to find another way in and Lee and I sneak up to the house. Once we reach the front gate, we can hear the voices coming from inside. I can barely tell what they're saying thanks to the rain but I can make out what it is as Lee and I sneak up the hill to the front of the house.
"No, no, please, God, no, no!"
"Cabron, let us go!"
"Just shut up and y'all be fine!"
"Something's up," I think I hear Andy. "I'm gonna take these two and check around back."
"No, please don't take the children!"
"Let go, woman!"
"Settle down! I don't wanna hurt y'all!" As Lee and I get halfway up the hill, we see a silhouette of Brenda looking through the screen door. "Andy? Danny, is that you? What's going on out there?"
"..."
"..."
"Oh, God..." Brenda was frightened by the lack of response and backed away from the door. "Come here!"
"Let me go!"
Lee and I reach the front door and we see that Brenda has taken Katjaa hostage and is pointing a gun at her head. "Lee! Elijah!" Katjaa calls out to us.
"Get back! Don't y'all come in here!" Lee and I open the door, enter the house, and slowly raise our hands. "Y'all just had to go snoopin' around, didn't ya?!"
"Let her go, Brenda!"
"Things don't have to get worse..." I say, but she needs to die too, she's just as guilty.
"Boys, please, don't y'all take another step!" Brenda backs up onto the stairs. "Just go away and leave us be!" Lee and I slowly walk up to her and she aims her gun at us. "Stop right there, I mean it!"
"Think about your husband, Brenda," Lee says. "Do you really think he wanted this place turned into a...a slaughterhouse?!"
"For unknowing, innocent people?!" I add.
"..." Brenda points her gun back at Katjaa and takes another step back. "I'll kill her!"
"Don't do this..." Katjaa gasped. That's when I see... Oh, God... Thanks to the flash from the lighting from the upstairs window, I see a reanimated Mark trying to claw his way at Brenda.
I glance over at Lee and it looks like he saw what I did. I nod, silently telling him to keep doing what he's doing. We slowly walk up to Brenda again and she points her gun at us. "Stay back! Don't y'all do anything stupid!"
"Let her go, Brenda!"
"Hasn't there already been enough bloodshed?!"
"Please, listen to them."
"..." Brenda takes another step back, her voice betraying her words as she points her gun at Katjaa's head again. "I'll do it! I don't want to kill you boys!"
"Please, just let her go, Brenda..."
"Don't make this worse..."
"...Just stop!" Brenda backs up the stairs...right into the Walker Mark's grip, he bites into her neck and screams, allowing Katjaa to break free and run over to us.
"They took Duck and Sandra! Where's Kenny?!"
"He's-"
"I said don't move, asshole!"
"Don't you fucking hurt them!"
"Oh, my god!"
"Shit!"
The three of us run out of the sound and straight towards the source of Kenny and Andy's voices. Once we're out, we see Kenny standing a distance away from Andy as he holds a rifle in his right hand...right to Sandy and Duck's backs.
"Let them go, goddamn it!" Kenny shouts.
"That ain't gonna happen!"
Sandy sees me and she gasps. "Elijah!"
"Shut up!" Andy shouted at her.
"Let her go, you sick fuck!" I say, gritting my teeth in anger.
"You shut up, boy!"
Kenny rushes forward, taking the momentary distraction to get Andy away from Duck and Sandy...
BANG!
But he's shot in the stomach and he falls to the ground. Katjaa lets out a terrified scream and rushes to his side.
"Dad!" Duck called out.
"Andy!" Lee scowled at him and I stood by his side.
"Who the fuck do you people think you are?! Look at what you've done!"
"You brought this on yourself, mother fucker!" I say.
"No! Uh-uh! You did this! All we wanted was a little gas to keep ourselves safe!"
"Fuck you!" Sandy screeched out before she elbowed Andy in the face, Duck ran to his parents as Sandy took this momentary diversion and leaped on top of his back. What she does next... terrifies me but also...makes me feel proud. Sandy bites right onto Andy's left ear, tearing it off.
"AUGH! FUCKIN' BITCH!"
BANG!
As Andy fired his rifle, Lee and I rushed him, I tore Sandy away from Andy as Lee tackled Andy to the ground and they fell down the hill, crashing through the picket fence. I get Sandy to her feet, wiping the blood away from her mouth.
"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm...fine."
"Good. Stay here, I need to help-"
"Elijah?"
I look back to Sandy, seeing her look down at her chest...where blood is beginning to spill out at an alarming rate. "...No," Sandy begins to lose her balance but I catch her before she can fall to the ground, I lower her down gently and apply immediate pressure on her wound. "Shit! Shit! Shit! You're gonna be okay!"
"Eli...jah..."
"Shh! Don't speak too much! You'll be okay!" I look to Katjaa, fuck, she's tending to Kenny. No, this can't be happening. why her? "No..oh, God!"
"Elijah..."
Sandy looks up at me, a small trickle of blood spills from the corner of her mouth. And I don't know if I'm seeing things but...she's smiling at me. Sandy, with what strength she has left, she raises her hand, cups my cheek, and gently strokes it with her thumb.
"...Te quero...Mi corazon."
"..." It didn't take a translator to understand exactly what she just said to me. How could she...no. "Sandy...no, you'll be okay! I can help, just hold on!"
"...no me olvides..." Sandy's hand falls to the ground...lifelessly. The light slowly fades from her amber eyes...leaving a faint smile on her face.
"...No..." My face falls to her chest, ignoring the blood staining my hands and trying to keep her from...leaving me. I hear Lee crying out for help, but I can't bring myself to look. Sandy...she's... "Oh, God, please don't do this... Please, God... Not you too..."
After what felt like an eternity, I managed to pull myself away from Sandy. She begins to move her head slightly...which means... Sandy lets out a few raspy gasps before she looks up at me...and snarls.
SQUELCH!
"...Lo siento...Sandy."
I pulled my sickle from the side of her head, making sure that her beautiful face didn't get damaged. Sandy's head falls to the ground...now dead and won't be coming back. I hear Lee yell out, making me turn my head back to see him beating the living hell out of Andy.
"...You."
Lee...moments before...
Lee and Andy tumble down the hill and crash through the picket fence. Lee tries to get back up on his feet but Andy is faster and kicks Lee in the head, making him fall back onto the ground. Taking advantage of this, Andy turns on the generator and the electric fence turns on.
"Get up!" Andy grabs Lee by the collar of his jacket and pulls him towards the fence. "Get the duck up!" Lee struggles against him and is forced onto his knees and his arms are held behind his back by Andy.
"Nnnggghhh!" Lee's neck is close to the barbed wire and the humming of the fence fills his eardrums. He notices Lilly with a rifle in her hands as she stands at the entrance to the barn next to Clementine. "Lilly, help!"
She does nothing but look away... Seeing that he can only rely on himself to get out of this predicament, Lee finds the strength to push back from being electrocuted, he breaks free from Andy's grip and elbows him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Lee pins Andy down with his knee and begins to punch him in the face over and over again repeatedly.
As he does this, the group gathers at the front gate, except for Elijah and Sandra. They watch in slight shock as Lee doesn't stop his onslaught on the eldest St. John brother. Lee doesn't stop, he lets out exhausted screams as Andy is reduced to a bloody and swollen pulp. Carlye approaches him, feeling that someone needs to stop him.
"Lee, that's enough!"
He stops, looking up at her. Lee looks back down at Andy, seeing that his entire face is bloodied and swollen, and even a few of his teeth have been knocked out. He sees the angered expression on his face thanks to a rising puddle next to Andy's face. It reminds him of...a much darker day when he took a man's life. Lee wipes his face and he stands away from his victim.
"He's had enough," Calrey says before she backs away to the others.
"...Is that all you got Lee?!" Andy said as he could barely move his head, he scoffed before slightly lifting up his head. "You ain't shit!"
"...It's over!" Lee shouted.
"Fuck you!" Andy struggles to get to his feet, slumping over in pain. "As soon as Dan and Mama get out here...you're...you're all fucked!" He laughs.
"...They're both dead!"
"...What did you do?" Andy's voice begins to break. "What the fuck did you do?!" Lee simply shakes his head before he turns away from Andy, he walks away...but Andy just won't quit. "Don't you dare walk away from me, Lee!" He falls to his knees, crying out to the heavens. "Get back here and finish this, Lee!"
"..." Lee doesn't look back and continues to walk to the group. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees...Elijah, he's firmly grasping his sickle. "...Elijah?"
"Get back here and fight me like a man, Lee!"
Lee ignores Andy's call, his attention is solely focused on the boy as he approaches the man on his knees. Elijah's eyes, Lee remembers that same look... Those eyes have the intent to kill.
"Elijah!"
The young man ignored his call as he towered over Andy, his sickle shaking in his hand. The beaten man looks up at him with a scowl. "What are you looking at, boy?"
"...You took her away from me..."
"The hell you-"
Elijah cuts him off...by slicing his throat with his handheld weapon. Andy chokes on his words as he desperately grasps his neck. "...Now I'm sending you back to where you came from, you filthy fucking animal!" Elijah kicks Andy backward, sending him right into the electric fence.
"AAAUUUGHGHGHAGAHGGAHGAGHA!"
After a few seconds of blood-gargling screams from Andy as he's electrocuted by the very fence he tried so hard to maintain, he falls lifelessly to the ground. The nearby generator imits some sparks and turns off...along with the electric fence.
"They're getting in!" Clementine shouts and points to some Walkers as they begin to climb over the face by the barn.
"...Let's go," Elijah says, now with a blank expression on his face...and a dead Sandra in his arms. The rest of the group watches in horror as Elijhah walks past them, not even sharing one of them a glance. They soon follow after him, leaving behind this horrible place.
Lee thinks to himself as he walks beside Clementine. ...Poor fucking kid.
The group walks quietly in the forest, Lee leads the group as the rest follow them. Elijah lags all the way to the back of the group, he can't stand to look any of them in the eye. Carley catches up with Lee and Doug goes along with her.
"Hey, Lee, I'd say I'm sorry for leaving the Motel unattended, but, ya know."
"Yeah, me too. We just got worried and thought you all needed help."
"I'm glad you two showed up when you did," Lee said.
"Were they...really killing people? For food?" Carley hesitantly asked.
"...Yeah, Clem and Sandra almost ate some."
"But?" Doug asked.
"Elijah and I stopped them. Sandra...I just can't believe it. I couldn't protect her."
"Lee, you can't-"
"I know," He cuts Carley off. "This fucking world now, Carley. It's hiding unspeakable shit at every turn."
"Katjaa managed to grab these while she was in the house. She said it was with your stuff," Carley hands Lee a backpack and a video camera, the same one Elijah found at Jolene's camp.
"Yeah, Elijah found it while we were looking for the people who shot Mark. Do either of you guys want it?"
"Nah, I got plenty of trinkets back at the motor inn."
"Why don't you keep it?" Carley suggested. "Sometimes it helps to have something you can document your thoughts on. ...And, Lee?"
"Yeah?"
"...Do you think he's gonna be okay? Elijah, I mean?"
"...I honestly don't know, Carley. We all saw what he did to Andy, it was...I mean, damn. I think we all just need to be here for him, Lilly too."
"Yeah, can't imagine what that guy is going through," Doug added.
"Just...keep an eye on him, Lee. He looks up to you and I think you're the only person he'll listen to right now."
"I will, Carley. I will." Lee smiled before he lagged behind, stepping over to Kenny and his family. He hunches over in pain and groans.
"How are you doing?" Katjaa asked.
"I'll be fine," Kenny says. "I'm just not as young as I used to be," He sees Lee approaching. "Hon, go on ahead and give me and Lee a second." Katjaa and Duck walk ahead and Kenny looks to the ground in solemn. "...There's gonna be fallout."
"For killing Lilly's dad? Yeah, I would imagine so."
"...What do you think?"
"I'm with you, Kenny. We'll do what has to be done."
Kenny acknowledges Lee's loyalty and smiles. "You're damn right," He looks back, seeing Elijah carry his best friend's corpse. "What about the boy? You think...I mean, Jesus..."
"He'll be alright, Ken."
"You don't sound so sure yourself."
"He just needs us now more than ever."
"...Maybe you're right, I can't even begin to imagine what he feels like right now. They were sweet on one another, you know? At least that's what the girl was doin'."
"...Yeah, they were a good pair."
But, hey, listen, that RV back at the Motor Inn is just about ready to roll. I want you three to come with us. I mean it."
"Okay, yeah." Kenny walks away and Clementine approaches, Elijah is not too far behind her. "Come on, Clementine, stay close."
"...Lee, did you and Elijah have to kill those men?"
"..." Lee kneels to Clementine with a remorseful expression. "I'm sorry you had to see what we did, Clementine, but yes. Elijah and I only did it to protect us, to protect you."
"Because they tried to hurt us?"
Lee nods. "Yes."
"..." Clementine seems alright with Lee's reassuring answer. "...Okay. But...Sandra..." The little one begins to tear up. "She's gone, I can't believe it..."
Lee hugs Clementine, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. "Shh...I know, Sweet Pea, it's horrible." He looks up to see Elijah standing over them, bearing a blank expression. Lee releases Clementine and puts his hands on her shoulders. "You go on ahead, Clem," She nods, looks back to Elijha...and frowns sadly. When she's gone, Lee looks to the girl in Elijah's arms. "Elijah, I'm-"
"She said she loved me..." He cut Lee off.
"..."
"I couldn't just leave her," Elijah's voice began to break and his tears began to fall down his face. "Not there, not in that horrible place. "I promised I would keep her safe. I...I failed her. We would always talk about how we would find her mother and Clem's parents. Now... What am I supposed to do? Lee, tell me, what am I gonna do?"
"..."
Lee had to think carefully about what he should say to Elijah, what he said now could forever change Elijah's outlook on this entire mess. Either he could tell Elijah that he should move on cause that's what Sandra would've wanted but he knows that may no the the case. Lee could say that he should make sure this never happens again, but even Lee knew that task is almost impossible in this world now. He could even say that he'll be okay... But One thing comes to mind that he knows Elijah should hear.
"You still have Clementine to live for. You haven't failed her, you and me, we will keep what happened to Sandra today from happening to her."
"..."
"Hey," Lee rests a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "I got your back, you know that, right?"
"...I know," Elijah forces a smile, but it feels almost genuine. "Thanks, Lee," The young man looks at Sandra's resting face, something about it almost looks...peaceful. "We have to give her a proper burial...when we get back to the Motor Inn."
Lee smiles. "We will."
"Hey, Dad," They hear Duck call his father up ahead. "What's that noise?"
Everyone listens closely, hearing what sounds like...a car engine. "Sounds like a car," Kenny inquired.
"Oh, God," Ben said. "Not more strangers."
The group follows the noise, eventually leading them to a station wagon parked in the middle of a path with its lights on and doors open. Lee crouches behind a tree and calls out to any potential people nearby.
"Hello?" With no response, Lee slowly sneaks up to the car. When he looks inside, he notices the keys are still in the ignition and the gas gauge is empty. "Figures," He says before he takes the key.
"Oh, crap!" Kenny calls from the back of the station wagon. "Baby, you gotta see this!" From his view, he sees that the entire trunk of the car is stockpiled with boxes of food, medical supplies, and even some spare clothes. "There's a shitload of food and supplies back here!"
"This food could save all of us!" Katjaa says as everyone looks at the car.
"...Not all of us." Kenny sighs at Lilly's remark, Duck looks up to his dad and wonders why he looks distraught but says nothing.
"Look, we don't know if these people are dead," Ben remarked.
"If they come back," Lilly starts. "then we're just monsters who came out of the woods and ruined their lives."
"We're already monsters..." Elijah says.
"This stuff isn't ours," Clementine said as she held her hands in front of her.
"Dad, whose car is it?"
"Don't worry about that, Duck. It's ours now."
"It's abandoned, Ducky. Don't worry."
"What if it's not?" Clementine asked a little louder so that everyone would turn to her. "What if it's not abandoned? What if it is someone's?"
Lee kneels down to Clementine. "We have to take this, Clementine. We need it to survive."
"Who said it was your decision to make?" Lilly starts getting upset.
"It definitely ain't yours," Elijah answered her, causing the woman to scowl.
"Hey," Kenny gets in between them before something bad happens. "we don't have time for this shit. Like it or not, we need this food," he looks to Lee. "Get on over here and open the trunk, Lee."
He nods and unlocks the trunk with the car key he got from the ignition. Lee smiles to himself seeing the amount of food inside. "Supplies here..." Lee picks up a box.
"I'll take it," Katjaa says, taking the box from Lee.
We might actually survive this after all. Lee thought. "Duck, why don't you carry this?" Lee hands the boy a small box.
"Okay," He happily takes it.
"Got a box of food here," Lee says as he pulls it from the trunk of the station wagon.
"I'll carry it," Ben says as he takes it from Lee.
"More food in this one," Lee hands Doug one of the last few boxes. Resting on top of one of the boxes is a small red hoodie, small enough to fit Clementine. Lee picks it up and shows it to the little one. "This hoodie looks to be about your size. Why don't you hold onto this, it might get colder."
She looks to the ground. "It's not mine."
"...We're not like the bandits, honey. We didn't hurt anybody to get this. Understand?"
"...I guess so," Clementine is convinced that it's okay to take the hoodie, she does so and walks away, crossing her arms and looking upset.
"Hey," Carley walked up to Lee who stood by Elijah. "there were some batteries in one of those boxes. I thought it might work in your camcorder, there were some that could work for your camera too, Elijah."
"...Thanks."
Carley nods before looking down at Clementine and handing her some batteries. "Here, you can have some too, for your walkie-talkie."
"Batteries, huh?" Lee asked with a smirk. "Think you can handle those?"
"Hahaha..." Lee's joke managed to get a small laugh from Elijah.
"You two will just never let me live that down will you?" Carley looked at the camcorder as it turned on, her face soon looking shocked. "Oh, God. Lee, Elijah. You two are gonna wanna see this..." She shows the video to them, and they soon bear the same expression as Carley does.
"Oh, shit..."
"What the hell...?"
The video shows...the woman, Jolene, whom Lee and Elijah met in the woods earlier that day. She watches from the woods as the group works on the wall at the Motor Inn. Larry and Mark carry a couch out from one of the motel rooms. Lee, Kenny, and Elijah push a car away from the front of the motel. The video zooms onto Clementine drawing on the ground with chalk and Sandra sitting beside her. It then cuts to nighttime with the same woman shouting at three approaching men. One of them...Lee and Elijah recognize.
Jolene shouts in the video, "Jake, Bart, Linda, and all y'all fuckin' sickos from the Save-Lots! They call y'all bandits, but you're fucking rapist monsters-"
The video cuts to earlier in the day, right after Lilly gave Lee and Elijah the day's rations to hand out. "Oh, darlin', baby," Jolene says as the video zooms onto Clementine. "Look at you," The video follows Lee and Elijah as they approach the little one. "Oh, you need a mama, sweetheart. We won't let them bandits get you, will we?"
"How ya doing, Clementine?" The video picks up Lee's voice.
"Okay..."
"Where's your hat?" Elijah asked in the video.
"I don't know. Can you guys help me find it?"
"Sure."
"Of course. When did you lose it?"
"I had it a couple days ago."
"I promise, If I find it, I'll let you know."
"Me too, Cle-"
"All thinkin' you're safe," Jolene's voice cuts off the audio of the men speaking. "sittin' there actin' like things are the way they used to be," She turns the camcorder to her face. "The dead don't kill their own. It's the living you gotta be afraid of...the people I used to call friends... The people who took... Don't worry, little girl. Bandits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe. I promise."
The video cuts off...leaving Carley, Lee, and Elijah with their jaws on the floor. "Shit..."
"what did she mean?" Lee asked.
"...I got a feeling that we're gonna find out...sooner or later."
Elijah
We finally got back to the Motor Inn and unloaded all the supplies we managed to snag from that unfortunate soul's station wagon, stupid fucks never should've left it in the open in the first place. I know Clementine is a little upset at me and Lee for just taking it, but we needed it. I just hope she'll understand someday. After putting all the supplies in storage and in their proper places, I had all of us gather at a quiet place close to the Motor Inn so I could give Sandy a proper burial. It was a peaceful spot where only me and her would get away from everyone's bullshit and just...talk. I'm going to miss those times. Lilly decided to just lock herself in her room and not come to the service. I understand her grief, I went through it before and I'm going through it again, but she needs to get her shit together. Lee helped me dig a grave for Sandy and Clementine made a makeshift cross made out of sticks and a piece of rope. I have Sandy gently placed inside...her grave, she now holds a sunflower in her hands. Before I give her eulogy, I carefully remove the gold heart pendant she would always wear as something to remember her by. I already have a photo of the two of us along with Lee and Clementine, but this is a close second.
I stand, trying to remain strong...for her. "Today was...a horrific day. We lost three people. Mark, Larry...and Sandra. Mark... He was a funny guy, and he taught us a lot from his time in the military, we'll never forget it. Larry... Despite our opinion of him as a burden...and among other things," I try my best not to lash out. "He was still a part of this group. And last...but certainly not the least...Sandra." I look down, doing my best not to cry. "This girl brought a certain sunshine to everyone she would talk to. She brought a spark of hope that would lift up our spirits. She cared so much about the people in this group...especially the people she...loved," My voice croaks at that last word, I feel Lee's hand on my shoulder, silently telling me that it's okay. I want to believe him...and I bet she would too. "She may have been a spark of hope, but she has turned us all into a roaring fire. We will survive this...for her."
Everyone smiles at me and my words. "Well said, son." Kenny starts.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie."
"She was always so nice to me," Duck added.
"Sandra will be missed, Elijah," Carley says.
"Here here."
"I may not have known her," Ben says. "But she sounded like a good person."
"...She'll always be..." Clementine sobs, wiping her tears away. "...my sister. We're gonna miss you, Sandra."
"We all will," Lee added before he looked to me and nodded. I grab my guitar and sit on a nearby tree stump as Lee begins to bury Sandy.
"This is for you, Sandy..." I strum the strings of my guitar, thinking of one of her favorite songs.
"Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh, hard times, come again no more."
I remember the times of our childhood...back to how we first met.
"Hi there! My name is Sandra! What's yours?"
"I'm Elijah...you have pretty skin!"
"What?! I, Uh...thank you!"
"'Tis the song, the sighs of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh, hard times, come again no more."
Our times when we would just goof around my house with...my mom.
"I'm gonna get you, Elijah!"
"No, you're not! You're too slow!"
"Kids! Slow down, would ya! You're gonna hurt yourselves!"
"Sorry, Mama!"
"Sorry, Ms. Everett!"
"It's alright, you two. Now come on, it's supper time."
"Yay!"
"While we seek mirth and beauty and music, light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh, hard times, come again no more."
"'Tis the song, the sighs of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh, hard times, come again no more."
The day I discovered my love for photography...
CLICK!
"Ah! Elijah?! Why did you do that?"
"I found it in my mom's closet. Look! Look!"
"Woah...it came out just like that?"
"Just look at how beautiful it is! Isn't it amazing how such beautiful things can be taken with this thing?!"
"B-Beautiful?"
"There's a pale drooping maiden who foils her life away
With a worn heart whose better days are over
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day
Oh, hard times come again no more."
"'Tis the song, the sighs of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh, hard times, come again no more."
There was the day she first introduced me to Clementine...
"Hey, Sandra. Who's this?"
"This is Clementine. Go ahead, say 'hi'."
"...H-Hello."
"Haha... Nice to meet you, Clementine."
"'Tis the song, the sighs of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh, hard times, come again no more."
...The day she wanted to go to my prom.
"You want to what now?"
"You know, I think it would be fun. We have some puch, dance the night away, and we just make a night out of it."
"I this your excuse to get me into a suit and make fun of me?"
"N-No! I genuinely want to go with you! I think we'd be a great pair..."
"Oh...then, sure. Why not?"
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. It'd be fun to go with someone, why not you?"
"Oh, hard times, come again no more..."
Then...there her her last words to me...
"Te quero, Mi Corazon..."
"No me olvides..."
"Oh, hard times...come again no more..." My voice echoes through the woods as I finish the song.
I can never forget you, Sandy, and I never will. I'm so sorry I didn't see the way you really felt about me...I'd give anything to say it back to you. But...I promise to keep on going for you...and to keep that little girl safe.
Authors Note
If you guys would like to know what song I specifically referred to in the last part of this chapter, just look up 'Hard Times Come Again No More Far Cry: New Dawn' on youtube!
Thanks for reading! I appreciate your existence!
P.S. You are loved!