Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

69. Desires to Be Grown Up

The biting cold was worse than ever, with the wind rushing past Clem's damp clothes creating a horrible chill all over the weary girl's tired body. The looming clouds continued to block out whatever little waning sunlight was left, and Clem was worried it'd start raining again soon.

Confident they still hadn't traveled ten miles yet, Clem simply ignored most of her surroundings and just tried to force herself to keep running. Even maintaining a modest pace, Clementine found herself regularly gasping for breath. Every time she felt like stopping she'd tell herself, 'just a bit further.'

This kept Clem moving for a time, but after a while stopping was all she could think about. Beside her was Sarah, who seemed to be keeping pace with relative ease. Clem couldn't help envying the older's girl stamina, but one look at Sarah's face and that envy vanished.

Feeling another cough coming, Clem stopped for a moment and covered her mouth. Her hand was mostly clean now, at least enough where the smell wasn't bothering her anymore. She took a couple of deep breaths, then started running again, only to struggle to return to her original pace.

"Maybe..." spoke Sarah. "Maybe you should rest."

"I'm fine," insisted Clem as she panted for air.

"We've been running for a while, and I don't see them anymore."

"They're still back there," argued Clem "And—" Another coughing fit forced Clementine to stop. She hacked up some phlegm and then started taking deep breaths. Sarah walked over to the sickly girl as she tried to breathe. Looking at Sarah, Clem saw the concern in her face and sighed.

"I guess we can rest for a little while." Clementine looked around for any signs of walkers. It was nearly dark now, making it hard to see. But she didn't hear anything, nor did she see anything moving. She searched the area for anything that might be Saint Christopher's, only to realize she didn't even know what it looked like.

"Let's... let's at least go inside, where it's not as cold," suggested Clem as she moved away from the road. She looked over at a small parking lot and a couple of buildings. "Turn the lantern on." Sarah switched the light on and followed Clem into the parking lot. As they neared one of the buildings, Clem could read a sign that said 'Emmet's Hunting Outlet.'

"This one," dictated Clementine as she aimed her gun at the door. "Stay close. Just in case there's something in there." Sarah nodded and held the lantern out so Clem could see. Clementine pulled the door open and stepped inside. The store was a mess and many of the shelves were empty, but not all of them.

Looking at the displays, it appeared things like batteries, lamps, flashlights, matches, and other expendable items had been cleared out by someone. However there were still several partially stocked shelves with tools and other useful items, and there seemed to be more things scattered about on the ground.

The pair quickly checked behind the counter, through the aisles, in the bathrooms and in the supply room. No signs of anyone dead or alive, at least not recently. Clementine led Sarah back towards the front door, where a small bit of light was still shining in the through the windows. Looking at the not yet completely empty shelves, Clem got an idea.

"Can you watch the front door for a little while?" asked Clem as she tucked her gun back into her pants.

"Wuh... why?" asked Sarah, a hint of worry in her question.

"There's a bunch of stuff here. I bet we could use some of it," explained Clem. "Let me borrow the lantern." Sarah reluctantly handed the lantern to Clem. "Just rest. If you see anything outside, just let me know. Okay?" Sarah nodded slightly then sat down in front of the door and pulled her knees up to her chest.