The Walking Dead

Chapter 29

The RV stopped in its tracks, parking in front of a train that had derailed in a collision. Several cars lay around it in different piles; they had been battered away by the train. Lee pushed open the RV's door, stepping outside and taking a deep breath. Ben and Kenny followed suit. He walked towards the train crossing. What now? The train lay directly on their lane, making a messy cross as it taunted them. Lee shifted his eyes towards the surrounding shrubbery, wondering if they could maneuver around it somehow.

As if reading his mind, Ben voiced, lightly crossed his arms, "Is there any way to get around it?"

"Doesn't look like it. On foot, maybe. Can't really afford to do that now." Kenny sighed.

Lee carefully scrutinized the scenery, looking from side to side before reporting his observations, "This seems like a safe area. All this brush around here will stop anything from creeping up on us." The others nodded, taking notes.

Clementine stepped curiously off the RV. Along with everyone else, she frowned as she watched Katjaa help her friend struggle onto his feet, his knees buckling. When Duck found his point of balance, the three of them began to walk towards a nearby corner which help conveniently placed logs, resembling a campfire square which was missing its key feature: the warm fire.

Ben turned his attention away from the scene to Lee, "Why don't you and I go look around?"

Lee agreed, "Yeah, good idea. Everyone else relax. Clem, you stay close to Kenny and Kat, got it?" Clementine nodded in response to his request.

Katjaa spoke softly, "Lee, if you come across anything to drink, if there's a dining car or something like. I think Duck's a bit dehydrated."

"It's a freighter, hon." Kenny corrected her, before turning to Lee, "Be careful in there."

"What, you think there might be something dangerous inside of an abandoned locomotive? Hadn't crossed my mind." Lee replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lee found Ben leaning over the linked area of the train. He thought about the way Lilly had pushed him around like a rag doll back there, "What would you have done with Lilly?"

"I don't know...left her? I've never seen anybody...kill someone like that before." He shivered at the thought.

"You've seen a bunch of other stuff by now."

Been looked down, muffling his voice, "Yeah, but not like that."

Lee was still curious, "Was it you?"

"Not this again..." Ben grit his teeth defensively.

"Was it?"

"NO." He denied, sounding offended.

"Okay, okay." Lee relented, his voice soft like a lion tamer, "You, uh, happy you stayed with us all this time?"

Ben's face melted into a smile, "Yeah!"

"Really?"

"It's with you guys or...dead." He quickly explained himself, "I woulda died out there in the woods, just like my classmates."

"Well you think this is better?" Lee leaned in intimidatingly.

Ben leaned away from his approach, "Yeah, of course."

Having nothing else to say for the moment, Lee decided to begin checking out the red boxcar. Outside of the locomotive seemed fine at first glance. The boxcar was red...or was it maroon? It looked as if there were previously white stripes but they were worn out from the years of work and were not covered in smothering dirt. The paint was chipped and it was rusty to touch. Lee peered in through the vertical window of the boxcar's door, making sure the coast was clear. It opened with a loud creaaaaak that made Lee cringe. Stupid pet-peeves.