Things That Are Lost

Chapter 9: Going To Dark Places

The group continued walking until they approached an abandoned power plant station. "Is that it?" Kenny asks Arvo, who gives no response. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" "What?" Arvo looks back at Kenny. "It? It what?" "What do you mean "what?" The place you're fuckin' taking us!" "Arvo, is this where the supplies are? Where the food is?" Clem asks, but Arvo doesn't respond. "Answer her, god dammit!" Kenny threatens, aiming his gun at Arvo. "No, it's...at the house. Is still more walk. Some more hours." "God dammit. I knew this was gonna happen. This guy fucked us!" "It's gettin' dark....Maybe we should stop for the night." Bonnie suggests. "This is fucked." "Relax." "Don't tell me to relax! He's lying! He's been lying this whole time!" "You don't fucking know that!" "I know we've been walking all day and we're still fucking nowhere."

"Stop fighting!" Clem yells, getting everyone to quiet down. "Can we just have a calm, quiet night? Where everyone isn't at each other's throats for fucking once?" "That sounds nice." Bonnie says. "Yeah, yeah it does." Luke agrees. AJ on the other hand, starts crying in Kenny's arms. "Oh shit, sorry about that...it's all right buddy. It's alright." "If we're staying, we should scout this place out." Jane states. "All right. Y'all wait here. I'll go make sure this ain't some walker nest we're locking ourselves into." Kenny says. "I'll go with you." "See if...See if you can calm him down a bit." Kenny says, giving AJ to Clem and walking off with Jane to scout.

Clem looks over to Mike and Luke. "That's all you." Mike says. Clem looks down at AJ. "Shh...it's okay. It's okay." AJ calms down real quick in her arms. "Wouldn't have guessed that'd even work." Mike comments. "I think he likes you." Bonnie says. "Calmed right down for ya." "Here...take it." Clem says, handing him to Bonnie. "It ain't an "it." It's a he...and he has a name. Ain't that right Alvie? Aww. Such a handsome boy."

"Come on over, it's safe." Kenny yells to the rest of them. The group walks to the station and later when it gets dark, most of them are sitting next to a fire under one the only roof. Clem looks over from Kenny to Arvo, who's tied up and restrained against a metal pole, until Luke speaks up. "Today's my birthday. Near as I can tell at least." "Happy birthday Luke." "Yeah man, happy birthday." "Thanks." "So, That makes you what? 27?" "That's...that's right. I'm surprised you remembered ... Sure as hell feel a lot older." "Don't even start with that shit." Kenny says. "Got out of college five years ago....feels like a million years." "What did you study?" Clem asks. " Majored in art history." "That's cool." "Sounds like you majored in workin' in a coffee shop." Kenny jokes. "Pretty much." "Oh stop it." Bonnie says. "Did get a minor in agriculture. Keep the old man happy." "Oh!" Bonnie exclaims. "I almost forgot! Was saving it for a special occasion and... well, it bein' your birthday and all...figure..." She says as she pulls a bottle of rum out of her bag. "This's as good a time as any." "I'd like a sip... I mean, after you...obviously." Clem asks. "Really?" "No." Kenny states. "Oh, what's a sip gonna hurt?" Bonnie asks. "You are not drinkin'. That is that." "I gotta do something to deal with the pain, Kenny." "I said that is that." Clem rolls her eye. "Whatever."

"Feel a little guilty takin the first..." "Whoa
. Wait." Bonnie interrupts him. "You gotta make a toast." "I'm not really the, uh..." "Come on birthday boy. It don't have to be fancy." "A toast means we all got something to drink." Mike says. "We can just pass the bottle along afterwards. Go on."

"To the loved ones that we've lost along the way...and to the hope that we see them again...some day."

"Here, here." "That was real nice." "Yeah? I didn't mean for it to rhyme, that was..." "Well, I got first watch." Kenny interrupts Luke, standing. "I think the fence has got us pretty secure." Mike says. "Can't be too careful." "I can take it." Clem offers. "Nah, you stay warm." "Clem. Let him go" Bonnie says. "I'm gonna post up over near the hole in the fence there. Holler if ya need anything." Kenny says, before walking over to the hole. "Thanks Kenny." Luke says.