Salvation. The Walking Dead: Season Five.

Mark Your Graves - Part One.

*

"Don't you worry now, we're accomodatin' people. We'll give you a head start and count to ten."

Those were the words that kept Clementine running through the searing pain radiating up from her knee as she looked to put as much distance between her and the hunting party as possible.

And it was the ignorance of that pain that had likely enabled the rest of the group to keep on their toes for so long too.

If the threat was so real that she was willing to feel the crunch of bone with every step in order to ensure their safety, then they would burst a lung for the same cause.

Though the truth was Clementine herself wasn't even sure how grave the danger had been. She'd had no time to learn how big their number was, though their collective laughter at the sharp shooters near miss on Clementines throat had given her an idea. More than they could handle.

All she knew for sure was what she could hear as she scrambled to rip every last one of her group up from their slumber.

Curiously one of these sounds had been the heavy rattle of chains as she'd leapt down from the rooftop, accompanied by a horrid image in her head of the monster who owned them wrapping them around her windpipe.

Lilly had been able to hold whoever they had been at bay with a few rounds as the rest covered ground before she joined back with them at a treeline they'd used for cover. She probably had a better visual on their assailants but nobody dared stop to ask.

That was, not until day break when Tenn had physically collapsed, his minature lungs unable to take on the air he needed to keep going any longer. It had been nothing short of a miracle that he'd made it that far at all.

Minnie and Sophie had taken to carrying their brother at this juncture but with the added weight of their rucksacks they were unable to keep travelling much further than another mile or so.

Eventually they ground to a halt in the dense forest terrain they'd taken to after leaving the open roads, deciding the cover of trees would better help them evade capture. Lilly had made it five to six hours of near constant running.

"I know they're still following but we can't keep this up. We're going to have to rest." Clementine said, wincing at the slightest movement she made now her brain had time to process the pain she had been putting her knee through.

"They're going to lynch us if we give up the ground we've made!" Lilly said impatiently, though she too was visibly running on empty.

"We may be able to squeeze in a few more miles before nightfall but Tenn can't! Look at him! He needs the rest." Violet pleaded, watching both sisters tending to his weak state.

"There's got to be somewhere we can hole up, Lilly. They might even pass over us. Then we can change course?" Clementine suggested.

This notion seemed to sway Lilly into submitting to the groups demands. Her eyes flickered rapdily over everyones shoulders in search of any alien movement.

"Okay. Fine, Fuck. Give me a second. Keep watch." She pulled the map out from its place tucked half down her camo pants and quickly spread it out up against a rather rotund tree, running her finger wide of its markings.

"By the looks of this, we should be close by Laurel Cavern. We could squeeze in there for a while, but it's not going to be a fun time for anyone." She said, tapping her finger on the spot.

"More fun than having your head become someones sock puppet." Louis muttered.

"Point taken." Lilly replied, getting to her feet. "We're going to have to find the opening. This thing doesn't tell me where exactly it is." She slid the map back down her pants and waved the rest to follow her lead.