Different Setting

Where's Clementine?

Lee had no idea where the man on the radio could have taken Clementine, but somehow he knew that he was responsible. It seemed that the group had been walking around in the open for hours (with Lilly trudging along in the back), when in reality, it had only been around half an hour tops. But there was still no sign of Clem.

"You think we should look in any of the buildings?" Kenny inquired. "Ain't no way that fucker would be out in the open like this."

"Yeah, you're right," Lee nodded. He noticed the hospital above the sewer where he had met Vernon and the other cancer survivors, and decided to try there. He announced to the group, "We should check here first."

The group obliged, following Lee into the hospital floor just above the hospital morgue. Lee held out his gun, but luckily, things were all clear. Everyone looked around, but it was dead quiet, at least for a few seconds. They could hear some walkers growling at the exit, so they would need a new plan to get out. Kenny found a clipboard just small enough to fit through the door handle, and gave Ben a warning glare.

"Lee?" a static voice broke the silence. It was Clementine!

Lee immediately picked up the walkie-talkie. "Clementine! Are you alright? Where are you?"

"Hello, Lee." It was the voice that they had all heard earlier on the walkie-talkie.

"Who the fuck is this?" Lee questioned angrily.

The stranger chuckled. "You should really watch your tone," he ordered. "Clementine's fine, but if I were you, I'd choose my next words VERY carefully."

"Please, don't hurt her," Lee begged, while the other members of the group listened on.

Sarah pulled her dad's arm. "Is Clem gonna be okay?" she questioned, scared for her friend.

"Yes, sweetie, she will be fine," he answered her.

"Hurt her?" the stranger asked, "I'm not the one who hurts people. There's an ocean of dead between you and me and her, and if I can thank God for anything anymore, it's that!" he finished, before the radio clicked off.

"Just hold on, Clementine, I'm coming for you..."

"Don't worry, pal, we'll get her back," Kenny assured his best friend.

"Definitely, one way or another," Omid added with a smile.

Lee nodded, and looked around. Walkers were now blocking their only visible exit, and the windows were out of the question due to the ones roaming around, so they had to look for another way out.

Carlos walked into the hallway and noticed an elevator. It was on the floor below them, meaning that they would have to stand on top of it, but there was a ladder in the back. "I think there's a way out over here."

The others walked over to where he was and looked in, noticing that he was right.

"We're gonna have to go as quiet as possible, and see if we can get to an empty floor, or even the roof," Christa pointed out.

"We should get goin'," Lee agreed.

Sarah, on the other hand, looked up and noticed how high the ladder went. She was deathly afraid of heights, and began to tremble slightly. This was probably one of the scariest thing she'd had to do yet.

Carlos noticed her trembling, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay, sweetie. Just don't look down. I promise, we will all make it safely."

The group began ascending up the ladder, one after the other, with Lee in last place. They tried to climb as quietly as they could, and so far, it was working. "You're doing great, Sarah," Carlos encouraged as he climbed behind his daughter. Her whimpers could still be heard, though, and that was the only noise that was coming from them. They were almost at the top, when suddenly, Sarah's foot slipped off the ladder, and she let out a small scream. Carlos grabbed her leg before she could fall. "I've got you, sweetie." He held onto her.