You're Too Young To Be So Broken

Caught Off Guard

Clem's feet ached as they trudged along the chipped cement street. They had made it into an old city.

Mariana was a bit further ahead than Clem, her brows furrowed as she walked in stride. She was deep in thought wondering how the hell her cousin was managing in that hell hole...if he was even alive at that point.

Her teeth ground together at the thought, she growled unbeknownst to her causing Clem to trot a bit to meet her step for step.

"We're going to get him out." She signed glancing to catch a peek of the side of the girl's face before averting her gaze. "Easier said than done but try not to worry."

Mariana shrugged off her words. She couldn't help but worry, especially knowing that at any moment her cousin could be maimed.

It was nothing personal, and Clem knew so, but it still didn't stop her from feeling bad. Cocoa had retired in her bag cuddling deep within its warm comfort for a quick nap.

While they walked Clem remained alert, keeping her guard up was the best way to avoid surprise attacks. They were nearing Richmond meaning their were gonna be people who recognized her face on those stupid posters.

And they'd come looking for her. They'd always come looking.

Keep your guard up.

She thought as her hand gripped her knife she had tucked away in its sheath.

Meanwhile Mariana walked along the cracked streets remembering the path Clem told her to take a couple hours ago. She knew eventually they'd have to scale a building as the rest of the road was blocked off by a huge herd. Which is why the girl had asked her if she could climb before deciding to go the shortest route.

She wasn't an expert in it, but surviving that long in the apocalypses anyone would eventually have to climb something to escape death. Her strategy was simple, don't look down. She knew the minute she did the fear would set in and that would only corrupt her thinking.

The sun had begun to go down, the sky turning a nice reddish orange as the sun set below the horizon line.

While walking Mariana stopped squinting her eyes at a piece of paper tapped to a glass window. She approached it, Clem doing the same.

"We're close huh?" She said as she ripped the very familiar wanted poster from the window looking at it a hit closer.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Clem scoffed, for sure they wanted her breathing so they could make her suffer more than they already had.

Mariana scanned over the poster gasping as she read the smaller print.

For theft and murder

"You killed someone?" She asked handing the poster off to Clem. The capped girl took it, sighing as she examined the hand drawn photo of herself.

Whoever drew it was pretty darn good she had to admit.

She didn't catch much of what Mariana said but she fought a few words, more specifically killed and when handed the poster she figured she knew what Mariana was asking about.

"Yeah." She bit her bottom lip remembering the reason she was wanted in the first place. "Multiple people when I escaped."

Clem balled up the poster, throwing it down to the ground for the wind to carry away.

"It wasn't pretty."

She walked around Mariana, her eyes distant as the memory played in her head. Mari followed after walking beside her new friend.