Different Setting

Separation

"So what happened?" Omid finally spoke once all the commotion of the moment had died down. Lilly and Carlos were still trying to calm Sarah, but their efforts were to no avail. The teen was so heartbroken because of everything that had happened these past few days. And now two more members of their group were dead. Their numbers were weakening by every day.

"I tried to help them..." Lee said sadly.

"What the fuck happened?" Christa prompted, obviously alarmed.

Lee shook his head. "There were just too many of them. Ben was a mess, I don't know...there's really nothing else..." He really couldn't believe that both Kenny and Ben were gone.

Omid and Christa exchanged a look. "I heard a shot," Christa insisted.

Lee put his face in his hands. "Kenny made sure that Ben didn't feel anymore pain," he answered them.

"Wha-" Omid couldn't comprehend what Lee was saying.

"It was Ben's biggest fear, you know?" he replied. "Kenny had one bullet, and that's how he used it."

"You saw them die?" Christa hesitated.

"Nobody was getting out of there..."

"I'm sorry, Lee," she mumbled.

"So he's really gone?" Sarah managed to get out.

"I'm afraid so, sweetie," Carlos answered, rubbing her head to try and comfort her.

Lilly, on the other hand, actually felt torn with this situation. A part of her felt like Ben deserved it for being a traitor, but there was another part that felt like Ben deserved to prove himself more. But it was something she would get over eventually.

"We should go," Christa spoke up.

"Right behind you," Lee answered glumly, and the remainder of the group continued over to River Street.

It was a while later, and they remained on the rooftops, the earlier situation still fresh on their minds. No one spoke a word, at least not for a while. Sarah clutched her dad's hand in hers, her eyes looking solemnly at the ground.

"You want to talk?" Christa asked of Lee.

"That's two on him, now," Lee replied. "The motherfucker who's got Clementine has Ben and Kenny to answer for."

"Keep a clear head, Lee," Christa cautioned.

"We wouldn't be out here. We'd all be together to defend against Molly, and we'd all be on the water. We'd all be alive."

"That fucking bitch," Lilly grumbled.

"River Street is just up ahead," Omid noted, shedding some somewhat good news to the group. They were almost to their destination, almost to Clementine. They continued to walk across the rooftops, until finally they came to a stop, and the only thing in front of them was a thin sign to walk across. Another obstacle was in their way, not to mention the hundreds of walkers that lurked beneath them. One mistake, and they were done for.

"The Marsh House Hotel is around the corner and up the block," Lee noted. "We have to cross here." He referred to the sign.

"Are you sure?" Carlos asked.

Lee nodded. "It's the only way."

"Well, at least it doesn't look like a death trap," Omid joked. Christa turned and gave him a harsh look. "Who's going first?" he then asked.

"Sarah's the lightest," Christa pointed out.

Carlos shook his head immediately. "No way, you're not sending my daughter first."

"I'll just go first, in case anything happens out there," Lee insisted.

"You sure?" Lilly asked.

Lee nodded, and carefully took hold of the sign, ready to go across.

"Just go nice and slow!" Omid advised him, and he made sure to listen. It took him about a minute to get to the other side, and he was lucky to do so safely. He jumped on the roof and looked to where the others were watching.

"Okay, I made it!" he called.

Carlos looked around. "So who's going next?"

"I can go," Lilly offered.

"Nah, I'll do it," Omid shrugged it off, and before anyone could comment, he took his turn on the sign, crossing it slowly the way Lee had. Once he arrived to the other side, he beckoned for Christa to go next. Carlos was clearly worried for when it would be Sarah's turn.

The moment Christa stepped on, the sign began to creak, which clearly wasn't a good sign. When she was almost across, the sign ended up falling to the ground, but luckily she managed to grab hold of the railing that was still attached.

"SHIT!" Lee yelled.

"What are we gonna do?" Omid cried, as he helped Christa up.

"Dad, how are we gonna get across?" Sarah asked, as she, Carlos, and Lilly were still on the first rooftop.

"Lee?" Carlos called across the other rooftop. "What do we do?"

"We'll meet outside of town, just go there and wait!" Lee ordered.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Lilly retorted, not liking his idea at all. She definitely didn't want to separate what was left of their already small group, and this plan might make things way worse than they already were.

"It's the only way!" Lee insisted. "Do you hear me? Christa, Omid, and I will meet you there with Clementine."

"Fine," Carlos agreed. "We'll meet up later, stay safe," he added.

"Dad, what's happening?" Sarah asked as they turned back around and began to head back the way they came from when they first entered the town. Carlos wasn't too fond of Lee's plan either, but the other man was right, this was the only thing that would work. The doctor just hoped that Lee, Christa, and Omid would be safe. Two deaths were already more than enough for this little journey.

"We have to do what Lee says," he explained to his daughter. "We're going to be okay."

"Is Clementine going to be okay?" Sarah questioned, not wanting to lose her final friend.

"I hope so," Carlos replied.

"We'd better go," Lilly muttered, taking the lead.

On the other rooftop, Lee, Omid, and Christa looked down at the hundreds of walkers that was between them and the Marsh House. Lee sighed, knowing that there was no other choice at this point. Getting to Clementine wasn't going to be easy.

He turned to the two behind him. "We have to go through them, there's nothing else we can do."

"What the fuck?!" Omid exclaimed, his already large eyes going wider. "That's insane!"

"How do you propose we do that?" Christa inquired.

Lee felt into his pocket and remembered the meat cleaver he had brought along with them. "You two brought some weapons, right? Something sharp?"

Christa pulled the hatchet from Crawford out of her back pocket. She still didn't seem too keen on this little plan, but Lee was right once again, there was no other choice. Omid took out a switchblade that he always carried around, flipping it open.

"You think we can do this?" he questioned.

Lee nodded. "It's the only way we're going to get to Clementine. Keep your weapons ready at all costs."