East Bound || Twdg Season 5

One | The Beginning of the End

It was the end of times. The final line in a movie, the last word of the book. A plague, swiping its malignant hand across the world, brought humanity to its downfall. Death rose from its once eternal slumber, never-ending hunger, a lust for blood in its veins. Its destruction spread through life-shattering bites; the receiver was doomed to die, twisted in fate's virulent web. Some gave up, some kept up the fight. In the new age, nothing mattered. All that mattered was that you lived, was that you were a survivor. Groups were bound to crumble, unstable people were bound to break. There were not a lot of things holding people together anymore, only a single line of hope that one day everything would return to how it always was. An age without monsters. If they only lived to see that day, they'd be living on a lie. A foolish lie. It's been eight years since life became hell on Earth. Eight years since she witnessed the downfall.

A little girl, her hair downy and her attitude bright. Her flukey demeanor and childlike glee were taken from the moment the dead began to reanimate. A shield of protection, the light in the dark, shattered her world once his death was shown sealed on his wrist, right under his gorgeous silver wristwatch. One after another, life after life, loved ones slipped away to what was beyond the broken world. Blood was used on her life and splashed on the off-white fabric of her sports cap. A promise bound to the heart since it escaped her lips, a baby boy was held tightly in prasine fabric. She tried her best to give him a childhood while still surviving hers. It's surprising, bittersweet even, how love could still bloom in a world such as this one. An older girl, her brown downy hair secured under magenta bands. Her once flukey demeanor and childlike glee, at last, were felt returning once a chance was given. An older girl named--

"Clementine! Clem, wake up!"

The curly-haired girl sat up, her head breaking into a small headache at the sudden movement. She gripped her forehead and looked around, her hazel eyes meeting the gaze of excitable carob ones. A smile was plastered on his bronzed lips, the top one darker than the other. His light palm rested on Clementines' arm with gentle shakes.

Clementine hummed before she spoke, tiredness stitched into her voice. "What's happening, goofball? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, it's fine."

"Then what's with the rush?" She sat up, pulling her leg into her chest. As fast as she moved it towards her, she pushed it back down onto the mattress, her face a bit red from the error. It's surprising how much she forgot about her missing leg despite the constant phantom itch.

"Ruby needs to change your bandage things," He said.

"Anything else?"

"I want you to be with me on the lookout today," he said hesitantly, "like that night the raiders came.

Clementine groaned under her breath as she sat up. The boy grabbed her crutches for her, holding them up in his hands until she took them into her own, a small 'Thank you, AJ' being mouthed from Clementine's lips. With a bit of a stumble, she stood up fully, leaning on her crutches as she began to move. She planted foot after crutch stub in front of her. The stubs on the ends of the crutches clicked against the dark oak floorboards.

"I can do that for you, goofball," Clementine smiled. She hesitantly took a hand and ruffled AJ's hair, the tight curls in his afro brushing against Clem's palm roughly.

AJ reached his hands up and grabbed Clementine's wrist. "Stop that," he said, but a kind smile was still displayed on his face, baby teeth peeking out from his darker shaded gums.

Clementine giggled at the reaction, a gentle snort sneaking out of her nose. She did it one more time before continuing her hobble to the door, her footsteps and crutch placements creating somewhat of an offbeat rhythm. AJ's small footsteps followed close behind Clementine's own. With a groan of struggle, she pushed the double doors open.