One year later

Chapter Eight

The building was on the other side of town. As we walked, Molly told me about how she'd met the others. That Sarah and Jonathan had come here after their base was overrun. No one else had survived. After Molly found them, she'd let them stay with her, and then they'd met the others.
By the time Molly had finished speaking, we were there. Their base was a reasonably large shop with a flat above. However, boards were nailed tightly over the windows and a steel door with a padlock had been fitted. It didn't look like any walker would be able to break in. Jonathan stepped forward, lifting a key out of his pocket. The padlock clicked open, and after a couple minutes of fiddling with three other locks, we were able to go inside.
"We're back" Sarah called out as she walked through the shop. A woman was behind the counter, back turned, sorting out cans of food. She turned around.
It was Lilly.
I breathed in sharply. She noticed, and looked at me. Confusion, then realisation flickered across her face, before she smiled faintly.
"Clementine...it's nice to see you again."
Molly looked at me, puzzled.
"Hey wait a minute...you know her?"
"Yep." I answered grimly. Lilly Caul. The woman who killed Carley. We had left her on the side of the road as punishment. We couldn't keep a murderer in our group.
"Lilly was with a group who were based in a drug store in Macon when it all kicked off. Me, Lee and three other people traveled to Macon in an rv because Lee wanted to see if his family were there~they owned the drug store. Anyway, we found their group, and after the place got overrun set up in a motel, then headed for Savannah and well... Stuff happened. Lilly was exiled from our group and I never saw her again. Untill now that is."
Molly stared at Lilly.
"Is this true?"
Lilly sighed, leaning against the counter.
"Yeah, it is."
"What did you do?" Molly asked her.
"I did something awful...I killed a woman. Her name was Carley. My dad had died a month or so before, and to be honest, I was a wreck. Constantly paranoid and quite frankly, pretty crazy. Carley pushed me over the edge, calling me a scared little girl. I know I shouldn't have done it, the guilt of what I did will haunt me for the rest of my life, but I shot her. I wish to god I hadn't, but I did. Lee and the others left me by the side of the road, and I was alone."
I looked at Lilly. She had her head in her hands, and you could clearly see how guilty and sad she was. It was written all over her face. I felt sorry for her, and knew if she'd really changed that I would forgive her. People all make mistakes, I've made some pretty bad ones myself.
Sarah went over and put an arm round her.
"People all do crazy things when they're upset." She said, half smiling at Lilly.
"Come on, let's sit down." Molly said suddenly, walking over to the table.
"Something tells me we have alot of catching up to do."