Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

30. The Pen

Looking around, Clem realized they were back outside in an area caged in with tall chain link fences that were reinforced by some kind of wire mesh material. On the other end of the area was a small gate built into the fence, and through the fence Clem could see some man sitting outside in a chair with a lantern hanging above him.

Being outside, it was fairly cold, and Clementine found herself rubbing her arms to keep warm. Looking around for anything to stave off the cool night air, Clementine saw two rows of very small beds laid out in the middle of the area, a few of which were occupied. Clem's gaze immediately went to a shaking Sarah sitting on one of the beds with her knees pulled up to her chest and a teenage boy she didn't recognize sitting next to her.

"You know, you could really use a friend in here." The boy looked slightly older than Sarah and had long greasy dark hair and a couple of earrings on the same ear. "That could be me." Clem watched as this boy put his arm on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah suddenly seemed to notice Clem and the others and sprung off the bed.

"Wuh... wuh... where's... where's my dad?" she managed to stutter.

"He's okay," assured Christa in a calming voice. "He's just helping people who were hurt. Like Clementine." Looking closely, Clem was surprised to see that Sarah was still bleeding. The small bit of blood on her shoulder had now trailed all the way down her jacket. "He said he'll be with you as soon as he can. Probably when he's done treating people."

"Da... da... daddy," Sarah mumbled to herself as she shuffled over to one of the beds.

Christa turned her attention to the boy. "What did you do to her?" she more accused than asked.

"Nothing. I was just talking. The fuck is her problem?" mumbled the boy as he rubbed his eyes. "So, more new people? Good, maybe me and Matt will finally get a break around here."

"Who are you?" asked Christa. "What is this place?"

"I'm Mick. This is my brother Matt." Mick gestured to a shorter boy asleep in the bed next to him. "And that's Felicity." Mick pointed to a skinny woman in the bed past Matt. "And, I don't really care who you people are."

"Why is she tied to the bed?" Following Christa's question, Clem noticed Felicity's wrists and ankles had been bound to the bed posts by some kind of restraints.

"Oh, she hasn't been feeling well," mumbled Mick.

"What?" asked Christa.

"You know, in case she dies in her sleep and turns into a creep, she can't eat us," explained an uninterested Mick. "All the beds have that. Sorta like seat belts, cept, they stop you from killing other people, after you die." Mick yawned.

"Tell you what, I'll give you the grand tour. There's the ceiling." Looking up Clem was surprised to see there was some kind of overhang attached to the building that the fence was built up to. "And that's the bathroom." Mick gestured to what looked like a crude wooden closet tucked away in the corner. "Welcome to the pen. If you want anything else, figure it out yourself." Mick lay down in his bed.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Christa mumbled to herself as Walter took a seat on one of the beds.

"I... I'm sorry Christa," sobbed Clementine.

"What?" asked Christa.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"For what?"

"You said this would happen."

"I did?"

"That we should have left, so they wouldn't find us."