Clementine x Male reader : We Are Monsters

Chapter 43

There were tons of buildings around the intersection with the US-1, and especially car dealers. Without even checking the whole place, you found at least two dozens vehicles on the road or in the parkings at the first look. All of them were either utterly fucked, without any keys or completely siphonned. You didn't give up though, it was almost like a game for the little girl. She'd pull on your jeans while pointing at a car you didn't examine, and you'd thank her for her observation skill with a little pat on the shoulder every time before checking the vehicle. 

Unfortunately, even with all your efforts combined, you checked every vehicle near the crossroads and the buildings around it without being able to find a single one you could use. You lost at least one hour and a half for this bullshit, but at least you didn't come across a single biter. You heard a few that were locked tight in barricaded buildings, but besides that the road was clear. Eventually, you had to put your mind to the fact this search for a vehicle was worthless. Everything already got scavenged here anyways.

 So, when it was almost 2 pm, you left the place and followed the US-1, going South. The walk was long, your feet weren't pleased, but at least the scenery wasn't as bad than on the interstate. There were houses, small shops and trees. Changes from just the tar and the slopes of the I-95, that's for sure. 

Curtis was happily jogging sometimes by your feet, sometimes ahead. You threw a couple small branches right and left for him, and he brought them back with as much of a happy tail swing he could make. The little girl started to play fetch with him as well, and he was jumping all around whenever you'd raise your arm, barking in approval. At least now he doesn't fear you anymore, or at worst he doesn't seem to show it.

You walked by a Family Door that completely burned to ashes, the roof having collapsed on the inside of the market. There's still a light smell of burned wood and plastic floating around it, but you didn't get close enough to truly appreciate it. 

The surroundings of the road, although mainly being occupied by either forests or overgrown fields, weren't empty from traces of civilization. There still was a fairly decent amount of houses, shops and some agricultural warehouses not that far from the road, but pretty spaced out from one another. If you ever need a shelter for whatever reason, it's not going to be hard to find one that could hold you three up for a bit.

The dead dried leaves that were scattered all over the tar kept crunching under your soles, it was kind of relaxing at your ears. You didn't talk with the girl, not really. The biggest interaction you had with her over the next twenty minutes happened when you came across a pile of dead biters in the ditch by the road, all of them badly and voluntarily mutilated, beheaded as well. You looked at her and asked her to avoid looking at it, and she lowered her head, following the tip of her shoes with her gaze.

In the distance, after a slight turn to the right, you saw a bridge overlooking a small river. Nothing interesting around it, except for a couple abandoned vehicles that got used to make a small barricade. You climbed above the hood of one of the two vehicles, helped up the girl, then jumped to the other side as Curtis slipped his way through by crawling between the two wrecks.

You kept walking, and walking, under a merciless sun that was heavily beating down on your neck. You started to sweat a lot, and waves of heat were raging around your stomach and chest area, forcing you to pull on the collar of both your shirt and hoodie to evacuate it. It's almost winter, but today the sun decided to show off probably for the last time, and this contradictory climate thing disturbs your body. You always tried to walk under the cover of the shadow of the trees that were slowly and dangerously swinging way above the road now that nobody cuts the branches that may cause trouble to any bus or semi that may drive here, same for the little girl and Curtis who was starting to huff with his tongue sticking out of his mouth.