A nine-year-old Clementine Marsh sat with her legs dangling off the side of a boxcar as she watched the scenery zoom by. The rhythmic clacking of the train wheels against the tracks created a soothing sound...
????: Something on your mind, sweet-pea...?
CLEMENTINE: Lee?
Looking up, Clementine's eyes met with Lee Everett, who, in turn, smiled down at the girl as he took a seat next to her. The small girls hands gripped onto the end of her dingy white sundress as Lee eased himself onto the edge of the boxcar. His long legs hung over the edge next to Clementine's. They both gazed out at the passing landscape, the sun casting a warm golden glow over everything it touched. Lee was correct, lot's of things were plaguing the child's mind.
CLEMENTINE: We'll be in Savannah soon...
Lee couldn't see Clementine's face, the brim of her cap obscuring her features, but he could sense the mixture of longing and trepidation in her voice. Their journey was reaching it's end, and the pair had lost so much just to reach this point
LEE: Yeah, that's right, we will...
Clementine shook her head
CLEMENTINE: We lost a lot of people...
The man felt a twinge of sadness in his chest at Clementine's words. Lee Everett was a former US history professor, and yet, there weren't enough words in the English lexicon to describe the depth of loss they had all experienced. His face fell before replying
LEE: Yeah... Yeah, we have
The two sat in silence for a moment, each collecting their thoughts, coming up with what they wanted to say next. After a few more seconds of shared silence, it was Clementine who would break it
CLEMENTINE: You remind me of my dad...
LEE: Oh, and uh, what makes you say that?
CLEMENTINE: Because you always know what to do and what to say...
Lee chuckled
LEE: You know something? Part of it is... just me making it all up as I go along. Seeing you up in that treehouse, all alone, it just wouldn't have sat right with me to leave you there
Clementine smiled
CLEMENTINE: You'd be a great dad, Lee...
LEE: ...
CLEMENTINE: What's wrong? Did I say something bad?
LEE: ...No, you're fine, Clementine. I was just... thinking about someone
Despite her compliment, Clementine noticed how Lee's expression wavered. It was as if...
CLEMENTINE: Lee...?
Lee opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He closed his mouth, taking a deep breath as he looked out at the passing scenery. Clementine's concerned eyes were fixed on him, waiting for him to continue. After a moment, Lee finally found his voice...
LEE: It's nothing, sweet-pea. Hey, so I was thinkin' we should probably start talking about Savannah, and what we're gonna do when we get there. We don't know what to expect--
Lee's words barely registered with the girl as she stared at the man beside her. His attempt to change the topic didn't go unnoticed, but she could sense that there was something he wasn't sharing. Clementine was a perceptive child, and she was beginning to pick up on the nuances of people's emotions during their journey. Eventually, Lee noticed that Clementine wasn't paying attention, and decided to speak...
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THE WALKING DEAD: Survival Legacy
Fanfic"Finding my father handcuffed to a radiator with a bullet In his head is an image I'll never be able to erase. If I ever find who took him from me, I'll be sure to return the favor." ~ Shawn Everett A walking dead fanfic like no other, In this story...
