Ashes (Clementine X Male Reader Book 2)

Aftermath-Lost

Don opens the door and looks in, knocking on the door far too late. "Hello? Are you ready?"

"Finally." Brooklyn stands and grabs the crutches you've been lent, helping you up and onto them.

"These things suck." You practice with them for a moment. "I don't know how Clementine dealt with this."

"I'm not carrying you around anymore, so get used to it." Brooklyn follows behind you as you move for the door. "So, we've got a place to stay now?"

"You do. It's a two-story house, small, with three rooms. Should work for you." Don steps aside to let you get out of the room.

"I can't get upstairs." You tell him.

"Yet." Don closes the door behind Brooklyn and then walks out ahead of you. "Linda is waiting at the community center. You'll see it."

"You live in a field. How built is this place, and how did you build it?" Brooklyn asks.

"I don't know all the details, but this community has been around for a while. There's an architect, and he's trained a small group so that they can build up the community. It's really nice, you'll see." Don opens a door to the right and steps into a room. "This is where I leave you two. That door over there is the exit."

"Thank you." You say to him. You really mean it. If there's anyone you feel that you can trust here, it's him. He got you into the community, treated your leg, and he's been nothing but nice. You're still skeptical.

"We're getting our own house. Never thought I'd have one, honestly." Brooklyn says as she walks passed you to open the door.

Stepping outside, you're met with a community full of people walking dirt paths weaved into the ground. The buildings, including the one you just emerged from, are all built out of wood.

"This is... Crazy. They built all this." Brooklyn sounds amazed. You don't blame her. Buildings line the dirt paths, curving at intersections and then continuing straight after those intersections. It's organized. You never thought you'd see something built post-apocalypse that would be this nice.

"Guess we should find that community center." You tell Brooklyn.

"I hope our house is as nice as all this," Brooklyn says, still admiring the buildings. "We may be really well off here."

"You will be." You turn to your left. There's a woman standing there. "Hi, I'm Regan. I can't thank you enough for what you did at Salvation." She was a slave.

"Did what we had to." You say flatly.

"Are you guys looking for something?" Regan sets down a box next to you.

"The community center," Brooklyn responds. "Linda is supposed to meet us there."

"Right. I can take you guys if you want." Regan seems overly eager to help you. Maybe she just wants to pay you back.

"Yeah. Thank you." You tell her.

"Alright, follow me." Regan walks out ahead of you and Brooklyn.

"That was weird," Brooklyn whispers to you. You nod. "Seems nice, though."

Regan stops at the first intersection you come across and points down the street. "You can see Linda over there." You spot her sitting with that little girl you saw last night. "Let me know if you ever need anything else." She walks back the way you came.

Brooklyn keeps your pace as you hop toward Linda. Eventually, Linda looks away from the child, spots you, and walks over.

"How are you?" Linda asks as soon as she reaches you.