Ashes (Clementine X Male Reader Book 2)

Resurrection-For Three Years...

There's an air of tenseness around your small group. You walk separately. Their group in the lead, and your's many feet behind them. It's not that you don't want to talk to Cas and Louis; it's that you don't know if you can trust them. They were out looking for something. Presumably, William got them to come for you. You have no doubt about it. Now you just have to watch how Cas, Louis, and the others react to the situation.

You stayed the night on some gas station roof. You didn't sleep. It reminded you of when you were younger, watching the herd surround the gas station. You also didn't trust the other group. Kaylee never took her eyes off you. You knew if you slept, she'd try to kill you.

Now you're in a city. It's different from the city that Salvation was in, and if you didn't know any better, you'd think it was just a town. You keep your eyes on the buildings around you, keeping Marina close. Brooklyn stays just a few steps behind you.

"Why is that building shaped liked that?" Marina asks.

"I'm not sure." You tell her. There's a government building down the street, or maybe it's a monument. Either way, it's big and one of those fancy-looking Roman buildings. The community seems to be built around it. You can see the walls down the street between you and it. "What do you think it is?"

"That's where the leaders of the old world lived," Marina responds. She sounds like she's in awe.

"I don't think so. They lived further north." You tell her. You've never been to Washington D.C, but you think it would be cool to look around the government buildings. "The president lived in this big, white house. They called it... The White House."

"That's a stupid name." She says.

"I think I agree. What would you call it?" You ask her.

"It's just a house. It doesn't need a name."

"Yes, it does. It's an important house." You try to coax her into playing your game. You want to distract her from the problems you'll inevitably face here.

"Hm..." She starts to think. You glance back at Brooklyn to check on her. She's too busy keeping an eye out to notice. "The Fortress of the Leader."

"Wow. That's really good." If Marina wasn't Marina, you would hate the name.

"I want to live there." She says, skipping for a step.

"That place is dangerous." You don't know that; you just assume it is.

"But you and Brooklyn can make it safe," Marina says.

"Maybe one day." You tell her that, but one day she'll forget.

"Alright." Cas stops and turns around. "Before we get there, we need to talk."

"About?" Brooklyn stops next to you.

"When we go inside, we'll take you to a room, and you'll stay there until someone comes."

"So, a jail cell," Brooklyn says.

"We don't have any of those. Please don't talk to anyone." Cas turns back around.

"I feel welcome already." Brooklyn takes the lead now instead of lagging behind.

"Keep an eye out, please." You whisper to Brooklyn. She nods.

-

"Reconsider," Cas says.

"We need the supplies," Kal tells Cas as they argue about what to do. "I value your input, but you're wrong here."

"No, you are. They probably have a reason for this." Cas is trying his hardest to make a case for Brooklyn and Y/N. "We know them. They wouldn't kidnap this girl. There's something deeper going on here. Do you really want to get in the middle of it?"