Ashes (Clementine X Male Reader Book 2)

Rage-Absence

You've lost count of how many days it's been since Richmond. At least a week. Maybe two. You sleep irregularly. Some nights you can't. Other nights you do. Sometimes you sleep in the middle of the day. It's thrown off your perception of time ever so slightly.

You miss Brooklyn. You miss Diana. You miss Marina.

Your body still aches from the car crash, and your hand is broken. Don says that Cas has a concussion. Any day now, he should be better, but Don still hasn't cleared him. He sits in a dark room all day. You know it's eating away at him. Especially since Emma isn't doing too hot either. She's set up in another room, recovering from burns on her right side. William had his people blow the door open. She was close enough that the heat caught her and burned her. Don is sure the burns aren't too bad but doesn't know if they'll scar. Regardless of the severity of the burns, they cover enough of her body that she can't do much. A piece of shrapnel was lodged in her wrist too. Don struggled to get it out without cutting anything important. He has no idea how long she needs.

How is Brooklyn's injury? Has William hurt Diana or Marina?

Carlos has been busy since arriving at Ericson's. He immediately got a group together to start making repairs to the school. The gate is fixed. The watchtower has been improved, and more have been added. He plans to expand the wall so that the community can use new buildings instead of the damaged and neglected ones of Ericson's. Outside the main gate is where he intends to build a new community. He has the wood for it. More than he ever had back where you used to live, and it's readily available. Transporting it won't be nearly as difficult.

It's nothing without them.

Marian has gotten on top of food, having teams go out and scavenge surrounding towns and farms, hunting groups, gathering groups, and fishing groups. There are a lot of people to feed now, and all the food they brought with them is being stored for emergencies for now.

Is William feeding Marina and Diana enough? Brooklyn is probably starving.

Gabe brought a sizeable group that arrived a day after you and Clementine. It was later in the day, nearly nightfall, but they made it. The other gods and their community came a few days later. You've kept a close eye on both groups. You don't trust any of them. Not the Richmond group. Not the gods. But you're inclined to trust the gods' group more. Hachiman, Hodr, and Hundun (Brian, Ray, and Lizzy) have proved they're willing to work. Their entire group works harder than any other group, but you think that might be because they know how fragile their membership is. Nonetheless, you find yourself appreciating their hard work. You'll keep an eye on them for a long time, but from the way things seem to be going, you may one day be able to drop your guard and rely on them.

Would Brooklyn hate you for working with them?

You're sitting with your legs dangling off what used to be a balcony outside of the office. Clementine says she broke it in a fight. Everyone is working hard below you. You watch a tree fall. You watch people drag it to the designated spot. You watch someone deal with a walker attracted by the noise.

You wish you could help. You wish you could do anything. You wish you were kicking down Anarchy's door. You wish they were home.

You stand up and walk back into the office. You and Clementine have taken it over and have been using it as your bedroom. Not that it's much of a bedroom. It's just some blankets on the floor and two pillows. The desk has been pushed against a wall, and you have two chairs sitting next to it. Clementine's hat has been left on the desk, and that's about all the decoration in the room. You won't be staying here forever anyway. You fold the blankets and stack them, along with the pillows, on one of the chairs. You don't want them to be stepped on and dirtied.