If Lee Survived

Chapter 24: On the road again Part 1

Clem

A few hours later

The sun had finally gone down, and Lee, Carley and I were getting prepared to head out in search of a Map.  There was no electricity in the room, so we had candles lit around the apartment so we could see.

Louis stood in front of me, holding my hand as he gave me a comforting smile. " Be careful out there ,okay? " He whispered as he stared into my eyes.

" I'll be fine, I have Carley and My dad with me." I smiled back with a nod. Louis leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"Clem, it's time to go." Lee called out as he and Carley stood near the window to the fire escape, waiting for me.

I gave Louis's hand a gentle squeeze before pulling my hand away. I felt his eyes on me as I turned around and made my way over to the window.

Sarah and AJ stepped over to me giving me hugs as if I would be gone forever. "Guys, don't worry. We will be back, all we need is a Map." I sighed as I held AJ close to me.

" I know, Clem, but those Creeps are out there. And that's what worries me." Sarah sighed giving me a worried look.

" That's why we have, Carley. She knows more about them than any of us. I'll be fine, I promise." I assured her.

She nodded pulling me into one finale hug, before we headed out. Lee, Carley and I, made our way down the fire escape and stood behind the building as I peeked around the corner.

We listened for the strange Yelping from the Creeps but luckily the streets were silent. "I think we're clear." I whispered turning back to Lee and Carley.

" Okay, good. We have to be very quiet, and pay attention to your surroundings. Like I said before, the Creeps are very smart, despite their brains being practically fried.
They set traps and they use the walkers as guard dogs.

So lookout for chained up walkers, that means they're close by. I do know that when the Creeps are sleeping, it's almost impossible to wake them up, but just to be safe, we should still try to stay silent."  Carley explained.

Lee and I nodded as we slipped around the corner slowly making our way around the sides of the building. The streets were dark and quiet, only the chirping sound from crickets could be heard as we moved through the streets, hiding behind cars to keep cover.

We approached the first building and I pulled out my prybar, prying the door opened as we quickly rushed inside and closed the door behind us.

" This use to be a gift shop, they always kept maps here when I visited with my parents."  Carley explained as we moved further inside turning on our flashlights. Shelves were tipped over and glass was all over the floor, crunching under our feet as we walked.

I made my way towards the back of the gift shop where I found a desk with an old broken lamp sitting on top. Using my flashlight, I searched inside of the drawers. As we silently moved around the room searching for the Maps, I felt a presence behind me.

I glanced back to see Carley searching through one of the drawers behind me. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. " I still can't believe you're all grown up. "  She shook her head chuckling.

" I can't believe you're still breathing. We all thought you were dead." I replied, my tone coming off a bit harsher than I intended.

Carley was silent for a second before she spoke again. " So, that guy, Louis? Is he your boyfriend?" She questioned causing me to chuckle.