Three Orphan Pilgrimage (The Alternative to TWDG's Final Season) [Walking Dead]

114. How We Live

"Clementine?" spoke a soft voice. "Clementine."

Clementine sat up suddenly. She looked around but saw nothing but two faint blurs of light coming from the windows.

"Hello?" Clem said in a quiet voice. "Hello," she said a little louder. After several seconds of silence, Clem reached for her radio. She couldn't see it very well but she was familiar enough with its shape to know the speaker was in front of her. Feeling around, she confirmed it was switched on. Clem waited anxiously in the dark, fearful of who could be calling her name. After several seconds of silence, Clem's fingers found the talk button and pressed it. There was a familiar electronic click, confirming the radio still worked.

"Hello?" asked Clem nervously. "Is anyone there?"

Clem felt the radio shaking in her hand as she waited for a response. She looked around the room, able to see a bit more as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She could see people sleeping on the floor around her, although not well enough to know who was who. Looking towards the fireplace, Clem couldn't see any light coming from it. Turning her head, she saw a small line of illumination at the opposite end of the room.

She wandered forward through the darkness, taking care not to step on anyone still sleeping on the ground. As she got closer, she could see the light was beaming in through the crack between the door and the ground. Opening it, Clem had to shield her eyes from the morning sunlight. Closing the door behind her, she turned around to finally get a better look at this cabin they stopped at last night.

It was very simple, being little more than a long rectangular room made of wooden planks. There were shutters covering what Clem assumed were windows. Beyond that, there was little to see except the chimney poking up in the very back. Seeing it in the daylight, Clem thought it was strange the wood looked almost new and it clashed badly with the fence just past it, which looked as rough and worn out as most things left out in the open.

Turning her head, Clem saw a fully zipped-up sleeping bag on the ground next to the door. She assumed it was Bart inside but didn't stop to wake her. Past her were two of the horses tied to a hitching post clearly made from the same wood used to make the cabin. Clem grimaced as she saw Margo standing beside the tall red horse, brush in her hand. Unable to sleep and not wanting to wake the others, Clem wandered in closer.

"I know, I know, it was a long ride yesterday," Margo told the horse in a sweet voice. "It's okay now. You've been such a good girl." Margo sounded like she was making baby talk with the horse. Clem found it as confusing as she did unsettling. "As soon as I get done brushing your mane, I'll get you something to eat." Margo looked over at Clem suddenly. "Are the others up?" she asked in her normal voice.

"Just me," informed Clem as she looked around. "Were... were you calling my name a minute ago?"

"What? No," said Margo without looking up.

"Was there anyone else here?"

"Just me," said Margo, sounding annoyed now.

"You didn't hear anything or—"

"I've been out here since the sun came up," dictated Margo in a harsh tone. "Nobody said your name. You were probably dreaming." Margo turned away and Clem moved towards the fence behind the cabin.

It wasn't nearly as tall as the one surrounding Fair Haven but was still tall enough that Clem couldn't see anything. Looking closely, she could see there was a single board bolted along the bottom, reinforcing the posts. It was awkward but by turning her foot sideways, Clem was just barely able to use it as foothold. She grabbed a board above her to pull herself up, then gripped the top of the fence.