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

13. The Essentials

"Why can't you just use the ones up front?" asked Clementine as she adjusted her grip on Omid.

"Because, those are just display models," explained Sarah as she grabbed a pair of glasses from behind the counter. "I need one that's my prescription, or close to it."

"Prescription?" asked Clem.

"It's what tells the people making the glasses what they need to do," explained Sarah.

"What to do?"

"You know, how to adjust the lenses so they work with that person's eyes." Sarah brought the glasses up to her face.

"You have to adjust the lenses for them to work?"

"Yeah, everybody's eyes are different," explained Sarah as she set one pair of glasses down and grabbed another. "And that means what's wrong with people's eyes can be different too. And what's wrong with one eye can even be different from the other eye."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and what's wrong with your eyes can change over time, and then you need a different prescription."

"I didn't know glasses were so complicated," said Clem. "How do you adjust the lenses so they work?"

"I don't know Clem. I just know my dad would have to give people my prescription and then they did something to make glasses for me." Clem watched as Sarah continued to try one pair of glasses after another, growing more anxious with every one she held in front of her face. "Someone had to have ordered some glasses like mine before the lurkers came."

"What if nobody did?" asked Clem, afraid of what the answer would be.

"I... I guess it means I won't be able to see too well from now on." Clem watched as Sarah grabbed a brochure off the sales counter and held it up to her face while holding up a pair of glasses in her other hand. She squinted as she tried to read the lettering.

"Do they work?" asked Clem.

"It's kind of like my prescription, a little." Sarah sighed as she set the glasses down on the counter. "There's got to be more in the back," reasoned Sarah as she turned towards the door leading further into the store. "Watch Omid for a minute, I'm going to see if I can find more in the backroom." Sarah collected her machete and a lantern from one of the wagons and headed for the door.

"I'll be right back." Sarah opened the door, then banged on the side of it with the machete. Satisfied a walker wasn't going to jump out, Sarah moved out of sight. Clem carried Omid to the front of the store to examine her surroundings. The afternoon light was pouring through the skylights, illuminating the wall of shops surrounding this small store for eyeglasses.

Moving deeper into the mall, the pair had found more evidence of people living here now being long gone. A section near a large fountain had several chairs arranged around a table that was obviously brought there later. There were a few scraps of paper laid out on the table with some scribbled notes, none of which told Clem much about who was here. There also had been long dried bloodstains on the floor in different places, most of which looked as if someone had tried scrubbing them off at some point.

Moving back into the store, Clem noticed Omid was reaching for the rows of glasses sitting on the sales racks. Moving the boy closer, he grabbed hold of a pair of spectacles from the wall, briefly held them up to his face, then tried fitting them into his mouth.

"Don't do that." Clem carefully removed the glasses from Omid's mouth before he chewed too hard on something mostly made out of glass, much to the boy's disappointment.

"Muh-buh-duh," insisted Omid as he reached for the glasses again.

"No OJ, you don't need glasses." Immediately after saying that, Clem couldn't help wondering what they would do if Omid ever did need glasses, or anything else they're not sure if they could get anymore. Looking down at the little boy in his arms, he still looked disappointed as he sucked on his thumb instead.