Walking Dead Game Collection

"The Flower Garden"

Title: The Flower Garden
Characters: Clementine, Kenny, AJ
Summary: Kenny, Clem and AJ have just rejected entering Wellington and are on a journey to find a place to live. Kenny passes a field of flowers and mentions how much his Katjaa used to love them. So Clem decides to grace Kenny with a gift the next morning.
Author's Note: These lil muffins I gtg
Requested By: guts-and-angel-cake on Wattpad
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"You sure you don't need me to carry him?"
Clementine simply smiled, looking up towards the male. "Do you want to for a while?"
Kenny paused, setting down the duffel bags of supplies he was carrying and turned to her, flashing his classic child-like grin. "Yeah, actually."
Clem smirked, passing the child gently off to him and hauling the bags of food they had been carrying at her sides.
They had been walking for a few hours at this point, passing AJ back and forth between the two of them as the time dwindled on. When Kenny held him, Clementine needed to plead to take a break from lugging the large bags of their supplies. When Clementine had him, Kenny couldn't seem to stop asking when he would get him next.
He just loved him that much, Clementine couldn't complain.
Yet each day seemed to pass in the exact same way. Hesitant, daunting, silence.[[MORE]] Silence that was filled with the unknown and uncertainty of the future, and the possibilities of what laid ahead.
They had rejected Wellington a few days previous, the amount lost on both of them. They couldn't keep track of time anymore. Of days. Of hours. All they knew was that time was moving. The only thing that seemed to be the same from their past lives.
"Kenny," Clementine's voice was soft, but strained. Kenny liked to blame the weight she was carrying in her hands, but deep down he knew it was untrue. She was anxious. Her nerves were straining against her vocal cords. "Where are we going?"
Kenny was silent. Realistically, Clementine would be able to handle it if he told the truth. The fact that he had no idea and was wandering aimlessly searching for some sort of shelter. Even temporary for them to sit and rest.
"I don't know, Clem." He sighed, all hope vanishing through his voice as he spoke. Exhaustion in every ounce of breath he projected.
He was done. He was tired. How many homes did they leave? How many people did they lose? Now here they stood, the three of them, aimlessly wandering the unknown searching and praying for a safe haven.
They switched once more as they walked, Clementine receiving the child and Kenny holding onto their supplies until they came across something promising. Something new.
Magically, every ounce of quivering defeat in his breath vanished, his lungs instantly filling with the breath of beauty. His eyes widened as the majesty before him swelled and settled into his pupils, permanently tinted them a joyous shade.
"Clem,"
She turned, and she saw.
Through the tufts of snow flowers had risen and sprung to life, peeking through the winter snowfall and brightening up the surface of the dull earth. Daphnes, hellebores, jasmine and red river lilies had sprouted and danced in the chilling breeze. Despite the cold and pain, somehow, beauty had formed.
"Woah," Clementine breathed kneeling to get a better look at the miracles. "I wonder how this happened."
"Winter flowers." Kenny breathed, a smile peeking on the edges of his cheeks. One of awe and majesty. "I wonder if someone's been treating them."
"They're beautiful." Clementine's voice rattled with amazement at the feat before them. At the sight of such beauty. Such colour in contrast to the dull world they had been wandering in. Joy in the hopelessness of their days.
Kenny glanced around, watching as the flowers faded into the horizon. "If these have been treated by someone else they've had a lot of time on their hands." His face suddenly melted back to it's normal emotionless state. He didn't blame them for having a lot of time. In this world you needed a hobby. It would be the only thing keeping you from driving yourself insane. The loneliness would eat at anyone.
He turned away breaking gaze with the beauty before them. "Clem, come on. Let's walk a bit more, huh?"
"Why?" Clementine asked softly, watching as one of AJ's hands sneaked out of his wrap and grappled onto a red lily, gurgling as he did so.
"I see something up ahead. Maybe a cabin. Something to sleep in."
Clementine, while sad about the departure, nodded solemnly, lifting AJ tighter into her chest and away from the ground before starting forwards yet again.
Luckily for Kenny, his hunch was correct.
As they cracked open the door it was clear that nobody had lived inside for a while. It was dusty and musty and the scent of dull, bitter air was enough to make them gag.
"I think we're okay to rest here." He mumbled, started inside the daunting cabin.
"Any walkers?" Clem called from outside, taking slow, cautionary steps in.
"Can't see any here. I'll check it out. This room is clear."
The cabin was relatively small. The kitchen and living room were combined into the largest room of the house. The main floor seeming like "homebase". There was a little bathroom in the far right corner which Kenny had removed himself from, shaking his head to confirm the lack of walkers. He made his way upstairs, which Clementine assumed would be the bedrooms. At least a single one.
The little cabin was small - probably not built for more than 2 people at a time - but it felt as if it had been lived in. Somehow the inhabitants must have vanished. There was an odd presence about the house. One that felt so new yet so old.
"We're clear." Kenny mumbled trotting down the stairs. "So, let's crack open some food and make ourselves comfortable, huh?"
Clementine studied him. The way he walked and spoke, rubbed his hands together and fiddled through the bag of supplies.
Something was off but she couldn't tell what.
"Kenny?" Clementine asked, hugging AJ closer to her chest as he squirmed at the new environment. "Back there, at the flowers, something happened."
He went still and silent. His eyes fixating on the counter rather than the child.
"Why did you want to leave so quickly?"
Kenny remained silent for a few moments before finally gathering the courage to speak. "Katjaa." He hushed. "She loved flowers. Grew them at home all the time. Gushed about how pretty they were."
Clementine frowned. She wanted nothing more than to reach out, cradle him in hugs and tell him she was sorry for his pain. His constant agony. But she knew Kenny didn't like the attention. All she felt that she could do was stand, watch and listen.
Before she could speak, say a comforting phrase or act, he turned mumbling about wanting to go to sleep early. Not a bite to eat, despite his previous words.
Clementine frowned and turned her attention to the child in her arms, rocking him back and forth and watching as his face contorted in confusion at her saddened one.
AJ squirmed in his swaddle, shifting his arm and slowly removing it from the warmth of his blanket, passing his new-sound sibling a gift; the lily he had held onto before. When they left he must have ripped it from the ground, bringing it into his blanket.
Clementine gave a sweet smile. "You're pretty smart AJ."
Suddenly, her plan was set in motion.
Before it got dark the children scurried out the door and back to the field. Clementine stuffed as many flowers as she could into her backpack, pockets, and arms, as well as AJ's blanket.
Then, she vanished back into their temporary home and swiftly went to bed.
The next morning Clementine awoke early, holding AJ in one hand and Kenny's gift in the other, glancing outside one last time to see if there were any last flowers she could snag, any last bits of her gift needing to come together.
Then, she heard the footsteps.
"Clem, did you sleep okay? I didn't hear--"
He stopped eyes fixating on the child before her; Clementine wandering inside with AJ in her arms.
He scowled. "Clementine you can't go wandering outside by yourself! Do you--"
His voice shattered to silence, eyes widened at the gift in her arms.
Tied together with one of her hair ties Clementine held a bouquet of flowers, smiling up at her father figure. Giving a sweet smile, she held the gift out towards him. "These are for you! And Katjaa."
His eyes clouded over as he lowered himself to the main floor, finishing off the remainder of the stairs he still had yet to walk down. Slowly, as if in disbelief that it was real, he wandered forwards and accepted them into his hands.
Just as he held it, his grip softening, AJ began to squirm and fiddle. His arm finally emerged from his blanket, holding a final flower out for him to accept.
He smiled, tears gathering in his eyes as he took the final piece of his present. Instantly, before the tears could roll over his cheeks, he wrapped the duo in his embrace.
And he didn't let go.
Not for a long time.
Until he finally breathed,
"Thank you for remembering them."
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Original Link: http://thatglitterygeek.tumblr.com/post/147527698652/walking-dead-game-the-flower-garden