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

53. Calculated Risk

Clementine watched carefully through the Brave's windshield as Patty spoke with Anthony. After getting his diesel, Anthony had led the trio to the small stream he had been fishing out of, but didn't manage to catch any fish before sundown. Yesterday, he had insisted they find a better place to fish, and they spent a long time driving until settling on a high school football field near a small stream. Clem had spent the rest of the day with Patty making sure there wasn't anyone or anything waiting in the nearby homes. They didn't find anything, which was good, but neither did Anthony while fishing, which wasn't good.

This morning, Patty went out to talk with Anthony as soon as they noticed he was awake, and she had a lot to say to him. Clem was tempted to step outside in hopes of hearing their conversation, but even watching from a distance, she could tell Patty wasn't happy. The woman wasn't yelling, at least not yet, but her sudden and swift hand gestures clearly showed she had lost patience with the young man. This didn't appear mutual as, even from a distance, Anthony appeared calm while Patty was arguing with him.

"She's still out there." Clem turned her head to find Sarah standing right beside her, also gazing out the window.

"Yeah," said Clem. "It feels like she's been out there forever."

"It's only been ten minutes," said Sarah as she checked her watch. "But still, what could they be talking about for so long?"

"They went behind his trailer for a little while, but they've been right there most of the time," said Clem.

"Kem-men?" Clementine turned around to find Omid standing behind her.

"I think he wants to look too." Sarah picked up the boy. "Come on Omid, we'll—"

"Sarah, don't," ordered Clem.

"I'm just going to let him look out the window."

"Dah-bruh-da," said Omid as he looked up at the glass.

"Anthony might see him."

The look on Sarah's face made it clear she hadn't thought of that. She gazed down at Omid, then sat down in the passenger seat and let the boy settle in her lap, where he'd be out of sight.

"Pah-dah?" asked Omid.

"Maybe you can go out later," Sarah told him in a less than thrilled voice.

Turning back to the window herself, Clem watched the pair continue to discuss something she couldn't hear. As they talked, Clem found herself instinctively scanning the area for possible threats. There wasn't much to see, just a small pair of empty bleachers on each side of an unkempt field whose original purpose would be forgotten if not for the goal posts marking each end of it. Everything they had found yesterday suggested people abandoned this place a long time ago, but looking out at Patty standing alone with Anthony, Clem couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something else was out there.

"I'm going outside." Clem grabbed the stool and placed it in front of cupboards running along the ceiling.

"You're getting your gun?" asked Sarah.

"I'm not going outside without it," said Clem as she retrieved her pistol and its magazine.

"Well... maybe you should get mine too." Clem was surprised to hear Sarah say that. Looking down at her, Clem could see the older girl was as worried as she was, clutching Omid carefully with a fearful look on her face.

"Okay," said Clem as she loaded her gun. "Put OJ in his crib, and then we'll—" A couple of knocks cut Clem off. The girl found herself nearly falling off the stool as she instinctively aimed at the door upon hearing another knock.