We Don't Die

Reunion

Clementine and Jeremiah enter the big, wooden house and Clementine cannot believe her eyes. "Wow. This - this is nice." She comments. "Well I thank you kindly for admiring our home. Allow me to show you around." Clementine and Jeremiah begin walking together while he shows her the place. "This here, is where the guardians sometimes stay. Sometimes they like the couch or the floor more than anything. Though I don't know why." Jeremiah adds. "We have a big playroom in here too. A lot of the kids come in there to kill time or to play with toys. Some come in the playroom to collect their thoughts. We have all kinds of ages here. We got babies, kids, teenagers, you name it. Hell, even old folks live here to watch their grandchildren grow. Hopefully they won't know what's outside these fences." Jeremiah says. Clementine looks at him strangely. "Why? You want them to know how to survive don't you? If you keep them in here for too long, they become weak. And when you become weak, you let your guard down and you die." "They aren't weak. We train everyone here except the toddlers since they don't quite understand yet. Every kid knows how to stab and shoot. We mostly tell them to stay quiet since noise draws attention, but we teach them how to use guns often." Clementine smiles. "And I thought this place was going to be an abandoned memory after you said that you hope that the kids don't know what it's like outside." Jeremiah chuckles. "Hopefully this place won't become that. We have went through and done so much just to watch this place die. Sometimes people look up to me for certain duties." Clementine looks at Jeremiah confused. "Like what?" "Scavenging outside the fences, bringing new people in, and teaching the kids. They just prefer me to do these kinds of things." "And why is that?" She questions. "Because they think I'm the only one that can mentally and physically handle it." Clementine looks into Jeremiah's eyes and sees someone in him that no one else can see. She looks deeper into it. "Uh, Clem?" Jeremiah snaps his fingers. "Clem!" Clementine is brought back to reality. "Oh, right. Sorry about that." Jeremiah chuckles again. "People do that a lot, Clementine. Don't worry about it. As soon as I give them my story, they all stare into my eyes and see something in me. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don't." "I saw something all right." She adds. Jeremiah smiles. "And what was that?" He asks. "I see a risk taker. A man who knows how to get the job done whether it means it's clean or dirty. I see a soldier in you, Jeremiah. That's something that this world needs today." Clementine says. "Well, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Means a lot that you think about me that way." Clementine giggles. Jeremiah and Clementine finally reach the playroom door. Jeremiah opens it and witnesses many kids in there playing. "Would you mind waiting out here for a second? It's a little crowded and the kids like to be all over me sometimes." Jeremiah says. Clementine nods and waits outside the door. She places her foot on the wall and crosses her arms, hoping Jeremiah will bring AJ out. After a minute or so, Jeremiah comes out. "Is he in there?" She asks. "No he isn't. They must've taken him to his room." He answers. "His room? You mean in one of the cabins?" "No, not at all. He lives in the other house. We can't just leave a two year old in a cabin with other kids who have no idea how to take care of a toddler. We have adults that check on him daily, even though he doesn't talk." Jeremiah and Clementine begin to leave the house and approach the other one. Jeremiah opens the door and they step inside. Not as big as the other one, but it still has plenty of room. "AJ sure is lucky. He has his own room here. He doesn't have to share with another kid since he is so young and what not." Jeremiah adds. "He's also lucky because he has someone like you to care about him and to protect him till your very last breath." Clementine smiles. They approach his door and Jeremiah opens it. There he is. Alvin Junior, on the floor coloring. "Hey little man! Whatcha drawing there?" Jeremiah asks. AJ looks up at him and giggles while pointing at him. "Me? You're drawing me?" Jeremiah gives AJ a hug and Clementine comes in and notices. She smiles. AJ can finally have a father figure she told herself in her mind. Jeremiah unwraps his arms and AJ turns and stares at Clem and gives her the biggest smile ever. "Hey goofball." She says. "Clem!" AJ says and runs over to her and giving her the biggest hug of her life. Clementine embraces it and a single tear falls from her cheek. "I missed you so much, AJ. I won't allow anyone to take you ever again.." Jeremiah smiles. "I'll give you guys some time to catch up." But before he can get a chance to walk out the door, Clementine grabs his arm. "Stay." She says. Jeremiah nods. Clementine stands up and looks at Jeremiah. He wipes the tear off of her cheek and she gives him a hug. "Thank you." She says buried into his chest. "For what?" "For taking care of him and being the father figure that he needs you to be." They break the hug and get on the floor and begin to draw with AJ.

Evening

The sun is going down. AJ, Clementine, and Jeremiah have been coloring and drawing for hours. Jeremiah stands up stretching. "I feel like my legs are asleep." He jokingly remarks. He steps out into the hallway and begins walking. "Where are you going?" Clementine asks leaning on the doorway. "I'm going to take a shower then see if anyone needs me for anything." He replies. "I'll bring your car inside if you'd like." Clem reaches in her pockets and tosses the keys to Jeremiah. "Thanks. I'll make sure to bring it back inside after I shower. I'm pretty sure you don't want your driver seat to smell like ass." He jokes. Clementine giggles. "Thanks again. For doing so much for him when I wasn't here. It's good knowing that someone like you was there to watch out for him." "My pleasure. I love that kid. He's special to me. Special to this world." Clementine is interested in his words. "How so?" She questions. "When he was first brought here by some doctor, as soon as I saw him, I saw hope. Hope I have never seen before. Hope for a new, better world. He can make that happen. He will become a future leader that others will follow. He will become the very thing that you teach him to be." Jeremiah says to her. Clementine smiles. "He is a very special child. I knew that as soon as I seen his mother and father. Sure, his mother had her moments, but that's what happens when you have a kid on the way." Jeremiah nods. "That's right." There's a silence between the two. "Well, I'd better get going before it gets too dark outside. I'll see you tomorrow." Jeremiah says. "Have a good night." "You too." Jeremiah closes the door and heads out to his room.