We Don't Die

Transforming

Nighttime

Derek, Clementine, AJ, and Jeremiah begin heading to their wooden home in the woods when they notice a parked van on the road. "That wasn't there before." Jeremiah says. "No, it wasn't. Some assholes must be inside looting our home." Derek growls. "Let's stop them before they get a chance to finish." Jeremiah suggests. As soon as they move, they hear guns cocked behind them. "Take another step, and your brains get blown out." A voice calls from behind. Derek turns around and notices four guys with loaded guns. "What do you want?" AJ asks innocently. "We want your shit." The voice replies. Jeremiah glances over at Clementine who has an angry expression on her face. "We can do this the hard way if you choose that option." The voice says. Derek turns around and swings and a man hits him in the nose with a butt of a rifle. He drops fast and the voice kicks Jeremiah down on his knees. A man kicks Clementine down and forces himself on her. A man grabs AJ and holds a knife to his throat. "Don't you fucking touch them!" Jeremiah yells trying to stand up. The man grabs his shirt and throws him back down. Derek lays there staring at the men as he feels burning rage boiling inside of him. The man on top of Clem begins moving his fingers through her hair and she begins squirming, trying to get him off of her but he places his hand on the back of her neck and forces her to stay still. "Get off of her!" Jeremiah yells in a dark tone. AJ bites the mans hand and the man screams and backhands AJ which causes AJ to fall. "First, we're gonna make you watch as Dave pleases himself, then we'll slowly kill the kid, then we'll relentlessly beat the shit out of your friend, then we'll kill you and we'll take what you own." The voice whispers in Jeremiah's ear. Jeremiah feels anger build up inside of him. He glances over to Clem and then at AJ. "Let them go." He says and the voice laughs. Jeremiah elbows the man in the stomach and stands up quickly and hits the man dead in the nose. "Fuck!" He yells. He pistol whips Jeremiah and he drops to the ground. Derek grabs the mans gun and shoots the man in the throat. He aims his gun at the man on top of Clementine and shoots him. "Come on, kid!" The man yells at Jeremiah who's currently trying to regain his vision. "I'm going to kill you!" He yells stumbling into the man. "Woah there!" The man yells while holding Jeremiah. "You're fucked now." The man says. Jeremiah slips his hands onto the mans knife handle and pulls it out. He injects the knife into the mans throat and slides the blade down. Blood begins spewing out and the man begins to gargle as Jeremiah slides the blade further down into his chest. The man drops to the ground and Jeremiah pulls the blade out and glances over at the man holding AJ. "Don't. He's mine." Jeremiah says in a dark tone and slowly walks over to the man. "L-lets just t-take it" He says trying to show he's no longer a threat as he drops the knife. Jeremiah stabs the man in the stomach and the man screams in pain. Jeremiah pulls the knife out and stabs him again. This only causes the man to drop to his knees as Jeremiah keeps stabbing him. Clementine runs over to AJ and shields his eyes from the horrific sight of the stabbing. Jeremiah continues stabbing the man and all AJ can hear is the sound of flesh being stabbed.

Morning

Jeremiah sits on the ground with his back against the driver door. He sits there with the bloody knife in his hand and stares off into the distance while his hand is twitching. Derek appears next to him and takes out a bottle of water. "What are you doing?" Jeremiah asks. "If only you could see yourself right now." Derek responds pouring water on a washcloth. He hands it over to Jeremiah and Jeremiah takes it and wipes his face and hands. Derek sits next to him. "We went from having a plan to stabbing people." He says to break the silence. "This world changes you, Jeremiah. Don't let this be your downfall and lose what you fought so hard to keep." Jeremiah looks at Derek. "My humanity?" He questions. "Mhm." Derek answers. "I've killed before just..." He pauses. "Not like that." Derek looks at Jeremiah and they stare into each other's eyes. "What you did last night, anybody would do that." Derek says. "No, not that. Maybe they would have killed them differently." Jeremiah replies. Derek looks down at the ground. "Something snapped in you. That wasn't you last night." Jeremiah tilts his head. "I know." He pauses. "They threatened my family. I would do anything to keep you, or Clementine, or AJ safe no matter what. I don't care if I lose myself in the process. As long as I know you're alive and safe, the sacrifices and the transformation was worth it." Jeremiah says. AJ listens in on the whole conversation and acts like he's still sleeping. He lays on Clem's thighs, who's currently looking at him. "We need to get moving." Jeremiah says. "Where?" Derek asks. "Alexandria." Jeremiah replies. They stand up and Clementine opens a car door with AJ in her hands. "Still sleeping?" Jeremiah asks. "Yeah. He had a rough night." Clementine responds. Jeremiah nods and they begin walking to Alexandria.

Inside Alexandria

AJ is off playing with kids and Derek and Clementine begin having a conversation. "So, you're not going to like to hear this." Derek begins. This causes Clementine to look at him. "I'm leaving." Derek finishes. "What?" She asks surprised. "Why?" Derek then glances to the ground and then back up at Clementine and sighs. "I'm seeing the downfall of Jeremiah. He's changing into the thing he swore to never become. Clementine, you have to listen to me when I say this." He pauses. He approaches her and stares her in the eyes. "He's going to get you and AJ killed." He says firmly. This only shocks Clementine. "I can't sit there and watch as he loses his humanity and watch as you and him die. I have to leave, I'm sorry." She shoves him. "You realize that if you leave, you increase the risk of what you're afraid of?!" She yells. "You're a survivor, Clementine. You don't need me." He says. She begins throwing punches at his chest. "How fucking dare you!" She yells. He grabs her fist after three punches. "Stop. You're going to make a scene." He whispers. "I don't give a shit! You can't fucking turn your back on us! Jeremiah sees you as his brother and if he finds out you left-" she pauses. "He may see you as an enemy." Jeremiah notices the two of them talking with Clem's hand in Derek's and approaches them. "Clementine, please. I'm sorry." She shoves his hand off hers. "Don't." She says aggressively. "What's going on here?" Jeremiah asks. They look at him and then Clementine gives Derek an angry look. "Derek's leaving." She says crossing her arms. Jeremiah glances over at Derek. "What?" He walks up to him. "Why?" "Because I'm not going to witness you killing yourself and your family." He says. Jeremiah stares at him. "You think I'm going to get the people I love most in this world killed?" He asks aggressively. Jeremiah then looks around and takes heavy breaths. "We started something last night. Do you realize that?" Jeremiah questions and Derek looks at him. "We killed four men out on the open road when the rest of their group could have watched us killing them and following us. What if they attack Alexandria or that wooden home in the woods? We need you here!" Derek spits on the concrete below him and storms off as Jeremiah stares at him. Jeremiah turns and faces Clementine. "The hell was that all about?" He questions. "Jeremiah-" she begins. "AJ heard your conversation with Derek this morning. On how you would do anything to keep us safe, including losing your humanity." Jeremiah stares into her eyes. "He said he would've done the same to those men. That's your son. He can't talk about killing people like that." Jeremiah turns his back on Clem and places his hand on his head. "He watches every move you make and learns from it." She says approaching behind him. "What you did last night was too cruel." He turns around quickly. "Don't act like you wouldn't have done the same." He snarls. "I would have killed them instantly, you're right about that, but I wouldn't have done what you did. That was too far and the fact that AJ had to witness it.." she stops. "It was brutal." "What do you think I am? An animal? A barbarian in the making? Four men appeared out of nowhere and threatened my family. A rapist forced himself on you! A man held a knife against my sons throat. A man held my brother at gun point and was about to beat him to death. A man pointed a gun at my head and told me he was going to make me watch everything. How else was I supposed to react?" He questions with aggression. She immediately gives him a look that he doesn't like. "Don't look at me like that." He says. She shrugs the look off of her and looks down at the ground. "Like what?" "Like you're afraid of me and that you think I'm going to get you killed. I can't take that from you." She stares down at the ground. "I'm going to see AJ." He begins walking away and then stops and turns his head to look at Clementine. "I love you, Clementine, whether you realize it or not." He finishes. He begins walking away again and Clementine stands there with tears in her eyes.