Louis x Clementine ~ Runaway Kids

~8~

As we all crossed the river safely, we came across a deep forest lurking with little bugs and a couple rabbits. AJ got to shoot one and is now holding it upon a stick by piercing it's neck through. The blood trickled down the wood down to AJ's small hand but he didn't seem to care much; he looked so proud. 

"We are the runaway kids!" He and Tenn chanted as we walked along, lifting everyone's spirits. "We are the runaway kids! We are the runaway kids! We are tall and short but we are warriors inside and can all split your skulls in half! We are equally as terrifying as a bear and this rabbit is our symbol so be scared and we will be feared~!"

I smiled as I held onto Louis' arm and looked down at the smiling boys, Willy joining in soon enough and singing with a croaky voice. Rosie, too, joined in by howling then it suddenly turned into all of us singing along.

"Fear us! Fear us! Fear us! Fear us! We are the runaway kids! Fear us! Fear us! Fear us! Fear us! We are the runaway kids!" We chanted as if doing a ritual to some weird bunny god. It's red eyes looked down at me, making me gulp and feel uneasy. 

"Hey, Clem?" I looked over to Aasim who was whispering to me from the middle row; me being at the back with Lou. 

"Yes, Aasim?" I replied, wondering what he had to say as we didn't talk that much.

"What are we going to do about Mitch? Weren't we going to go get him?"

"We will But first we need to find safety for us. If people want to then they can set off after we've found the building and we can them properly spread out the supplies."

"And I just want to thank you for helping us out. We honestly have no idea how to survive out here and your the girl with a map so...please don't, just, abandon us anywhere ok?"

"Of course I wouldn't...why?"

"No reason." Aasim gulped then turned back around. "Just making sure." He muttered under his breath then looked at Ruby for a less worryingly conversation. I looked up to see the trees clawing over us, seeming to act like a dome upon us. Could there really be somewhere up there watching over me?

"Hey, Lou, you religious?" I asked the tall boy beside me, nudging him slightly. 

"Nope. Lost the hope to become religious years ago." He replied. "Basically when I got sent to Ericsons it felt as if no one could ever save me. Are you?"

"I honestly tried praying when I lost Lee for a better future because I was scared but it didn't happen. I got in a group with Omid and Christa. Omid got shot by this random bitch then Christa looked after me then...then I don't know if she made it...Luke was like my brother but he drowned, Sarah went crazy after her father died and she refused to get up and climb through the roof so we left her. Then there was...Kenny, who obviously had the lodge before us but now he's dead after a car accident."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that you remembered how they died so specifically and that you've lost quite a few people. I'm assuming that there were more, right?" I nodded sadly then melted into him, trying not to cry. "We've lost some of us, too. About 23 or something."

"Really? I didn't know that there could've been so many of you!"

"Yep. But they're all dead. Nothing more to say."

"I can hear by your voice that you don't like thinking about it."

"That's right. I don't."

The three boys were still chanting around us all, circling us like vultures. Their expressions were full of energy and with every chant they wore a smile which almost sparkled into the sky. I noticed a hill thurthur on and saw that there was a wooden roof poking out through the top. I smiled to myself and ran to the front where Marlon was talking to Brody.