TWDG\\II-South State

TWELVE

AJ
I walked into a tattered unit, and saw what seemed like a luxurious escape from that cell.
It wasn't, really.
If anything, this would be just as cold and uncomfortable as the cell, except the people here threw in a couple of beds, the supposedly white sheets yellowed over time. The old grey walls had several stains, and holes in it. I would rather head back to the school's room, that was how similar this was to that. I sighed, and with that, inhaled a smell that could only come from downstairs; the kitchen. As well as the fresh meat bought in was satisfactory, the power generators they used to cook smelt like gas. Gross.
I looked back at Clem, who had only just managed to limp through the door.
"Oh...why did I expect something more..." Clementine trailed off as she looked around the room. She shrugged. "I guess Im just picky from staying in that cell."
I walked over to the centre window, and looked out to the ground, which was roughly three stories down. Further in the distance, I saw what seemed like one of the walls around the place, which had a South Outpost. I sighed.
"I sorta hate this place." I admit.
"Same." Clementine said.
"Where will we go when we get out?" I question.
"I'm not sure, I imagine we go back to the school." Clementine said, as she plopped down onto one of the beds.
"Are you serious?" I ask. "So...this was all for nothing?"
"What?" Clem asked, confused. "No, it wasn't for nothing—"
"Ruby, Aasim, Javi, Gabe—" I began listing the name of those who had died since we had left from the school.
"—Gabe isn't dead." Clem snapped.
"Is that all you care about?" I asked, and Clem went silent. "Is it?!"
"AJ—"
"Leave me alone." I said, and walked towards the bed. I rolled up on my side, and I heard Clementine sigh impatiently.
"Why are you mad all the time, AJ?" Clem asked quietly. "It's like you don't have any other emotions these days."
"There's no time for other emotions." I grumbled. The truth was, I wasn't mad; I was guilty. I feel responsible for not speaking up that this was a bad idea; leaving the school. We should've just taken our chances with the raiders.
"That's not true." Clementine said. "Look at me; it makes me happy that you play with other people, and sometimes I get sad—you know that."
"Your point?" I ask, annoyed.
"That we all have time for emotions, AJ. People who say they don't are just ignoring theirs." Clem explained. "And that's...never good."
What Clementine said made sense, honestly. And I know for sure that I wasn't the kind of person that doesn't listen to my feelings.
"Yeah, I guess." I said, and sat up to face Clementine.
"Okay." Clem smiled, probably happy that she was able to turn me around. "We can't enjoy all of this for too long."
Clementine gestured to the room as she said that.
"We have to make a plan soon." Clementine said. "And gain trust from others, okay?"
"Uh, okay." I said. "I think..."
I groan.
"I have weaponary soon." I said. God, I really didn't want to go sitting in a room with that Ash.
"That's a good chance to get bullets." Clementine implied.
"They won't trust me yet; I can't do it just yet." I said.
"Well we don't have long, so find a time." Clementine urged. "I have to learn how to fish."
"Fun?" I ask, as Clem unsteadily stands up. She shook her head.
"Nope." She answered. "Stay safe, AJ. I'll see you back here."
And with that, Clementine left the room. I looked out of the window, and saw the sky blanketed with orange.
...
I popped more ammo into the magazine, and added it to the black container on the desk in the weaponary. I sneered at Ash, who was watching me from the corner of the room. I looked back at my work quickly, but it was too late.
"What ya looking at?" She snapped. I shrugged.
"Nothin'." I answered, and bit my lip to restrain my anger that was already slowly building up.
"Good." Ash murmured, and left me alone from then on. I told myself not to look back up at her again to prevent any problems.
I finished the magazines, and only looked back up at her again to indicate I had finished. Ash gave me a hostile, icy glare.
"What?" She asked. "Is there somethin' on my face?"
"No, I'm just finished." I said, and threw a frustrated scowl in her direction.
"Then use yer words." She grumbled, and stood up, walking over to me. She peered in the container. "Wow. Guess you're more capable than I thought."
"Thanks?" I said.
"It wasn't really meant to be a compliment." Ash said. She turned around. "Since you finished earlier, you can do this."
And with that, Ash dropped a small prophase on the desk lightly. I gave her a panicked look.
"Don't look at me like that." Ash said. "Look—"
She pointed to a random area of the tank.
"To stop these bastards from blowing up, all you have to do is cut this—" Ash pointed to the top of the tank."and empty it out."
"Empty it where?" I ask, as Ash drops a pair of oversized, strange scissors. Ash brings pocketed cigarette to her lips, and points to an old basin in the corner. I nod, and watch as Ash lights the cigar. "Don't smoke here; its dangerous if I'm emptying-—"
"The hell you can tell me what to do." Ash chuckled. "Now do the fucking job."
I sigh, and carefully lift the prophase over to the dirty sink. I know it wasn't really in any danger, but knowing what it's capable of, I'm too scared to trigger any explosion. I carefully, and struggle, to cut across the top, and a familiar biting stench catches me off guard.
"Gross." I said, And block my nose as I start to pour the contents down the sink, watching the light yellow liquid pour down before I step away from the sink. "Ugh."
"Smells gross." Ash said from the corner. "Nice. My idiot brother was meant to cleanse those out, but said he was too busy."
I shook my head.
"I don't like prophase—a friend of mine made a bomb, and I got caught up in it." I explained, an walked away from the chemical smell.
"Nice friend." Ash scoffed.
"Oh he was." I said. Except I remember Mitch being a bit...cold. He was nice to me at first, but after I killed Marlon, he just...he was sorta different towards Clem and I. "Can I leave now?"
"I dunno, can you?" Ash mimicked.
"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you." I said. Ash sighed, and pulled a walkie talkie out of her holester. She spun the dial to connect with someone. "Jerome? Yeah, it's me. What do I with it?"
As Jerome responded, I found time to glance around the rest of the room. My eyes landed on the scattered and unorganised desk of ammo; it wasn't moved since the last time I tried taking it.
"Okay." Ash said, catching my attention as she shut off her radio. "Go home."
"Where's that?" I ask, since I wasn't too sure myself. Sure, we had a unit, but when it came to jobs, we were still treated like prisoners. The aim of my question was to be more of a smartass than the genuineness of wanting to known where I lived.
"Um, here." Ash answered uncertainly. "Can you get outta here, already?"
"Okay, okay." I said, and stepped out of the small building. I was all at once overwhelmed with chilling air, the sky now dark and decorated with small white stars. My breath was visible in the air, and I walked along the dirt ground.