The Second Coming: The Walking Dead: Season Six.

Chain Of Events - Part Seven: Bringing Home The Beacon.

*

It wasn't clear exactly how the axe had gotten lodged in the Sugar Maple, only that it had taken almost two hours and a human tower to pry it free.

At her best guess Clementine figured the tornado had picked up the tool and launched it with such force as to bury it the notches needed to make their job predictably difficult. And it proved so, much to their chagrin.

Though with the initial and unusually fatuous decision to station Clem and her never ceasing list of injuries at anchor, with AJs light and therefore limited strength heading up the operation, the trio were hardly a formidable force, at least for the assignment at hand.

In fact it had taken more than a few attempts (all ending with her leg buckling under the weight) before Clementine was moved up into the middle of the pack; not that this immediately solved the problem either, as they would continue to find whenever AJs grip suddenly slipped off the sweat greased handle.

The penultimate and collective crash of spines into the ground on the back of this was followed by Violets well founded and yet pessimistic assertion that the handle would break off the blade long before they gained any success. It would be their luck, Clem thought.

Thankfully AJ remained steadfast in his stubborness, insisting that the axe was shifting ever so slightly with each failed attempt. Surprisingly after her comment, Violet too remained on board, trying her best to coax Clementine by promising to let her wrap her thighs around her head in a much comfier setting later in the evening.

Despite feeling both weak at the thought and accepting of the terms, it was simply Clementines desire to keep AJ appeased that saw her allowing him to scale her one more time; her shoulder screaming out for reprieve from his footfall all the while. She tensed in defiance, jerking ever so slightly on Violets own shoulders as the latter endeavoured to hold them steady; AJ's determination such that the noises he made yanking on the handle sounded more akin to those of a grown mans.

That was until too much motion up top sent them toppling backwards for the final time, his voice immediately shrinking back to that of a scared child as he braced himself for the impact that would find them all heading home with at least one more bruise to add to their collection.

Clementine groaned while Violet cursed, both reasonable reactions to the failure they had all just suffered. AJ on the other hand began to laugh maniacally, causing Clementine to briefly wonder how she'd missed the signs that he'd been so close to insanity. After all he'd known afflictions much more likely to send him over the edge than this.

She stretched an arm out from her newly lateral position, intending to place a calming touch on whichever of his limbs she made contact with first. However the one she found felt strangely rigid, resistant to the contraction of her fingers, and rather thin for purpose.

She flipped rapidly onto her front in confusion with the nightmarish thought that what she'd felt was somehow exposed bone. It was a wild notion that reflected the harrowing situations she'd not only gone through, but been forced to relive over again on occasion when she closed her eyes.

The image of Sarita's arm spewing up blood like a cherry drop fountain flashed across the fore of her mind before the realisation of what she'd actually touched dawned on her, making her feel thoroughly stupid in the process. It wasn't the first time her core had made something innocent turn macabre.