Short Hair

Chapter 7

Clementine yawned as she woke. Darkness enveloped the room as the candle she had lit, had already been blown out hours previous.

She gazed over to a familiar site, eyes adjusting to the dark. The silhouette of Maddie lay in bed, her duly coloured blanket tangled between her legs and her muffled snoring was barely heard from beneath a large pillow.

Clem smiled, bed creaking as she sat up. Clem reached around her and grabbed the thin pillow she had been laying her head on.

She wrapped her arms around the pillow, hugging it tightly to her chest and bathing in the nostalgic peace it gave her.

In her eyes, such a simplistic thing, such as a pillow, was considered a luxury. After many nights sleeping on the cold hard ground, in abandoned cars and buildings, and in the occasional tree, she relished in the safety she received from the soft, simple comfort.

Clem inhaled deeply. The warm, musty scent of the pillow mixing with the faint smell of smoke and vanilla from the darkened candle tickled her nose gently and Clem hummed softly, feeling at peace.

After so long, after so much stress and fear. She could relax and ease into the joys of waking to peace, shelter, and a warm bed. Clem had forgotten the last time she slept in a bed and wanted nothing more than to stay.

Suddenly, Clem flinched and had to resist a shriek as a loud bang thumped against the wooden door before her.

Clem felt her chest tighten and she squeezed her fists around the pillow.

"Get up! Y'all got work t'do!" The harsh, scratchy yell from the door caused an ironic smile to pull at Clem's lips and she let out a brief sigh, shoulders slumping.

It was Weston. Weston was a large, built-up giant-like man. His eyes were like red hot coals, burning and smoking on an open fire, they seemed warm and cold at the same time. He had crooked yellow stained teeth and dark caramel skin. He always wore the same brown stained top with rugged black trousers and dirty shoes, or at least that's all Clem had seen him wear. On the top of that he always made sure he wore his trademark large wintercoat and leather gloves, even in the middle of summer.

To each their own, Clem mused.

Weston was Tanner's bodyguard, according to Maddie, and Clem thought that as a Viking-like man with the most authority in the camp, Tanner wouldn't need another brute like Weston.

As Clem heard Weston's stomping footsteps fade away, she clambered from her comfortable bed and trudged the staggering three steps to Maddie's, wondering how the girl was still asleep from Wes' loud, booming voice.

"Hey..." Clem whispered in Maddie's ear, gently shaking her shoulder. "Get up, Maddie, Wes just called for us..." Clem trailed off and stood for what seemed like an entire age had passed, before getting impatient and flicking Maddie on her freckled nose.

Maddie let out a soft, weary groan and rolled away from Clem. "Stooop..."

Rolling her eyes, Clem clambered onto the other girl's bed and roughly pushed her.

Maddie let out a squeal as she landed on the floor with a thump, dragging her tangled blanket with her.

Laughing, Clem jumped off the bed and crouched down next to Maddie's slumped form.

Her eyes were still closed and a little pink tongue poked out of her mouth.

"Maddie? Come on, get up!" Clem gently nudged her side with her foot.

Maddie turned her head slightly, squinting a single eye at her.

"Can't." She whispered bluntly. "M' dead."

Clem let out a giggled, before throwing herself atop of Maddie.
She squealed and rolled beneath Clem and they both laughed as they lie side by side.

They laid there as the atmosphere fell quiet, yet peaceful and happy.

They basked in the comforting silence and glanced to each other with a smile.

However, the calm atmosphere didn't last long and another thundering bang at the door made them jump.

"Oi! You kids better be up!"

"We are! We are!" Maddie and Clem shouted back, wide eyed.

As Wes' thunderous stomping faded, Maddie shared a side-glance with Clem and soon the two were laughing and giggling again.