Ericson's Containment Facility

Chapter 3

"Hi, I'm Clementine"

Clementine's gaze roamed the group of adolescents slowly.There were many teens like herself, it was weird to see so many in one place, with most being wiped out by the apocalypse within the past few years

There was a girl with blonde hair, it reached her define jawline in a sort-of bob style and she lifted an eyebrow at Clementine's new presence.Next to her was a red-head, half of her hair was cut short and half reached her jaw.She smiled sweetly at Clementine.There were also two boys sitting at the table.One of which being a brown haired boy who eyed Clementine briefly, his arms crossed lazily.He didn't speak a word.

Clementine didn't pay much attention to those people though, for out of all the teens who sat at the table, it was a certain dread-headed boy who caught her attention.He smiled warmly at her, his freckled cheeks meeting his eyes. "Clementine?Like the-"
"Yes.Like the fruit." The orange sighed, she had been asked that multiple times on her journeys.
"I wasn't gonna say that-"
Marlon quickly butts into the conversation, whisper-shouting at the dark skinned adolescent.
"Okay!Louis.Shut up for a moment."
The dread-head sighed, huffing, "but I-"
The boy was yet again Interrupted, this time by the red-haired girl who greeted Clem in a hushed tone "I'm Minerva, or Minnie, as these lot call me"
Minnie looked to the blonde on her left, who looked back at her, perplexed.
"What?"

Then Louis chimed in, his voice rising a few pitches to a mocking tone. "Hi Clementine. Im Violet. Nice to meet you!"

The blonde, Violet, rolled her eyes, "What he said."

Ouch.
Clem felt that.

The brown-haired boy fiseeing as introductions were becoming a thing. "I'm Mitch.",
He didn't even glance at Clementine, as he chewed his food, grumbling under his breath.

"Okay...Well...With THAT awkward introduction out of the way...Greetings!I am the greatest pianist of all time, but you get to call me-"

"Louis.Just call him Louis." Marlon explains simply, rubbing his temples as he sits next to the dread-headed boy.
"There is more of us, but they're working at the moment, like Brody, but you'll get to meet them later.."

Clementine nodded "Sure."

Then an awkward silence took over the group as the quiet chatter remained in the hall.
"So...You gonna sit down or...?"

Clementine slowly sat at the table "are you guys sure?I don't want-"

"It's fine, those two are just cautious.Sit." Minerva cut in, waving a hand dismissively at Mitch and Violet.

So Clem took a seat, on the other side of Marlon as that was the only space available.She then glanced at what "breakfast" actually was.
An apple, half a cup of water and...Something.Even though she inspected it carefully, Clementine couldn't even make out what that green thing on her plate was.It was a pile of some kind of leaves but...Sloppy.

"Yeah, let's just say that Brody over there can't cook cabbage"
Louis chimes in, when noticing Clementine gazing curiously at the pile of greenery. "But she can make a killer fruit salad."

ECFTU

After breakfast, the group were separated for work and the day had been stressful for Clementine to say the least.The whole day was filled with carrying heavy bags of materials from various warehouses scattered around and delivering them to opposite sides of the facility.Not to mention, the adolescent had guards practically scream into her ear for hours, severely bruising her hearing.Despite being used to carrying heavy backpacks, nothing compared to the amount of materials she had carried that day, blisters bore her hands and her legs were heavy, barely scraping the floor.If she slowed even a little bit, an officer was there- screaming, shouting, raging on and on and on, until somebody else messed up.Clementine was shocked that the officers watching over them hadn't lost their voices.

However, she was lucky enough to get through the day.Of course, her hands ached and her muscles were sore, but she was filled with excitement for hot food.After all, the apocalypse made regular, warm meals practically nonexistent.

The hallways were less crowded at dinner, as some people were still working.Guards marched along the lines, eyeing up the prisoners before picking a few out, berating people for different reasons.Most were stupid excuses, tiny stature, sneezing, and the worst part was, nobody said anything.Everyone stood there, watching their fellow prisoners being beaten and called names.Names that people shouldn't be called.Ever.

Clementine guiltily looked on.But, when a little boy was pulled out ( he must've been only a bit older than AJ) she had had enough.The kid had been standing there, quietly minding his business.He hadn't even glanced at the guard.Eventually, she opened her mouth to speak but she was forced into the canteen by an unwelcome hand on her hip.

The girl hissed at the hand and pulled it off her hip, twisting the arm of a boy around her age- an orange beanie rested upon his brown locks.

"Agh!Shit! Calm down!" The boy quickly pulled his arm away, trying to shake off the pain.However, a female guard gave them a dirty look as she proceeded to the kitchen door.Luckily, she ignored the two teens.

Clementine tried to ignore the boy, who seemed to stare at her in wonder, thankfully she was saved from the silence by shouting coming from across the hall

"This is bullshit!"
"Excuse-"
"They fucking promise-"

The guy's shouting is stopped by a gun hitting his head. He falls to the floor, a small spurt of blood splashing across the white, dirty flooring.Two male officers run and surround his unconscious body, picking the man up and carrying him out the doors.

That's when the boy next to her speaks."Poor Mitch."
Clementine's eyebrows raise, but she continues looking forward.
"that was Mitch?But he was so quiet-"

"He is quiet.Until you piss him off, that is."

Clem glances at the boy, big mistake, as he grins and quickly explains "I'm Gabe.You're Clementine?"

Clem is slightly gobsmacked, yet she doesn't deny it, just turns to look ahead.

An uncomfortable silence takes over the two as they take their meals.Clementine's eyes roam the large room, trying to spot a free space when she's waved over by Louis to a table.Officers patrolling the canteen, watching for any kind of disturbance.

"What happened with Mitch?" Is the first thing Gabe asks the tall boy, not even giving them time to say hello. "He started complaining about the "hot" food." another voice chimes in, and that's when Clem realises there are other people at the table.Minnie, Marlon and Brody to name a few, another red head who looked a lot like Minnie sat next to Louis, long hair spilling over her shoulders.
"He really needs to calm down. Time in the dark rooms isn't fun."

At Clementine's perplexed expression, Louis explains " underground cells, north of the cells you were kept in."
"Oh."

Everyone holds a grim expression at the table, looking toward their plates so Clementine decides to break the quiet
"What'll happen to him?"

Eyes seem to flicker from person to person, each prisoner asking for somebody else to explain the dreaded news.

It's Violet who speaks.

"Death, if he's lucky."

A/N
Yo! So I know this is a little late but at least I posted 😅 I know these chapters are super bad but the real shit goes down later on, since y'know, build ups!💩

Also i have no idea what's going on but Wattpad doesn't let me turn words into italic so yeah...That sucks 😂❤️
If you guys have any idea how to fix that then please tell me because I need italics in my life ( I mean, don't we all?😅)

Hope y'all at least kinda enjoy this story and remember to leave a vote and to comment to help inspire me to write more

Thanks and I'll see you in the next one 😁👋