For a long time, Eden Perkins believed she wouldn't find another human being she would willingly die for - she didn't want to. The past few months of her life, ever since the day the dead had started coming back to life - and maybe even before that...
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╔─────── ╝ ☠ ╚───────╗ viii. | A FAMILIAR FACE. ╚─────── ╗ ☠ ╔───────╝
THE FOLLOWING MORNING Pete stood by his words and woke Clementine and Eden at first light, telling them to get ready ⏤ they were going to leave soon.
About an hour later, as they walked through the woods on their way to the river, the sun stood higher in the sky. Eden could only guess it must have been around eight or nine. Birds were chirping their songs in the treetops with the wind causing for the leaves to break free from the branches that had been carrying them all summer and start dancing in the chilly morning air. With winter soon to come, Eden noticed how the trees became more and more bare by each passing day.
Eden walked in a steady pace next to Pete and Clementine trailed after them, only a few feet behind and holding onto her stitched up arm. To make sure she was okay, Eden kept sending her glances every few minutes but Clementine seemed to be too deep inside her own head to even notice.
When she turned her head to look at Pete, her eyes unconsciously wandered to the rifle he was holding in a steady grip. It was the same model Nick had almost shot them with yesterday. Clementine had no weapon on her since her pocket knife broke the day before when she had to use it to open the trap door underneath the cabin, and Eden kept her machete safe inside its holster, not spotting any apparent danger so it was pointless to hold onto it the whole time, and her bow was strapped around her upper body.
Her ankle hurt slightly whenever she put too much weight on it but at least it didn't hurt as much as it did yesterday. She didn't want to bother Carlos with it either, considering Eden didn't even know the man and he didn't seem too fond of her and Clementine. His message from the previous night was clear ⏤ he wanted them to stay away from his family. And so she decided it was best to do just that.
"How ya holding up?" Pete pulled both Clementine and Eden out of their thoughts and glanced over his shoulder to check if the girl was still walking behind them. "I heard you got an earful from Rebecca last night. Once she gets going there's no bringing her back. Her bark's worse than her bite."
Wanting to take part in the conversation, Clementine caught up and started walking between them.
Eden just shrugged at the man's words, "Nothing we can't handle."
Pete smiled at that. "She was in a mood last night, that's for sure... " His voice made it sound like this wasn't the first time Rebecca had lashed out on someone. If anything, it had gotten worse over the last few weeks. Not even Alvin was safe from his wife's mood swings anymore.
"How far are these fish traps?" Clementine asked, looking up to meet Pete's eyes.
"It ain't much further," he assured. When he noticed Clementine's gaze trailing down to his rifle ⏤ she probably got reminded of Nick's actions from the day prior as well ⏤, he wanted to know, "Anyone teach you how to shoot?"
