More Like Clem

Sitting on his bed, AJ checked over the small, handmade knife in his hands. It's the same knife he had made weeks ago...a couple days before the raiders came.

He thinks back to that time and wonders why he felt so inclined to make this knife. The thought of it just kept nagging in the back of his mind. He just couldn't stop thinking about it until he made it, and at that time, he wasn't sure why.

But now he knew.

When they were imprisoned in the boat, he gave Clem the knife and it helped her escape. His knife was one of the things that helped them survive. But, when he made the knife, he didn't exactly know they would end up in that situation.

"How did I know to make it when I did?" the boy asked no one in particular. "I didn't know we'd need the knife to escape, so how did I know I had to make it?" he curiously tilted his head to observe the weapon once more. Just how did he know his knife would be the solution?

"Hmm..." he hummed, "Clem always has a solution for everything. She always seems to know exactly how to solve a problem..."

AJ gasped softly has a thought came to him.

"Does this mean I'm becoming more like Clem?"

Then he remembered something else from longer ago. The day he and Clem got kicked out of the school

~

"Let's get going. The sun'll set soon."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know. I can just feel it."

"How?"

"There's this cold that settles on my skin. It happens right before a storm too."

"I don't feel that."

"Hm. You haven't been on the road as long as me."

~

"That's it!" he resolved. "Clem said she gets a feeling before something happens. I didn't really get what she meant, but now I do. I got a feeling like Clem does when something's gonna happen. I got a feeling to make the knife. I didn't get cold like Clem said she does, but I got this kinda pulling feeling in my head. So... does this mean I starting to be more like her?" he questioned with a smile forming on his face.

He's becoming more like Clem? The bravest, smartest, coolest person he's ever known?

A wider smile adorned his face. He really liked the thought of that.