01. [Action]

[smallsurvivor]

[Clementine woke with a shudder, body jolting itself awake. She hadn't intended to fall asleep, and particularly not in a place like this. It was a wide open forest, far from the confines of a safe place. She must have been careless, probably exhausted. It was a miracle she woke up with her face still intact! Before she could do anything, there were certain important points that needed to be thoroughly examined. Her arms, suddenly bare (why bare? She'd been wearing two shirts when she was last awake!), didn't seem to have any visible bite marks. Nor did her legs. She was sore around her shoulders, though. Had she been bitten there?? She'd have to find a mirror to be sure.

Or other survivors. Clementine was supposed to be looking for Christa and Omid. She hoped they weren't dead. Moreover, she hoped she wasn't dying. Whatever happened before, staying here was a bad idea. Lee didn't give up everything just so she could forget what he said! She just needed to keep her gun close and--

Oh gosh. Even her gun was missing! She'd have to try to find an abandoned store with some other firearms. And then she'd potentially have to find a way away from whoever cleaned her up and changed her clothes. They were probably really nice people with good intentions, but what if they weren't? Ever since the walkers started shambling around, she'd thought she knew who was trustworthy. But now most of the trustworthy people were dead. And she was on her own and nobody was going to look after her and why wasn't her gun anywhere??

She needed to get moving. She'd go off on her own and she'd figure out where she was and why she was there and then retrace a trail back to Savannah. Christa and Omid were the last semblance of family she had left. They had to be somewhere. Clementine needed them to be somewhere. She needed them to be alive. She needed to touch their faces and gauge the life in their eyes and make sure nothing terrible happened. It was possible that the people who cleaned her up were still alive, but it was just too risky to try to attract anyone's attention. If she came across a pencil and paper, she'd just have to leave a thank you note instead.

At least the river was a landmark. Rivers led to oceans right? If Clementine followed the river far enough she'd have to run into the ocean, which was right next to the Savannah area where she wanted to be. Everything would work itself out. It just had to work itself out. More than enough bad things already happened.

Feel free to encounter Clementine anywhere on her journey. Perhaps she'll find you in the forest going about your business. Maybe you'll spot a silent pint-sized person peeking at you from around a corner near the outskirts of town. Clementine knows better than to approach. Walkers respond to sound. It's important to stay as quiet as possible.]

Comments

[smallsurvivor]

I love the Wizard of Oz! [It comes out as a burst, but then she shrinks down and lowers her voice.]

What kind of other world? Is there a yellow brick road?

[originaljackass]

[Okay, even he had to admit that was kind of cute. And if he thought it was cute, just imagine what women would think!]

It's a world filled with all sorts of people. Some of 'em good, some of 'em not so bad. But your old uncle Jack can look after you. We don't need any color road, because I already know exactly where everything is.

[smallsurvivor]

[Wait. Back up. Does this mean--??]

But. Everyone's alive? There aren't any walkers here?

[originaljackass]

I dunno. Everyone's alive, but what's a walker. Are you from Star Wars?

[smallsurvivor]

No. [She's only really familiar with Star Wars as a title of some thing grownups talk about sometimes. Her mom and dad had the DVD, but she'd never been very interested.]

And-- you know. When someone dies and then their body gets back up and starts moving on its own.And if they bite you then you get sick and die too.

[originaljackass]

Oh, what. Vampires? I dunno, I think we had one or two of those. Don't worry, they're pushovers. We'll be fine.

[smallsurvivor]

[Blink.]

Vampires aren't real.

[originaljackass]

First of all: Yes they are. Second of all: You're being confusing. Stop that.

[smallsurvivor]

Are you just trying to scare me? It's not nice to scare kids, you know.

[originaljackass]

Hey, I was doing the opposite of that! Whatever these Walkers are? I can handle them. No problem. I used to fight giants. A bunch of undead losers walking-- oh, zombies. [Duh.] Yeah, we don't have those here.

[smallsurvivor]

[They can go back to the giants thing in a second because there was a much more important thing in that sentence.]

None? None at all? You're not just hiding together to stay safe with a group?

[originaljackass]

Kiddo, we're as safe as can be.

[And because kids love this kind of thing, he ruffles up her hair.]

[smallsurvivor]

[Good Sir, that is her hair. Clementine lets out a high-pitched noise and pulls away, only to return to him moments later, pinky outstretched.]

Are you sure we're safe? Do you promise?

[originaljackass]

[Oh, kids. Such rambunctious little things. But never before has Jack been forced to enter a pinky swear.]

Well, there's some cultists who show up every now and then. But no zombies. Promise ya. [He'll offer his pinky, if that's what we're doing here.]

[smallsurvivor]

[No pacts are more binding than the sacred Oath of the Pinky. It is not a contract to enter lightly.]

Okay. I believe you. [She hooks her pinky with his, tugging firmly. Jack had better be a man of his word.]

[originaljackass]

[If one thing could be said about Jack, he'd never entered into any kind of deal or contract that he ever felt obligated to keep. He did, after all, spend centuries extending his life by double crossing devils.]

So how about that ride?

[smallsurvivor]

Okay.

[She reaches up for him, not entirely sure about the mechanics of this riding-on-shoulders thing.]

[originaljackass]

[He really wasn't either. He'd not done it too often, to be quite honest. He expected her to just sort of instinctively know. But this was fine. He'd wing it.

He took her by under the arms, twirled her around, and put her in place.]

One rule for being up there? No messing with the ponytail.

[He stood up.]

[smallsurvivor]

[She scrambles into a quasi-comfortable position, balancing on his back without unsettling him too much.]

I won't touch it! Not even to hold on.

[Even if it's super tempting now that he's pointed it out.]

[originaljackass]

I'll throw you off if you do. Right into that river.

[He probably wouldn't. Regardless, with her up there, he could let her hold onto his head or whatever else she needed to, while he kept his all important briefcase in hand.]

[smallsurvivor]

I'm not that great at swimming. But I guess I can learn if I have to.

[Shoulders! She'll hang onto his shoulders instead.]

[originaljackass]

You don't know how to swim?

[What kind of kid doesn't swim? Kids love swimming!]

[smallsurvivor]

I never tried it much. Is that bad?

[originaljackass]

Any kid from Georgia ought to be spending at least one day out of the week at the beach. Downright un-American otherwise.

[smallsurvivor]

That much? Really? [That doesn't sound quite right, but Clementine's enjoying this ride so she's willing to roll with it.]