Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here

Trust Is No Easy Thing

Chapter 2 ;)

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Clem woke to the sun shining down on her. She winced at the feeling, the bright light being too much for her sensitive eyes.  They  still  slightly  burned  from  her  first  fall. Her unruly curls laid sprawled over her face, still slightly wet from her trip in the water.

The first thing she saw when opening her eyes was her photo of Lee, slightly damp from the water. She smiled, it was pure luck that she had even washed up on land instead of drowning in the river. She stood to her feet, brushing off her clothes before she gently folded the photo and placed it in her pocket. Her wet hair fell over her eyes, blocking her sight for a moment, it was then she realized that her hat was no longer on her head. She frantically turned around toward the now calm waters, hoping to find her hat somewhere near.

She wasn't that lucky.

Her eyes began to well with tears as she slowly turned around, her back to the water. Her father had given her that hat and she promised not to lose it. The final conversation she had with her father filled her thoughts as she looked around seeing nothing but woods and land. In the distance a ship wreaked boat laid against a rock in the water. She took hesitant steps forward, looking around for either Christa or Duck. If she found them maybe they'd have her hat with her. She hung on to the small bit of hope as she took her hair from her two pigtails and redid them making sure the hair that fell out was placed back.

Surely, Duck would pop up, before she went under water for a second time she was sure Duck had jumped in after her. Why hadn't he washed up with her? Did the current take him further out? She surely hoped not.

She wondered around the river bed, coming across some broken wood steps. The bottom half was missing but the top half stood sturdy. With a high jump and good arm strength she pulled herself onto the steps.

She  flinched  a  bit.  Her  face  was  sore,  every  movement,  even  blinking  brought  her  some  form  of  discomfort.

A cool breeze swept through the air sending a chill through  her  body.  Her  clothes  were  still  a  bit  damp.

She kept moving forward keeping her eyes out for anyone or anything. For all she knew those bandits were still out there and she would hate to run into them again.

As she walked she noticed a slight rustling behind some bushes. Her curiosity got the best of her as she slowly approached the bush only to find a dog behind them.

She was surprised to say the least, she hadn't seen a dog or cat in so long she was sure they had all died out. She smiled reaching down to pet the animal, not even realizing he had growled at her. The expression on its face however was enough for her to pull back.

"No petting. Got it."

She signed smiling down at the cute animal.

The dog ran off leaving the little girl behind. She looked behind her for a moment, debating on whether or not she should stay at the river bed in case Duck or Christa showed up.

Eventually she decided to follow after the dog. She ran through bushes, stepping on thick twigs and branches tripping over some as she ran after the creature.

She finally caught up only to be met with a run down camp. She looked around, the putrid smell of the dead already lingering through her nostrils. Her face scrunched in disgust, she hated the smell, always have and those seven days she spent covered in it was a nightmare she hoped she wouldn't have to be subjected to for a long while.

She looked around the camp, her growling stomach reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a while.

2 days to be exact.