Burning Daylight

Chapter Eight

Are you kidding me? This is not happening.

Panic settles in, the sound of their footsteps getting closer and closer is enough to push me into a fight or flight mode. All I have are two screwdrivers and a... Revolver.

For once in my life I've been so happy to have a gun on me when I need it the most. Lately it's been a necessity to carry one at all times due to the Lurkers and not to mention crazed people... I remember a few times where luck saved my life all because I didn't have a strong enough weapon on me. Now all that's left is to get this over with; I don't want another repeat to happen again, like it did with Claire.

A small smirk spreads across my face, I may not be able to take out the other two but maybe Luke can do something once he realizes what's going on unless he doesn't get my signal.

It's now or never, I have to do something or else they'll kill him too.

Instantly I pop out from inside the burrow, catching Avery off guard. The snow blows around from the wind and sticks to my hair and shirt, the coldness in the air is nothing to me anymore. I feel suddenly used to it, the shivering still happens from time to time; but other than that, I'm alright. I hold my revolver steadily, aiming it directly at her head; showing no mercy for what her group had done to ours.

She stops abruptly for a couple seconds, chuckling to herself for a quite a long time, standing a few feet away from me with a smile on her face and her eyes locked on the gun that I have pointed at her. She offers her hand towards me with a gentle spark in her dark brown eyes, expecting me to accept her act of kindness; or something along the lines of that.

The air is dead silent between us, Luke scrambles to try to get to his feet; only to be oppressed by Avery's two men in the process. Creating just more and more of his own blood on the fresh snow underneath him. My eyes dart back and forth between Avery's cheerful smile and Luke's worried eyes, they have him almost face down in the snow, and I can see him shivering from here.

"You sure are something, Clementine. I'll give you that-"

"I mean it." The words come out darker than I intended, which is a good thing. I apply a little more pressure on the trigger, narrowing my eyes greatly as the snow glistens around us from the sudden impact of the sun shining for a few minutes. The grey clouds hang in the sky, covering every visible inch of blue for miles. I wonder if the rest of the world is experiencing this weird cold front like we are.

The other two men grab a hold of Luke, hauling him up off of the snow covered ground as Avery nods her head briefly, and without another the word the two men begin to take him away from the scene, causing me to panic and raise my revolver towards them in retaliation.

Why are they hurting him, what did he ever do them besides try to leave their place? Should I just shoot them and risk Avery killing me to save his life...? Is that even something Luke wants me to do...?

Avery's eyes widen in fear for the safety of her own group members, I catch her movement as she tries to swipe the revolver away from me. Accidentally my finger pulls the trigger; firing a bullet straight into the snow bank creating a loud, deafening noise to ring throughout the forest. Which causes the two to stop hurting Luke.

"Clemen-" He gazes over at me once more before the sound of the gun cracking against his skull once more echoes across the forest, I feel a couple tears start to trickle down my cheeks as I raise the revolver again, pointing it at his sister.

"Please, Clementine, I just want to talk with you, you see?" Her alluring voice softens a bit in an attempt to calm me down, I glance up watching the two men haul him up the path a little, towards the main road as he's trying to glance back towards Avery and I.