The River (Clemerva)

Chapter Seven: Don't You Fall

Minnie began walking with Clem at her side. They left the docks and made their way to the main base complex.
They passed the large industrial building where she had been making bullets a few days before.
Minnie led her to an enormous structure of concrete and bricks. There were arrays of radar dishes and antennae on the roof, which was ten stories above ground.
The redhead waved at a woman patrolling the front of the building. She gave a nod back and turned the corner, disappearing from view.
Clementine followed Minnie through the front door and down a dimly lit hallway.
Either side were covered with doors. They came to a stairwell in the centre of the hall to their left and began their ascent.

"Where are we going?" Clem asked.

"I need to get some stuff from my room." Minnie replied, not looking behind her.

After taking the stairs to the seventh floor, Minnie turned down yet another hallway. She stopped in front of a door with the number '287' scrawled on the front in black paint.
Minnie reached down the front of her shirt and Clementine quickly looked away, blushing.
She pulled a key on a string that had been hanging around her neck out and unlocked the door.
Clementine stood awkwardly in the doorway as Minnie went in. When she realised Clem wasn't following her, Minnie waved her over.

It felt strange, being in the equivalent of someone's apartment. The last time Clem had been in one was in Richmond when she had been helping Javi plan the rescue of his brother.
It felt extra strange being in Minnie's room in light of the things she had been thinking about her.

Clementine adjusted her hat, tucking a few loose ringlets of hair underneath it. She examined her surroundings.
The room was fairly spacious, all things considered. There was a bed to the left in the corner, adjacent to a small window. Black fabric was draped over the window to keep the light out.
Next to the bed was a guitar stand and an old acoustic guitar.
The light on the ceiling was shrouded with an old fashioned shroud.
On the left of the door was a simple wooden desk. There was a small stack of papers, a leather bound book and a lamp on the desk.
There was also something that confused Clementine.
A CD player sat unassumingly on the desk. There was a vertical rack full of disc cases on the floor by the stereo.
Something about it gave Clem a bizarre feeling, like she had stepped into the past.

"Those ones are my favourites. I've got a bunch more but I keep them in the closet over there." Minnie said, noticing her examining the CD's.

"Does it... work?" Clem asked tentatively.

Minnie said nothing, but smiled and walked across the room.
She opened the stereo's disc tray and selected an album from the rack, popping it in and hitting play.
Clem almost jumped when music began crackling out of the speakers and a soft, melodic voice serenaded her.

Don't you fall in love with me
Don't show me your affection
I can't give you what you want from me
I don't want the attention

I gave away my heart before
And it only caused me sorrow
How could I think of loving someone
Today or tomorrow

Clem listened in silence, it had been so long since she'd heard music. She let it wash over her, hanging on every word, trying to pick the instruments just by listening.

"What do you think?" Minnie asked quietly, leaning against the wall next to the stereo.

"It's... amazing. I never thought I'd hear music from before again." Clem admitted, grinning.