Alive Inside- A Clementine x Male Reader The Walking Dead Story (Choice Based)

Chapter 30: Redemption

A little late... but it's here nonetheless :)

Also, just warning that this is a pretty long chapter. It's not often I stretch the chapters to 4k words. Wanted to make up for the long wait with a big one ;)

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You, Clementine, and AJ make your way back up the cellars staircase and out into the school yard. After shutting the basements hatch doors, you look back to the schoolyard to see that the kids were all gone except for Violet. She was standing next to the flagpole waiting for the three of you. Marlons body was also no longer laying on the ground.

Vi notices the three of you, and she starts to make her way over to you.

"Hey guys, we just buried Marlon a minute ago... We're all ready to start if you are," she explains as she reaches you.

You and Clementine both look to each other with saddened expressions before nodding your heads.

"Yeah, we're ready," you answer. Violet nods her head and she starts to walk towards the graveyard as you all follow after her.

As you approach the graveyard you notice that the other kids were all standing around the headstones together. They all shared the same devastated and saddened looks.

Louis and Willy were both standing up front while Ruby was further away with Tenn by her side.

You sigh and make your way to the back of the group with Clem and AJ. You felt it would be best to give the kids some space for now.

Once you're all settled you look over to Violet and nod your head. She steps up to Marlons grave and glances back to everyone as she starts to think over what to say. After a moment she takes a deep breath and starts to speak.

"Marlon and I... we didn't always get along with each other, but I always saw him as our leader. He was there for us since the beginning. When the adults left us for dead, he stepped up and did his best to keep everyone safe. Everything he ever did was to protect us, even if the choices he made weren't always the right ones," Violet explains.

She pauses and sends a regretful glance back to you and Clementine before looking back to Marlons headstone.

"But even though he didn't always make the right choices, he only ever wanted to keep us safe. He showed that to us when he gave his life to protect the rest of us when our lives were all in danger," Vi continues as she turns to face the rest of the kids.

"The best thing we can do to honor his sacrifice is to do whatever it takes to get our friends back. To make sure his death wasn't for nothing," she finishes. The other kids all nod their heads with a mix of sadness and determination on their faces.

They all start to head back over to the main yard while you and Clementine walk over to Violet.

"We got Abel to talk in the basement. He gave us a map showing us how to find the raiders... They have a boat docked near the river, so we'll need to take a small group to scout everything out while the rest of the kids stay here to keep the school defended," Clem explains.

Violet nods her head as you all start to walk back to the schoolyard to get things ready.

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You've been walking for nearly an hour now. The river was just up ahead, and you assumed the boat would be docked a bit further up.

You were walking next to Clementine with AJ, Willy, and Violet following behind you. Louis, Ruby, and Tenn had all decided to stay behind to watch over the school while you were gone.