Stepping Away: TWDG (Book Three, Clementine x Fem!Oc)

Prologue | "It all started with a girl..."

And that’s why I’m here. In some back ass forest of Virginia, the clouds threaten to pour down and the remaining birds sound their mourning. It was like what my old English teacher would talk about… Dramatic Irony? I think that’s what it was called. It was where the weather matched the feeling of the story. Well, my mood definitely matched this weather. I was miserable and so was my surroundings.

I stumbled through a bush, the thorns scratching my sides and face, but at this point it was like a slightly annoying prod, no pain. Then, I found myself in a clearing, the grass growing in between weeds, tangling together so they were nearly indistinguishable. But that wasn’t what I found interesting. No. What I found interesting was why someone had decided it was a good idea to leave a working car, open, in a very easy to get to area. These people must be stupid… or smart.

Rethinking my plan, I pulled out my gun, my knife in my other hand. My eyes twitched from side to side as I checked the vegetation all around me. There were no signs of life. Sighing, I pulled my bandana over my face, hiding half of my face. If anything was to come across, they would think I was a bandit, then do the smart thing and back away. But no one was around.

I took tentative steps forward, reaching the back door of the van and looked in through the musty glass, finding cans of food stacked in the back, two or three bottles of water in the back seats and a walkman strewn on the floor.

Smirking, I reached my hand toward the handle, sliding open the car’s door. Before I could take anything, however, a cold tip of a gun touched the side of my head, making me freeze.

Person: Step back. Nice and slow.

I rolled my eyes, sighing, dropping my weapons and holding my hands over, casually. I did as I was told, taking a few steps back into the clearing, the person still standing behind me with the gun to my head.

Waiting a few seconds, I reached my hands around, twisting the person’s wrist and bringing him to the floor, his gun falling beside him. I kicked it out of his reach before he could grab it, again, picking it up for myself and aiming it at his head.

I got a good look at him now that I had the advantage. He had brown hair swept to the right side of his face, an unshaved shadow around his chin and a baseball jersey on him. His eyes were wide in horror and I raised an eyebrow. He didn’t look bad, but I knew from too many experiences that looks mean nothing in the apocalypse.

Person: Wait! Wait! Don’t shoot!

I chuckled slightly at his change in tone.

Emma: Why not?

Person: I– I have a family! Please!

Emma: Oh, come on, man… Think of something more out there. This is just boring now.

Person: Please! I’m telling the truth…

There was a rustling of bushes and tense voices behind me, making me grab my knife and point it at the man on the floor, my gun aimed in the direction of the sounds.

Out of the plants came a young woman, a boy and a girl. I sighed, now knowing the guy was telling the truth and even I wasn’t cold enough to kill him in front of them.

Emma: Damn it…

Person: See? Please, put the weapons down.

I rolled my eyes, putting the gun back in its holster and my knife back in its sheath by my ankle.

Boy: Woah… Javi got taken down by a girl.

Looking over at the boy, I took a step towards him threateningly.