The Walking Dead: Emperor of Flames

Season 4/Chapter 24: An Old Barn & Older Memories

I nod.

Y/n: It's that thing where people can't walk up behind you. Like PTSD, I think. 

AJ: I don't like my trauma. I want to get it off of me. How do I get rid of it? I don't even like the way the word sounds.

Clementine shakes her head because she and I both know you can't just get rid of trauma no matter how great that would be. 

Clementine: It's really, really hard to do by yourself. A lot of people can't without some help. 

AJ: Like from a doctor?

Clementine: Sure. But those are rare these days.

AJ: Or... or like the school, right? It was supposed to help with people's... trauma.

We nod. 

Y/n: It was, but now they help each other. 

AJ: I still like them.

He looks at us. 

AJ: Do you guys have any trauma? Like how I don't like people walking up behind me. 

Clem and I nod, of course. It'd be a lie to suggest otherwise. 

Y/n: Of course we do. 

AJ: Like what? 

I think about it for a moment to try and give him an example. 

Y/n: It's why Clem has nightmares about the ranch. That traumatized her.

AJ: What about you? 

Y/n: Thalassophobia

He tilts his head in confusion. 

AJ: Tha...what-a phobia? 

Clementine: Thalassophobia. It's the fear of deep bodies of water like lakes or oceans. Because of his power he can't swim and he almost drowned twice. Once in a lake and once in a river. 

AJ: Really? How do you deal with it? 

I shrug once again. 

Y/n: You just do. But it always helps when you have someone there to help you through it. 

Clementine and I look at each other, but soon all three of us get back to walking. I think it's good we had that talk about trauma and stuff. I don't want AJ to think he can't talk about it with us or it's weird or something. Having trauma's actually a lot more normal than I wish it was, especially these days. 

AJ: I like Tenn the most, I think. Even if he does dumb things. Actually, I think he's my first real friend.

I chuckle. 

Y/n: Hey, what about us? We met you first, kiddo.

Clementine: Yeah. I thought we were your first real friends. 

AJ: (Laughs) Well, yeah. But you guys don't count, you're old!

Clementine/(Y/n): No, we're not! 

AJ: Fine, he's my second first real friend.

We run into some walkers, and hide. Clementine draws her knife & sneaks toward the walkers, hiding behind a log. I follow after her. I decide to simply just use my flames which have pretty much always been my "go to" for killing walkers, people, anything that tries to hurt us. Though it's sometimes not applicable, but that time ain't now. 

Y/n: (Whisper) How we doing this? 

Clementine: Quick. I don't know where James is though. 

Y/n: Guess we'll have to keep looking for him-