X Marks the Spot

21 - The Promise

The wind howled down Paige's ears, almost making her sway. How could she have been so naive to think Clementine wouldn't react like this? Paige could hear her driving away even though the car wasn't visible through all of the snow, but even the sound was beginning to fade away.

What do I even have to live for anymore?

Tears finally spilled down her cheeks, leaving burning trails that felt like they were melting her frozen face in the cold. She wanted nothing more than to curl up on the floor, but she knew that if she did, there was a good chance she wouldn't get up again.

The bike, she thought suddenly. The motorbike is still at Clementine's. I walk back there, get the bike, get the fuck out of this town and never ever look back.

She knew that getting the bike back would be easier said than done; it had taken them almost two hours to get to Scetton by car and Clementine wouldn't be glad to see her at the house again. But she didn't have many other options.

I'm sorry, Michael.

She began to walk, wrapping her coat tighter around her, and her mind wandered. She had some time to kill.

I can't do it, she thought. I can't avenge Michael because I'll never find out who the killer is. That office was the only lead I had, and there's no way Clementine would let me in there now. No, fuck this. Fuck this entire god damned town. I can start over. As soon as I get the bike, I'm heading north. I'll go as far as I can, until I run out of fuel. And I'll do things properly and forget all of this.

After a few hours, she began to lose her will to keep moving. Her plan to leave the town started to feel like a pipe dream and her walk slowed to half its previous speed. It was just too cold.

She was still wearing her dress from the funeral. She couldn't have known she would end up stranded whilst wearing it. She didn't think she'd have made it this far without the coat, and fondly remembered the night she had obtained it.

***

"Help! Please, somebody, HELP!"

Paige shook Michael's body, fearing the worst. She gently took his hand, feeling that his fingers were almost colder than the snow falling on the ground. Paige needn't have worried; Michael's death wouldn't occur until almost a year later. But in the moment, she didn't know what to do. She continued to scream and somebody finally came over to the two of them.

"What's happened? Is he -"

"He - he just fainted! I think it's the cold... too much for him..." Paige had difficulty talking, both because of the shock and the cold making her teeth chatter.

After all of her panicking, however, Michael awoke before the man who had joined them even suggested a course of action. As soon as he woke up, he started shivering.

Paige hugged him desperately as he sat up, beyond hysterical, and the man asked if he was okay.

"Fine, just... just a little cold..."

The man was clearly torn. He wasn't sure whether to help them, as he could see they were in danger from the cold, but they were homeless. What if they were - no, he decided firmly. He wouldn't stand by and watch them catch their deaths of cold.

"Here," he said, producing a twenty pound note from his pocket. "Get something to warm you up. I hope everything turns out okay for the two of you."

Paige was so shocked by the man's kindness that she was speechless, but Michael thanked him for both of them.

Michael stood up with some assisstance from Paige and declared he was going to the supermarket. She waited outside until he returned approximately ten minutes later laden with plastic bags.

"Here," he said, putting them on a bench where they sat together. "Got us some food... and..." He reached his arm into the bottom of one of the bags and pulled out a coat. It wasn't as large as Paige had anticipated, but small and khaki-coloured with a fur hood.

"Michael... why did you buy this? You're the one who needed that money, not me." Paige wanted him to take her seriously, but she was overcome with happiness at his kindness that she couldn't take that particular tone with him.

"We promised to take care of each other," Michael reminded her. "And I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Yeah," Paige said, tears springing to her eyes. "You too."

"Nothing will happen to me. I promise."

***

When Clementine's house was finally in view, Paige would have sprinted towards it if she'd had enough feeling in her legs. As soon as she reached the motorbike, she grasped the handles and began to walk the bike out of the driveway. She heard the door of the house open behind her.

Ah, crap. So close.

"You're leaving." Clementine didn't sound surprised.

Paige turned around to look at her. "I don't think I have anywhere else to go, do I?"

Clementine sensed the bitterness in her voice. When she had spoken to Paige at the funeral, she'd been so angry and hadn't thought to talk about it; she'd just left. Now, all Clementine saw when she saw Paige was a scared, young girl with no home who had experienced more loneliness and sadness in thirty years than some people have in their entire lifetime. And she was still trying.

"You must be hungry," she said, unsure why she was still talking to Paige. "Do you want something to eat before you go?"

Paige nodded and brought her bike back to the driveway. If she was going into the house one last time, it was worth having one last attempt at persuading Clementine to open the office. Michael had given her so much life, and she hadn't been able to give him much back. But she had to try. And Clementine was the only way she could do that.