Clementine

Two

"Make your bed and hurry outside so we can start our tasks AJ we don't want to make Vi angry again like yesterday." I advised AJ

"Why can't we just sleep in Clem? It's not like she'll see me," he begged. He then began chuckling at the cleverness of his own joke.

"AJ, that's not funny, and besides, she does still have one eye," I sighed attempting to conceal my giggle "Now hurry so we can get them done before dark."

The past week has been unusually quiet and uneventful. Louis has been attempting to bring more fun to the group by bringing out his card games after dinner, but by then everyone is usually tired from a long day or just uninterested. Our usual days consist of the same routine of waking up, eating breakfast, tasks, a break before dinner, then dinner, and back to sleep. I often catch myself wishing for some excitement, but I quickly deter myself realizing that we were in a lucky situation to not have to worry about intruders or walkers.
After drinking a weak cup of coffee from a tin cup and a slice of toast  covered with a thin layer grape jelly, I began untying Rosie from her post and calling out to AJ.
"Alvin Jr.! Get your butt out here!" I yelled with annoyance.
"Coming Clem!" I heard him respond from inside. Thumping from tiny feet followed by a door slam and AJ was finally within a line of my sight.
"Good morning AJ!"  Ruby waved with a smile.
"Morning Ruby!" He waved back.

"How's the greenhouse coming along?" She asked.

"Eh, it's looking better and better every day." He nodded confidently before catching up with Rosie and I.
For the past week since everything has gone back to normal, Vi has given AJ and I the task of repairing and clearing out the greenhouse so that we could begin planting food once again. We usually take Ruby with us for an extra layer of protection since my amputation.
While walking along our normal path, I sense a difference in the atmosphere and take a mental note of it. AJ skipped ahead of me stepping on crunchy leaves and sticks and dancing through the tall, unruly grass. The sun was out today, but it's rays could barely be felt due to the changing of seasons from summer to fall. A wind blew sending a chill through my spine, and I almost think that it affected Rosie in the same way that it affected me as we both paused momentarily while it passed.
I hear AJ quietly humming a song I'd never heard as he continued pouncing in leaves. As we approached the greenhouse doors a few feet away, I couldn't bring myself to go any farther.
"Something's not right," I whispered. AJ continued humming along and began skipping towards the doors as he looked up from the crushed leaves on the dampened grass.
"AJ! Get back! Don't open those doors." I yell when my realization set in that we'd set a padlock on the greenhouse doors the day prior, that had now seemed to suddenly disappear.
Suddenly, as if on cue, three walkers shot out of the greenhouse, one toppling over AJ and knocking him over.
"AJ take out your knife" I screamed in a panic as I struggled to keep my balance while running over to him with my crutches. Rosie bolted from beside me and began mauling the second walker sending it to the ground. As I reached AJ he was able to shimmy from underneath the walker and place a knife through its skull. Finally letting out a breath, I lose focus for a split second before the third walker grabbed me behind toppling me to the ground and sending one of my crutches three feet beyond my reach. I gave a strong kick to the walkers' stomach with my good leg giving me the advantage to take my gun from my belt loop and cast a bullet straight into its head.
I let out a small shriek due to the loudness of the bullet while AJ ran over with my crutches in hand to help me up.
"Nice job AJ." I said shakily and out of breath. "Are you bit?"
He shrugged before examining the rest of his body then looking up and shaking his head confidently. He brushed a few speckles of dirt of his chest before freezing completely.
I positioned my crutches comfortably underneath my arms before looking down at Rosie's alert composure.
"AJ what's wrong?" I worried.

"Hey Clem...if we put a lock on that door...how'd it get open?"

And as if on command, a tall, thin figure walked out with a rifle pointed right at my head.

"Don't move or I'll shoot." His raspy voice croaked with a sinister smile.

And somehow, I knew he meant it.