Words- 2590
Nerves shot through all 10 of Willow's fingers. Here she was, riding on a horse, hugging her mothers torso. Clementine and Louis put up a fight, but in the end- AJ and Willow were able to convince them to let her go. It took about an hour to actually get the couple on their side- but with the reminder of Willow's naivety to real world events– they caved in.
"We're here." Clementine announced to the group.
They all stopped their horses, hooking them up on nearby trees. Before Clementine got off, she looked behind her to Willow. She looked into Willow's big doe-like eyes, "Willow, it's not too late to go back."
Willow shook her head, now resting herself on her mothers back. She hugged Clementine's torso tighter, "I'm okay." She replied. Clementine rested her hand on her daughter's hand that rested on her stomach. She squeezed it. With that confirmation, the two got off the horse- hooking it to a nearby tree.
Clementine stayed close to Willow as they approached the scene.
The group stood in silence. It smelt bad, and flies had already made their way over. Collectively the group had grim expressions.
"I'm gonna go get Wayde, I'll be back." Aasim broke the silence. He hopped back onto his horse, "Hey, it'll be alright Clem. We've dealt with worse." He gave her a sympathetic smile, seeing as she looked incredibly stressed.
Clementine nodded back to him. Aasim then made his way over to Oakwood, leaving the group to investigate more. AJ was the first to actually enter the scene, counting the number of bodies.
"There's four." He said, bending over to investigate them more. That's when the others entered as well.
Before Willow could go in and see more of it, Louis stopped her. "Maybe you should just wait for us to be done ok?"
Willow shook her head, "I know all you guys want is to protect me- but shielding me from this won't help. I need you to let me be a part of this. Ok?"
Louis sighed, hugging Willow and resting his chin on her head. "Promise me you'll be okay."
Willow hugged him back tighter. His dreads dangled in her face, reminding her of her childhood. "I promise. I love you."
He kissed her head, releasing her. "I love you too."
Willow walked into the part of the woods where the rest of the group remained.
Suddenly, Willow's breathing got shallow. There it was again, the blood spilt on the floor– the widened eyes of a victim, and the smell. It was truly a traumatizing sight. But a sight she felt she needed to be accustomed to. Like it or not, someday something was gonna happen. Willow doesn't live in a world run by government or protectors like police officers, hell even that world had many brutal events– but she lives in a world where it is much more common. To deny her any experience in handling these situations- is to deny her long survival.
Willow and Louis walked up to the fallen homemade cart. It was on its side– tons of crops falling out of it and other goods. On one end of it, there were loose ropes sprawled on the floor.
"It had to be attached to a horse, right?" Willow asked.
"Yea." Clementine then made her way over, placing her hands on her hips and staring down at the flipped over cart. "We just don't know where the cart even came from."
"Oakwood." Willow announced. Louis and Clementine looked at her. It was like a lightbulb shined over their heads.
"Wait.. yea..Oakwood always puts out a caravan group around this time of year." Clementine folded her arms, "Shit. What the hell? What does this mean?"
"Someone had a grudge against them, you think?" AJ asked, walking up to the group now.
"Most likely." Willow then walked over to the fallen cart items, picking up a cabbage. "If someone was after their goods– they would have taken them. But- they didn't. All they did was murder these people."
"You've always been such a smart kid, Willow." Louis complemented her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You're right, there's no way this was a robbery gone wrong. This was–"
"It was targeted." Clementine finished Louis' sentence. The air grew thick with tension, and it got quiet. Honestly, they were hoping for a robbery gone wrong. This meant that someone was truly a cold blooded killer- taking the lives of four innocent people ... for what?
"It just happened. When Violet, Kenya and I went on that trade trip– They were just getting ready to leave.. So.." Willow scanned around her, counting the four bodies. She then widened her eyes– "Wait.."
All of a sudden sounds of horses came around the corner. It was Aasim and Wayde.
"Jesus." Wayde sighed, tying his horse up at a tree. He walked over to the scene, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh no... Carmy." He kneeled down on his knees, closing the eyes of his fallen citizen.
"Wayde.."
Wayde looked up to Willow, raising a brow at her.
"Wasn't that one guy leading the caravan?"
Wayde looked around him, glancing at the bodies around him. "Hank?" Wayde stood up, "There were five people. There's only four and .. Hank is missing."
"Missing?" Aasim asked, looking around as well. "We should search the area, see if his body went somewhere else."
"And if we don't find him?" Willow asked.
"Then we have our first suspect." Clementine responded.
Everyone then split up into groups, searching around the area for any sign of blood trails or his body. They searched for about an hour before they came back empty handed.
Wayde huffed, folding his arms and shaking his head. "Shit Hank. What the hell..?"
"So.. Hank could've done this?" Willow asked. She had shivers run up her arms as she remembered his face. Hank was a tempered man, but she didn't think he would have gone this far. And why? Sam had said Hank and his people were close– so it didn't make sense.
"We still don't know if it's actually him. Come on, we should discuss this with Javier." Clementine then gently grabbed Willow's hand, leading her to their shared horse. Willow lit up. Clementine didn't coddle Willow at all, just accepted her to be a part of this. "AJ, will you watch the school for me when I'm gone?"
AJ hops onto his horse, "Of Course Clem I got you."
She smiled, setting her horse next to him. She squeezed his cheek- "Thanks goofball."
AJ pulled away, "Jeez alright. I'm not 5 anymore Clem."
"You will always be 5 AJ." She chuckled.
AJ shook his head in a playful manner in return; "Be safe." He finally said, riding away on his own horse.
Louis, Wayde, and Aasim got on their horses as well, "So uh, we just leave them here?" Louis asked, glancing behind him at the corpses.
"I already ordered a team to come out here and clean them up later. We want to give these guys a proper burial." Wayde responded with a sad tone. He knew these people as well, he made bonds and trust with them. "Let's get this over with, yea?" He looked at Clementine with a sternness.
Clementine nodded in response, spurring her horse and leading the way to richmond.
—
"Are we there yet?"
"Willow, I love you but I swear to god–" Clementine seemed annoyed but then stopped mid-sentence. She had passed by these tree's before. She remembered them because Richmond marked trees with yellow paint. It was a way to help travelers locate shelter or a place to call home. "Well...I guess we are here."
Clementine got quiet, Willow noticed. "You ok?" Willow could feel Clementine's stomach move as she sighed heavily.
"Yea I'm okay." Clementine then gripped her horse's leather strap. "Sometimes I get nervous coming back here. Lot's of... memories." Clementine opened up.
"Oh." Willow responded softly, hugging Clementine.
All Clementine needed really was a hug, she calmed down immediately. It felt comforting knowing that she had literal physical proof of how much she's grown from surviving to thriving. Willow was that physical proof, she would have never had a kid if the world now was like the one in the past.
They approached the gates of Richmond and stopped their horses, waiting for someone to open it. Its size compared to Ericsons was intimidating to Willow. They hadn't seen it in a while. Clementine is the only one who frequents here- whether it's communication, or helping out with training— she's here around every 3 months.
Willow was last here about a year ago, to celebrate her birthday. They had made special foods for her such as homemade enchiladas. Javier and his family are especially proud of this meal- never knowing if they could experience their cultural food again. But with hard work and building of a good farm- and through many trades to get chickens— they were successful in a plentiful harvest.
"If it makes you feel any better- I'm a little nervous to be there too heh." Willow commented.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Gabe. He's so awkward with me."
Clementine chuckled, to which Willow furrowed her brow. "Hey! I'm serious mom, he's a weirdo."
Clementine now erupted in laughter causing the group to look back at them. Clementine shook her head- waving the stares off her. "Sorry sweet pea. It's just- yea Gabe is a weirdo. But it's alright, we just have history."
"History?" Willow asked.
"Yea, very simple history actually- simple history he thought would become something different. But, obviously my life had better plans." She glanced at Louis.
"I see.." Willow responded, but still confused. She decided she was fine with what her mother provided, shrugging it off. Gabe was gonna be the same regardless.
Suddenly, a voice called out to them— "Y'all just gonna sit there or state your business?"
"Javi!" Clementine smiled, waving at him.
He chuckled, waving back at them. He gave off a cleaner vibe than Ericsons people. Javi never let go of his beard, he's always kept that clean cut the same. He was not gray old, but wrinkles old. "Come inside." He then opened the big gates to Richmond, climbing down from the watchtower.
The group made their way inside, parking their horses at the man-built station. As soon as Louis got off the horse Javi gave him a bear hug, slapping Louis' back gently. "What's up man?"
Louis chuckled, "Oh you know.. uh- just here on some business." Louis cleared his throat- "Not great business."
Javis exterior joy now faded into concern. "You all look a little drained. What happened?"
The town was filled with children playing and wandering adults. Clementine noticed this. "We should probably talk in the office. Wouldn't want to make a scene."
Javier nodded slowly at first, then fast. "Yea- yea you're right. Let's go to the office." He then led the group through the crowd of people in the streets, some waving at Clementine.
"You famous?" Louis joked.
"Somewhat." Clementine sighed, "Thanks to this old man."
Javier chuckled, "Hey!" He shook his head with a smirk. He opened his arms wide, "This whole place was done with the help of you Clementine. You're our city's hero! Honestly you should see the way Razor acts around her, heh."
"Razor?" Willow asked.
"Oh yea, a little older but she's your age." Javier glanced to his right and stopped. He pointed to a wall made with different types of sheet metal. It had a gated door in it, leading to an outside area. "That's where she is currently. She's part of our soldiers."
"How'd she get the name Razor?" Willow asked, intrigued.
"We found her years ago. She showed up at our gates with just a razor tied to a stick as her weapon. Said she lost her parents to walker's poor thing.."
"How old was she when you found her?" Aasim asked from the back of the group.
"Maybe around 10? She's been here for 7 years now though. Proved herself to be a fantastic soldier."
Javier then side-'bro' hugged Clementine, "And this one right here is Razor's idol."
Clementine rolled her eyes playfully, getting out of his grasp.
"Aw. What did she admire about her?" Louis widened his eyes and nervously chuckled, "Not that she isn't admirable in any way heh! I-I just mean specifically."
"Well; She admired how strong Clementine was. Only 13, on your own, raising a kid no less. Losing that kid and then fighting to save this very place that's served as a huge shelter— I'd say there's lots that Razor admires."
"I told you, badass." Willow whispered to her mom, which she just shook her head in disagreement.
They eventually made it to the office building. It was a run down place, but they tried to clean it up and make it nice. This was their leader's place after all.
Javier led the group inside.
Inside of the place were lit candles running along the hallway, the floor wasn't littered in debris at all, just looked like a normal clean hallway. They passed by a couple doors, but the one at the end of the hallway had a carved "J.G" on it. Javier stopped there.
"In y'all go. Didn't expect so many people to be honest so It might be a bit cramped..."
Louis walked in first, sliding one of two chairs back so Clementine could sit. She sat with no hesitation, huffing. Having one leg exhausted her quickly.
He decided on standing behind her. Aasim and Wayde stood against the wall- allowing Willow to sit beside her mother.
Javier sat on the main chair in the room, at his cluttered desk. "So. What's going on?"
"I went on an evening walk." Clementine started. "It was only supposed to be for a bit but I ended up walking around Oakwood. That's when I found something bad.." Clementine sucked in some air, breathing in and out preparing herself. "I saw 4 dead bodies."
Javier widened his eyes. Stunned, he shook his head for a moment, trying to regain a sense of reality. "How did they die?" He finally asked.
"Gunshots to the head." Wayde answered. "They were my folks." His voice sounded empty and stale.
"Shit man, I'm so sorry." Javi replied, shaking his head. "We need to find who did this." He leaned onto his desk, folding his hands together and looking towards Clementine with determination. "What do you guys know so far?"
"We know it wasn't a robbery. The caravan they were traveling in didn't have enough goods stolen to be one." Willow jumped right into conversation- surprising Clementine and Louis how quick she was.
"Uh yea- yea that's right." Louis responded. "Nothing was taken."
"We also found out someone from that circle of travelers was missing." Clementine spoke up.
"Hank." Wayde interrupted. His tone got cold. "I gotta feeling this ol' bastard done something."
"..we couldn't find his body." Clementine stated.
Javier blew out a huff, "Shit." He shook his head, "We hadn't had something like this happen in years. Got too comfortable."
"We still don't know if it was Hank though." Aasim broke through the silence, "He could just be running away."
"Wait." Javi lifted a hand up to indicate he wanted to speak. Aasim understood and gave him the floor. "When did this happen exactly?"
"Yesterday evening." Clementine answered. "We came here as soon as we could."
Javier widened his eyes, his mouth agape.
"...What...?" Clementine asked, squinting her eyes at him.
Javi got out of his shocked stance, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry I just— Clem. I think we may have a suspect already."
The group all stared at Javi with confusion- and with wonder. The room was silent.
"Who?" Willow finally asked, kickstarting the conversation again.
"Razor." Javier simply put.