(Third POV)
As always, Clementine had trouble sleeping without Max beside her. Her thoughts drifted back to him. Is he taking care of himself? Is he eating properly? She hoped he wasn't worrying about her too much.
The thought made her huff out a quiet laugh. Even though she was older, Max was always the more mature one, always the one worrying about her.
She pushed herself out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she scanned the room. The girl she shared the bed with (Sarah) was a year older, yet far more fragile. Sarah was kind-hearted and innocent, sheltered from danger by her father, Carlos, a former doctor. He had protected her from the world's cruelty for so long that she barely understood it.
Clementine couldn't help but wonder how long Sarah could survive like this.
She checked the clock and felt her stomach tighten, it was getting late. Without hesitation, she grabbed Sarah's shoulder and shook her hard. Sarah stirred, groggy and disoriented.
"Wake up, Sarah. We need to go. Now."
Clementine pulled on her cap and glanced back at her. Sarah was sprawled across the bed at an awkward angle, like she'd fallen there rather than climbed in.
"Get up before you get slapped again."
Sarah's hand flew to her cheek on instinct. Her eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet.
"I'm up! I'm up—I wasn't sleeping. Just… give me a second."
She fumbled for her glasses on the desk, nearly dropping them before managing to put them on.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I'm ready."
"Good," Clementine replied. "Then move."
She headed toward the greenhouse without waiting, her steps steady and purposeful. Sarah followed a few paces behind, silent. Her feet dragged, her shoulders tense. She clearly didn't want to go, but she went anyway.
"Clem, you barely slept," Sarah said, struggling to keep up. "How are you still able to wake up? What's your secret?"
She sounded genuinely curious. Sometimes she woke at night to find Clementine shifting restlessly beside her, unable to sleep.
"There's no secret," Clementine said without slowing down. "I just force myself up. You should start doing the same. I'm not waking you up repeatedly."
She quickened her pace.
"What's his name?"
Clementine stopped so suddenly Sarah nearly ran into her. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Clementine turned back, her eyes sharp and warning.
Seeing that look, Sarah waved her hands quickly. "I... I'm sorry. I was just curious. I heard you mumbling about a boy in your dreams… a lot. I didn't mean anything by it. Do you mind if I ask who he is?"
Clementine turned on her heel and started walking again. Sarah followed, quieter this time.
"You could say he's my boyfriend," Clementine said. Her voice was low, so quiet Sarah almost missed it. "And to me… he's my life."
"What?!" Sarah gasped. "You have a boyfriend?"
She hurried to catch up. "I never thought you could have a boyfriend."
Clementine glanced over her shoulder, her gaze cold.
"Sorry... sorry," Sarah rushed to say. "I didn't mean it like that. I just… I've never had a boyfriend. I've never even held a boy's hand. What's it like?"
"Be quiet," Clementine said. "We're here."
Two guards watched them closely as they entered the greenhouse. Inside, a one-armed man knelt in the dirt, carefully planting seeds. When he noticed them, he smiled.
"Oh, I was waiting for you two."
"Hi, Reggie," Sarah said, smiling and waving.
"Today'll be fun," Reggie said cheerfully. "We're planting seeds. You don't have to carry dirt... just help me spread the manure."
Clementine's face twisted in disgust. Sarah looked no better.
The manure was made from the waste of the Howe's Hardware community. Clementine clenched her jaw, grabbed a shovel, and started spreading it over the soil. She didn't complain—she just worked.
By the time they finished, both girls were exhausted. Their arms ached, and their clothes reeked of filth.
"Eww!" Sarah yelped. "I touched it!"
She waved her hands frantically, trying to shake off the manure. Clementine watched her with quiet amusement.
After escaping the collectors and being swept down the freezing river, Clementine had survived, barely. Her luck ended there. She should have died from the cold, but instead she was captured. Dragged here. Forced into labor in exchange for food.
That was where she met Sarah and her group. Kenny and his people were here too. Seeing him again had shocked her at first, but it didn't take long to understand what this place really was.
Howe's wasn't a community, it was a prison.
It was ruled by a man named William Carver. No one was allowed to leave without his permission. Anyone who tried was killed, or hunted down and made an example of.
Sarah's group had attempted to escape once. They were caught almost immediately. One person died. Two others lost their hands.
Reggie had been one of them. He'd tried to run, but he hadn't made it.
Clementine knew the consequences. She'd seen them firsthand. Still, she wanted to escape.
All of them did.
The group wasn't acting on desperation alone. They had been preparing for months, quietly, carefully. Every detail was in place. All they needed was the right moment. One perfect opportunity to put the plan into motion.
Max… I'll see you very soon. Just wait for me.
She clung to the hope that he had found her markings on the trees. When she was learning how to hunt and track, Max had taught her how to mark trees so she wouldn't get lost in the forest. She had carved those same signs before she was captured, small and easy to miss, but clear to anyone who knew what to look for.
She hoped Max had seen them.
"Come on," Reggie said gently, setting down the seed bag. "It's time for dinner. You must be hungry. And Sarah... wash your hands."
He smiled, as if that smile hadn't cost him everything.
"Finally," Sarah said brightly. "I'm starving."
She set the seed bag aside. Clementine brushed the dirt from her hands and headed toward the kitchen, where everyone else was already gathering.