Chapter Text
The night sky was a deep blue so much so that it nearly looked pitch black. The lack of stars in the sky only added to that along with the fact that the moon was covered with thick gray clouds. Smoke slowly rose up nearby, drifting and floating into the air until it morphed and mixed with the clouds. The smell of blood and burning animal flesh pierced Clementine’s nose. It crawled into her mind, becoming the only sense she didn’t feel numb to. Her eyes stayed downcast, as hollow and lifeless as her parents’ corpses which lay on the ground in front of her. Clementine stared blankly at them, watching as their lifeblood stained the wooden floors of the farmhouse. Pieces of a vase and a shattered mirror were scattered across the floor nearby them. Another casualty of the fight that had broken out here. The sounds of gunfire and yells rang in the back of the eight-year-old’s mind as she stayed on the floor. Her limbs felt too heavy to do anything at all. So she stayed there waiting until she was sure she’d join her parents once the bandits finally found her.
“I’ll check the inside of the farmh- Holy shit! Carver, get in here!” A man with shaggy brown hair and bloodied clothes yelled. A moment later the sounds of heavy footsteps approached and Clementine slowly glanced up, her eyes holding a glazed look to them. There, standing before her, was a man dressed in a black vest suit, a cravat of the same color was loosely draped around his neck. Small flecks of blood stood out prominently on his white dress shirt and matched his sharp red handkerchief.
“This your home?”
She stayed silent for a second, her eyes locking with the man’s calm and steady ones. She mustered up a short nod.
“And those two,” The man paused for a moment when he saw fresh tears slip down the young girl’s face. “Troy, come over here so we can bury these two.”
“But Carver, we don’t-” The younger man froze when he saw Carver’s expression. “Right, sir.” He sidestepped Clementine and knelt down to pick up the first body. Immediately Clementine’s face gained some color as she let out a feral cry. Her hands pounded against the man’s back before she bit his arm harshly.
“Ow! Listen here, you little-”
“Troy.” Carver spoke once more and the man grew silent. He took a step forward and knelt in front of the little girl so they were at eye level.
“We aren’t here to hurt you. We’re gonna help you, okay?”
Clementine studied his eyes then gave a short nod.
“What’s your name?”
“Clementine.”
“Clementine, that’s a good name, strong just like you. My name is Carver,” He held out his hand and watched as the young girl cautiously looked at it before shaking it. “We’ve got a camp not far from here. Good folk like I’m sure your parents were. Would you like to come?”
Clementine didn’t say a word and instead slowly got to her feet.
“Good choice. Stick by me, Clementine, I’ll help you make sure you never have to lose kin again.” Carver extended his hand and Clementine slowly reached out. Her hand held onto his, staining it red with blood.
“You’ve got a choice to make,” Carver spoke slowly as he stood behind the twelve-year-old. “You can risk having this snake come back and hurt our family or you can make sure he never gets that chance. With one bullet you can ensure they won’t get hurt.” He placed his hands on Clementine’s shoulders and squeezed them for a second.
“P-Please, I promise, I won’t come back! I won’t ever try to mess with y’all again! Just let me have my life! Please!”
“Do you believe him?” Carver asked as Clementine stood there with her revolver drawn and pointed at the man.
Clementine stared at the man, seeing the fear in his eyes, watching as he trembled. Emotions sprouted in her heart for a moment but she quickly snuffed them out. “No. I don’t.” Without waiting a second longer she pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out as the man fell down to the ground, dead. Blood started to slip down the wound between his eyes. Clementine felt her mind begin to spin as her hands trembled. This had been the first life she had taken that wasn’t when her life had been in danger.
“Good job. I’m proud of you. You kept your baby brother safe, you kept everyone safe.” Carver took a step back and looked at his daughter with pride. “How did it make you feel?”
Clementine stayed silent, processing all of her clashing emotions until she settled on the one that burned strongest in her heart in that very moment. Her gaze stayed on the blood, watching as the earth soaked it up.
“It felt good.”
Clementine looked into the mirror, her hands continued to fidget with the dress shirt and black suit vest.
“Does it fit right?” Carver asked as he walked forward. Once he saw how much his daughter was struggling he stepped in and helped. His fingers laced the cravat snugly around Clementine’s neck. “Hmm nah, probably too tight.” He kept working while Clementine gazed into the mirror. “How is that?”
She took a deep breath. “Good.”
Carver nodded then took a step back to be beside Clementine as they both stared into the mirror. The black vest, the red handkerchief. It felt fitting. “Figured it was about time you dressed right.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and studied her eyes in the mirror. The same fire he had seen within them nine years ago was still there yet now a level of cold calculation rested within them as well. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips. “Just look at you. I couldn’t be more proud to have you as my daughter. Now, are you ready to start another job?”
Clementine’s jaw set with determination “Yes.”