Chapter Text
The scent of damp earth clings to me, a haunting reminder of what once was. A sharp pain drags me back—I’m bleeding. The bite burns, spreading like wildfire up my leg.
I don’t have time.
Faces flash in my mind. Temm, Marlon, Christa, Omid, Luke, Kenny, Lee… They all died so I could live. And now, I’ve let them down.
AJ secures the doors, his movements steady, precise. A sense of calm washes over me. He’ll survive. He’s strong. The school isn’t far.
Is this how you felt, Lee? This fear, this helplessness? Were you as proud of me as I am of him?
"You need to find a way out, AJ. You have to go."
"We can climb over there. The monsters won’t reach us."
My legs refuse to move.
"COME ON, CLEM. YOU CAN'T GIVE UP."
The pain is unbearable. My body won’t listen.
"I need you..."
Tears pool in his eyes as my vision blurs.
"You don’t need me. Look what you did—on your own. You don’t need me anymore."
"My little goofball."
"...It’s Alvin Junior."
"You’ll always be Goofball to me."
For a moment, the world stills. He is everything—hope, innocence, a future. Pride, sorrow, and wonder tangle inside me.
Fire burns beneath my skin, a searing reminder that time is slipping away. My heart pounds, screaming at me: this is it. But there’s no fear, only acceptance.
"I need to make sure you remember the rules... Number one?"
"Never go alone... So I can’t leave. Not without you."
"You won’t be alone for long. Get back to school."
"I don’t know how."
"Sure you do. First thing I ever taught you—make sure they can’t smell you. Grab that axe. There’s a fresh Walker waiting to be gutted."
Every breath is harder now. My body is failing me.
"Next rule. What do we do when the monsters come?"
"Shoot them in the head."
"Got any ammo?"
"No more."
"Okay, then. And the last rule..."
"I don’t care what happens. I just want to stay with you. Like the monster from the train station. Just sit. For a long time."
"Please... let me stay."
"I’m sorry. But I have a job for you now. You need to go home. Sleep in your bed. Make friends. Grow tall... taller than me, I hope."
"I need you to live, AJ. For me. That’s your job now."
He knows what’s coming.
"Last rule. What do we do if I get bit?"
He stares at me, broken. "Are you gonna make me say it?"
"AJ... you have to kill me. Don’t let me become one of them. Be a good boy... Kill me."
His tears fall, each one piercing my heart. No child should bear this weight. No child should have to make this choice.
But he will. And he’ll keep going.
Through the pain, through the loss, I hold on to one last hope—that one day, he’ll understand.
"I'm sorry, AJ... I love you."