[Flashback — A few hours ago]
Carley and Kenny stood in the middle of the front yard, tension thick in their stare, wind blew cold, soft, almost comforting, but not comforting enough.
"Back off," he said, pulling the rifle from his shoulder and leveling it at her in one swift, practiced motion.
Carley didn't even have time to reach for her handgun, or perhaps she didn't want to. His eyes widened at his own actions, but they soon turned hollow.
Carley's hands trembled, betrayal, and defeat overwhelmed her as her eyes trembled, "Kenny, what are you doing—"
"I said. Back off!" he barked, making her flinch. "I'm not going to wait here for death to take away my family."
The front door of the house slammed open.
Madison stepped out first, rifle in hand, followed closely by Alicia and Clementine. Katjaa hadn't moved—still tending to Duck.
What's going on?" Madison called, eyes narrowing.
Kenny's head snapped toward her.
"Drop it, Drop the fucking gun, Madison. Now."
She didn't; instead, she began to raise it. However.
Too late.
Kenny lunged forward, grabbing Carley by the arm and yanking her in front of him, the barrel of the handgun he took from Carley pressed against her temple.
"Don't you fucking dare!" he shouted.
Carley winced, her hands behind her back, her body tense, she was about to break. "Please, Kenny, trust him—"
"Kenny, put the gun down," Madison said carefully, voice low, her rifle halfway raised.
"Bring Katjaa and Duck, now!" Kenny's voice cracked like a whip, wild and raw now. "Call her out here, right now."
Clementine's lips trembled. Please, Uncle Kenny, her finger digging into her palm at the image presented in front of her.
Madison's finger hovered near the trigger, but she didn't move. The tension in the yard was so thick it felt like breathing through syrup.
Kenny's jaw clenched, eyes flicking toward the house. A beat passed. Then another.
"You think I want this?" he growled. "You think I wanted to point a gun at you, Carley? At any of you? I'm just trying to save my family! You think sitting here like prey is safer than running? You know it. I know it, we all know it. It won't be long before they return with a larger group and kill us all."
They all fell silent. Could they trust Wekser? Could they really survive through this night? Will they see the next sunrise? But has he ever let them down?
"We can trust him, please, Kenny, you can trust him," Carley said, as a tear dropped from her eye.
His hand was trembling now, just barely. A twitch in the knuckles, the telltale shudder of someone about to lose control.
"I can't. Not this time, I only have my family, I need them." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Another silence.
Then from the open door, Katjaa's voice echoed faintly:
"Kenny…?"
She appeared in the doorway to witness the 'family' they had built in the last month spent together in misery. Now, with daggers at each other's throats.
Duck's blood smeared across her arms and apron, eyes tired and wide. She looked at her husband, seeing the crazed eyes he has every time something happens to her or Duck.
Her mouth fell open. "K-Kenny."
Kenny didn't bother answering.
He just stared at her, like a man waking up mid-nightmare, only to realize he hadn't been dreaming.
"Kenny…" she repeated, softer now. "What is this?"
"I'm not waiting here to die," he said eventually, his voice cracking.
"We can't just leave—" she started, but Kenny cut her off, his voice suddenly rising to a roar.
"YES, we can! We have to. You want to wait here? You want to wait for more bandits? Wait for Wesker to maybe come back? What if he doesn't? What if he's lying dead in a ditch, or worse—they're using both of them to find us?"
He was shaking now, but his grip on Carley's hand didn't seem to weaken.
Katjaa blinked hard, stunned in silence.
"Katjaa, do you want our boy dead?" He said frantically.
"Kenny—" Carley tried to say, her voice low and fragile, "—you're not thinking straight."
But he was.
That's the worst part, and everyone understood it, his version of it. The part of his brain that was a father, a husband, the part that had left too many people behind to die, so that they could survive. That part had taken over, and it won't let go.
"Get Duck. We're leaving. Now."
Katjaa didn't move.
"Kenny…" Her voice broke, pleading now, barely audible. "Please, you don't have to—"
"Don't make me beg, Katjaa!" he snapped, the edge of madness cutting into every word. "You want to stay here while they play hero and get us killed?"
Katjaa looked at the others—Madison, Alicia, and Clementine. Then back at Kenny.
Then she nodded.
She vanished back into the house, her steps frantic.
Madison's breath caught in her throat. "You can't be serious—"
"She's making the right choice." Kenny said quickly, "I hope four of you will do the same."
Moments later, Katjaa reappeared, carrying Duck in her arms, his leg bandaged carefully, his face pale as milk. He stirred only slightly, lost in a haze of pain and fever.
Kenny finally released Carley. She staggered forward, eyes wide, skin clammy
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, "I had to. I had to."
Carley didn't speak. She just stared at him, expression unreadable.
Kenny backed away slowly, his eyes leaving the group as helped Katjaa into the RV, then gently lifted Duck inside.
The engine sputtered, then roared to life.
No one moved.
The RV turned, wheels crunching throught gravel, then slowly rolled down the long dirt pat into the dark.
[Flashback end]
The sun hadn't risen yet. Just a gray prelude handing over the farm, like a held breath.
Alicia stood, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, her jaw clenched. Calrey sat on the couch, her head down, no expression on her face. Madison held onto the rifle firmly, her finger tapping on the barrel in a rhythm only she understood.
Clemetine sat beside Carley, trying to comfort her in whatever way possible.
Lilly stood beside me with a frown on her face. The fact that Kenny could do this was unacceptable to her.
I hadn't said a word.
"Are you gonna say something?" Lilly pinched my side. She was angry, but not much.
I exhaled.
"So he held Carley hostage," I muttered, glancing at Carley, "Took his family and ran away?"
"He could've killed her. He almost did." Alicia nodded.
I glanced around the room at Madison, still sitting, her trembling hand sizing her gun, at Clementine, sitting beside Carley, hugging herself. And Carley hadn't spoken even now.
"He didn't. We should only focus on that," I said.
"Are you serious?" Her voice cracked like ice. "That's it? He gets to leave with our only medic, and the RV, and—"
"And now we have three fewer liabilities." I cut in, my voice calm and cold as ever. "I have another medic, just as capable, perhaps more. Kenny was unstable. And Duck—" I didn't finish, the meaning already reached their ears.
Alicia looked at me, like she wanted to hit me, but she didn't. She knew better.
"And, we have more supplies, guns, bullets," I said, looking at the boxes sitting on the floor. I needed to make another trip to Save Lots.
A/N[And with that, the first act of TWD is over, the next few chapters will be like a bridge to the next act.
Act 1 Telltale: Finished.
Act 2 AMC:
****
Read +3 or +7 chapters ahead on my Pat*eon
First_Endless