Chapter 193: 193-Teamed Up With The Mean Girl
Clementine:
We all rushed to grab our bags, but there was no way to gather everything. Stuff was scattered everywhere, and the space was cramped compared to the outside. So whenever a Wendigo attacked, we just jumped over furniture, getting hit and hurt.
I was in excruciating pain, biting down hard on my tongue, when Yorick finally reached the door and flung it open. At that moment, everybody ran toward the exit. But the injured ones needed to be carried. Mira was trying to help Oriana. I wanted to help her too, but I couldn’t because of my arm.
"Yorick, help her!" I yelled. He nodded, rushing back and carrying Oriana in his arms.
"Come on, Clementine!" Haiden called while holding Sebastian.
Nate was drenched in sweat, and for the first time, I saw Jack actually care for someone. He carried Nate over, and we just grabbed whatever else we could. With only a few bags packed, we ran toward the exit.
Troy and Haiden ran with me, but outside we ran into a swarm of fresh Wendigos. Drawn by the blood, they had come out again. We turned back and saw even more spilling out, snarling and hissing viciously. Then they jumped.
We ducked, but some landed right on us while others crashed into the Wendigos already swarming the place. Whenever one landed on someone, it was so heavy it felt like bones were breaking under the weight. One’s tail whipped my head as it landed on me, though at least it blocked others from getting crushed.
At this point, it was impossible to tell where everyone was going. All I knew was I had to crawl out from under the Wendigo and run toward the abandoned road.
It only got harder to find each other. The storm was brutal, and I couldn’t tell who was with me or who had headed the other way. I even saw some running back toward the station. My arm throbbed as I pushed forward, and then I felt someone close by.
I turned to my right and saw Suki running beside me. When I glanced back, no one else was there. We had broken off from the group, and now it was just the two of us, side by side.
Once we reached the abandoned road, we slowed down, only because there were no clouds in that area. The sky was clear. Of course it was supposed to be, it was the north, and the north was crazy.
We stopped, gasping for air. We were wheezing from how hard we’d been running, completely out of breath. Suki hunched down with her hands on her knees but lifted her head to stare into the distance. The village was so dark, and I could see lightning flashing in the clouds.
"They all should have come here," I told Suki.
She shook her head, still hunched, raising her left hand while steadying herself with the other. She pointed far away.
"The woods don’t have clouds," she said.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Only that one part of the village was full of clouds.
"Right," I muttered, glancing around. The abandoned road had woods on one side, which were dark and could be hiding wendigos. That’s how these things traveled to reach us.
"How many are there?" she asked, tiredly walking over to the bus station and sitting down.
I followed her and sat beside her.
"I don’t know," I admitted.
"Are we going to face these crazy things every time we come north?" she pressed. I was too stunned to answer.
"Did you know Yash?" I asked, turning to her. She leaned back on the bench, arms spread across the backrest.
"I mean, just a little," she mumbled with a shrug. I looked forward again, lowering my face, breathing slow and steady.
"If you’re going to cry about everyone we lose, Clementine, you’ll lose your mind," she said, standing and stretching.
Her white uniform was soaked red with blood. Since ours were black, the stains weren’t as obvious, but the white ones were completely covered. The red uniforms blended better, but our bodies were still drenched. Blood speckled our faces, blood from our fallen crusaders.
I quickly and frantically wiped my face with the back of my hand.
"Calm down, Clementine. Things like this happen. Have you never lost anyone you loved?" she asked, hands on her waist. I looked up at her, silently with no response.
"Well, I’ve lost many people," she said. "I’m just used to it now." Her tone was harsh as she revealed a little about herself.
"We should start moving again," I suggested, getting up from the bench and heading forward.
"Why? We should rest. We’ve been fighting nonstop," she complained. But I had to tell her we couldn’t rest anymore.
"Look at the clouds. They’re headed toward us," I mumbled, pointing at the village.
These weren’t normal clouds, they were big and dark, covering specific areas in shadow, making it easier for the Wendigos to attack. I began to wonder if the clouds and Wendigos were working together. Once they started moving our way, the ones who’d gone in the other direction were probably safer than us.
"Oh no," Suki sighed, groaning in exhaustion. Her hands hung low, her shoulders slouched.
"The fuck?" she groaned again.
"Let’s go. We can cry about it later," I muttered, starting to walk forward.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have gone back either. They were all together and fine. But someone was completely alone, and these things were dangerous. I just wanted to see if Ian had done the job.
We moved together, keeping one eye on the clouds behind us to make sure they were staying back. Then we entered the city. At this point, we were exhausted, and for me, it was the worst. My arm was killing me, and I could feel a fever burning inside me.
"Imagine if those sluagh come around," she said. "They attack the weak ones, right? The weak ones. Right now, you’re the weak one. Who’s going to save you?"
Suki was such a bitch, half joking, half demeaning me, as she clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrow.
"I’ll save myself, Suki. I always do," I hissed back, refusing to give her the satisfaction.
"Sure," she said, all dramatic. "Says the one surrounded by squadmates who make her their first preference. Yeah, you save yourself." Her tone carried mean energy. Even now, even after we’d lost so many crusaders, she still managed to be messy.