Eddie stood with Chuck at the front of the train, sharing a bottle of whiskey as the world outside continued its relentless march toward chaos. Kenny had briefly joined them for a few swigs, but after only a couple of gulps, he retreated back into the boxcar, perhaps seeking solace.
It had been nearly two hours since Eddie last stepped into the boxcar, and his mind drifted back to the incident with his mother and little brother. Lilly, Carley, and Lee were inside, keeping Clementine company while Kenny drove the train. Eddie could hear the distant sound of gunshots from the back, a likely indication that one of them was teaching Clementine how to shoot—a lesson he wholeheartedly supported. He had overheard the conversation between Lee and Chuck, who had bluntly warned that Clementine would meet the same fate as Duck if she didn't learn to defend herself. Chuck had also suggested they come up with a plan and even mentioned cutting her hair for practicality.
As he stood there, Eddie found himself grappling with a gnawing sense of honesty. What was the point of surviving anymore? Everything always seemed to spiral into disaster. Was he still holding on because his dad was alive, or was it because he cared about this ragtag group they had formed?
He hardly recognized himself anymore. Joy had become a distant memory; laughter was a rare occurrence, and smiles were almost nonexistent. For the past three months, his thoughts had been consumed by the primal need for survival and the constant hunt for food. Paranoia had seeped into his bones like a chill he could never shake.
"Got any family?" Eddie asked, breaking the heavy silence.
"Out there, somewhere," Chuck replied with a shrug. "Been sort of on my own for the past…oh, fourteen years now."
"I see," Eddie nodded, absorbing the weight of Chuck's words.
"Uh-huh," Chuck echoed, a shared understanding passing between them.
"Were you…homeless? Before all this?" Eddie took another gulp of whiskey, then passed the bottle to Chuck.
"Suppose so. I've had homes here and there, but they never really worked out. I like a drink, you know?" Chuck admitted with a wry smile.
"Yeah… I guess I might make it my mission to find a few more bottles. The taste of this stuff is starting to grow on me," Eddie mused, a hint of a smirk creeping onto his face.
Chuck chuckled softly. "Cheers." He took a swig from the bottle before handing it back to Eddie.
Eddie's mood shifted as he remembered a darker moment. "Dad ended up shooting Duck." He took a long drink before passing the bottle back.
Chuck swallowed hard. "Someone had to, I suppose." He returned the bottle to Eddie.
"Fuckin' hell this is," Eddie exclaimed, downing another gulp before offering it to Chuck again.
"You said it." Chuck nodded, his expression serious.
"Will you stay with us?" Eddie asked, his voice tinged with an urgency that surprised even him.
"I guess." Chuck shrugged. "We'll have a talk when we get there about whether or not you folks want company."
"Got ya." Eddie nodded, finishing off the last of the whiskey before tossing the empty bottle off the moving train, watching it shatter against the ground below.
———
Ahead of them, an overturned gas truck teetered precariously on the edge of an overpass, blocking their path.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Kenny shouted, anger lacing his voice.
Eddie approached him, his exhaustion evident. "Don't shout, Dad," he said tiredly, trying to keep the situation grounded.
"Shut up, son." Kenny's gaze was fixed on the ground, lost in thought.
"Hmmm. I dunno. I ain't got much experience with y'all's fortitude, but I reckon we could deal with that. We've got a goddamn train." Chuck chimed in, attempting to maintain a semblance of calm.
"That thing's not full of milk, Charles. That's gas or diesel—something that's going to explode," Kenny shot back, using Chuck's name with a hint of sarcasm.
"You gotta get a hold of yourself. This is a crew here," Chuck replied firmly, turning to face Kenny.
Kenny stepped closer, scrutinizing Chuck with a deep frown. "This ain't shit."
"This—" Chuck began but was cut off.
"Yo, you keep screaming like that and you're gonna get your face chewed off!" a man called from the overpass.
"Are you guys gonna be trouble? Because we could've just kept walking," a woman added, her tone sharp.
A man and a woman stood defiantly on the overpass. Kenny instinctively reached for his gun.
"No, we're friendly! Put your hand down, Ken," Lee intervened, trying to diffuse the tension.
"That's what everybody says," the woman replied skeptically.
"We know," Lee assured them with a smile.
"Let's give these guys a break," the shorter man suggested.
"We'll see," the woman countered, her eyes narrowing.
"You guys got a problem with your train?" the man asked, gesturing toward the obstacle ahead.
"Yeah, you're standing right in front of it," Kenny retorted, frustration evident in his voice.
"Dude, it's a wreck. It's not so bad from up here. Send your buddy up to have a look," the man said casually.
Lee started walking forward, but Kenny and Eddie quickly held him back. "If anything goes sideways up there, we won't let them escape," Kenny warned.
"I'll bash their heads in," Eddie added, his tone serious.
Lee simply nodded, then began heading up the stairs.
A moment later, Clementine approached the ladder, her eyes bright with determination. "Whoa there, Clem!" Eddie called out, concern lacing his voice. She turned around, her expression confused.
Carley stepped up beside Eddie, arms crossed. "Yes?" Clementine asked, still gripping the ladder.
"Where are you going?" Carley questioned, her tone firm.
"To Lee," Clementine pointed upwards.
"Nah-uh," Eddie shook his head, unwilling to let her go.
Carley nodded in agreement. "Yeah, stay here."
Clementine pouted for a moment, then her face lit up with a grin as she made the decision to climb the ladder anyway.
"This…" Carley exclaimed, her mouth falling open in disbelief, while Eddie frowned in exasperation.
"Little shit," Eddie muttered under his breath, turning back toward the train with Carley following closely behind.
"She thinks she's a big girl all of a sudden because she knows how to shoot," Carley scoffed, clearly offended.
"Yeah, knows how to shoot at unmoving alcohol bottles," Eddie replied, leaning against the train, their shared frustration palpable.
Carley sighed heavily. "I don't even know why I'm so upset about it."
"...Me neither," Eddie admitted after a long pause. "I guess everything that's happened is catching up to me."
Carley glanced at him, her gaze softening as she gently rubbed his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"I guess...I'm upset because...things...I didn't have things under control recently?" Eddie confessed, his voice trailing off. "Back when I was still in school, I had everything under control. I had good grades, I was the soccer team captain," he chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "And the girls adored me."
Carley scoffed but smiled nonetheless. "Oh yeah, you're clearly Prince Charming."
"I was, believe it or not," Eddie replied, crossing his arms defensively.
"Sure," she laughed, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Hey, I almost seduced my teacher," Eddie smirked, his confidence returning. "Just for some reason, before anything could've happened, she got fired."
"Uh…" Carley shifted uncomfortably, a hint of disbelief in her tone. "How old were you at that time?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"Hm? Uh… I think I was 12?" Eddie pondered, trying to recall.
Carley facepalmed, then placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You were a victim."
Eddie stood there, confusion etched on his face, a look that screamed, 'What are you talking about?' If this were an anime, question marks would be floating around his head, illustrating his bewilderment.