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The cracking of flames illuminated the three of them, casting dancing shadows in the distance. Clementine eyed the little boy beside her as he slept. He looked peaceful, aside from the occasional unconscious wincing. It'd been two hours since AJ had been shot and the moon was still high in the sky. Golden eyes shifted up to look up at the man before her, who was nursing the fire with care as he hummed a little song, the shy, gentle smile ever present on his lips.He almost looked like a prince from the fairytales that her mother used to read to her a long time ago, in a different world. It felt like forever since she'd last heard her mother's voice. She'd give everything to embrace her again. But the hardest part was... she didn't even remember what her parents looked like. James was easy on the eyes, Clementine would be both a blind and stupid girl to deny that, and she was glad that she was neither of those things. He was sweet, kind, and gentle, with a deep reverence for other human beings, even those that walked the earth - he didn't even have any weapons to defend himself with, only a mask of rotten flesh to conceal his visage. He could've easily just abandoned them back there in the woods and save himself with the trouble like anyone else with a mind hellbent on survival would, but he didn't. A man like that didn't deserve to be out here on his own, cold and alone in the world. Not here, not in a world where he wore a mask of a dead man's flesh, not in a world where no one knew his name, not here with his small flute, the small multicolored feathers, the dreamcatchers or the small photo he carried with him."Who're those people in the picture? Family?" Clementine piped up softly.Hazel eyes shifted down at his picture and smiled sadly, "Yes," he began, his fingertips drifting over the faded colors of the photograph. "My dad, my mom, my two brothers Greg and Alex and my sister, Samantha." he murmured softly, "My dad was shot by a terrible man, my mom died of a heart attack, Greg lost his life trying to get supplies for the family, Sam burned down with my house trying to get a family friend, and..." His breath hitched as he paused. Clementine watched him carefully as he gained his composure. "I killed Alex out of mercy. I... didn't want him to turn."Clementine's eyes widened, and immediately, the clock turned back to a time when she was a lost little girl, when she was begging Lee to get up, to rise again, like he always did, praying for a miracle. But he never did, and he ever would stand on his feet again. She could still remember the last advice he gave her - "Keep that hair short," he'd said weakly - before she pulled the trigger. She would never forget his words. Pulling herself back to reality, she shook her head slowly and whispered, "James, I'm so sorry."He gave no reply as a gloved hand gently grasped one of the dangling dreamcatchers with such delicateness, as if not to break it, before gently pulling it away from his tiny collection. James stood up and walked over to her. Crouching down, he smiled softly, almost shyly, at her then to AJ, rested a hand on top of her own and placed it the palm of her hand. It was decorated with different colored beads, a myriad of gemstones that glittered in the flames, in the moon's rays, and blue feathers."This is mine," he told her quietly, his gaze elsewhere for a moment, as if remembering a past long dead, before breaking from his reverie, "My grandmother gave it to me when I was younger, before all of this... Your boy can have it. Hang it over his resting place. It takes the nightmares away and gives out good dreams instead, it gives him protection and guidance through his darkest hours... He looks like he needs it more than anyone else." He admitted.Golden hues softened as they met hazel optics. That was very kind of him to do. "Thank you, I'll take good care of it," she murmured, gently taking the dreamcatcher into her hands. James nodded solemnly before standing again and walking back to his spot opposite of her and seating himself. Picking up his flute, he began to play a sweet and gentle song. Clementine could've sworn it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard in a long time, so peaceful, so calming.The music played for hours; Clementine never objected. He looked so full of sorrow, a soul crying out in pain for a world long dead and long gone. But he made his sadness look like poetry, like an art form. She could almost hear his soul weeping. She began humming to his tune as she ran her bloody fingers through AJ's jet black hair, James eyed her warmly from across the fire, and continued his sweet song. He began singing in that sweet, quiet and gentle voice of his. "Let us know peace for as long as the moon shall rise, let us know peace as long as the rivers shall flow, let us know peace as long as the sun shall shine, let us know peace for as long as the grass shall grow."Clementine watched him sing with a calm smile. His voice was as steady as a flowing river and she couldn't help but admire him even more. She applaused to which he blushed, his gaze downcast. "That song has been passed down from my people from generation to generation. My ancestors have been living here for thousands of years, and here we still stand." he murmured, his hands clasped together awkwardly, but his eyes held a quiet determination there, a different kind of strength."It's beautiful," Clementine praised him kindly as he smiled at her."We need to show kindness to each other and the world around us. It's lacking in a world like this." he told her."I couldn't agree more," she replied, nodding in agreement.And soon, the sun rose in the east. The golden rays began illuminating the woodlands in a gentle glow and the birds began singing their songs. It looked too beautiful, for a cruel world like the one they were living in now. The birds began to wake up, chirping to each other across the yard, arguing about who got the best spots for breakfast. She smiled, but it was subdued. It seemed unfair, in a way, that the world just kept on turning when everything about it was falling apart at the edges. As if nothing had happened. As if no one had died.Yet, the sunrise was beautiful. The colors seemed exceptionally brilliant this morning, the star itself so bright that it hurt. The birdsong never sounded so harmonic, multiple voices working in perfect unison, the song of morning, the song of spring. It was almost all too wonderful, unjustly so. That brought tears to her eyes, and she wasn’t even quite sure why other than that it was too pretty for her to handle right now. She ground her face into AJ's shoulder, glad for something real, someone as agonized as she. At least she wasn’t alone in this. She brushed her lips against her boy's forehead and he stirred awake. "Clem?" he muttered."Hey, silly goose." Clem replied, "Ready to go back?"AJ smiled up at her in that bright, boisterous way of his that she so loved and adored, "Yeah."James had already arisen, putting his mask on and nodding. "Let's go."And, as they began to head home, she felt the brushing of his hand against her back, as if escorting her back home, thanking her for the time they shared.They weren't even at the school yet, but Clementine hoped she would see him again one day. Yes, she would like that very much.