Clicks woke up in a bed in what seems like a very familiar place. He half expected to see either Sabrina or Jeb come and try to wake him for sleeping in. He knew that Ethel would come by to check on him or get Dr. Murphy to come in and say his famous line “Wakey Wakey you Eggs and Bakey.”

Chuckling to himself he got up slowly still a bit stiff after not using his muscles for a few hours. This was something he would need to watch out for, he can’t be too stiff for these missions but he also can’t force himself to not sleep. Especially when the feeling on wanting to sleep but never do was frustrating.

Looking around briefly he wondered why it was so empty in the room aside from the odd mountain of candy and chocolate. He took a few minutes to stretch out his limbs to be mobile and ate a few of the candy and chocolate now that no one was here to stop him. He picked up his voice recorder and clicks it on hoping to hear chatter from them in this quiet place.

What he heard instead was voice recordings from the group, new ones.

“...On? We found another working one! You remember me it’s Sabrina! The most prettiest girl you will ever meet! Anyways, just wanted to say that we miss you Clicks. We’re doing well without you of course but the Migration is about to hit. At least from the Locals that tell us, so glad we listened to you as you talk to yourself. Otherwise we wouldn’t have known. Anyways, Jeb is an annoying little shit, mom worries about you, dad wants Jeb to be like you. And your pretty princess is wonderful! -Giggles- I’m sorry, I’m actually bored without you here. You always seem to keep everyone alive no matter who they are. By that I mean, happy. It’s just a little dull aside from a few run ins with some Dead Walkers but nothing we can’t handle. Watching you do things was how we learned to try and stay alive out there. But in here we kind of fizzle out. Not sure how you can be so energetic after all that running. Maybe all the candy? By the way, we stored all the candy and chocolates in your room. We snuck a few but it just doesn’t feel the same if you aren’t giving it to us yourself. I- it just felt more special when you did. -Ahem- Anyways, we’re doing fine, I’m about to head out it’s morning and the bells going to go off soon so I need to- yeah. Lov-e Sabrina!”

Chuckling to himself he wasn’t expecting the next part.

“FUCK it! I love you Clicks! Bye!”

“How aggressive.”

“You two gonna kiss?” Startled he wasn’t expecting Rover to be there.

“Didn’t you promise to kiss Dr. Michele?”

“I made no such promise.”

“I can get the voice recording of that promise, it’s on my phone.”

“... when we get back...” Laughing at Rover’s crumbling wall he was reminded of what had happened.

“Right, Curtz would be glad to know that I won’t be wanting to leave anytime soon. His plan might have worked out if this was what he wanted.”

“It’s not fair, I’m sorry for what happened...”

“I wonder how it happened, they were so careful... I made sure that they were.”

“We’ll never know, I guess. We cleared out the room and packed most of your sweets in the truck. Whenever you want to go, Sport.”

Nodding, Rover left him to his thoughts and he played the next recording.

“Alright listen here! It was two to one and the winners was determined by the stars themselves! Team Clicks verses Team Silence!” Jeb’s voice rose as if announcing a real team, “Team Clicks is in the lead with Sabrina as the Captain. The beautiful captain by Clicks’ standard hits the ball! Team Silence has made a come back and tied the game! Boo-ya! Can Clicks self proclaimed girlfriend win this for the man of her dreams? I think she can! She’s faking right! Left! She kicks and!!! SHE did it Sabrina! The Wife of Clicks has won! -crackle- oh shoot! Team Clicks has won! Sabrina! A word! How does it feel to win in the name of your boyfriends name!”

“Shut up! You’re such a looser! -clack-”

“I’m telling mom!”

“Dad! He’s doing it again!”

He sat there chuckling, it did sound like Jeb alright. Even though he was older than the boy he and his sister were about the same age. He wondered if he didn’t put so much effort into the warehouse would it have worked out?

Well it doesn’t really matter now.

All that’s left of her is her voice.

He was both happy that she thought of him and how much he liked hearing other people talk and sad that this might be the only thing that is left of them. Everyone on these recordings is... dead.

“Clicks, my son. Things aren’t the same since you left, I know you’ll be back. Sabrina found the voice recorder and we’ve just been stock holding the SD cards, batteries, your candy and chocolate. We know you won’t mind if we take a few here and there, but it just doesn’t feel right when it’s not you physically giving us these rare treats. I’m free to rat on my children since they are now asleep. Jebediah thinks of you as a little brother. He misses you dearly, that he’s often taking your bell suit and sleeping with it. Sabrina, she always looked up to you -ting- that’s Jeb and your bells. Heheh, she’s looked up to you for so long that she might have a crush on you Clicks. Ethel and I, you became our son the moment you took us in, maybe even when we first saw you when you lead those Dead Walkers away. You saved us. I can only hope that we saved you in someway. Don’t mourn, Son. Be happy for the lives you saved. Is what my father would say when I’m feeling down or out of place. It’s strange not having you here, Hearing you blast your damn music and skidding along the floor, heh, having Sabrina and Jebediah join you in making a ruckus. -silence- I’m proud of you Son, I’m proud of what you did and who you are. Never lose that light, we’ll be here when you get back.”

They were there, just not how he expected to see them. If he had a father, would he have said those same words? He doesn’t even know what happened to his parents, all he knew was his aunt and brother. He knew he was missing something in life but he wasn’t expecting it to be something as simple as this.

“Hiiii, Clicks you are the worst for ditching us like this and I my have had had many to drunk... -giggle- but I think your toes are cute -laughter- cute toes! Oh... shhh -giggles- doctor dad doesn’t know I found some of this. Oh -giggles- you can’t see -laughter- -clatter- wha -hiccup- what happened? How’d you get down there? Tryin’ to see my underwear? -giggles- whoa! -static- why -breathing- hello there handsome -giggles- -clatter- -giggles- whoa, are you... are you ok? You good? You ok?”

“Sabrina,” Dr. Murphy’s voice was heard.

“Oh shit, she got caught,” Clicks laughed and Sabrina also laughed saying the same thing.

“Sabri -hiccup- Sabrina isn’t home right now can I take a message? -giggles- -laughter-”

“Clicks probably would have encouraged this behavior. Shame on both of you, drinking at a time like this is unacceptable, and you! How could you let her do this? Don’t tell me you also drank, Clicks for goodness- your both grounded. Go to your rooms right now.”

“The voice recorder took my place, I guess that’s how they managed to cope with me gone causing trouble somewhere else.” Clicks held a hand near his heart, he wondered what he and Sabrina would get up to if he was there drinking with her. Granted he never had a sip in his life and this was probably a first for her as well.

He turned the device off and looked to his bells, thinking of how many times it was taken down and used as a security blanket. Getting up and doing a bit more stretching he put on the bells and walked out of the building. It was mostly empty, the truck would be by the exit of the town so he was free to wander and not run into anyone.

He walked to where he saw most of the Dead Walker and waited for the bell to sound. It rang and some poked out of the tree line but never left. Walking to the forest he turned on the music and started to gently get into rhythm. He started leading them around the forest at a slow pace taking them deeper into the forest.

Stopping his music once he was far enough away, he turned to them and seen them stand there.

“Your a rhino with toothpicks,” the Dead Walkers greeted.

“Hi, long time no see,” Clicks told them back, feeling relieved to be talking like them. “I got bit at the hospital and the doctor at the base made a cure of sorts. Bad news I’m part like you guys but good news I am also still human.”

“A cure, will it work on us?”

“No, it slows the infection down and slowly gets rid of it. It cleared up some of my scars and wounds but changed a few things as well.”

“It’s good to see you, we’re glad you came to see us even after what happened to your home. We tried to stop it but that man provoked us into harming him. Then he went back and we never saw them again. Sounds were heard from the place a few bells later.”