Hey guys, so this is it. The final chapter of Shaded In. I'm sorry it's been so long but I've been dealing with a crisis in my life.

I also want to apologize in advance for this chapter. It ended up differently then what I originally wanted. But someone severely broke my trust and hurt me and I could no longer bear to write my original plan. So I apologize. But I hope you guys like it anyway.

Warning: Based on a real-life experience.

I can hear the phone ring from my bedroom. I'm hoping it's Jackson because he hasn't come home yet and he's usually back by now. I can hear mom on the phone as I walk out into the living room.

"Hello. Yes, this is the Knight residence..."

I don't know who she's talking to, but it's sure not my brother if there asking for our last name. I watch as she continues to converse with the person on the phone. I can't hear what they're saying, but I'm scared when mom starts crying. I feel the younger version of my self take over as the grip on my stuffed animal plushie tightens. "M-mommy, w-whos on the phone?"

Her attention turns to me and I can see her try and wipe some tears from her eyes as she hangs up the phone, but I can see that they still continue to fall. She walks up to me and kneels down to my height. "Violet, honey...we-we need to talk."

. . .

"No! No, that's not true! Don't say that about him!"

"Violet, please..."

"No! Don't-don't talk about him!"

"Violet, wait!"

I don't listen and run into my bedroom. I slam the door shut behind me with my back against the wood. I slowly sink down to the floor as tears start to spill from my eyes. I bury my face in my arms as I cry. I don't want to accept that this is real, it can't be real. I just talked to him over the phone earlier.

But the next time I look up I'm no longer in my room.

Violet's eyes open and she's faced to the darkened room as she stares up at the barren ceiling. For a minute her mind reels and has to catch up to the fact that she's no longer in her room at home, but in a stranger's house in the middle of nowhere with people she's only just met a few weeks prior. It was a dream, but there was more to it than that. What had played in her head had once been a real-life experience and one that she didn't like to remember. Yet it was something that would never leave her for as long as she lived.

Loss was something they all dealt with now of days. The thought of life and death seemed so surreal now, yet it was the loss of someone from years ago that still haunted her in the waking presence of the apocalypse. But there was one person who seemed to make it worth bearing through, someone who understood and shared her pain. Someone, she found worth fighting for. And she was right here with her...

Violet suddenly felt how cold the bed was next to her and when she pushed herself up into a sitting position she realized that Clem was not with her. In fact, the brunette who had claimed her affection was nowhere in sight. Violet immediately went into worry mode. It wasn't like Clem to sleep peacefully through the night, but she usually woke Violet when she was going through something instead of walking off alone. It wasn't like her to ignore the comfort that came with having a girlfriend. Something the girl seemed to desperately rely on. What was surprising more was that Violet had not been woken upon the brunette's departure. She was a very light sleeper, which meant that Clem had deliberately snuck off while trying not to wake her.

This made Violet's skin crawl with worry. After the talk they had today and the recent events of Clem's disappearance, it sent chills up her spine and across her arms to know that Clem wandered off by herself. She noticed that the door had been left slightly ajar and it pricked her interest to go and investigate. Even if Clem wanted some time alone, she'd still rather check in on her real quick to make sure she wasn't hurt...or worse.

Vi glanced over at the sleeping form of AJ before easing her way out from under the blanket. She was careful not to let the bed or the floorboards creak under her weight as she made it to the door and gently clicked it shut behind her.

Out in the hall she glanced around in the dim moonlight to check her surroundings. The house seemed quiet and there didn't seem to be anyone present. Her first instinct was to check the front door to see if Clem had wandered outside for some fresh air, but the noise from down the hall caught her attention. Violet looked towards the end at the bathroom door noticing how it was shut. It was odd for it to be closed and she advanced towards it.

She gently hit her knuckles against the wooden door. "Clem? Are you in there? Is everything okay?"

She thought she heard a voice and pressed her ear to the door and a faint I'm sorry was heard. The voice sounded strained and raspy as if it took so much energy for those two little words to be said. But there was no mistaking that the voice belonged to her girlfriend. Then what she heard next made Violet's blood turn cold as the sound of a body hitting the floor sounded from the other side of the door.

"Clem? Clementine?!" Violet went for the doorknob, but it was locked. Clem had locked herself in the bathroom, but why? She jiggled it furiously when there was no response. "Clementine! Answer me! Clem?! Clementine!"

Clem lay staring up at the ceiling unable to sleep as the minutes ticked away. She turned over to face the wall that lay next to her. She tried to close her eyes and drift off but too many thoughts swam around in the shaded areas of her mind. Her heart rate sped up as she listened to the quiet breathing of her girlfriend behind her. She held on to each shallow breath as if each one would be the last and the blonde would be ripped away from her life at a seconds notice. Which in a world like this wasn't a long shot, for it was almost as common as breathing itself.

She tried to relax but the thundering of her heart was starting to be too much and her stomach churned at each thought that passed through her mind. Thoughts of the past couple of days filtered through and each corresponding event bothered her more and more. She shivered as the presence of being in a room with other people made her uncomfortable and caused her skin to crawl. It became too much to bear and Clem slowly eased herself up. She stared down at the blonde next to her and watched her sleep peacefully for a moment; the shallow inhales and exhales of her breath, steady and quiet. Not wanting to wake her after doing so, so many times before and not having a headboard to block her, she slipped off the front of the bed with ease.

She looked down at the blonde once more and pushed a couple of bangs away from her face then she leaned down to gently kiss her on the forehead. She was glad that Violet didn't even stir at her touch. She looked across the room at the little boy who still lay asleep as well. Then she walked over, careful not to make the floorboards creak, and repeated the same action. She let a slight smile come over her as he clutched his disco broccoli plushie closer to him in his sleep.

Clem slowly backed up and turned to make her way across the wooden floor once more to the door. She gripped the handle and slowly turned it till she felt it give way without making any noise. She pulled it open carefully and slipped through, but she left it slightly open knowing it might make noise if she attempted to close it. She looked to the stairs at the end of the hallway and her first instinct was to head outside for some fresh air to clear her mind. But as she walked down the corridor she had second thoughts as a memory resurfaced and made her way into the bathroom instead.

She wasn't sure what called to her to come here, but she felt unnerved by it and calmed at the same time from previous experiences. It was pretty dark, but the moonlight filtering in from the high window was enough to give the small room a slight glow as the light blue tiles were illuminated in the basking light. Clem looked into the mirror above the sink and examed herself. She ran a hand across the bandage that still clung to her head, a frown crossing her face as she felt the dried blood on it.

Why did she have to run away and make such a mess of things? Why had she done that to Violet? And what would have happened if that Charlie guy hadn't of rescued her? She had hurt Violet and AJ and Luke. And today she had been so distracted by her thoughts that she had almost run into a tree. What if she had been by herself and that had been a walker instead of a piece of wood? She was a danger to herself and the people around her. All she did was cause them trouble with her panic attacks and nightmares and depression, causing her to lash out in rash actions. What good was she to anyone like that?

What if Violet or Luke or even Louis got hurt when they went to find her. She would have never forgiven herself if Violet had gotten hurt trying to save her. Or worse what if she had hurt Violet herself. That was definitely not something she wanted to happen.

Clem looked at the bottom of the mirror and reached out. She pulled open the medicine cabinet behind it and stared up at the barren cupboard. Nothing but an almost empty tube of Neosporin a worn-out toothbrush and an old box of bandaids lay in there. Well, that... and what appeared to be a white bottle of pills on the top shelf.

She reached up and pulled the bottle and read the label across the top. "Abilify..." She looked at the dosage amount that said one forty-five milligram tablet once a day. Then she looked up at the door to her left. She walked over and shut it gently locking the handle behind her.

Clem walked back to the sink and pressed down on the bottle cap giving it a slight turn to unlock it. Inside were a handful of small, light green, rectangular pills. She looked back into the mirror. Did she really want to do this? But what would happen if she didn't? She was a danger to everyone around her. Just a mistake that they got stuck with. An unstable girl who did nothing but ruin everything for everyone else. It was better this way.

Without checking to see what they were for, she poured six of them in her hand leaving seven left in the bottle. She held them in her hand for a minute, one last debate running through her mind before she brought her hand to her mouth and swallowed them. The pills were small and tasteless and she was able to ingest them without any water. Clem set the bottle on the counter and looked back at herself in the mirror. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and her face was pale in the low light of the moon. She tried to calm her racing heart. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay. This is for the best."

Clementine leaned over the counter and closed her eyes just focusing on her breathing for a minute. She didn't feel any different, just a little uneasy like she had been. She stayed like that for a few minutes just trying to calm herself. It must have been ten minutes later when she finally chose to stand up, but she moved a little fast and her head spun. She stood up and felt dizzy. She backed up and her back hit the wall with a slight thud, catching her, giving her some sort of support to stand.

Her heart beat faster and she took a few deep breaths to try and calm down once more. With shaking hands, she reached out and gripped the edge of the bathroom sink. She used it to pull herself forward so she could stand upright again and steady herself. She didn't dare let go for fear she would lose her balance and fall over. Maybe this was a mistake. Why did she take those pills? Was this a mistake? Was this the right thing to do?

Questions raced through her mind all the while her sense of reality became fuzzier and fuzzier. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, but a barley auditable noise reached her. It sounded like a knock. She looked at the door with bleary eyes. It was hard to focus with her head spinning, but she thought she could hear the sound of Violet's voice. It took all of her strength to stay upright and she was barely able to get out her name. "Vi-Violet..."

Clem could tell she was losing the battle against the medication and she felt her grip on the counter slipping. She staggered and the last thing she was able to get out was a faint, "I'm sorry..."

She let go and her world spun. Her sense of balance let out on her and she fell back. Her body fell to the ground and her head hit the side of the bathtub that was behind her before she sank onto the tiled floor. Her eyes closed and her world went black.

Violet's heart thundered in her chest. It felt like a hummingbird's wings beating a mile a minute and it felt hard to keep her heart out of her throat. "Clementine, open this door! Clem!"

Violet's panicked cries started to wake the other residents in the house and she heard the sound of deep footsteps thunder across the wooden floor from the other room. A second later Luke flung open his door and ran down the hall towards her. "Violet, what's wrong?! Where's Clem?!"

Violet was in panic mode now and tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she struggled to get the words out and explain to Luke. "She locked herself in the bathroom an-and won't respond. We have to get her out! I-I think somethings wrong!" She choked out.

Luke didn't say anything and instead Violet watched him run back to his bedroom. Presumably to grab something to help get the door open. At least that's what she hoped he was doing.

As soon as he left another door opened and Louis stepped into the hallway. "Vi?" He looked to her and watched as a single tear streaked down her face, illuminated by the pale light of the moon. "Vi, what's going on?" His voice low and serious for once as concern for his friend showed through his voice and on his face.

Violet stared up at him with teary eyes. She glanced to his left and could see Tenn standing just behind him looking nervous and worried for the girl he looked up to as a big sister, just like AJ did to Clem. She looked back at Louis and opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She closed it defeated and lowered her head as tears started to fall. And before she knew it she was wrapped in Louis's arms in a tight hug.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. Whatever it is, it's gonna be okay." The taller boy reassured her. Violet didn't respond and just hugged him tighter, resting her head against his shoulder.

Just then Luke came back and she could see that he carried a metal crowbar in his hands. As he rushed to the bathroom door Louis released her and asked the same question that Violet had not been able to answer a minute prior. "Something's wrong with Clem. She's locked inside." Luke responded right before he thrust the end of the crowbar between the door and the wall right above where the handle was. The wood door let out a groan at the force but didn't budge. Luke took it out and thrust it back in with greater force. "Louis give me a hand!" He ordered as he pushed against the bar. Louis wasted no time as he joined the older man and together they tried to pry the door open.

The door groaned under the pressure and a cracking sound was heard as the wood split up the door. Splinters flew from the doorway as the wood finally gave way and the two guys pried the door apart. The lock broke and the door popped open, swinging on its hinges as it was released from the locks steal grip.

Violet wasted no time and thrust her way through as the dust cleared. She found Clem lying on the floor once she broke through. "Clementine!" The girl was still and unresponsive. Violet knelt on the floor and pulled the motionless girl into her lap as tears started to spill from the blonde's eyes. Her green eyes glistened in the moonlight like pools of ivy. "Clementine, please..." Violet choked out. She pulled her in to feel her heartbeat. "Please don't leave me."

Luke walked over and knelt down next to her. he pressed two fingers gently to the base of Clem's neck to feel her pulse. He let out a sigh of relief. "It's okay Violet. She's alive. Clem's alive."

Then he looked up at the counter. Standing up he grabbed a bottle that lay there and read the label. "Abilify..." Then he looked down at the unconscious girl. "Oh, Clem..." He whispered to himself, heartbroken at the thought of the girl giving up.

Then he signaled for Louis to join him. "Louis quickly, help me flip her."

"W-what are you doing to her?" Violet asked panicked as she clutched the younger girl closer.

"We have to make her throw up Vi. Clem's overdosed on these pills. We gotta get it outta her system as soon as possible." He explained.

Violet nodded and let them take her. Luke flipped the girl onto her stomach with the help of Louis and hoped to god that he could activate her gag reflex before it was too late. Luckily after a few tries, Luke heard the girl choke and her stomach lurched. Clem gaged and a moment later the contents of her stomach emptied out onto the floor. But Luke made sure to hold her up in her unconscious state while she vomited to prevent her from choking.

Clem groaned in her sleep but lay still after that without another sound and her body went limp in Luke's arms again. He picked the girl up and stood back up.

"What now?" Violet asked worriedly.

Luke sighed. "Now all we can do is wait and hope she wakes up." He explained as he walked out of the bathroom with the brunette cradled in his arms, heading downstairs.

That's when a small creak was heard and the three remaining kids turned to see a worried-looking five-year-old standing in the hallway. "What's going on?" Asked a shy AJ as he saw the sad state Violet was in, the streaks of tears glistening down her face.

The two teens looked at each other before Louis spoke up. "Don't worry, I've got this one. " He said as he walked over and started to shuffle AJ back inside the bedroom with Tenn on his heels.

Luke took Clem away and set her on the coffee table once more. He'd gone back upstairs to help Louis with a distraught AJ. But Violet stayed downstairs not wanting to leave the brunette's side. She paced back and forth as she lay still. Her eyes constantly shifting from the floor to the girl. Her heart frantic for the motionless girl to wake up or to even show any sign of life besides the shallow breathing and slight rise and fall of her chest that signaled that she was still alive.

Violet's frantic pacing continued for about ten minutes before she couldn't take it anymore. She sat down and pulled Clem in to feel her heartbeat, resting her head on her lap. Violet was so scared that she'd feel her pulse drop and that everything would be over. She bent over and rested her head against the brunettes'. "Can you hear me screaming please don't leave me?"

"Loving and fighting. Accusing, denying. I can't imagine a world with you gone. The joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of. I'd be so lost if you left me alone." Violet said to her as tears slid down her face. The night was a long endless highway, With Clem silent beside her. Like having a nightmare she can't escape from. Helplessly praying, the light that keeps fading. Hiding the shock and the chill in her bones.

Violet couldn't help it anymore as tears flooded her eyes like the salty spray of ocean waves. She begged and prayed that she wouldn't lose Clem tonight. "I don't want to let go. I know I'm not that strong. I need you, Clem. I can't do this without you. Please...please don't leave me. I...I need you."

She brushed back a strand of Clem's curls and pushed them behind her ear before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Hold on I still want you. Come back I still need you. I want to take your hand and hold you tight. I want to make it right Clem. I swear I'll love you all my life. Just come back I still need you." Violet whispered to her, her vision blurry from the tears the littered her eyes, like endless stars in an ivy pool.

Violet grasped Clem's hand but what she felt frightened her. Clem's pulse was dangerously low. "Clem? Clem! Clementine!" Tears poured from Violet's eyes and dripped down her face only to splash on the table below. "Clementine don't leave me!"

Violet felt her pulse get slower and slower until it was so light that she could barely feel it. Clementine was out of her hands now, there was nothing Violet could do but pray and wait. Not knowing whether or not the girl of her dreams would make it or not. For Clem's world was no longer black or white, now her fate was a little more Shaded In.

We're finally done! Yay!

Again, I'm sorry that it ended like this. It was never supposed to and I apologize for the sad ending. But thanks for enduring this journey with me and I hope you all loved the story.

Secret Life of Writing Out! :)