Me and Joel are together for 6 years.
He's a good man. Loyal, good, but sometimes very stubborn.
He went through lots of pain in his life. If you met him, you would probably hate him at first, but if you only knew what terrible thing he had to witness before this whole disease came here and took over...
He would be so angry with me for telling you, but I wanted to share this memory with someone for a very long time...
I know I haven't much time before I become one of those things so... Our first meeting wasn't very happy or very friendly.
I met him when I tried to break into his house and steal some food.
I was hungry. I had no choice.
His apartment was on the third floor of a very old looking building.
I picked the lock while trying to keep calm. Although I broke into so many places...
Too many. I can't even count them. I still find it hard every time anew.
When I heard that good old snap sound from the door, my heart started beating with excitement.
I gently pushed the door to open it.
It gave a very loud cracking sound.
'Damn it!' I tried to open that door even slower then I did.
At last when the door was wide open, I started to look in the house for food or something useful...
I tripped over something on the floor. "Fuck" I gave an angry groan and tried to get up on my feet.
It was a bottle of vodka. I picked it up and looked at that liquid inside it. 'looks pretty good.' I put it on the table and then went to the fridge to see if I can find something.
"Sarah... Sarah..." someone wept.
This house is NOT empty! I broke into someone's apartment while he's still there!
"Oh shit shit shit..." I angrily whispered as I ran to hide in a nearby cabinet. He got closer.
I could hear his footsteps coming closer and closer. I tried to peek through the cabinet's doors.
I could see an old looking man. He didn't seem too strong. He was sitting there and weeping while tempering with his old watch.
"Sarah... Sarah..." he kept saying. I tried to pull the gun out of my pants. Maybe I can just kill him while he's crying over that girl.
I loaded the gun and tried to aim at his head.
"Hey you!" he said "I know you're in here somewhere. If you want to kill me, why don't you just face me like a man?"
He knows I'm there!
I got out of that cabinet and slowly approached the old man.
"Very brave of you to ask your killer to look in your eyes." I said, trying to aim at him with my shaky arm.
"Very brave of you to try and kill me when I can't see you, bitch." he said and lunged at me with another gun.
He caught me by surprise.
Before I could even act, he pinned me to the wall. His right hand holds my gun above my head, and his left hand points the gun to my head.
"Thieves like you... I can't stand." said he and stretched his right arm that held my gun and managed to take it from me.
Now there are two guns pointed at me. One was mine not too long ago, and the other one is small and rusty.
"Well, if you want to kill me, do it!" I yelled at him. Sounds of spine cracking filled the room. "Why did you have to yell at me, bitch?! Now there are clickers in my house!" he shouted and threw me to the floor.
"You are screaming too, you prick!" I angrily whispered.
He tossed my gun to me "You know how to use this?"
"Asshole!" I raged.
He gave a smirk then some clickers and a few runners ran inside that small room.
He was a good shot! His pistol never missed the head! I kept shooting some runners.
They overwhelmed me. I managed to kill two but then one of them pinned me to the ground.
It tried to bite my neck.
I tried to push him away as much as I can.
That damned runner was strong!
Then, when I thought I will soon get bit, the sound of a small pistol sliced through the air and shot this runner.
This man. He saved me.
But why? I got up and kicked the head of a clicker on the ground.
"Thanks for that, old man." I tried to say while still panting.
This whole fight was very intense...
The man said nothing.
He looked at his watch.
A clicker's tooth was stuck in the glass.
He pulled it out, causing the glass around it to completely shutter.
"It wasn't very new anyway." I said impatiently. He looked at me.
He wasn't angry.
He was sad. "H.. Hey? What's up? What's about this thing?"
"A very long story..." he sighed.
"I have time mister...?"
"Joel! My name is Joel..."
"Okay Joel, what's your story? I guess you cared for this Sarah. What was she? Your sister? Wife...?"
"She was my daughter..." he said as a little tear came down his cheek.
This is serious.
I had to stay calm and not talk like a moron.
It was hard for him to talk about it, but I had to know why that watch reminded him of his daughter.
"So... Where is she?" I asked.
"She's dead for 14 years." he said.
Oh man... I didn't want to get him in his weak spot... "Sorry... I didn't want to remind you such a thing.."
"She broke her leg, so I had to carry her to safety. Infected were chasing us up to a point when we met an army soldier. He shot her." said Joel.
"Why are you telling me?" I asked.
"I wanted to tell someone for a long time... She gave it to me as a gift. And now it's broken..." he said and tried to collect the broken glass from the floor.
Poor guy... I thought he's a good man, so I asked him if he wants to join my group.
He thought really hard about it, then said yes with a very audible sigh.
Since then we are together. And now, that I asked him to leave with Ellie, it was hard for him. Can't blame this old fellow.
But as he saved me, now I will save him.
Be safe, Joel...
Take Ellie to the Fireflies and help us all...