-*-What She Lost-*-

Ellie still remembers how quick it happened. The events that led to the untimely death of her fatherly figure, Joel. She can never forget the sadness that she felt that day.

* * * * * * *

It started as a normal day, Ellie was walking next to Joel as they looked about the town they chose to look around, she looked up at him as he was slightly taller than her. But not by much. "So, where are we going?" Ellie asked, looking as they passed building after building, each building covered in dark green moss and fungus.
Joel looked down, unsure, but none of those houses looked like stores, just houses and business buildings. "Back to Tommy and Maria's home," he finally broke the silence that Ellie wanted to break. She nodded and slowly followed him careful of her steps, who knows if anyone set traps for her. "We best get there before dark." Joel said, slightly flat and raspy.
After many more hours of walking, they found themselves back to Tommy and Maria's place. Joel hit the door with the butt of the gun awaiting for a response.

Nothing . . .

"Hey, Tommy!" shouted Joel, soon realizing there was no sniper or armed man on the wall. "Tommy!?"
The door then opened slowly, to a gory sight, if Ellie was younger, she would have had her eyes covered by Joel, but she was in fact fourteen so, it wasn't too bad. A scared look plastered Joel's face as he saw his brother's limp body hanging from the neck, and from the looks of it, he was there for a while. Next to him was a bloody Maria, hooks hanging her from her arms and a hook piercing her throat. By now, she was pale from loss of blood, and limp.
Without a moment's warning, Joel was hit in the back of his head, causing him to fall. A middle aged man grabbed Ellie's arm and laughed. "Looks like these two were curious!" he shouted, his skin was dark and his teeth crooked, his breath horrid and his hands squeezing at Ellie's arm until it turned red.
"Let go!" Ellie shouted as she tried and tried again to get out of his grip, but to no avail. The man only tightened his grip and laughed at her squirms. "Let go!"
He hit her in the back of the head. "Be quiet!" he hissed at her as he pushed her to a wall. "We're going to kill your friend over there," he pointed to Joel. "And you've got a front row seat," he laughed evilly and yanked her to force her to watch.

In that moment, Ellie's innocence was forever gone, more so then it was before. "No! Please!" she yelled and cried. Once again, getting smacked in the back of her head by the older man.
"Be quiet, kid," he said nodding to the man holding a gun to Joel's head. "Do it." Two men held him to the ground with their feet.
The man lined up a shot and smirked and Ellie shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the action soon to come. But, the man quickly noticed and grabbed her eyelids and forced her to watch. "Aww, you don't like this?" he cackled and smirked as blood splattered all over her and the ground as a loud shot was heard.
That was it, her innocence lost further than it was, she didn't even know she had innocence to lose, but apparently, she did. With a cackle of the older man, he tossed her to the ground and placed a foot on her chest. Smirking, he pulled out a gun and lined up a shot. "Don't worry kid, it'll be over soon," he said, as if he was tucking her in bed. "Nighty night."
Ellie closed her eyes, ready for what fate had, a shot was heard, but she felt no pain. Curiosity struck her and she opened her eyes, only to be greeted by the man, holding the gun in a limp hand. It's then Ellie realized that he had a bullet hole to his chest. The two formerly holding Joel to the ground went to investigate where the gun shot came from. The man fell to the ground limply with an evil smile as his last expression.
Ellie stared at him, shocked by the sudden death. But, she didn't know who to thank. She then heard two more gunshots fire then a younger man no older than sixteen walks out. Blood covering his shirt, jacket, and his pants. "Oh my fucking God . . ." she said, under her breath.
The man shook his head and walked to her and pushed off the limp body and extended his hand. "I'm Levi," he said with a small smile. Ellie was hesitant at first to take his hand, but later did. "You okay?" he asked, but soon saw tears roll down her face. He hugged her and smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him," he said to Ellie. "I'll protect you . . ."

* * * * * * *

Ellie looks down and sighs. And so he did, he protected her with his life much like Joel did, with rules escalated to distant memories many of life's wrong doings could have been erased. Ellie sighs and let a tear fall. He was taken away from her too soon. Only leaving behind memories and the shattered remains of what she loved so dear of him.
But at the same time, she isn't even sure why she loved him, was it his attitude, happier than many others she's seen. Was it his smile that could light up a room? She couldn't tell and even to this day as she walks without a place to go with her two teenage boys both twelve and already holding knowledge of how to fire a bow and arrow. Something most boys learn in two more years or so. She learned when she was fourteen. When Joel was unconscious, she taught herself how to fire a bow and arrow.
A twinge of sadness pokes its way back to her.

* * * * * * *

Ellie was walking next to Levi. It's been so long since they met, Levi's now nineteen and Ellie's sixteen. A smile was on his face, he tends to hold either a fake or real smile to try and keep Ellie's sprits up. Since she was still silently mourning the loss of Joel. "It helps to talk you know, Ellie," Levi said, he always tried to make her talk about Joel, but she never has since he died. "It helps a lot."
She shook her head. "No . . ." she said, shaking her head, not wanting to talk about it. "It doesn't."
Levi didn't press on the matter further, but rather looked at her. "Three years different," he said, in a mutter as he wrapped his arm around her and smiled faintly. "Ellie . . ." he looked at her, stopping her before blushing and kissing her, for a moment.
Ellie blinked, confused, her second kiss. "L-L-" she stammered and couldn't form words. Without a warning she kissed him back and looked into his eyes looking down. "I-I'm not experienced at kissing . . ." she said, frowning blushing.
"You can practice," he smiled sweetly and kissed her cheek. "And I have something come your eighteenth birthday."

* * * * * * * *

Ellie cries softly into her hands at the mere thought of her lover dead in the ground well, worse. He had never told her, but just before the twins were born, he was taken over by the virus still running strong in the world. She heard the door open and saw her sons, Levi and Joel standing in the door way, looking at her. "Is everything okay?" asks Levi, which made Ellie wipe away her tears and smile. Levi was the leader when it came to her not being around. He was smart, cunning, and a natural-born leader. While Joel is the warrior of the two.
Ellie hugs the two boys and nods, letting a few tears roll down her eyes. "I'm fine."