So it has been bugging me that I have yet to see anything of Riley and Ellie's adventure the night they were bitten so I decided to write my own. Also, I know this chapter is kinda short and brief but it gets better... At least I think it does.
Also the idea wouldn't leave for the life of me.
Anyways, here it goes. Hope you enjoy.
I may continue this; not sure yet.
I do not own anything form "The Last of Us." That brilliance belongs to Naughty Dog.
It was just like any other night that they would sneak off the zone and outside of tall walls that blocked them off from whatever was left of the world. It would always start out the same way; she would hear three quick quiet knocks on her door and the shuffling of feet running away from the door. She opened her emerald eyes instantly as she moved into routine. She would pull back her auburn hair into a tight ponytail, put on her dark green jacket and slip out of her room without a sound. As she tip toed to the end of the hall, she would see her caramel colored best friend looking around bored as if she was taking too long. When she would see her finally arrive, she would only smirk and motion her to follow. They would sneak past the bright search lights and guards, while avoiding the dogs from picking up their scents. They tried to make as little noise as possible from their sneakers as they ran through back alleys and climbed over buildings. When they reached the edge of the safety net that enclosed them from the things outside, one would climb up the fence and help the other to the top. As always they looked over the little community because there was always that chance that they were never going to come back.
"You ready to go?" was all her friend asked.
"Yeah; hurry up before someone sees us."
They both jumped down from the gate with a loud cling and ran off into the darkness. It wasn't until the searchlights looked like tiny blinking fireflies, did they switch on their flashlights and walk through the ruins of the old city. They had been doing this for almost two months now and they had gone through almost every run down building that looked interesting enough to check out. There were some guards posted at different areas, but they always found a hole small enough to slide through without being noticed.
"So Riley, what's on your list today?" Ellie finally asked when they reached the halfway point between the Quarantine Zone and the remains of the city.
"Hm, I'm not sure; I feel extra adventurous tonight…" Riley stroked her chin as she looked up at the night sky.
"I got it," she snapped her fingers and smiled, "let's go check out that mall west of here!"
"Are you fucking crazy?! That place is strictly off limits; it's most guarded area in the city!" Ellie immediately shook her head.
"If you're going to become a chickenshit about it, then go home."
"I'm not a chickenshit." Ellie defended herself as she pushed her.
"Well then prove it. Let's go."
Riley walked ahead with her flashlight pointed down on the broken asphalt with Ellie following behind, rolling her eyes and cursing under her breath. They walked in silence as they passed through the rows of rotting cars and debris made from discarded clothes, boxes, and bodies of both Infected and civilian. Nature began to put its grip around most of the city as tall grass cracked through the roads and pavements. Cars had started to grow moss on the roofs and engines were showing signs of rust and decay. It was the only world they had ever known. Anything before that time was seen through old photographs people saved from when the outbreak first struck. It looked like something out of a fantasy book to them. Ellie kept her eyes straight forward when they passed by the rows of dead bodies that lay across the grounds. Some were covered over with dirty blankets or old jackets. She walked closer behind Riley, who didn't give it a second thought. When they reached a couple hundred feet from their destination, they switched off their flashlights and let their eyes adjust to the darkness as they navigated through the trees surrounding it. There guards posted around every corner of the perimeter and looked about with half alert movements.
"They must be the graveyard shift; come on, we need to hurry before they rotate." Riley looked behind her while lowering the hood to see her friends face better.
"Ok; lead the way." Ellie smirked.
"Now that's more like it." Riley winked and took off first.
They clung to the heavy darkness as a security blanket until Riley found a narrow blind spot and sprinted until she saw a small opening within the wall and slid into it. Ellie waited behind a thick bush as she waited for her to give some sort of signal that it was safe. As the guard turned to the opposite direction, she saw a dark hand pop out and motion forward. Ellie mimicked her movements and slid into the small hole just as Riley had. Once they were inside, they searched for something to block the hole, which ended up being a big wooden box that was light enough to move without making too much noise. They navigated in the darkness for a while, with their hands on the crumbled walls to give some sort of direction. When they saw the first sign of the moon shining through, they crawled towards it and crawled out the small hole that opened up to a big sqaure with many shops that were either caved in or barely standing. They both stood in amazement as they looked around the area. The roof had crumbled in some areas and there were a lot of little shops and different types of stairs that connected the two floors together. It was eerily quiet except for the muffled talking of soldiers and the chirping of crickets.
"Where do we even start?" Ellie asked.
Riley closed her eyes and pointed in a random direction.
"This way." She ordered when she opened her eyes.
Riley ran off quickly with Ellie trying to keep with her excited friend. If only they had paid attention to the amount of Runners that were lurking about, maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they did.
But everything happens for a reason.