Chapter 1

~Ellie's POV~

Joel and I walk through a forest that seems... Oddly familiar.

"This place seems familiar..." I say, looking around at the scenery.

"It does?" Joel asks, not looking at me.

"Yeah." I say. I spot a house up ahead, and then I remember where I am.

"Joel!" I say, tugging on his jacket.

"What?" he asks, looking at me and seeming a bit panicked.

"Look!" I say, pointing at the house, "It's the place where I doctored you, remember?"

Joel sighs.

"Ellie, don't scare me like that, I thought we were in danger." Joel says. I roll my eyes.

"Sorry." I say, "But, anyway, I had no idea we were so close to this place..."

"Yeah..." Joel says, although I'm not sure he's really interested, "Well, we ain't got time to mess around here, we've gotta keep movin'."

"Oh, c'mon, Joel, don't be such a crab-apple." I say with a playful smirk, poking his side with my elbow, "Can we go check it out? Please?"

Joel sighs and rolls his eyes again.

"Ugh... Fine, but just for a minute." Joel says. I grin and grab Joels arm, running with him over to the house. Joel pulls the garage door open just enough for me to get inside and I crawl in.

"Hurry up!" he says, struggling to keep the garage door open, "Find somethin' to prop it up!"

"I know, I know, I'm tryin'!" I say, looking around the garage. I push a toolbox over to the garage door, but I'm too late. Joel drops the door and it lands with a loud crash.

"Joel!" I shout, jumping back from being startled, "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine!" Joel says, sounding irritated.

"Can ya open it again?" I ask. Just as Joel's about to answer, I hear a painfully familiar noise outside. The infected.

"Shit..." I hear Joel say, and I hear his gun firing and the infected screeching.

"Joel?!" I yell.

"I'm fine!" he yells back, "Just get outta the house! There's probably more inside!"

"But-" I get interrupted.

"NOW!" Joel shouts, shooting another one of the infected. I take a few deep breaths, listening to the gunshots and screeching outside. I run up the steps in the garage to the door that leads inside, and it's locked.

"Fuck!" I shout, pounding my fist on the door, "Okay... You think you can get in my way? You're fucking wrong!"

I kick the door down and run inside the house. Everything's just as I remember it. Apparently nobody's entered here in a while. But I don't have time to look around at all. I have to save Joel. I have to. I run to the front door, but something's blocking it.

"Shit..." I mutter, "Ugh, fuck it!"

I kick the window next to the door, shattering glass everywhere. I cut my ankle a little, but I ignored the warm blood trickling down my foot and climbed out the window. Joel had shot all of the infected except for one, and that one was attacking him, trying to bite his neck.

"Joel!" I shout, running over. The zombie sees me and runs over to me, tackling me. I try to fight it off. No, it can't end like this, it WON'T end like this!

"Ellie!" Joel yells, rushing over to me. He pulls off the zombie and trys to shiv it while I'm standing up. I hear him shout in pain, and then the zombie screechs in pain, and dies. I rush over to Joel.

"Whew... I guess that's all of 'em, huh, Joel?" I say, looking over at Joel. He looks scared and sad at the same time. The same look Riley had when... We got bitten. No, no, no, he couldn't have gotten bitten, he couldn't have!

"J-Joel?" I ask, "W-what is it?"

Joel looks at me, a weak look in his eyes. I look at his arm. There's a tear in his jacket sleeve, and there's a bite on his arm. My breathing quickens, and my heart drops. This can't be happening. This CAN'T be happening!

"N-no... N-no..." is all I can manage to say, my voice choking up.

"Ellie." Joel says, grabbing my shoulders, "You have to shoot me."

"NO." I say, pulling away, "I'm NOT shooting you, Joel! I'd rather DIE than shoot you! You'll be fine, you will be! I can't lose you! Y-you're... You're the only one I have left, please don't die!"

I wrap my arms around him and sob heavily. I don't care if I'm crying. I don't care.

"Ellie..." Joel says, "Don't cry, okay? It's only making this harder."

"I DON'T CARE!" I shout, "I don't fucking care!"

Joel holds me close to him, and I don't let go of him. I can't lose him. I won't lose him. He's my dad, I can't lose him.

"Baby girl... Please..." Joel says, "I can't turn into one of those fucking things... I'll be better off."

"M-maybe you're immune like me?" I ask. I know it's unlikely, but it's worth asking. Joel shakes his head.

"No, Ellie, I'm not." Joel says, "Please... I can't turn into one of those things, I CAN'T."

Joel grabs my shoulders and pushes me away just enough so that he can look into my eyes.

"Ellie, you're strong, you can do this." Joel says, picking his gun up off of the ground and handing it to me. This isn't happening. This can't be happening.

"You have to do it." I think to myself, "Do it for Joel. Save him."

"O-okay." I say, clenching my teeth and taking the gun. My hand is trembling. I used to feel strong holding a gun, now I feel weak.

"Joel?" I ask, tears pouring down my cheeks, "I-I love you, Joel... You're like a father to me, and... I can never thank you enough."

Joel nods, shutting his eyes tightly to keep from crying. He embraces me and then lets go. I load the gun and point it at him, my hand trembling still.

"Good-bye, Ellie." Joel says, "I love you, baby girl."

"I-I love you too, Dad..." I say with a sob. I shut my eyes tightly, and my finger squeezes the trigger. The gun fires, and I hear Joel's body hit the ground. I don't want to see it, but I open my eyes. Joel's motionless body is lying on the ground in front of me. I scream and embrace his body, sobbing heavily. He's gone. Joel, the last person I had left, the last person who I loved like family, is gone.