Heeeeeere is chapter 2, hope you'll like it, thanks for the follows and reviews, I really appreciate them.
Dani: Well, I knew that of course! ;P
Guest: Glad you like it C:
Alina: Thank you. I hope this chapter will answer your questions! C: And thank you very much for your encouragement, really liked to read it! :3
Low voices come to Joels ears, when he slowly opens his eyes, only to close them again quickly against the bright sunlight, which shines on his face.
With a grunt he roles to his right side, to avoid the blinding sunbeams, when the voices turn louder. He slowly opens his eyes, his view blurry, but it slowly clears.
He faces a nightstand, just a few inches away from his face, a lamp, a clock, a small bottle of pills and a newspaper are placed on the small wooden table.
He contracts his brows in confusion, that was the moment when he notices soft fabric on his skin.
Joel lifts his head, only to see him laying in a bed.
What the...
His eyes widen, when he takes a look around.
I'm in my old bedroom.
He thinks when he considers the familiar room. The TV was on, which causes the voices.
Please not these nightmares again, I thought they were gone!
He swings his legs over the edge of the bed, sitting now, he rubs his eyes.
After the outbreak, Joel had them every single night, always about this fatal night, in which he had to see his daughter die, no matter how hard he tried to save her, it always ended the same way.
His daughter liveless in his arms, her shirt soaked with blood, and her hands also covered with the red liveliquid. These nightmares shatters his strained nerves and he's sure they are the main cause for his grey hair.
But when he met Ellie and his fatherly feelings grew for her, his nighmares came less often eventuelly they just quitted.
Not that Ellie could ever replace Sarah, but he found a person to fight for, to care about, it is something to hold on to, in that destroyed world and she fills a part of the hole in his heart.
He stands up, walks around the bed and heads for the door, while looking around.
It's been a looong time since I was here hindermost.
Despite that fact and the other that this is a dream, it surprises him even more that he can remember his room so detailed.
There are his blue slippers on the floor, his green and white striped bedclothes,
a photo of him and Tommy on the other nightstand, the painting of horses on the wall right next to the door and at least the dent in that door, when he once ran into it.
All these things, has to be forgotten.
Strange... .
A ringing interrupts his thoughts and the babble of a woman from the TV fades into the background.
Joel winces and stops at the piercing, but familiar melodie of his cellphone.
Jesus, I'm near a heartattack!.
He turns his head to the direction of the ringing, it comes from the mountain of clothes on the stool in front of his bed.
He quickly rifles through the heap and eventually finds his cellphone.
The display tells him that it was Tommy, and his finger slips over the screen as he brings it up to his ear.
''Hello?''
''Joel?!''
''Yeah?''
''Thank god it's you! Listen something really crazy is going on!''
Joel can hear the desperate in his brother's voice, he can nearly feel how his brother is shaking at the other end of the phone.
''What are you talking about?''
''I'm talking about the fact, that I yesterday fell asleep next to my wife in Jackson and today I woke up, back in Austin in my old apartment! Something happened and I have no clue what, where are you anyway?''
Joel listens the whole time to him and now as his baby brother finishs, his brain begins to process what he heared.
So this is not a dream or what? But that isn't possible, there is no logic explanation! They just can't jump 21 years back into the past. That's just crazy.
''JOEL?!'' Tommy shouts from the other end of the phone, the third time now.
Joel, who comes back to reality, says calmly.
''Well I'm in my old house, I woke up a few minutes ago, but Tommy, this is just crazy, I'm dreaming and I'm sure I'll wake up any minute.''
''You WHAT...?! Joel listen, this ain't a dream! It's real, it's fucking REAL!And...''
But the brother can't end his sentence, when Joel hangs up and throws his cellphone back in the heap of clothes.
He drives one hand through his hair and sighs.
He let himself fall on the bed and closes his eyes.
It can't be true. If this is real, it means that Sarah...No!
I mustn't make me any hope, cause that means more pain afterward.
Pain which I can't handle again. I will wake up, and Ellie and I will arrive in Jackson, where my real brother waits for us.
Everything will be fine, I promised her.
This is just a dream Joel!
''I'll prove it!'' he whispers, while standing up.
His view slips to the window.
And I know how.
He nears the window and opens it.
A fresh cool brezze flys against his face and through his hair, he takes a deep breathe and faces the wide forest in front of his house and far away he can see silhouettes of high buildings.
His view drops to the ground, which is overgrown with gras and bushs.
Mhh, four or five meters.
Joel first swings his left leg over the windowsill, then he pulls the other leg up to join the left one.
''Daddy?''
He suddenly startles, his heart tights painfully at the high familiar voice of his daughter.
It makes him lose balance and he falls forwards from the windowsill, unable to hold onto something.
''DAD!?'' It comes surprised and scared from behind him.
It is like in slowmotion when everything drifts past and he slowly nears the ground. He closes his eyes.
Just a dream!
Joel hits the ground and everything turns dark.
He opens his eyes, his view blurry and with every wink, pain rushes through his head. He grunts and closes his eyes to avoid it, it doesn't work.
''Lucky bastard, the painkillers don't work yet, huh?''
A familiar deep voice asks, followed by light footsteps, which neares him. He feels a gentle grip around his neck, well as good as the neck brace allows . He opens his eyes again slowly, a blond head resting on his chest.
Sarah...
He quickly looks around, he is in a hospital room. There are two chairs, standing at the wall, on one is Tommy sitting, his arms folded in front of his chest, he gives Joel an impish grin.
''Daddy, I'm so glad you woke up, I..I.. was so sca..a..ared as I saw yo..o..ou lay there motionle..e..ess.'' Sarah whimpers, while crieing and tights her grip around Joels neck.
Joel just wraps his arms, one of them bandaged, around his daughter, who faces him now with her blue teary eyes. He pulls her closer and she buries her face in his shoulder, while he gently rubs her back.
''Shh, baby girl I'm right here and I'm fine, everything's gonna be fine.'' he whisperes softly in her ear.
''I love you Dad!'' His daughter mutters in his shoulder between sobs.
Joel looks to Tommy his eyes filled with tears of joy, which now stream down his cheeks. His baby brother gives him a warm knowing smile back.
''I love you too baby girl!'' he mutters and helds Sarah tighter.
It is true, they are back, back in their old life. Better, a world in which the infection hopefully will never exist. A world in which everthing is fine, where his baby girl is alive and in his arms.
And then the realisation hits him and his heart drops.
A world without Ellie... .
End of chapter 2, hope you liked it! Stay tuned!
your LSOTA
PS: Next chapter will be longer! CC:
