Another update for you. Please let me know how you like it. :)
When Ellie next opens her eyes, it's to see that the oil lamp had finally thrown in the towel and sputtered out. Despite the planks shielding every window in the apartment, sunlight still managed to find its way inside and light the main room with a gentle golden glow. She blinks green eyes before opening her mouth in a jaw cracking yawn, and she shakes her head a little afterward to clear the last vestiges of sleep from her mind.
Surprisingly, she felt refreshed, it was as if last night had never happened, and she had slept right through with no interruptions. As if she hadn't dreamt of Joel trying to tear her throat out with his blooded and sharp teeth…
Speaking of Joel, Ellie wheezed as the air was all but squeezed from her lungs by the tree trunks masquerading as arms that were firmly circled around her waist. Sometime during the night, Joel had rolled over onto his side, taking her with him and using her as some oversized teddy bear. Both of his arms had found their way under and around her middle, holding her securely to Joel's chest while a leg had stuck itself between her calves to dangle off the side of the sofa. Warm breath tickled the hairs on the back of her neck, and Ellie giggled.
"Joel." She started, reaching around to poke the larger survivor in the ribs. Joel snuffled in his sleep, squeezing her a little tighter to his chest and rubbing his nose into her hair. Ellie wasn't overly concerned, Joel had a tendency to grab the nearest thing to his person and snuggle it. Usually, it was Mrs. Joel, and Ellie sometimes worried he might stab himself in the face with the sharp and pointy bits hammered into the bats top. She snorted and reached around to poke him again. This time she got a snort and a grumble. "Joel." She tried once more, but by god when he felt safe enough Joel could sleep like the dead. "Joel!" She yelped as she was suddenly hoisted backwards as the man flopped over onto his back, carting her along with him like some kind of favourite blanky. "Argh." She sighs loudly, slumping against the man's front in defeat.
A sudden click had her stiffening, and Ellie remained as still as she could against Joel's chest as she strained her ears. Another click shortly followed the first, and dread pooled in her belly as it was followed by several other clicks, until it was almost a never ending series of clicks and light cooing. She looked to the boarded up windows, and the sunlight that streamed in over the tops of the planks shifted as something moved around behind them, blocking the sun in places. Forgoing gentle, Ellie reached around to lightly rest her hand atop Joel's slightly parted mouth, before using her free arm to elbow him square in the stomach. He oofed loudly, but the noise was muffled as she quickly clamped the hand resting against his mouth tighter, and Joel woke up almost instantly at the restrictive motion. He almost dislodged her from his chest as he sat up in a rush, but he must have understood the need for silence even half asleep still, because not a sound left his mouth when her hand fell away.
Ellie shuffled around in his lap where she had landed and put a finger to her lips while pointing to the window with her other hand. Joel squinted at her for a moment before turning his gaze to the window, where the sunlight shifted again as a series of slow, unconcerned clicks sounded. His eyes widened.
"Shit." He cursed quietly under his breath, gently shifting Ellie off of his lap and onto the sofa as he swung his legs over the side of the sofa, where he leaned down to pick up none other than Mrs Joel. He made a 'stay put' motion with his free hand as he stood, and Ellie scowled, shooting him her best 'duh' look. Joel didn't even grace the look with an eye roll, he went back to easing one foot in front of the other as he approached the window, silent as a ghost. Ellie watched, hand going to grab up the cushion Joel had used as a pillow last night, clutching it to her chest.
Joel stepped up to the window, Mrs Joel held firmly by his side as he ducked slightly to peer between a gap in the boards. Movement just to the side of the window caught his gaze, and he glared at the creature loitering on the doorstep, wholly oblivious to their presence as it clicked away to itself, the infectious plating that was its face peering blindly off into the distance. More movement, and Joel switched his gaze to the yard, where another Clicker wondered aimlessly, occasionally swiping at the air as a cricket chirped nearby. A Stalker sat hunched over under the apple tree that was planted near a small shed off further to the side, and Joel scowled at it. If there was one, there were more lurking around somewhere nearby. Freaking things hunting in packs after all.
Ellie watched him silently, still clutching Joel's cushion. This wasn't good. There hadn't been any infected this far out, bar the odd one here and there, for there to suddenly be several in the front yard suggested it was well and truly time to move on. It saddened her, because she had hoped they'd be able to stay in this safe house for just a while longer, a couple of days, so they could catch up on their rest before once more journeying out into the dangers of the world.
Ellie blinked as Joel motioned for her to gather their things, and she did so silently. Gently placing the cushion beside her and easing herself to her knees on the ground to start placing things back into her pack. When hers was once more full, she moved to Joel's, carefully picking up the shrapnel bomb he had made last night and easing it into his pack, gently packing things around it so it didn't move around too much. Once that was done she leaned over to reach for Joel's shotgun, which was sat leaning against the side of the love seat beside the sofa. Her fingers closed around it's handle, but something suddenly fell from the corner of her eye, and she turned in time to see the cushion she had placed back on the sofa slip off the edge, where it landed against her pack, knocking it over and causing it to knock the edge of the table, which in turn tipped the oil lamp over. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, and Ellie tried to catch the empty oil lantern as it fell, but it slipped against the tips of her fingers, leaving it crash onto the floor with a small thunk that almost sounded deafening in the silence.
She and Joel both froze as the Clicker on the other side of the door suddenly shrieked before moving around wildly, clicking and shrieking as it searched for the source of the sudden noise. Joel cursed and rushed back over to grab his pack, which he slung easily onto his back before snatching the shotgun from her trembling hand. "Sorry." She breathed shakily. "I'm sorry Joel." She whispered again, Joel just shook his head, 'not now' his eyes said, and Ellie nodded as she too grabbed her back pack, slipping her arms through until it rested on her back once more. Joel helped her to her feet, and she quickly jammed her feet back into her shoes while Joel did the same with his boots.
The Clickers outside were going crazy, shrieking and clicking as they circled the front yard. The Stalker, much to Joel's dread was gone when he peeked through the window once more, and he cursed just a little bit louder than he probably meant to, drawing the attention of one of the Clickers, it's horrible face twisted around to stare right at the window. It didn't matter if it was blind or not, the damn thing knew exactly where they were, it just had to get to them. "Come on Ellie." Joel murmured, leading her to the back door. "Help me with this." He said as he wedged himself between the wall and small cabinet that was blocking the door. Ellie got onto the other side and slowly they lifted it together and edged it away from the door, trying to make as little noise as possible.
The Clicker's knew they were here, but they wouldn't know where they had gone if they were careful, silent. The Stalkers on the other hand were worrying Joel. He hadn't seen where the one had gone, but the others could only be nearby, lying in wait.
It was a bad situation, and he inwardly cursed himself for letting his guard down. He should have known, it happened every time he let himself relax, however slightly. They'd be safe, almost perfectly so, and then suddenly they were in the middle of a shit storm. Safety was a lie, he knew this, but he had just been so tired, and Ellie had been so happy with their find, eager to finally settle down for the night. He ignored his instincts, and now they were both paying for it. Hopefully, it wouldn't be in blood.
"Got it." Ellie said softly, and Joel reached over to ease the locks undone. There was a small click from the final lock, and they both froze for several long seconds in silence, waiting to see if anything had heard. Joel nodded to himself that it was fine, they were going to be ok, they just had to be careful. He checked his shotgun, making sure it was loaded with the meagre ammunition they had scrounged up. He flicked the safety off and wedged a shiv between his hand and the gun, just in case.
Ellie drew her knew knife, nodding to Joel that she was ready. Joel nodded once more in return and gently turned the handle, slowly easing the door open. He peered around the door, letting only the upper half of his face out into the air to scan the back yard for any infected. There was a lone Clicker stumbling around in the garden, it's leg bent at an odd angle. It was crippled, making it less of a threat. It wouldn't be able to move as fast, it would be slow and clumsy, he told himself, easy to bypass, he wouldn't have to waste ammo on it if they were quick and careful. "Move." Joel breathed as he opened the door some more, and Ellie edged out into the sunlight, with him right on her heels. The Clicker remained oblivious, but it wasn't that Clicker he was worried about, the ones in the front yard were still going crazy, but thankfully this one had decided to ignore their calls. The Stalkers were his main concern, and he searched every corner of the small yard, the trees, the bushes and even the roof. Nothing. He grit his teeth, nudging Ellie out of his way as he advanced with his shotgun cocked and ready before him.
Ellie swallowed thickly as she eyed the limping Clicker by the bushes, its back was to them, and it seemed content to loiter next to the overgrown petunias. She breathed in and out evenly, controlling her breathing like Joel had taught her to do so she wouldn't panic. 'Panic gets people killed', he had said, and she believed him, having witnessed several survivors dying horribly after panicking and trying to recklessly flee. A trig snapped somewhere behind them, and Ellie gasped as she whirled around to spy one of the Clickers from the front yard, it was just coming around the corner of the apartment, clicking as it twisted its head this way and that, trying valiantly to find the prey that had stumbled into its domain.
Joel tugged at her sleeve, and Ellie gulped inaudibly as she hurried after him, almost stepping on his heels as she went. The two Clicker's got further and further away, and Ellie allowed herself a sigh of relief when she could no longer see them around the trees. "Come on." Joel ordered, shotgun still held ready. Ellie clutched her knofe a little tighter as they continued down to the back of the property, skirting the fence that separated one yard from the next.
Out of seemingly nowhere a shriek erupted, and Ellie screamed as she was tackled to the ground from the side. "Joel!" She screeched, stabbing at the Stalker's throat as it tried to bite a chunk out of her face. It snarled at her, and Ellie screamed again, louder as she shoved and stabbed at the creature's neck. Not three seconds after she had called his name, Joel appeared like an avenging angel behind the Stalker bringing his bulk back to slam the creature square in the side with Mrs Joel, sending it flying off of Ellie and clear back over the fence it had sprung from.
Before she could so much as gasp in relief, Joel grabbed the front of her shirt and yanked her up onto her feet. "Run!" He shouted, and she did, sticking to Joel's side like glue even as he ran with his longer legs. Ellie panted as she ran, eyes darting left and right, looking out for anymore sneaky Stalkers. She must have seen it before Joel did, because her shouted warning had the man hitting the deck as the Stalker sailed shrieking over his head. Joel, despite his long years sprang back up onto his feet with all the grace of a cat, swinging around to aim his shotgun one handed, pulling the trigger in the Stalkers face as it launched itself back at him, spraying blood, grey matter and chunks of hardened fungus everywhere. "Move it Ellie." Joel commanded calmly, and Ellie balked at the blood splattering the man's shirt and face. "Ellie." He growled, and the red headed girl twisted on her heel to continue running, Joel once more falling into step beside her, re-cocking the shotgun as he ran.
There was a large creek ahead of them, Ellie could see and smell it as clear as day. A small bridge, just big enough for a single car to cross sat ahead of them, beckoning them closer. They ran for it, the shrieks of the remaining Stalkers fading off into the background, falling behind. Ellie hit the bridge first, Joel right behind her, and they were almost to the other side when suddenly a board gave way beneath her foot. Ellie yelped as she tripped, hitting the decking so hard her ears rang like church bells, but there was only a split second to take it all in before more decking gave way beneath her body, and she screamed as she fell, fingers scrabbling the boarding around her to catch herself.
She slipped down, falling through the hole her fall had created, only to grab onto a support just under the decking. Her body yanked down on her arm, and she cried out as her shoulder protested. "Joel!" She screamed, trying to lift her other hand up to grip the support. She couldn't swim, and the creek below was running a little fast, and it looked deep. "Joel!" She cried again, tears in her eyes as she tried to grab the support with her hand. She almost cried in relief when Joel appeared in the hole above her, reaching down for her.
"Grab my hand." He said quickly, and Ellie tried to pull herself up just that little bit more so she could grab his hand with her own. Their fingers brushed, but Ellie's arm gave way, dropping her back down to leave her dangling again. Ellie stared up at him wide and teary eyed. Joel growled and laid himself flat on the decking, reaching further down for her. "Ellie, grab my hand, quickly!" He ushered, and Ellie tried again, this time her fingers hooked onto the tips of his, but once more her trembling arm gave way.
"I can't!" She sobbed, green eyes staring up into wide brown.
"You can Ellie, reach!" He shouted down at her, and the sudden shrieks of the Stalkers had her crying even harder, trying desperately to reach up just that little bit more. She kicked her legs desperately, trying to pull herself higher with her trembling and sore arm. Joel reached down further, his cheek crushed against the sharp edges of the decking, a piece breaking off to cut the skin just under his eye. Ellie heaved herself up one more time, and she knew her arm wouldn't be able to take any more if she missed. She reached for him, and Joel reached for her, and Ellie almost thought she had missed when strong fingers wrapped painfully tight around her small wrist. "Got you." Joel growled as he heaved himself upright, tugging Ellie up with him.
Ellie wrapped her small fingers around his wrist, and she released the support to latch onto his wrist with her other hand. She was left dangling, held up only by Joel's trembling arm as he hauled them both up. Her grip was slipping from the sweat on Joel's arm and her sweaty palms, but she dug her nails into his skin, desperate. She could almost reach the lip of the hole, and she tried not to kick her legs so Joel had an easier time lifting her. Her heart was beating a wild staccato in her ears, and her shoulder was throbbing painfully from she had nearly yanked it out of its socket catching herself. "Nearly there." Joel grunted, and Ellie sighed in relief as he reached down his other hand to grab onto her.
It seemed to happen in slow motion. Ellie released one hand to reach for his other, almost safe, when a dark shape appeared over Joel's shoulder, the figure towering and dark as the sun beat against its back, casting it in shadow. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream a warning, but the figure lunged with a victorious shriek. It sped right back up into real time the second the Stalker colliding with Joel's back, and he cried out at the unexpected attack, falling flat on his front once more, and Ellie screamed as the sudden jolt almost dislodged her from Joel's hand. She latched on, fingers catching on his broken watch, halting their slipping. "Joel!" She screamed tearfully as the man shouted obscenities, trying to buck the creature off his back without dropping her into the bubbling creek below. He cried out in pain as the Stalker raked its sharp claws across his back, shrieking as he whacked it in the face with an elbow, rolling slightly to try and shove the thing off with his other hand still clinging to Ellie's wrist. "Get off of him!" Ellie cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. Joel growled and bucked roughly, succeeding in dislodging the Stalker from his back, and Ellie's eyes locked onto the fresh blood soaking the back of Joel's shredded shirt. Joel rolled back around and reached down with his other hand once again, grabbing a rough hold of her forearm, yanking her up hard enough that her shoulder screamed in protest again.
She cried out when the dark shape pounced once more, and Joel shouted, head butting the thing square in the face, causing it to shriek in pain. He pulled her up further with both hands, teeth bared and eyes wild. Ellie made a grab for the lip of the hole, and just like that the Stalker was on Joel again, only this time it didn't play around. Ellie screamed herself hoarse as the thing lunged straight for his neck, and Joel managed to reef himself back just enough for the things sharp teeth to sink into the meaty flesh of his shoulder instead of his jugular. "No!" Ellie wailed, and then Joel looked her once straight in the eye, and Ellie did the only thing she could to save him as the Stalker moved in for another strike at his throat.
She let go.
"Ellie no!" Joel shouted, grasping for her only to grab air, and just before she hit the water Ellie watched as his face contorted, twisting itself to show his teeth and his rage as he threw himself upright and launched himself at the Stalker. She lost sight of him as water closed in around her head, and she choked down a mouthful as she kicked uselessly at the flowing water, trying to get to the surface for air. She kicked and flailed under the water, desperately trying to breach the surface, but the combined weight of her pack and clothes dragged her further under, and her eyes stung as they remained open, staring in the direction of the bridge. She kicked, she struggled, and against her minds orders her body rebelled, sucking in a lungful of water, and then it was like someone turned off the lights in her head, and the burning in her chest ceased, along with her struggles…
Then something grabbed her.
. . .
. . .
Ellie came too choking, and she threw herself onto her side as she heaved up what must have been a gallon of water. She inhaled raggedly, coughing until she was sure her throat was bloody. A heavy hand thumped solidly onto her back, and another mouthful of water erupted from her throat, she choked some more, coughing and crying as she came back to herself.
She had nearly drowned, no, she had drowned. Joel had been trying to rescue her, and then a Stalker had shown up and attacked and- She froze, a sob choking her all over again.
Joel had been bitten. Joel was going to die and it was all her fault! If she'd just watched where she was running maybe she wouldn't have fallen through the bridge, and they'd be fine, because Joel wouldn't have had to come back and save her, and the Stalker would have been shot easily.
"Ellie! Damn it girl breathe!" Ellie choked at the sound of his voice, and she inhaled reflexively as the hand thumped her back again. She twisted around and grabbed a handful of soaked material, pulling herself up and onto Joel, arms clinging around his shoulders for dear life.
"I'm so sorry J-Joel!" She wailed, clinging to him tighter. "It's my f-fault, it's all m-my fault!" She hiccupped, eyes stinging as tears poured down her already soaked face. Joel was clinging to her too, arms tight around her as he rocked her gently back and forth, his head buried in her shoulder. "M'sorry." She cried.
"Shh, hey, it wasn't your fault." Joel whispered, leaning back to look her in the eyes. Ellie hiccupped at the sight of him, he was soaked through just like her, his hair flat on his head, several stray dark locks plastered to his forehead, one almost covering his left eye, where blood slowly trickled from the cut he had gotten holding onto her. "It was no one's fault Ellie." He told her softly, reaching up to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. She hiccupped again, before her eyes drifted to the angry red bite mark bleeding sluggishly on his shoulder, and she couldn't stop the sob from catching in her throat.
"You got bit." She whimpered, and Joel shushed her, rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly.
"It'll be ok, Ellie." He said softly. Ellie shook her head vehemently, her hair lashing out as it slipped from her tie.
"No it won't!" She yelled, still crying. "You're going to leave me, after you said you wouldn't!" She sobbed, stepping away from Joel and hugging her arms around her middle. "You said you wouldn't leave me Joel, you said, you said." She whimpered, crouching and huddling in on herself. Joel watched her sadly, still sitting in the muddied grass a few meters away from the creek. He didn't look at his shoulder, he didn't try to stop the bleeding, he just pretended it wasn't there for the moment.
"Ellie." He started gently. Ellie shook her head, lifting her arms to cover her head. "Ellie." Joel sighed, dropping his head to stare at the grass between them. "I'm sorry." He said after a while. Ellie hiccupped brokenly, shaking her head again. "You know how it works." He continued, and Ellie held her head tighter, as if trying to protect herself from what was coming next. "I can't stick around, I won't, not with…" Joel trailed of and made an aborted gesture to his bleeding shoulder. "Ellie." He said again, and Ellie sniffled, peeking up at him through a gap in her arms. "I don't want to leave you, you know that, right?" He asked, and Ellie nodded, sniffling.
"But you're going to anyway." She said miserably. Joel sighed long and deep, arm resting on his propped up knee. "But what if you're like me?" She asked, desperate. She lifted the sleeve of her shirt, revealing the faded bite mark on her arm to the sunlight. "What if you're immune Joel?" She asked, louder. Joel shook his head.
"I'm not, Ellie." He said. Ellie stood up viciously.
"But what if you are! How would you know if you're immune or not!?" She yelled, arms straight at her sides, the bite still exposed. Joel's eyes closed as he shook his head, hand flexing atop his knee.
"I know I'm not." He said, firmly. Ellie stomped her foot in denial.
"You can't be sure!" She shouted frantically. Joel suddenly shot upright, reaching up to yank his shirt aside, exposing the bite.
"I'm sure Ellie! Look at it!" He shouted, Ellie closed her eyes and hiccupped. Joel marched up to her, crouching so he was level with her. "Look at it!" He ordered roughly and Ellie looked despite herself. She whimpered as a fresh wave of tears spilled down her cheeks. Her bite was nearly over a month old, and it was nothing but an old scar now. The bite on Joel's shoulder was an angry red, almost purple. The veins in his shoulder were red and inflamed, the infection creeping along under his flesh like a snake in the grass.
"I don't want you to die Joel." She whispers brokenly, and Joel reaches out and pulls her into a hug.
"I know, darlin'. I know." He says, sniffing. Ellie just stands there in the circle of his arms, not moving. After a moment she reached up and rubs her nose on her sleeve, pulling the other down to cover her bite as she does.
"Will you stay?" She asks, and Joel opens his mouth to deny her but she talks over the top of him. "Just until…Just a little longer?" She begs, and Joel stares up into her eyes for several long seconds before he closes them and sighs in defeat. He reaches behind himself and pulls something loose from the back of his jeans. Ellie steps back as he nudges her, and her eyes widen at the sight of his 9mm pistol. He reaches out and gently grasps one of her hands, before pushing the gun into it. The weapon dwarfs her hand, but her fingers still close around the butt without much difficulty.
"I'll stay for a little while." Joel says softly, before suddenly gripping both of her hands in his, moulding them around the pistol. He lifts their hands until the end of the gun is pressed right in the centre of his forehead. "You promise me Ellie, if I start Turnin' early," He begins. He uses his own thumb to flick the safety off, and Ellie hiccups, hands trembling. "You pull the trigger, just like this." He says, showing her fingers where to rest, and Ellie gives everything she has to stop the finger resting on the trigger perfectly still, less she pull the trigger accidently. "Promise me, Ellie." He demands, voice deep. Ellie nods her head once.
"I p-promise." She whimpers, and Joel releases her hands. The pistol falls limply in her hand as she drops them to her sides like a doll with its strings cut. "I promise." She repeats. Joel reaches up to once again brush her hair out of her face.
"That a girl." He says gently, but Ellie turns her face away, eyes shut.
"You made me a promise once. And you broke it." She thinks bitterly.
Er, don't kill me? What am I saying, its all right there in the summary, if you didn't want this to happen you shouldn't have read the story. But anyway, I wanna know what you guys think, I'm not really good at doing tragedy stuff, I don't often write agonisingly sad stuff. Let me know how I did yeah?
ALSO! For some reason, when I first heard of Stalkers in the game, I was half expecting them to be like Hunters from L4D, I was sorely disappointed however. So, I've tweaked Stalkers a bit, made them a little mix between Hunter and Stalker, because to me that seems much more terrifying. Stalkers that ambush and pounce on you, where they then proceed to tear you to pieces, or you know...bite you. Yup, much more scary.
Feel free to PM me! I'll answer any questions you have! Ideas are welcome, but don't be offended if I don't use them, this is a project after all.
Thank you for reading! TBC...