Next of Us Chapter 7
Ellie sits in place, almost too happy to move or speak. She smies widely for a few seconds, before directing her attention back to Hunter.
"...Of course." She blushes and pushes out her seat, standing up. Hunter waits at the bottom of the stairs for her to catch up. They walk up the stairs together and Joel can't help but smile.
When they are at the entrance to Ellie's room, Hunter goes in first.
"Ellie let me go in first, just in case." He whispers. Hunter walks into his old room quietly, and holds his breath when he sees a man going through Ellie's bags. He doesn't want to scare Ellie so he sneaks up behind the man and silently chokes him to death. After a quick search of the room, Hunter calls Ellie in.
"Alright Ellie, its safe, come on in."
Ellie walks in the room and sits on the bed next to Hunter. "Man, what took you so lo-" Ellie stops when she sees the dead body on the groud. "Oh."
"Anyways...Ellie I really wanted to tell you something..." Hunter begins.
"Tell me..." Ellie says, dying to know.
Hunter sighs heavily before finally speaking. "Look Ellie, I know you like me, and you problably know I like you." He starts talking faster and faster. "But I have never felt like this about someone, this weird feeling everytime I see you, this tingling in my heart, my smile when I think about you. I don't know whats happening because I've never met anyone my age, let alone a beautiful girl...but I just I don't know Ellie."
Ellie's face reddens, and gets so hot shes nervous for herself. Had Hunter really just said all that, called her beautiful? Did he mean it? She smiles widely again and can't stop smiling, no matter how hard she tries. She thinks about what she wants to do. She doesn't know if its the right desicion. She doesn't care. She closes her eyes and has flashbacks to what David did to her. Is a physical relationship such a good idea? Eventually she caves to Hunter's cute face.
"Fuck it." Ellie mumbles, leaning in and kissing Hunter on the lips. This obviously catches Hunter off guard as he falls backwards and onto the bed. They keep that position for about a minute, before Ellie gently pulls away. They both stare into each other's eyes, smiling. Ellie finally says something to ease them out of the kissing shock.
"You're so sweet, Hunter."
"Thanks Ell-" Hunter is cut off by the sound of gunfire. He immeaditly jumps off the bed and reaches for his knife, guarding Ellie.
Joel yells from downstairs,"We have bandits surrounding the house, get down here now!"
"Can we ever catch a fucking break?" Ellie says angrily, running past Hunter and down the stairs. Hunter follows her without a word. When they are both downstairs, Hunter and Ellie grab, and reload their guns.
"Where are they?" Hunter asks Joel.
"They're fucking everywhere." Joel yells with panick in his voice.
Neither of them have ever seen Joel like this. The panick and fear becomes mutual, and Lola begins screaming under the table, where Joel told her to hide. Hunter looks for any sign of the bandits and can't seem to find any of them. Ellie decides to scope out the back door area. A few seconds after Ellie leaves, she screams. When Hunter hears Ellie screaming him and Joel dash off, following her screams, complely forgetting about Lola. Of course, she is the next to scream, but Hunter and Joel are too far gone to hear it.
Hunter and Joel watch in helpless horror, as the bandits chain Ellie and Lola down. They were simply outnumbered, flanked. Told if either them fire a single bullet, Ellie and Lola are as good as dead. The bandit that seems to be the leader speaks up and Hunter immeaditly reconizes the voice, the voice that shot his mother. Hunter goes back to the day he was in the same situation. Pinned down with no choice, but to listen and do what they say. They gave him a choice of saving his mother or father, Hunter chose his mother, but they killed her anyway. These bandits are unpredictable. He knows they are going to do the same thing. Make him choose, and make one die.
"Hello Hunter, so we meet again." Says the voice in a sickening tone.
"Fuck you." Hunter screams, which wasn't a good move, as he gets punched across the face, spitting out blood on impact. He clenches his jaw, trying to remain calm.
"I think you know what we're gonna ask you." The lead bandit says with a smile.
"Don't...don't make me do it." Hunter pleads, looking weak.
"Hunter, who do you want to live?" The voice asks, disreguarding his question.
"You are all fucking sick." Joel spits, being rewarded by a right hand to the face.
Hunter tries to think of a way to escape this, but knows he can't. He knows he will have to choose. He tries to figure out their reverse psychology, if he says Ellie will Lola die? If he says Lola will Ellie die? He just doesn't know. They've come so close, gone through so much, all for this? He can see the hospital form where they are. So close it hurts. Without thinking he speaks.
"Save Lola, I want to save Lola." Hunter says.
Joel sighs and whispers into Hunter's ear. "You broke our fucking promise you son of a bitch." Joel begins to tear up as he sees a bandit put a gun to Ellie's head.
"No I didn't, I know how these bandits work...trust me Joel." Hunter whispers back, begining to cry as well, knowing whats going to happen now. Ellie looks at Hunter with her big, tear-filled, green eyes. Hunter mouths words to Ellie and her jaw drops.
"You better be right." Joel whispers.
Without warning the bandit with the gun turns and shoots Lola in the face and Hunter, Ellie, and Joel all scream and gasp.
"I told you Joel...I dont break promises." Hunter cries, he screams and cries.
The bandits release all of them and ride off on their horses.
"Pleasure doing business with you." The leader gets out before driving away.
Hunter lays there crying, broken and family-less.
End of this chapter! Hope you guys love this story and be sure to review with any suggestions you may have. If you like this story be sure to follow it, I update daily. THANKS.
