SUMMER
Summer rain. Smells heavenly in a candle, but causes a real mess in the countryside. Muddy ground, huge puddles, and damp air-all effects of such a beautiful force of nature. Jackson County was currently experiencing its first serious summer rain fall. Water was pouring from dark gray clouds, halting all construction and outdoor work and activities. Joel and Ellie managed to pass the morning by sleeping in for a bit and making a late breakfast to dine on while watching some movies. When two o'clock rolled around the rain began to lighten up so Joel decided to take a walk while he could.
"I'll be here." Ellie called to him from the couch while she stayed glue to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Joel chuckled as he put his hood up and opened the door.
Joel stepped outside and the sound of rain falling and hitting leaves filled his eardrums. He always loved rain. Not thunder though. Thunder scared the shit out of him. He remembered seeking refuge under his sheets and pillows when there were thunderstorms while Sarah slept like a rock through them. But the soft sounds of rain like this were so peaceful and calming.
The ground was muddy as all hell as he trudged through the messy ground, avoiding puddles to his best ability. He walked along the fence, looking out the woods for any signs of bandits or infected. No clicking sounds interrupted the rain fall and he doubted anyone would be out in this kind of weather- before the rain fall let up a bit, visibility wasn't all that great. However, since the incident with the bandits on the run with Sadie he'd been on pretty high alert.
"Walking in the rain I see?" a feminine voice said from behind.
Turning around, Joel found Esther walking up. She had a raincoat on with the hood up to cover her dark locks and long jeans to protect her skin from the cold rain. Joel offered her a smile and stopped walking so she could meet him where he stood. "Had to get out of the house." he told her. "What's your excuse?"
"Maria asked me to stop by and look at one of the horses. My skills extend farther than crop expertise." Esther explained as she stopped in front of Joel.
"So you're a vet, too?" Joel questioned.
"Oh god no. Too much schooling for me, but growing up on a farm teaches you a thing or two."
Joel smiled and so did Esther. He couldn't deny her pretty face and charming personality and so many things were telling Joel to go for it, take a risk with a captivating woman, but something else told him that maybe she wasn't for him. Maybe it was his desire to focus on just him and Ellie like he has for so long, maybe it was not wanting to go through any more possible pain, or maybe something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. Despite all this, he wanted to take this risk.
"Wanna continue this conversation indoors?" Esther suggested. Joel nodded and the two made their way to her home.
OOOOO
Back at his own home. Ellie decided to wash the dishes from her and Joel's late breakfast after the credits rolled from the second installment of Indiana Jones. After she finished that, she took a second to look out the window and observe the current weather situation. The rain was beginning to lighten, but the clouds had yet to part which meant more rain was most likely coming their way. Not that Ellie minded, she liked the rain.
A knock on the door broke Ellie's thoughts and put her attention elsewhere. She dried off her hands and left the kitchen, approaching the door carefully. The only people that have stopped by since she and Joel arrived were Tommy, Maria, Sadie, and Joel's boss Jake.
"Who is it?" Ellie asked from behind the door.
"It's Zach."
Ellie looked at the door in confusion. Zach? They have exchanged three words max and that was in Sadie's kitchen a few days ago. Still, she knew Zach was harmless and unlocked the door to him standing on the deck. He was in dark jeans, a gray hoodie, and a hat protecting his hair from the rain.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I hope so." he told her with a desperate shine in his irises. "Can I come in?"
Ellie thought for a second. On one hand, she didn't really know Zach and Joel wasn't home either. But this was Sadie's Zach. Plus if anything happened, Ellie could handle it.
"Sure." Ellie said as she opened the door more to let him in.
He stepped off the deck and through the doorway, wiping his feet on the carpet before walking on the hardwood. Ellie closed and locked the door, walking into the living room and clicking the television off. Turning around, she watched Zach step into the doorway to the living room and stop in the doorway to put distance between them.
"What can I do for you?" she asked him.
"That scar on your arm." Zach began, making Ellie instantly freeze and place a hand where a runner sunk its teeth almost a full year ago. Even though she had a long sleeved shirt on, it felt as if her whole arm was exposed to the bitter cold. "How'd you get it?"
"Why?" Ellie instantly asked defensively.
"Was it from infected?"
Ellie didn't say anything. What was she supposed to say? If she said yes, what would Zach do? The only people who knew Ellie was immune and believed it was Joel, Tommy, Maria, Sadie, and Marlene and her crew. And by the way Zach was talking, Sadie hadn't told him the history of her and Joel. If she denied the bite was from infected, would he believe her?
Zach took a step closer. "Was it from infected?" he asked again in a much more demanding tone. Ellie stood taller and much more defensively, wishing she still had her switchblade on her. "What's it to you?" she snapped.
Dropping his head, Zach let out a defeated sigh. With a deep breath he picked his head up and turned around while pulling up his hoodie, revealing a bite mark scar below his shoulder blade. Ellie felt her eyes glue to the mark in shock. It was a bit bigger than hers, but it had the same look. It was clear where the teeth sunk it and ripped skin away, leaving an ugly scar. It had some redness around it and bumps where there was minor blistering.
"Oh my God." Ellie said through a small gasp, causing Zach to put his hoodie back on right and turn around.
"Is yours from infected, too?" Zach asked in a desperate tone in hopes he didn't just reveal something he shouldn't have.
Ellie nodded. "When were you…?"
"Three months ago. I was on a run and the group got swarmed." Zach explained as he sat on the couch with his eyes glued to the floor. "I was trying to help someone and the thing came out of nowhere and sinks its teeth in my back." Ellie didn't move from where she stood as he continued. "After that everyone got scattered and when I got away from the chaos I was out of bullets. Frankly even if I had one to spare I don't think I could have done it. I was just gonna let it happen…but when it didn't I didn't know what to think. I decided to come back, but…I've had this fear that I'll turn at any second…and the last thing I want is to hurt anyone here especially Sadie."
Then it all clicked. Joel told Ellie about Zach's behavior and so did Sadie the other day; the disappearing, the anger, the distance…he was afraid. Ellie walked over and sat next to him on the couch. "I got bit almost a year ago." she told him, causing him to look at her. "I was somewhere I shouldn't have been and…" she rolled up her sleeve to show him her bite. "V'walla."
Zach looked at the bite and then at her. "Joel and I went from Boston all the way to Utah with hopes that the Fireflies could make a cure with whatever made me immune…they couldn't. Quite frankly I was hoping to hear what made me immune, but Joel told me that the doctors in Utah said there were others who were immune, like us."
"I have a theory." Zach told her.
"Of how we're immune?"
Zach nodded. "Have you ever heard of the Black Death?"
Ellie nodded. She remembered learning about it in school.
"That plague happened in the 1300s Europe when there was barely any medical advancements like vaccines. Nevertheless, it just disappeared after some time. Millions of people died it did have a couple of reoccurrences happened, but even they stopped in like the 1600s and a lot less people died. Same with the 1918 flu epidemic. Millions died again and medicine was still not all that advanced, but the flu eventually died down and less people got sick for the same reason. Why? Because people built up an immunity to it and were able to fight it off better. I think that is why we're immune. The younger generations are building up an immunity to the Cordyceps virus."
Ellie sat back at everything Zach had just said. So far she knew two people in the entire world who were immune for sure. She and Zach. But they were two people in the whole world. People could be immune and not even know it. He made some valid arguments, but it seemed like a longshot. Cordyceps grew all over the brain. This wasn't just an aggressive flu strain. Then again, she didn't know the reasoning behind her immunity. Did she have something in her brain that made her immune?
"Does Sadie know?" Ellie asked Zach who shook his head. "I didn't want her to worry." he told her. "And I wouldn't know how to tell her at this point."
"Maybe we should keep this conversation between you and me for now, but you should tell Sadie some time."
"Why?"
"She deserves to know what's going on with you."
Zach leaned back and let out an annoyed breath. "You're right, but not yet…you won't tell anyone, right?"
Ellie was about to say she wouldn't, but then remembered Joel. Could she keep this kind of secret from him? Then she remembered it wasn't her secret; it was Zach's. And she couldn't be responsible for revealing that.
"I promise won't tell anyone." Ellie swore.
"Thank you."
He left after that, heading back home through the rain while Ellie popped in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with one thought in her head. She wasn't alone anymore with this
OOOOO
Across the settlement, Joel was putting his coat back on after sharing a cup of coffee with Esther. He learned that she grew up in Georgia with her brother, who lived next door, and her mom and dad as well as five dogs and plenty of farm animals. She loved green tea, reading fantasy novels, and enjoyed hikes even nowadays and couldn't stand the taste of cinnamon or tomatoes, the color pastel pink, or smell of cooked cabbage. Joel revealed his love of coffee and music, admiration of classic country singers, and hate for romance movies and/or books. He learned about the woman and she learned a bit about him, making the time escape both of them.
"I should be getting back to Ellie." he told her which she understood.
"Thanks for coming over." she said as she walked him to the door. "I'd walk you home, but well…rain."
Joel chuckled. "That's quite alright, I can find my way back. Thanks for the coffee, Esther."
"Don't mention it, Joel. We should do this again sometime." she replied hopefully.
Joel turned towards her before reaching for the door handle. "Look Esther, I ain't had anything like this in a long time so-"
Before Joel could finish his sentence, Esther reached out and placed a hand on is face before leaning in and pressing her lips to his. Joel froze for a second at the feeling he hasn't felt in what seems a hundred lifetimes. But as if something sparked remembrance in his body, his arms wrapped around her lower back after a few seconds as he kissed the hazel eyed beauty.
OOOOO
A/N
Long gap between updates I know, but bear with me a little longer. Summer is approaching and after I take my SAT and some finals in May, I'm back to writing as often as I can. Also, any SAT advice?