"Oh fuck - what the - shit!" Ellie shouted in a panic as she snapped herself around.
She scrambled for the rifle that remained slung over her shoulder as she kicked and slid her heels against the floor, pushing herself backwards until her spine painfully smashed into the wall.
"Whadd'you want!?" she snapped as she pointed the rifle in the strangers direction, hands still shaking and all.
Shit! Joel will kill me if he finds out I let my guard down like that! Fuck!
"Holy - hey, hey, hey - shit! Don't - don't shoot!" the mysterious person spouted as they pushed themselves backwards, sliding across the dust covered floor in the same manner as Ellie.
"Why the fuck shouldn't I!?" Ellie shot back.
Ellie's pupils were dilated and it looked as if two, massive black holes erased all of the blueish-green that normally filled her eyes. She gulped, but tried to suppress the sound of her shock, though she knew the stranger heard it and witnessed the clenching of her throat. As her adrenaline receded, she had the mental capacity to quickly size up and examine the person who nearly caused her to jump out of her own skin.
The stranger was a middle aged woman with long, flowing blond hair and light, blue eyes. She was panting and looked just as terrified, and in a weird way, seeing the fright on her face put Ellie at ease.
You're in control here Ellie. Look at her - she's practically shitting her pants.
"I'm not one of them! I swear! Please, please! Don't shoot!"
Still unable to trust anyone, much less a stranger out on the road, Ellie pulled the firing pin back and lurched the barrel forward. She gave the woman a sinister leer, lifted her shoulders and stuck her chest out, attempting to embody the definition of intimidating, unafraid confidence.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't. You scared the fucking shit out of me!" she spoke, her voice rising to a yell again, feeling herself getting worked up once more.
She wasn't sure who she was more irate with, this woman, or herself for letting her guard down and thus leaving her in a such a vulnerable, anemic state.
The woman, still petrified of the gun barrel pointed at her head, continually tried to push herself even further back. Only to find she went nowhere as her shoulders were already firmly plastered to a set of shelves that towered behind her.
"I - I - I'm a friend! I swear! Please! I'm in trouble - like... like you!" she stammered with a nervous gulp.
Ellie nudged the rifle forward again, gritting her teeth as she increased the intensity of her livid glare. The motion caused the woman to raise both hands to her face and cower in fear, revealing the small pistol she held in her right hand.
"Oh god! No, no, no! Jesus! Stop! Please! I'm a friend - I swear, I swear!" she shouted again.
I guess she could've shot me if she wanted to.
Ellie took a deep breath and relaxed the tension in her arms, if only barely, and let the rifle drop ever so slightly. The pessimistic, skeptical and damaged part of her still didn't trust the woman, though part of her wanted to. Having aid when it came to finding Joel only meant shifting the odds in her favor.
Seeing the barrel of Ellie's rifle dip towards the ground from the corner of her eye, as if it were some sort of Machiavellian invitation, provoked the woman to gradually lower her hands. Her arms shook with fear and she sipped short, panicked breaths every inch of their way down.
"I'm a friend - I'm a friend - really, I promise," she said through her panted breathing as her throat gave way to another nervous gulp.
"I could've blown your brains if I wanted to - "
Ellie angrily raised the barrel again upon hearing her words, silencing the woman in the process.
"But I didn't! I didn't! I didn't. I didn't..." she frantically spouted again, the volume of her voice lowering and taking on a softer tone as she finished.
"Drop the gun - slide it to me!" Ellie shouted, pointing to the shiny, metal object in the woman's hand with the tip of the rifle.
"Okay, okay - you got it - here."
The woman obliged. She gradually lowered the pistol to the floor and pushed it Ellie's way with a foot.
Ellie snapped her leg out and kicked the gun behind her, hearing it slide across the floor. Not for a millisecond did she take both eyes off of the woman or lower the rifle, she didn't need to look. Her other senses were already sharply in tune and she knew exactly where the firearm now resided in the abandoned store.
"Anything else?" she snapped.
The woman gulped again and simply nodded.
"What!?" Ellie barked.
"Uh, uh - a - a knife," the woman said as she quickly reached down to pull up her pant leg.
"Give it to me, now! Do it!" Ellie demanded.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah - okay - shh... it's fine. Please - I'm a friend... I'm not your enemy," the woman replied as Ellie watched her shaking, trembling hands fumble with the knife.
She tossed the knife towards Ellie. The little girl didn't bother raising a hand to catch it, intent on keeping both hands tightly gripped around her rifle. Instead, she simply twitched her head to the side and heard the sharp, metal object bang into the wall behind her then fall to the floor. The sharp clank of the blade against the hardwood echoed throughout the store and it seemed like an eternity until the sound stopped ringing through the air.
For seconds, or possibly minutes, neither of them knew, they stared at each other, both at a loss for words or next course of action.
Finally, Ellie broke the tension filled silence.
"That fucking it?" she said, not knowing what else to say.
The woman gulped and nodded again.
"Uh-huh - I swear. That... that's it."
If you're lying to me... I swear to god I'll blow your fucking head off.
Ellie unchained a massive shot of air through her lips, feeling her chest collapse from the breath that escaped and deflated her lungs. That one breath, seemed as if it was pent up and building to critical mass since her first step outside of laundromat, leaving Joel in his ailing state.
Her mind was chaotic and exhaustively sporadic. The mere act of trying to corral and reign in her own thoughts was tiring. One second she was thinking of Joel, how she was going to find him, how she was going to save him, only for the next one to remind her to remain keenly focused on the present. Dealing with the situation at hand and guaranteeing her own survival meant locating her purpose.
Joel.
She shot a sideways glance towards the window, for just a second, somehow hoping he'd returned from being carried off by the pack of Hunters. Of course, he hadn't.
"Was he... he your Da - "
Ellie's snapped forward again upon hearing the woman's voice and she raised the rifle again.
"Shh! I ask the fucking questions! Okay!?" she barked.
The little redhead continued to surprise the woman. Seeing such a young, small girl behave in such an austere way caught her off guard.
"Okay, okay, okay - that's fine... easy... easy now," she said, raising both hands in the air as she flinched.
Shit - I've never held someone up before like this. Umm... think of something to say - or ask... I don't fucking know.
Ellie sat in silence, biting her lip as she quietly contemplated how to proceed. Finally, she spoke, easing the resurfacing anxiety within the woman.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"My husband and I... we - we were traveling through."
"And?"
"He - those assholes they - " she started to choke up and rose a hand to her chest.
"Those motherfuckers you just saw - they took him," she continued, barely holding back a whimper.
"And you're sticking around?" Ellie asked, though she knew the question was ridiculous.
She was sticking around. Joel didn't leave Salt Lake City without her and she wasn't leaving Twin Falls without him, no matter what.
"He's alive! I know he's alive! They captured him a week ago and they've been looking for me ever since!" the woman continued in a frenzy, feeling as if the louder she stated her words, the truer they could be.
A small, uncontrollable smile appeared across Ellie's lips. The woman noticed and a perplexed look washed over her face.
Seeing the change in her expression only made Ellie realize she took notice of the sly grin, thus causing her to bury it away.
"Why'd... " Ellie started, then paused as she scrunched her face while letting out a frustrated breath.
"Why'd you fucking sneak up on me like that!? You scared the shit outta me!" she continued.
The woman pulled both knees up and rested her forearms atop them.
"Yeah... sorry - I... I guess I could've been a bit more... diplomatic," she replied.
"Gee - ya think?" Ellie sarcastically snapped.
"Look... I'm sorry. I'm on your side. Trust me."
That word, trust, irked every nerve in Ellie's body. She didn't trust a single person on the entire planet except for Joel. Each time she thought she trusted someone, some devious, underhanded action always left her feeling hurt, damaged and alone. It was a constant behavior-enforcing pattern. The world had savagely punished her psyche to the point that the concept, even the word itself, trust, seemed foreign. However, as the logic-clouding adrenaline dissipated from her bloodstream, she realized trusting this woman would mean higher chances of getting back to her purpose.
"We can help each other - we both want the same thing," the woman softly spoke.
Ellie continued to stare at her, hardly blinking an eye or moving a muscle as the barrel of the rifle remained fixated on her head.
"Do you - " the woman started, then paused to clear her throat.
"Think you could get that gun outta my face... please?"
Goddammit Ellie - you might regret this.
Ellie heaved a frustrated sigh.
"Fine," she said, dropping her arms and setting the rifle on the floor up against her leg.
She wouldn't dare let it get further than a few inches away and even kept a hand resting on its barrel.
"Okay - thank you. Now I can actually think straight... ya know - without nearly shitting my pants," the woman said with a slight snicker.
The sound of subtle laughter managed to pull a small, humorous grunt out of Ellie.
"What's your name?" she continued with a curious tilt of the head.
"Why?" Ellie sternly responded with a renewed glare.
"Okay, okay - I get it - you don't have to tell me - yet - or ever if you don't want. But umm... I'm Katelyn."
Katelyn stretched out an arm, presenting her hand in a display of good will.
Ellie cautiously lurched forward one of her own to meet it. Her limbs still shook from her body's increasing desire for sustenance and now that the tension between the two of them had waned, Katelyn took note.
"You're shaking like a bird - you... you okay?"
Ellie snatched her hand away and folded both arms against her chest, fervently attempting to hide any sign of weakness. But it didn't matter, she desperately needed to eat soon and her ravenous stomach was screaming like a banshee for food.
Holy. Fucking. Shit. I'm starving... oh my god!
"Yeah, I'm - I'm fine. Just... really fucking hungry," Ellie responded, though annoyed at herself for giving in.
"Oh - well you won't believe what I found, I've got tons - "
"You have food!? Seriously!? Please tell me you're not joking!" Ellie blurted out in a frenzy as she excitedly peeled herself off of the wall and lunged forward.
"Woah - okay... calm down."
"No! Fuck you! I'm starving and I need to eat! I'm gonna pass out if I don't... literally! Please!" she stammered, the sound of desire behind each word increasing.
Great now you're practically begging.
"Okay, okay - yes I have food. At the rear of the store - there's a giant bookcase. Behind it was a door to what I guess was some kind of... bomb shelter or something. I dunno - guess whoever used to own this place was a loopy nut... but now they don't seem so crazy after all do they? Anyway - damn thing is still stocked with tons of non-perishables - seriously - help yourself. I'm hungry too now that you mention it."
What the - are you serious!? Shut the hell up! No fucking way! Yes! I guess we still have a little bit of a luck after all, don't we Joel!?
"No! Uhh you... you go get it and come back. I'll wait right fucking here," Ellie said, straining to hold back the excitement that was ready to burst from every part of her.
"Fine - hope you're not picky though," Katelyn agreed with a shrug.
She pushed herself up and walked to the dark room which Ellie originally entered through. Within seconds of seeing her disappear into the darkness, Ellie darted both hands down to the floor and scrambled to pick up the rifle. She raised it, pointing it at the pitch-black doorway, awaiting Katelyn's return with half excitement and half angst-ridden paranoia.
Don't you be fucking with me right now, don't you dare fuck with me. Please don't let this be some sort of sick joke - c'mon, c'mon.
No more than a minute later, Katelyn waltzed back through the doorway with multiple cans of food in hand. Upon seeing Ellie again wielding the rifle and pointing it in her direction, she stopped and rolled her eyes as she let out a sigh of disappointment.
"Seriously? Really? Is that really necessary now?" Katelyn asked, leering at the little girl who sat cross-legged against the wall and held a gun that looked to be nearly as big as she was.
Huh - well no shit. Alright then.
Ellie let loose another deep breath and once again lowered the rifle to the floor.
"Sorry - can't ever be too sure these days."
"Yeah... I guess not," Katelyn responded, renewing her strut back to Ellie.
Ellie crossed her arms and in a combination of ecstasy and desperation stared at the cans of food in Katelyn's hands. They couldn't arrive soon enough and her stomach unraveled an enormous growl.
The sound pulled a chuckle out of Katelyn.
"Jesus kid - the hell do you feed that thing?" she asked.
Ellie blushed and even managed a small smile.
"Umm... people!" she blurted out impulsively, unsure of what to say.
Wow. Smooth Ellie. Not funny considering the fucking circumstances... way to go.
Katelyn's smile withered and she ran a hand through her hair while lowering herself to the floor, in the same spot as before. Setting off the alarms of the small redhead that sat before her was far from her intention.
"What - are you some kind of... rational thinking Infected?" Katelyn finally responded with a hint of sarcasm.
Ellie twitched and grabbed for the sleeve on her right arm, stretching it as far down as it could go. She was petrified of it somehow rolling or scrunching up and exposing her secret.
"Yeah - sorry, that was... in poor taste... I guess?" she responded, her voice raising slightly as she unveiled a sliver of ability to connect with strangers.
"Eh - who am I to judge."
A small smile returned across Ellie's lips and her eyes immediately darted to the cans of food that sat in Katelyn's hands. Her stomach was shrieking and she could feel the cold sweat that seeped form her pores, a reaction of her body's craving for energy, lathering her skin. Eating was all she could think about and her vision narrowed onto the gifts of good fortune that now lay in front of Katelyn's shins. She couldn't tell if the woman was still talking. If she was, her voice was a mere, faint echo at most and nothing more.
"Well I took the liberty to open all four of 'em for us, we've got peaches and some - "
Before Katelyn could even finish, Ellie jolted forward and snatched away two cans of food.
Fuck! Yes! Fiiiiiiinaaaallly!
Within seconds, she tilted the first can towards her lips and shoveled a massive handful of its contents into her mouth. Then, with a look of unabated surprise, she paused. She sat in in silence, looking utterly perplexed as her lips remained pressed together to keep the overflowing amount of food inside. She blinked in confusion, her cheeks bulging out on both sides while her tongue experienced this strange, new taste she'd yet to feed it.
Oh - Jesus - what the -
Katelyn burst out laughing.
"Vut vuh hell is vis?" Ellie tried to speak with a mouthful.
Her eyes were as wide as the setting sun in the evening sky that glowed through the window behind her.
"You've never had Spaghettios before have you? Guess not - considering how young you look."
"Vuck it - von't care," Ellie said, her eyes never breaking their focus on the can in front of her mouth.
Not even a minute went by and she already consumed the entirety of the strange, small and round pasta. Blotches of red sauce spotted her cheeks around her lips and she unleashed a massive belch, causing Katelyn to twitch in surprise.
The woman had never been privy to a noise like the one the small, little girl just bellowed from her gut.
"Holy shit. You weren't kidding when you said you were hungry."
"Uh-huh," Ellie simply responded as she frantically searched for the second can of food, her eyes not once looking up from the item.
She was hypnotized, unable to fully acknowledge anything else around her. It was all that mattered in that moment. Putting food in her stomach meant one thing and the most important thing of all, she would regain the energy she needed to find Joel.
Hurry, hurry, hurry - c'mon - eat up! There's no fucking time to waste!
This time, the more familiar flavor of peaches trickled over her taste buds and she again hastily shoveled every bite into her mouth. The meal, in which Katelyn originally thought would last for at least a few minutes, instead only survived a mere seconds.
Ellie wiped her mouth with a sleeve, smearing the remnants of the Spaghettio sauce across her cheeks. She dropped both hands, tilted her head back and let out a massive, elongated and exaggerated display of satisfaction.
"Aaaahhhhhhhhh... holy. Fuck. That... was awesome," she said, gazing up at the ceiling with a humongous, goofy grin.
Katelyn, sitting there stunned with her mouth agape at the sight, hadn't even taken her first bite yet. She cleared her throat and arched an eyebrow in a combination of shock and awe.
"What the - my god - holy shit kid," she finally said, they were the only words she could muster in that moment.
Ellie, with red sauce still covering her freckled cheeks, dropped her chin, causing her pony tail to bob in the setting sunlight. She met Katelyn's gaze and managed a small, impish smile.
Katelyn broke into another series of howling laughs at the sight, bringing a hand over her lips as she tried to refrain from embarrassing the little girl.
"Wha - what's so funny?" Ellie asked, suddenly feeling acutely self-conscious.
"It's... it's - " Katelyn tried to speak, but couldn't through her overpowering giggles.
"Seriously! Shut up! What the fuck's so funny!?"
"Okay, okay... okay - phew," Katelyn said, finishing with a deep breath as she collected herself.
"You just... you've got like - all of that Spaghettios' business up on your face right now," she finally said, struggling to hold back another snorting snicker.
In a frenzy, Ellie furiously and repeatedly wiped both sleeves across her cheeks, watching them collect more and more of the substance after each pass over.
Shit... yeah, yeah, yeah laugh it up.
"There - did I get all of it?" Ellie sharply asked, annoyed with the woman's playful tone.
"Yeah... okay - you're good now," Katelyn responded with a quick series of nods as she tried to refrain from unleashing another round of laughs.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to - I just... I haven't even taken a bite yet and you plowed through both of yours like they were nothing. You're a funny kid, how old are you?"
And as if she'd temporarily lowered her emotional defenses, Ellie parted her lips and nearly let the standard response roll off of her tongue. But she quickly caught herself and pulled away from another attempt by Katelyn to connect.
"Why?" she pointedly responded.
"Alright, alright - that's fine. I get it," Katelyn said with a sigh as she crossed both arms.
An awkward minute of silence fell between them while Katelyn slowly ate her meal. Ellie sat across from her, anxiously fidgeting every few seconds as she waited for the woman to finish eating.
Now that she'd satisfied the raging hunger within her stomach, the only thing that populated each and every thought was Joel. Every second that went by seemed to cause the taunting voice in the back of her mind to speak louder. It tormented her, hissing in her ear as it tried to make her forfeit and admit defeat.
It had only been a few minutes since she finished eating, but impatience was already settling in. She yearned to find him. She had to.
C'mon, c'mon - hurry the fuck up you slow poke.
Katelyn, clearly taking her time, gently set down her can of Spaghettios onto the floor and took a deep breath.
Ellie snorted in annoyance and jumped to her feet, frustrated with the woman's lack of urgency. She swooped an arm down to pick up the rifle and in a matter of seconds was already storming towards the front door.
"Hey, hey, hey! Wait! What the - where are you going!?" Katelyn shouted.
Ellie stopped and turned around, glaring at her with an intimidating stare.
Where the fuck do you think I'm going?
"To find him - where the fuck else? You obviously don't seem to care - taking your sweet ass time here. Thanks for the food and all but - bye-bye dude," she responded with a roll of the eyes.
Katelyn lunged forward and reached for Ellie's small hand. Her sudden movement startled the little girl, causing her to jolt backwards and rip it away.
"Just... wait! Please! They're gonna kill you! Just let me finish eating and I'll explain everything, I promise. Now that there's two of us, I have a plan. Please just hear me out - what's another five minutes?"
It's another five minutes I'm not with him.
"Auuuugggghh - oh my god - okay fine," Ellie reluctantly said as she heaved another sigh of frustration and impatience.
"You better hurry though - don't have all fucking day," she continued, lowering herself back to the floor.
"Alright, alright - man, you're pushy kid."
"Pssht - you haven't seen shit yet," Ellie bluntly responded.
A small smirk appeared over Katelyn's lips and she let out a muffled snicker.
"Guess not," she said.
As Katelyn finished eating, this time making an effort to be hasty, Ellie sat cross-legged with her chin propped up on a palm, fiddling with her switchblade in her other hand. For minutes, while absentmindedly staring at the floor, she popped the blade in and out of its holster, twirled it around her fingers and spun it across her palm. Like she was born with the natural ability to nimbly handle it. All the while feeling the watchful eyes of Katelyn taking note of each of her motions, sounds and sudden twitches from the growing level of impatience that was visibly noticeable.
"I wanna go home," she accidentally muttered with a sigh, thinking she kept it locked away in her head.
"Where's home?" Katelyn asked, hearing Ellie's words.
The realization that she'd been caught caused Ellie to jerk her head up and clear her throat, feeling as if Katelyn somehow broke into her thoughts uninvited.
Joel.
"Oh - shit... umm - nowhere," she lied.
"Uh-huh, alright," Katelyn replied unconvinced.
Ellie snapped her switchblade into its holster and glared back at her, not amused by her response.
"Are you done yet?" she asked with a sharp tone.
"Almost - one more bite."
Katelyn shoveled the last, large clump of peaches into her mouth.
"Okay - now I'm vone," she tried to say with a mouthful of her own.
"About damn time - my god."
"Not everyone inhales their food like damn Shop-Vac - hush child," Katelyn responded.
A perplexed look washed across Ellie's face.
"A what now? What the fuck's a Shop... whatever the hell you just said?" she asked.
Katelyn laughed as she wiped her mouth with a sleeve.
"Right... figures - never mind, it doesn't matter."
"Okay - great, now c'mon, let's do this - time's wasting!" Ellie snapped as she rose to her feet once more.
Katelyn reached out and gently pulled her back down.
"Wait, wait, wait - just wait. Would you please fucking wait and listen to me for one minute?" Katelyn asked, this time finally showing a degree of stern confidence.
Don't wait - Joel needs you - go find him. But... gah - ugh... maybe she will be of help. Just listen to her Ellie.
"Fine."
"Thank you - Jesus," Katelyn said with a roll of the eyes.
"Pfft - whatever," Ellie said, again crossing her arms.
"Look, I know where they're holding them - my husband and your... whoever he was."
My only reason for fucking living. At least she apparently knows where.
"They're in what used to be the city hall - that's where they all shack up," Katelyn continued.
"Alright, is it far?"
"No - less than a mile and a few blocks that way... there's only about nine of 'em or so... I think."
Ellie furrowed her brow in skepticism.
"How the hell do you know that?" she asked pointedly.
"I just do. I had... let's just say a massive stroke of luck when I found this place - with the bomb shelter and all. It hadn't been cleaned out, so I've been hiding here ever since. I watch them go by - on the road out there - everyday. I've counted each time and I only come up with nine," Katelyn pressed on as she pointed out the window.
Ellie sighed and adjusted her pony tail.
"Hope you're right."
"Yeah - well, I think there used to be ten, but I remember watching one of the younger guys playing with his pistol and umm... ya know - shooting himself in the face like a moron," Katelyn continued.
Her blunt delivery of the morbid description pulled a smile across Ellie's cheeks and even a small laugh.
"Hah... that's awesome. Fucking dumb ass," she said through a series of chuckles.
"Yep," Katelyn said with pride, happy that she evoked a smile and laugh from the little girl.
She cleared her throat then continued.
"But, early in the morning - around sunrise - four of 'em head outta own on a big ass truck. I know because I hear the damn thing every time it goes by - wakes me up without fail."
"Really? Huh - alright, how long are they gone?" Ellie said.
"Well... it's never always the same - but usually an hour or two."
"Hmm - okay."
"Yep - and that's... that's our window. I've been planning this for an entire week now and you couldn't have arrived at a better time. You seem like you can handle yourself so now I've got more firepower! You can help - I mean -" she paused and ran a hand through her hair.
"You'll - you'll help right? We're both looking for the same thing... I think... right?" she finished, a look of desperation across her face.
No shit. I'll do it myself if I have to - I'm not leaving him.
"Duh."
Katelyn smiled.
"Good."
Then suddenly, a realization hit Ellie like a ton of bricks. She knew what Katelyn was implying, and that was to wait until dawn of the next morning to execute their attack plan. It meant spending an entire night without Joel, the one thing that gave her the necessary peace, comfort and warmth to sleep soundly. Moreover, the thought of even trying to fall asleep while knowing he was in the captivity of cruel Hunters seemed impossible.
She heaved a sigh and bit her lip.
"So we have to wait?" she asked, pain and reluctance behind every word.
"Yes - we have to. It's the only way. Come sunrise, we do it."
Fuck. This is gonna be one long, stupid night.
"Alright - this better fucking work."
"It'll work... it has to work."
"So old man - where the fuck is she? We all saw that tasty, little treat with you - no point in lyin' to us. C'mon, give it up."
Joel sat in a chair, hands tied behind his back and feet bound together with blood dripping from his lips. He was bound and trapped in a dimly lit room with three Hunters standing before him. To his left sat another man, who appeared to be only a few years younger than him, tied in a chair as well. He looked frail, hungry and thirsty as could be and was only barely able to lift his head to observe the spectacle of Joel's interrogation. The look in his eyes, in a strange way, emitted a sense of relief, now knowing he wasn't the only prisoner in captivity of the Hunters.
Joel's ribs and chest ached from being repeatedly kicked by his captors. The feverish symptoms that plagued him hours ago were only beginning to wane but he remained shivering and feeling like death. Sweat continued to seep from his pores, covering his skin in a slimy, clammy film. The vomiting had ceased, but his stomach still felt queasy and the thought of food, even water, made him feel sicker.
But he had to hang on. Despite feeling utterly desperate and hopeless in this moment, he had to fight. He had to get out. He needed to escape. Ellie, his little girl and purpose, needed him to find her. An unexpected and cruel ending of his life would only mean one thing for her.
And he knew it.
"I said where!" the Hunter screamed, smacking Joel in the face.
His head spun to the left and he spat out a gelatinous ball of blood and spit onto the floor.
"Fuck you," he barked back.
The Hunter dropped his head and heaved a sigh. They'd been at this for almost an hour and their prisoner refused to budge. He turned his head and spoke to one of his cronies.
"Stubborn this one is huh?"
"Sure is."
Joel gritted his teeth in anger, leering at the three men with seething hatred shooting from his eyes.
The things I'd do to you fuckin' pieces of shit.
"Let's try this again. That little girl of yours - where is she!?" the lead Hunter asked, his voice rising in volume as his frustration began to show.
"Ain't tellin' you shit asshole," Joel bluntly responded.
To Joel's surprise, another Hunter strutted into the room holding a bucket filled with cold water. He walked over to Joel and in one motion turned it upside down over his head, dumping the freezing, cold liquid over him.
It hurt. It stung. It rattled his every nerve as the ice-cold water flowed down his head, matting his hair and dripping onto his shoulders, arms and legs. But it felt good. And it temporarily pushed aside the harrowing discomfort of his ailing body.
"What the - what in god's name are you doin'!?" the lead Hunter spat.
The young man who dumped the bucket of water over Joel's head took a step back and tossed it aside.
"He... he wasn't talkin' so I figured ya know - "
"He ain't unconscious or asleep you fuckin' dumb ass! Jesus - the hell you doin' wastin' water like that? Goddammit Ricky - get the fuck outta here before I smack the shit outta you."
"But I thought - "
"No, you didn't think, that's the goddamn problem - you ain't usin' your fuckin' head like we talked about! Go on - scat!"
Ricky sighed.
"Fine - fuck this," he said, waving a hand in the air behind him as he walked out.
"Damn young ones man... I tell ya - shit," the lead Hunter said.
His other two men snickered to themselves, seemingly finding enjoyment out of the entire ordeal.
As the three Hunters talked among themselves, Joel retreated into his own head, his mind and thoughts eventually centering around one thing and one thing only.
Goddammit - fuckin'... she's out there - alone. I know the girl can handle herself but shit - she's out lookin' for me. Hope she found somethin' to eat... fuck - what if she's passed out somewhere? Shit! No... she found food. I know she did - she had to. Think positive for once you pessimistic ass. Fuckin' hell... I know you're out there tryin' to find me Ellie - be smart about it girl - please baby.
He fidgeted in his seat in anger, drawing the ire of the three Hunters.
The one who was heading the interrogation punched him in the jaw again, causing him to let out a pain filled grunt.
"You're a fucking waste of life you know that?" Joel hissed, snarling at the man as he slowly brought his head back around.
Ironic comin' from you.
"Depends on your perspective - now where were we... right! That girl of yours - still ain't gonna talk?"
Joel simply stared at him, breathing heavily and gritting his teeth. He imagined what he would do to this man if he even laid a finger on Ellie, his little girl. Thinking of him even picking up a fallen strand of her hair filled him with protective rage, vexation and wrath. Picturing the Hunters' demise was the only thing bringing him solace in this moment of helplessness.
"Stopped speakin' entirely huh? How about now!?" the Hunter yelled, punching him in the jaw once again, this time with more force.
Sill, he remained vigilant. He wouldn't dare give up his little girl and purpose.
"C'mon Greg - we've been at this for a fucking hour now. Piece of shit's not gonna talk - wait until tomorrow when he's thirsty and starving - then we'll see what's up," the Hunter to Joel's left said.
Greg sighed and rested a hand on Joel's shoulder.
"Fine."
His gaze returned to Joel's eyes.
"But tomorrow - you don't tell me where that little treat of yours ran off to - I'm'a start cuttin' things off - things you really don't want me goin' near. Understand?"
Joel ground his molars, to the point of cracking them as he glowered at the three men. The grinding of his teeth could be heard from anywhere within the room. Then, without hesitation he spat in Greg's face.
Greg jolted backwards and wiped his cheek with a sleeve.
"You'll regret that tomorrow - I swear it - scouts honor. And by the way - when we find her, and believe me, we'll find her - I'm makin' you watch."
I swear to god I'm gonna... you - FUCK!
Greg's words nearly crumbled him into a pile of tiny pebbles. They only reminded him of his nightmare, and the rage that was stewing inside of him pounded behind his rib cage, screaming to be let free. All he could think about was beating the man to a pulp and hanging him by his entrails. He hated everything in this moment, everything but Ellie, of course. He even hated himself, feeling somehow responsible for getting sick.
As Greg and his two cronies made their way out, Joel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, as his mind shifted from the interrogation back to his malady, he felt his body warming up. The cold sweat that once encased his skin, started to dry and the feverish shivers and shakes ceased. He was no longer freezing and instead felt unbearably hot. He wanted to peel off all of his clothes and jump into a tub of ice, an ironic and stark contrast to how he felt mere hours ago. His head no longer hurt and the sickly ache in his muscles was quickly dissipating. The worst of the fever passed and it was finally, mercifully, breaking.
Thank you god - reckon that shit was gettin' real old real fast. C'mon Ellie - I know you're out there - c'mon baby girl. Please don't let harm come to her, please, please, please. We need ya here Ellie - more than ever.
"Uuuuuggghhhh - is it morning yet!?" Ellie shouted with a groan as she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling.
Katelyn sat against the wall, cleaning her pistol and taking stock of their ammo and supplies.
"Nope - at least another ten hours... at least."
Ellie blew a raspberry then hoisted herself up, resting on her elbows.
"Let's go now - c'mon - we can take 'em. I'm a pretty fucking awesome shot I'll have you know."
Katelyn gave her a sideways glance with a smirk, hardly acknowledging the plead as she cleaned the barrel of her pistol.
Ellie rose to her feet and began anxiously pacing.
What if we're taking too long. Is he still that fucking sick? We have to go - I have to find him. I can't wait around like this. What if... what if he's gone... no, stop! Don't say that! You're gonna find him, you will. You have to.
"You know - you might wanna sit down and conserve some energy. Pacing back and forth - looking like a weirdo - isn't gonna help," Katelyn said, this time acknowledging Ellie's neurotic behavior.
Katelyn watched the little girl anxiously pace around the room, completely ignoring her advice. It were as if in this moment she didn't exist and she only heard Ellie softly mumbling to herself, the words barely audible. All she could make out was the constant repetition of a name, Joel, mutterings of the statement 'I'm coming' and zealous, desperate pleads to someone, she didn't even know who.
"Who - who are you talking to?" Katelyn finally asked, hoping to rope the little, auburn haired girl out of her high-strung state.
Ellie's pacing temporarily ceased and she perked her head up.
"Huh? Oh - no one... whoever's listening I guess," she replied with a light shake of the head before resuming her frantic pacing.
Her heart started to race. The more she thought about the Hunters carrying Joel down the road and away from her, the more tense and nervous she got. Each second that went by felt like a second wasted and every fiber of her being was tempted to dart through the door, throwing all caution and Katelyn's plans to the wind.
Joel, her reason for living and most important thing in the universe, called to her. The thoughts usurped her mind, to the point where she felt she was no longer in control.
Please be there tomorrow... alive - please, please, please. I don't know what I would do if... oh god.
"He's okay, he's okay - you're gonna find him - you'll be home soon," Ellie whispered to herself, again absentmindedly letting her thoughts audibly slip through the barrier of her lips.
She brought a hand to her mouth and began nervously biting her fingernails while continuing to pace.
Fuuuucccckkk! C'mon! This is taking way too long! Why won't morning just get here already!
"How much longer!? Until morning!?" she stammered, making eye contact with Katelyn for the first time in hours.
She nearly forgot the woman was even present.
"Are... are you serious?"
"Yes I'm serious!"
"Jesus... alright, alright. Well - it's only been about fifteen minutes since I last told you... soooo I guess nine hours and forty five minutes?" Katelyn responded with an antagonizing tone yet confused expression.
Seeing Ellie's behavior and watching her lose her composure, was showing Katelyn just how important the man she witnessed being carried off was to this little girl.
Ellie uncorked another exasperated groan and plopped back down on the floor, flopping herself against the wall like a limp, rag-doll.
"There we are - all done - should be good - we got plenty of rounds," Katelyn said, sliding a magazine of ammo into her pistol.
Ellie tilted her head towards Katelyn, letting the back of it roll against the wall as a slight frown fell across her lips.
"This blows," she bluntly said.
Katelyn snickered.
"Tssht - you've been here for only a few hours - try being here for a week then come talk to me."
Wow - I don't even wanna think about that. Fuck. That.
Ellie sighed and brought both hands to her face, wallowing in the absence of her purpose.
Katelyn stood up and cautiously walked over to sit next to her. It was the closest she'd gotten to her yet.
"Look, just... try and get some sleep. We're gonna need the rest and it will make this... ya know - go by quicker," Katelyn said, gently patting Ellie on the shoulder.
Ellie flinched from the contact and darted her head around, only to find Katelyn sitting adjacent to her with a hand on her shoulder. Annoyed with herself for letting the woman get so close, she wrinkled her nose, but also enjoyed the company at the same time. Without voicing a response, she simply drooped her head and stared at the ground, letting out a small sniffle in the process. And for the first time since meeting, Katelyn witnessed a sliver of vulnerability from the little girl.
"It's gonna be fine... it will - it has to be. I miss my husband to death and this can't - " she paused, forcing herself to prevent her eyes from welling with tears.
"This can't be the end. It just can't be," she finished.
Ellie sniffled again and wiped both eyes, doing her best to hide their crystallizing glaze.
"Your husband - what's his name?" she softly asked, her empty yet focused stare never leaving the floor.
Katelyn smiled, hearing the first fragment of compassion from this little girl who'd become her only point of human contact for over a week.
"Blake. We met years ago - before everything went to hell. I... I love him more than anything."
A small smile peeled back the frown that was across Ellie's face.
I know what you mean.
"Joel," she peeped.
"What?" Katelyn asked, squinting her eyes as she strained to hear Ellie's words.
"His name - it's Joel," Ellie replied, again wiping her cheek with a sleeve as she stared at the floor between her knees.
Katelyn let out a small, light laugh.
"I know."
"Huh?" Ellie immediately replied, turning her head towards the woman.
"Well... I just sorta figured - I mean, you've said his name like... a thousand times already."
Shit - didn't even notice.
"Pssht - nuh-uh, no I haven't... whatever," Ellie said, trying to act aloof.
Not wanting to press further and step over her bounds, Katelyn let out a deep breath and rose to her feet once more.
"Alright, well - think I'm gonna lie down and catch some Z's. You should too, gonna need the rest," she said.
Couldn't fall asleep even if I wanted to.
"Tssht - yeah we'll see."
Katelyn slowly walked away to the rear room, glancing over her shoulder every other step to see if Ellie would follow suit and drift off to sleep like she said. But, upon pulling a blanket over herself, the redheaded girl remained on the floor, staring out the window into the twilight sky.
Seconds turned into minutes, which then phased into hours as Ellie, anxious, nervous and queasy as could be, sat on the floor of the store, staring into the night sky. She painstakingly watched the moon crawl along its path in the star speckled, dark, velvety blanket that towered above her. She never once tried to fall asleep, she couldn't fall asleep even if she happened to be dying from exhaustion.
An unknown number of hours passed, she was completely oblivious to the current time and only knew that the moon shifted a few more inches to the left since the last time she looked.
Dawn, morning, the sunrise, Joel, it was all she could think about. It was all she wanted.
She reached into her rear pocket and pulled out the picture that Maria took of them on her birthday in July. She unfolded it and gently rubbed a finger over its surface, hoping she could somehow feel the texture of his hair through the wrinkled photo. Seeing it again sent a tickle of warmth through her, but also caused her heartache. Looking at the massive grins across both of their cheeks, while she was propped up on his back and resting her chin on his shoulder, formed a shallow pool of tears in her eyes.
She stared at it for minutes, the moonlight illuminating it just enough. In this moment, the moon, night sky and photo were the only points of interest. The silent, lonesome hours of the late, late night or early, early morning she didn't even know, felt crushing. She missed him, dearly. Being separated from him for so long only reminded her of how dependent on him she was.
She was right - this can't be the end. After everything we've been through - that we've done - that I've done - this can't be it. I'm gonna find you. I have to.
She felt the tears from her eyes trickle down her cheeks as she stared deeply into the picture, fondly remembering that day with him, Tommy and Maria. It reminded her that home was no longer Jackson. Home merely resided in the same location as her purpose, where ever he was. He was her home.
She lifted her head, propping her chin on a palm as she pulled her gaze back into night sky and heaved a sigh.
"I'm coming - hang in there," she whispered to herself.
Then, she felt another gentle touch on her shoulder coupled with the newly familiar voice of Katelyn. This time, the woman only startled her slightly and her tense muscles vibrated in unison with a small twitch.
"Can't sleep?" Katelyn softly asked.
Ellie sighed again and looked back down at the photo.
"Haven't even tried," she muttered.
Katelyn sat down next to her and stole a peak at the picture.
"Don't you think you should at least... try? You look beat - exhausted," she continued.
Ellie remained focused on the photo, gently gliding a small finger over its surface and around its edges.
"I can't... knowing he's... ugh - out there," she softly and reluctantly said.
It was another sliver of vulnerability slipping through the cracks of her hardened, defensive shell. Though, in this moment she was too tired and cared too little to hold it back.
Katelyn brought both knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them then shifted closer to Ellie.
"That him?" she asked, peering over Ellie's shoulder and nodding towards the photo.
Ellie cracked a sheepish smile.
"Yeah - he's... he's my dad," she said with a sniffle.
"Adorable picture - when and where?"
Ellie wiped her eyes.
"Late July - was my birthday," she said, pausing before revealing the where.
Katelyn let it slide, accepting the guarded, little girl's half-response as a small, moment of victory.
"He do something special for you?"
Ellie smiled and let out a light, airy peep of a snicker.
"Yeah - yeah he did. It was awesome."
First real birthday I ever fucking had. Uuuuuggghhhh - god I miss you... I don't know how much longer I can just sit here and wait.
"Well - he loves you very much. I can tell just by the smile on his face and that picture there. I'm sure he's a wonderful dad."
Ellie's lips trembled and she couldn't help but unleash a pained whimper, no matter how hard she tried to hold it back.
"Yeah," was all she could say with a slight nod of the head.
Katelyn joined Ellie in gazing at the moon before continuing.
"You know... I know what it's like," she said.
"Know what's like?" Ellie asked with a furrowed brow, her gaze never leaving the glowing, blue orb that brightly shined in the sky.
"To love something... more than life itself. Blake... he's - he's the only thing that makes this shitty world worth living in."
Ellie awkwardly fidgeted and adjusted her posture, feeling as if this woman, who she barely knew, already could see through her. Like she was actually witnessing the cord, that tied her and Joel at the hip, becoming more and more taught. It were as if she could see the pain and torture that being torn away from him was inflicting on her.
"Huh?" she finally peeped.
"It's obvious - how important he is to you - how much you love him. It's written all over you."
The tiniest of grins took shape across Ellie's lips, feeling embarrassed but also, in the strangest of ways, good, that the bond she'd formed with Joel was so strong, other's could sense it even if he wasn't nearby.
Are you that shitty at hiding it Ellie? Guess you are... I mean - you were sitting here in the dark, by yourself, when you're supposed to be sleeping, staring at the moon and counting down the seconds until dawn like a psycho. Oh well - fuck it, I don't care one bit.
"Yeah, I... I can't... I can't live without him," she quietly said, unwilling to restrain the words from escaping her lips.
It felt strange to admit it out loud to a stranger, but also oddly relieving.
"I know. He's your reason to fight."
That word, fight, struck a chord within her and she felt a renewed sense of strength. She thought, for just a second, that Riley had temporarily seized control of Katelyn's body and was providing her with the support and motivation she so desperately needed in this moment of dire hopelessness.
He was her reason to fight, like she'd been for him all this time. She wasn't going to lose her purpose again. She refused to lose that which mattered most.
She glanced back down at the photo and smiled.
I'm coming - just a few more hours. I will not fucking lose you.
AN: Okay, sorry for another cliffhanger (sort of). *ducks and hides* I didn't mean to, really! When I wrote this chapter, it quickly spiraled into 8,600 words or whatever... so I figured this was another good stopping point.
What is Ellie going to do if/when their reunification happens? This chapter was a bit tricky to write, but it was also interesting because we get to see the level of attachment and reliance that these two have on each other from a different perspective, IE: being separated. As I said in chapter one: codependency, like... big time.