Chapter Twenty-five:

Out of Gas

*Nick*

When I awoke that morning, I noticed Ellie wasn't in her bed. Concerned because she usually was the latest sleeper, I went up on deck and noticed Virgil and her sitting and talking on the front of the boat, pointing at dark clouds that were swirling overhead. Slowly making my way closer to them, I noticed Ellie had her hair down across her shoulders, the wind blowing it every which way.

I tried hard not to look so closely at her as I neared.

"Hey", I said casually.

Ellie and Virgil both glanced at me.

"Howdy", Virgil said with a nod in my direction, "Sleep well?"

I nodded. "Yeah"

"If you're hungry", he said, "There is some fresh made bacon downstairs in the fridge. Me and this little lady here were near starving earlier."

I didn't say anything, as I turned around and headed back downstairs to wake Coach and Rochelle for breakfast.

*Ellie*

I watched Nick walk away and sighed as I turned back to look at the dark clouds forming above the boat. Virgil noticed my disappointment, but other than a small pat on my arm he mostly ignored it.

"See them clouds?" he said.

I nodded.

"They are storm clouds. No doubt we are going to get some nasty weather mighty soon."

"Will a boat like this be okay in a storm?" I asked.

Virgil shrugged.

"Depends on how bad the storm is little lady, if we…" he stopped when the boats engine began to sputter in and out. Dashing to the lower cabin and past the surprised looks of the others just getting up out of bed, he went to the engine room and sighed, resting his head against his arm as he looked down at the fuel tank.

"We are almost out of gas."

"Well that's just fantastic", muttered Nick as his foot collided with the wall in annoyance.

Virgil glared at him but didn't say anything as he passed.

"Is there any place we can pick up some gas?" I asked.

Virgil stopped and thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, down river just a ways is a peer that leads into a small industrial town. There are two gas stations not too far away. One is right near the peer and the other is across the sugar cane field. Hopefully the first one has what we need, but if not, that's where you're going to have to go."

"Can we get there with the gas we have right now?" asked Rochelle.

"Should be able to, but get ready fellas, you're about to have to face the wild again."

*Nick*

As we all prepared to shove off, I noticed Ellie having some trouble cleaning out her gun. Stepping over, I hesitated before offering my help.

"Need me to do that?"

She glanced up at me and shrugged.

"If you want to", she said.

I didn't say anything as I took the barrel out of her hands and began to clean it. I noticed she was watching me, though she didn't say anything as I finished and handed it back to her. She thanked me with a slight nod and then put it back together and walked past me without a glance back.

I didn't comment on it and followed her out as we jumped off the deck.

"Y'all signal me when you get the gas", Virgil yelled as he moved the boat away from the peer into the safety of the middle of the lake.

"Signal him with what?" I asked.

"The flare gun", said Ellie staring at me.

"What flare gun?"

"You didn't grab the flare gun?" she looked at me with disbelief.

Getting slightly defensive I took a step forward.

"I didn't see the flare gun Overalls", I yelled, "So sew me."

Ellie didn't say anything except glare at me as she turned around and walked away. I noticed Coach and Rochelle glare at me to and I just rolled my eyes muttering complaints as I followed after them.

*Ellie*

"That idiot," I muttered to myself as I stomped out of the first gas station and looked around. I noticed the sign saying 'Out of Gas' and sighed.

"Guess we go to the one across the sugar cane field."

The others nodded with evident displeasure.

As we started forward I noticed the rows of houses we were passing. They all looked real nice and I wondered what this place was like before the infection had hit.

"Ellie I hear a spitter", said Rochelle warning me.

A green gob of goo came out of nowhere right at me and I dodged to the left, barely escaping it before it would begin burning through my shoes into my feet.

Coach took aim and fired, killing it dead with one bullet.

"Nice Shot Coach", said Rochelle with a smile.

Coach winked and happily moved forward, whistling a happy familiar tune that made me smile.

As we passed a garage sale sign I noticed a small teddy bear to the right. The thing was dirty and wet from the past rain storms that had come through the area, but something about it made me smile.

When the others had moved past, I hesitated only a moment before stuffing the little bear into my bag. I just felt it would be nice to have something normal with me. Perhaps when I cleaned it up some, it would be a good little keep sake I could pass on to my own kids, if I ever became a mother.

"Ellie you're falling behind" Coach hollered and I quickly started rushing forward to catch up.

I was almost to them when I heard a familiar growl. I stopped, trying to listen for where it was coming from. Looking all around me, I noticed a shadow in the corner of my eye on the right. I spun around trying to shoot it before it pounced but I didn't even get a shot off when it landed on me, its nails about to tear into me.

I struggled, the rifle I held in my arms taking the damage that had been meant for me, but I knew I would be able to keep this up for long.

"H-help", I tried to yell out, but it didn't come out very strong.

Just when my strength wavered and I thought for sure it had me, a club came out of nowhere and smacked the thing off. I tried to see who had saved my life, but my vision was going dark. My head had smacked a rock when I had fallen and I hadn't noticed until now that the pain was excruciating, most likely because of the adrenaline I had been feeling.

"Hey", shouted a voice, "Hey!"

But I drifted off before I could respond to it.

*Nick*

"Ellie!" we yelled, but she didn't answer.

My heart was beginning to beat rapidly as we looked around for her and yelled out her name, but neither hide nor hair of her was found.

"Ellie answer us!" I yelled.

"Where could she have disappeared to?" asked Coach as we headed back the way we had come.

"Ellie!" we screamed.

"Nick!" yelled Rochelle sprinting to where a small puddle of blood was located just beside a downed hunter. My heart did a flip when I noticed it and immediately I began to think of the worst possible scenarios. Seems the others did as well because they began looking for her with much more gusto than before.

"Ellie!" I screamed as I headed towards the garage sale, "Overalls!"

A crash got my attention and I sprinted towards the house closest to me, my gun aimed and ready as I kicked open the door. I nearly dropped the cigarette out of my mouth as I gaped upon what I had found.

Standing there staring back at me were four other survivors, theirs guns pointed and prepped as they took aim at my head.

"Who the hell are you son?" asked the older man, his eyes showing he clearly meant business.

I swallowed nervously and raised my hands, hoping they wouldn't just go ahead and shoot me.

"Uh, hi there" I said as my eyes met the barrel of an automatic shotgun.