WINTER
"Come on!" Josh commanded as he crawled through the bottom half of the broken glass doorway, being led to the inside of a former establishment.
Erlina ran in after him, being just as careful as her boots crunched on the shards of glass. She almost slipped but Josh managed to grab hold of her arm before she could fully plant the floor. Standing upright, they both immediately jumped to the sides and remained hidden by the edges of the doorway. While catching his breath, he peeked around the corner and looked through to the outside. He heard constant snarls and screams, seeing about three Runners restlessly sprint past their location. They both had the blizzard to thank for that.
"That was close," Erlina let out a huge breath, almost as if she was holding it the entire time.
"Too early to say if we're safe though," he said, pushing himself off from the doorway, "God, I hate winter," he complained, strolling further into the store.
Josh placed his hands in the pockets of his navy pea coat. It was a nice fitted, but was about a size larger and wasn't in the best condition, having minor tears in some places. In the end, it was just enough to keep him warm and cozy throughout the harsh winters. He also managed to find himself some burgundy-colored pants. And to protect his head, he wore a grey beanie.
Erlina wore a fitted dark green parka that reached her thighs, so it was both long and warm enough. She wore her favorite black jeans and a pair of black high-top shoes. The infamous braids remained in her hair, this time left to flow freely. But since they were something that was in need of attention, they were overdue of retouching.
They were both pretty full from their last meal. In fact, so full that the constant running almost made them nauseous. Josh wasn't the best cook when it came to gutting animals, but he was taught a thing or two by the quarantine zones and by his mother. Then again, almost everyone depended on full cans of preservatives to keep them energized. Erlina did most of the hunting when it came to fresh food and she was becoming a prodigy with the way she handed her bow. Her timing and aim had such perfection that Josh bet she could hit a target with her eyes closed. Thanks to her, he and Erlina each managed to eat two cooked squirrels shortly before they were ambushed by a group of Runners that managed to wander into their camp.
Josh toggled on the angle-head flashlights that were recently acquired from some corpses discovered in a public restroom. He had it strapped to his backpack's shoulder straps to easily assist him, eventually beginging to exploring the premises. Erlina did the same, careful not to stray too far.
"Hey," Josh looked over his shoulder, waiting for his younger cousin to return the gaze, "I found three pairs of socks," Josh celebrated, picking up an already opened package on the floor.
Reading the label, it was supposed to come with eight pairs, but it was better than nothing. Despite it being something long overdue, it still felt as if it was a godsend. So Josh and Erlina doubled up their socks and Erlina took the responsibility of holding the last pair in her empty bag. Thoroughly scavenging the rest of the store, they found nothing but trash and worthless items.
As Erlina walked off a little more to do her own searching, she opened a dirty door that led elsewhere. As she curiously opened the faulty wooden door, a male Runner took her by surprise. They turned their head and examined Erlina before springing towards her. It charged at her as she quickly backed away. Losing her footing after stepping over a slight incline, she tripped and fell backward. The Runner attempted to land on top of her but Josh surged in from the sidelines the minute he heard the predicament and pulled the Runner away by the scalp. Using both hands and all of his upper body strength, he consistently hammered the eager Infected's face into the sharp edge of a stainless steel shelf nearby. The now visually impaired Runner fell but and proceeded with what it was brainwashed to accomplish. With height being somewhat of an advantage, Josh got behind the Runner and attempted to choke it until it was either unconscious or dead, but all it did was further enrage the Runner. The Runner easily gained control—something Josh had difficulty with when it came to Infected being more brute than him. It would attempt to move about, either dragging Josh with it or slamming his back against shelves and windows. Having no other choice, Josh quickly adjusted his hands around the Runner's face and snapped its neck with all his might. It may have looked simple, but breaking bones was a hard feat and it didn't always go as planned when it came to dealing with them without weapons.
Erlina remained on the floor and watched as her cousin came to her rescue, astonished by how much of a close call it was for the both of them. Believe it or not, they had many of these within the last few weeks and it seemed to only be a result of ultimately feeling like giving up. They were becoming careless and although Josh never talked about it, she knew he shared the same feelings.
Momentarily, he slightly hunched himself over and rested his palms on his knees. He then quickly walked over to Erlina and stuck a hand out,
"Come on," he easily pulled her up as she held his hand. Pulling her close to his side he walked in unison with her, "Let's get out of here."
After a few minutes, the two were back to being outside and traveled to a woodsy area they were familiar with. However, they took a different route not too far off from their usual one. They knew Infected weren't capable of any navigational techniques but they just didn't want to take any chances. They strolled through the evergreens as if it was a labyrinth and Erlina remained close behind. That's when she bumped into his shoulder due to a sudden stop,
"Sorry," she apologized.
"Erlina, look," Josh told her.
She looked away from the apparent smile on his face and saw an intact, two-story cabin they had never come across until now. It wasn't all big—probably made for just one or two persons, but it was decent-looking. Erlina's face, as well as her cousin's, lit up. They continued trucking through the snow and once they both reached the front door, there had been signs that it was previously broken into. Fully opening the door with little to no effort, the first thing they noticed was the cleanliness, and by cleanliness, they meant no spores. Everything else, in particular, wasn't in the best shape. Given that it was randomly out in the middle of a forest, it was no surprise that nature took it course and that the place smelled like a farm.
"Thank goodness, it's got a fireplace," Josh said, taking notice of it on the far end of the room.
Erlina wandered further into the house and made her way into the kitchen. It looked like the only place so far that wasn't in such a terrible condition minus the dirty floors and chipped paint due to rotting walls. She stopped as she heard a loud crunch underneath her feet. Taking a look, there appeared to be broken cups and plates on the floor. Taking a closer look, she noticed that the marks on the floors were both dirty and bloody shoe prints. After informing her older cousin of the subtle blood, both of their guards immediately went up. Next, the both of them made their way up the stairs like they were either house inspectors or buyers looking for a proper home, and although the requirements were far from what they were looking for, beggars couldn't be choosers.
As the teen scoured the house with a pistol, he concluded that they were safe and alone for the time being. There were three small rooms, one being a bathroom, but the house was basically stripped clean—not a single sheet, pillow, or any kind of fabric was in sight. Thankfully, the mattress was all that was left.
Besides that, something Erlina took interest in was a shelf with a reasonable amount of books. As much as Erlina thought it would be a great idea to sleep separately, Josh just couldn't allow it. If something were to happen to either of them, they needed to be together to face it. Especially considering what happened the last time they split apart for only a few minutes. For lookout purposes, Josh chose the room that gave the best view to anyone incoming from the outside. Thankfully, the windows upstairs were the only windows to stay intact.
Now, it was time to get settled. Both relatives went downstairs and shoved the tattered sofa in front of the door to avoid anyone or anything from barging in. The atmosphere, at the moment, gave them a sense of peace, and it was so relieving to be in a quiet place so far out from town. Lastly, there was a room that Josh had yet to get past and there was a strange aroma coming from the spaces underneath the door,
"Do you smell that?" Josh asked, making an upset face at his cousin.
She nodded,
"I think it's coming from there," Erlina theorized, pointing out one of the doors the two had yet to open.
Inching closer to the door, Josh touched the doorknob. Before turning it, his eyes were caught by more blood-stained prints. First, it was the kitchen and now it was this closed-off bedroom. He turned over to Erlina who stood far behind in case anything went awry. Closing his eyes and giving a deep exhale, he turned the knob and shoved aside whatever object was behind it. To their surprise, Josh and Erlina witnessed a corpse sitting slouched on the bed. From the looks of its deterioration, it had probably been months. Even Erlina, who wasn't within a foot, became upset from both the appearance and smell. Then again, it was welcomed to stay as long as it wasn't someone or something that could bother them. So, Josh reached back inside the room to pull the door shut.
A few days later and the snowfall had finally let down. Due to a Runner managing to find the cabin one night, Josh and Erlina happened to barricade the door further. Before it could alert the other Infected in the region, Josh and Erlina had to silently take it out.
That afternoon, Josh was in the bedroom with Erlina. They'd both gotten enough sleep to last them through the whole day, which was a major first. Despite always being together, being on the run all the time deprived them of time to talk and catch up with one another. Now, they were given the chance to do so and that was exciting to them. Erlina sat in the corner of the room, reading a science book on biochemistry—something that Josh found extremely bizarre. Then again, he understood the curiosity since he often felt that way too,
"I know you don't like me talking about it," Erlina started, "but I think you, me, and Aunt Pam could've stayed here..." she expressed.
Josh gave a deep breath. He hadn't spoken about his mother in a while but he knew it wasn't healthy to ignore it. So for the sake of the bonding moment at hand, he let loose,
"Yeah," he said resting his head on the side of the bed as he sat on the floor as well. He straightened out one leg.
"...and my dad," she added.
Now, she was only twelve years old, and she probably felt cursed having to live in a universe like this. She'd give anything just to have a normal family again. But, with the way she was raised by both her cousin and aunt, she knew she couldn't let things hold her back.
Josh reached over and placed his palm over hers in an empathetic manner. He thought about how much she was holding in and realized that this was actually one of the few times she could express herself without ever having to wait for the "right time". Erlina scooted closer to her older cousin and rested her head on his shoulder. She began sniffling and rubbed her premature tears away. Josh raised one arm and wrapped Erlina tightly underneath.
"I really hope Aunt Pam's okay," her voice cracked.
As much as Josh wanted to express the same feeling he knew he was going to break down. She was his mother for Christ's sake and Erlina could tell he was stifling back emotion that had been building up for months.
"Hey…" Josh sat up straight and removed his arm. Erlina sat erect and they looked at one another, "Look, you've got to believe we're going to find her. Even if it's ten years from now, we're going to. I know that's not what you want to hear, but we've got to keep an open mind in all of this, okay?" he said, almost as if he believed it. She turned away, finding such a belief nothing more than a mere fantasy. His eyes shifted as well, "My mom is just as good at surviving like we are. And I can feel it in me that she's alive," he said placing his hand on his chest, "and the only way I can make it through this is with you, but you've got to promise me not to give up okay?" He was quite relieved to get a nod from her, "Come here," he said standing up and pulling her into a full embracement.
After a long, warm hug, she had calmed down. From the time she last saw her father to now, she thought about everything she had to go through. Josh was the closest thing to a brother she's ever had and she was unsure how things would've been if she didn't have him around. No longer feeling down in the dumps, she picked herself up and walked back to where she previously sat.
As they both exchanged a pair of nods as an affirmation that things were feeling less bleak, they both heard some loud sounds coming from downstairs.
They instantly jumped into action, careful not to make a peep. Erlina reached over and grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows leaning nearby in the corner. Arming himself with a handgun, Josh cautiously approached the stairs, careful not to fully expose himself seeing that its path led towards the exit if he went down any further. So if he wasn't careful enough, whoever would be coming in could possibly see him.
"Infected?" Erlina whispered. Looking up at him and understanding his hesitancy to speak, she received a shrug, "Then what?"
"Might be that group we overheard talking about wanting to kill some girl and old man?" he looked over, "Maybe they tracked us?"
Immediately, another set of loud noises were heard coming from downstairs and it sounded exactly like furniture was being shoved. Paying close attention, there was only one object that the cousins could recall—the sofa that barricaded the entrance. As far as they knew, Infected weren't capable of that sort of rationale.
Josh advised his cousin to stay back until he dealt with whatever stranger had barged into their territory.
He kept both hands clutched around the grip and trigger of his handgun and kept it pointed at the ground until anything threatening provoked him to do otherwise. His back remained pressed against the wall as he carefully took slow, steady steps that descended him towards the lower levels. Pausing every now and then due to the steps making low creaks, Josh was now at a point where he could visualize the open doorway. To his dismay, the door was left ajar, only for the hardening winds to blow it open even wider—a flurry of snow was blown in from the whistling forest, almost like it was whispering threats. As Josh looked closer, he could make out a pair of snow prints that neither belonged to him or his twelve-year-old cousin.
Josh froze in fear. It had been a while since they interacted with other people and they had done their best to avoid other groups the whole way there.
After that, he heard a single voice, one that sounded like an older male. Not to be prejudiced, but older men usually showed themselves to be the most brutal, and Josh wasn't going to have another come anywhere near his younger cousin. He looked back up and mouthed words telling her to stay back even further than she already did. Finally making it to the main floor, he crouched, hearing loud and obnoxious shuffling from the kitchen. He heard drawers being slammed and cabinets being opened and thoroughly searched. Now having a chance to peer around the corner of a wall, Josh peeked inside the kitchen to see a built man with his back turned. This man, however, screamed a threat—having multiple weapons that ranged from a handgun, a shotgun, and a reinforced bat with nails.
There wasn't much time to think long, but he certainly thought hard about what to do next. He couldn't just wait it out because there was a possibility the man would never leave. Also, Erlina and Josh were far too settled to just abandon such a place. But given the fact that he was an unsuspecting man who was alone, he was sure he and Erlina could handle him. So, he took a deep breath, put his finger on the trigger, and calmly walked out from the shadows,
"Get out," Josh demanded sternly with his pistol pointed, "Try anything funny and I'll shoot."
Just as expected, the man paused and sighed to himself,
"Look," he revealed a deep southern accent, "I was just passing through, I don't want any trouble," he claimed. It was almost instinctual to instantly raise the white flag and show you wanted no feuds—even if it was far from the truth. So that's exactly what this stranger did. He raised his palms, showing empty hands, and turned around to face the young brown-skinned boy. From what Josh could make out, he looked much older than expected, but considering how often people were stressed on a daily basis, it made sense. He was the epitome of "dark and mysterious", having short dark brown hair, a beard, and dark brown eyes. The stranger's feelings were unknown at the moment but Josh was often irritated by the fact that he couldn't strike fear into others as they did him. That's when the older gentleman took a step forward,
"Wait," Josh nervously inched a step back, "Did you take anything?" he asked, briefly scanning the man with his handgun.
The older man paused, keeping a calm demeanor despite having a gun shoved in his face,
"Listen, here, son. I'm not in the mood right now and I don't have time for this," the older man said, trying to sound as gentle as ever, "I'm leaving like you asked. Now, let me go."
Although he was surprised by his response, Josh couldn't argue with it,
"Okay," the young adult stammered, "J-just remember what I said. Don't try anything funny."
Josh was aware to be careful with this one. Keeping his gun pointed at all costs, he carefully backed out of the way as the older stranger crept closer and closer towards the way he came. When he finally made it towards the doorway, he stopped almost like the outdoor chills had petrified him.
"Keep moving," the older man heard, feeling the end of the gun pressed against his back, "Don't make me shoot you," Josh's voice faltered.
Just in that moment, there was something in the air that made Josh realize that this man never had any intentions to leave this place. So before he could pull the trigger, the older man twisted and used a shoulder to knock Josh's aim out of the way. The gun certainly went off, but the bullet missed the intended target. Now that they were face to face, they were both occupied with grappling over the gun. All it took was a blow with his other arm to stun Josh and allow him to loosen his hold on his weapon. Unable to have it for himself, the gun dropped and slid across the floor. Following up, the built stranger bum-rushed Josh into a nearby cabinet, breaking the glass on impact like some sort of explosion. At this point, Josh tried to fight back but the stranger got the best of him. He could feel his massive hands clench his throat, wanting nothing more than to choke the life out of him. Josh recognized a gaze in his opponent's eyes and figured that only a man with a look as cold as his was capable of killing him—and at that moment, he thought he was done for. Almost like it was a saving grace, a voice called out from the entrance,
"Joel!?" a young girl cried out.
As intended, she got his attention and he turned over to look at her,
"Ellie, don't—!" he tried to warn before being kneed quite dramatically in the groin. He winced, painfully showing all teeth, "AGH!"
The pain was unpleasant and before his opponent could recover, Josh managed to maneuver himself in a position where he could press his right shoulder against the man's wide chest. Using all of his might and leg strength, Josh pushed himself off of the shattered cabinet, causing the one named Joel to stumble backward. However, it was nothing he couldn't overcome and he slowly began to rise.
From the sidelines, the young girl referred to as Ellie equipped herself with a handgun and aimed at Josh. Painfully close to pulling the trigger, the youthful comrade shockingly looked over to see another kid aiming a bow and arrow directly at her. In return, Erlina now had a gun pointed at her. She never threatened to harm another child before and she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to. But if it ever came to it, she wouldn't be afraid to go to such measures.
"Joel," Ellie called out, unable to remove her eyes from Erlina. Seeing that he didn't answer, she called out again with a lot more pitch, "Joel!"
At this point, Joel already had Josh in a headlock and he looked up to see that Ellie was in the face of danger as well. Without question, he released the young man he was scuffling with, leaving him to cough and gasp for air. Erlina's eyes left Ellie and looked at Joel, who stepped away from her cousin's body. When she realized he was giving her an opening, she lowered her guard and shoved the arrow into her quiver. Despite Ellie still having her gun aimed, Erlina ran past her and her guardian to assist her cousin instantly. Clearly still recovering from the bruised ribs he attained in Crawford, Josh was holding his side, grimacing from sudden movements he made to sit himself up.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that he was hurt significantly by the older adult. From where she sat, Erlina slowly glared up at the bearded man with a pestered look that would've shot him down if it could.
He sighed in disappointment, ashamed of actions in retrospect,
"Here, let me help," he said bending down.
"No," Erlina yelped, "I got it."
Despite her warnings, the middle-aged man tried to do as much convincing as he could to lend a helping hand. Ellie, who was somewhat relieved that they met another pair of survivors, closed the cabin door behind her.
When Josh could see that Joel and Ellie meant no harm, they naively made a deal that the pair of strangers could stay around until they were prepared to leave—and according to Joel, it shouldn't be too long. It was freezing and deathly cold outside and Josh couldn't just throw out a child, but it was mostly to show gratitude for not being killed.
No surprise, but it was a bit awkward ever since then and the two parties didn't speak much. It was especially noticeable that Ellie was awfully distant at times when Joel would speak with her. All it could do was raise questions and Josh's only take was that they previously dealt with a traumatic situation that strained their current dynamic.
Later that evening, Josh set the fireplace with a little help from Erlina. There were a couple of small logs scattered throughout parts of the house, so it was simple and very convenient when it came to that part. All four sat around the fireplace, warming up their bodies. Since Joel and Josh's fight managed to cause a break in one of the windows, the cold breeze had an easier entry.
"I...uh, I'm sorry about the window..." Joel awkwardly apologized as he sat across from the pair of youths.
"Eh..." Josh replied with a shrug.
Personally, if this old geezer wanted some kind of verbal forgiveness, he wasn't going to get one. Turning his attention to the fireplace to avoid any further complications, he scooted closer to the hearth as his younger cousin clung onto his jacket like a sloth on a tree. Besides his mother, Josh and his cousin hadn't been around older adults for a while, so knowing how to engage or relate to them felt like a challenge, especially since they were only good enough for evading.
"Is that your sister?" Josh suddenly heard.
He briefly looked over, seeing a wavering glance from the older gentleman. Clearly, socializing with people younger than himself wasn't his forte and it was apparent in the exchanges he had with his red-head companion.
"Why?" Josh answered coldly.
"Well," Joel started, "You don't have to tell me. I'm just...trying to get acquainted here that's all," Joel clarified.
Josh took a moment, pondering on whether or not this could bring any further problems. Treading lightly, he exhaled while looking into the fire,
"She's my cousin..."
Joel nodded in understanding, and that was all he could do at this point. It was an uneasy atmosphere for both parties and you just had to let things fall together themselves rather than doing it by force. Erlina on the other hand sat on Josh's side which set her furthest away from Joel and his friend. But every now and then, she and the girl referred to as Ellie would glance at one another. Ellie did a good job at playing it off, making it seem like she was the least bit interested in getting to know her. However, despite the obvious difference in maturity, Erlina recognized a pain that felt too relatable somehow, something the older men in the room wouldn't be able to understand.
After an overwhelming amount of awkward silence, Josh had to make his way out. He could either kick them out or tell them to go to another room, but he didn't want to bully people who were genuine about not wanting trouble Straining to stand, he eventually made it to his feet and spoke,
"We'll be upstairs," he said, speaking for Erlina. He dusted off his pants, "You two are welcome to make yourselves at home."
Not expecting much of a response, he left the warm room without warning. Erlina followed without protest, making her way through the dining room and re-barricaded entrance. Once they turned a corner at the opposite end of the room and reached the stairs, Erlina halted while Josh made his way up. Bending down and pretending to tie her shoes, she overheard a conversation between the party,
"Well," Ellie started, "What do you think of 'em?" she whispered even lower, almost as if she was instructed to at that moment.
"They're good people,' Joel kept it simple. After a pause, his soft Texan accent spoke up again, "Does he remind you of anyone?"
"Yeah," Ellie sighed, "Sam."
An hour. All it only took was an hour for some ruckus to transpire. While they were holed up in the bedroom upstairs, Josh was "just closing his eyes" while she sat on the floor reading a book she recently found in a dollar store. So you could say she was definitely caught by surprise, and caught by even more surprise at Ellie's use of profanity at an adult who was supposed to be her guardian. Sure, swearing was nothing new but Erlina could never imagine using such words when talking to family, especially her father.
"Ellie. Just calm down," Joel's voice echoed from downstairs.
"You just want me to fucking calm down?!" She replied angrily, having her voice crack through the raspiness.
"Now, where are you goin'?"
"I just need to be alone right now," she spat.
Tilting her head upward, she wasn't surprised to see that Josh was knocked out cold. She could tell that he was using the new pair as an advantage to get some shut-eye and Erlina would've done the same thing if she didn't realize it so late. Quietly making it to her feet, she could hear some soft motions outside in the corridor. She pressed her ear up against the door and was sure that it was Ellie. Resting her hand on the doorknob, Erlina twisted it and pulled it open as quietly as possible. Opening it about an inch wide, Erlina's eye searched the dark passage and was startled when she finally rested her eye on Ellie—who was resting her back against the wall and looking back directly at her. Although there wasn't much light, the sole window on the wall by the stairs was enough to give Ellie's pale skin some reflection. Clearly, she was frustrated and, for some reason, she didn't want to be seen crying around her parent. Instantly, she wiped her cheeks and turned away.
As soon as their eyes met, Erlina carefully closed the door. Not because she was afraid but because she could tell something personal was going on. And to be honest...Erlina was curious. As a reaction to the sound, Josh only moved around in his bed.
Afterward, instead of hearing footsteps going back downstairs, she could hear a door being opened. As far as Erlina knew, everywhere was off-limits, especially to these strangers. Reviewing her next set of actions long and hard, she closed up her book, stood up, and grabbed her belongings. Looking over her shoulder just to make sure she was in the clear, she exited the bedroom.
Ellie was nowhere to be seen. However, something did feel a little out of place.
There were only three rooms upstairs: Their room, an inoperable restroom, and the unknown room with blood marked on its door. That's when Erlina realized what was out of place—the bedroom that was supposedly off-limited had been left ajar and there was a nauseating stench that crept out from the spaces.
Erlina groaned and covered her nose, having such smells be overpowered by frosty weather when outside. Looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed, she pushed the door open, seeing another bedroom come into view. Shutting the door behind her to remove anyone's suspicion, she faced her attention back to the bed, and laying inside of it were the skeletal remains of a corpse that had been restrained to the post. Factoring in the type of clothes it wore, Erlina was able to identify an older woman. The more she examined, her eyes eventually spotted a crumpled piece of paper left by the corpse's foot. Staring at the body as if it were going to jump on the defilers of its resting place, Erlina cautiously approached the foot of the bed and brought the note to her face. Ignoring the bloody fingerprints and smudged lettering, she carefully read it.
Dylan.
I'm sorry. I'm not sure if you'll ever understand but I had to kill Christa. I know you loved her but how do you think I feel? She was my older sister for fuck's sake. She knew I saw her get bit by that Runner, but we were both in so much denial...so I'm just as to blame. I remember the talk you and I had about what to do if this ever happened to any of us, but you were taking so long and we didn't know if you were alive. She could feel herself changing and she begged me to do it. If you want an idea how, just know I didn't have any bullets left. I'm taking the kids with me and we're going to that watchtower we saw on the way here. I left the map on the fridge. See you there.
Wanda.
Erlina folded the letter and added it to her collection of items in her bag. Written letters belonged to this era and she considered many of them as tokens or memories to be remembered. People truly witnessed monstrous things and all Erlina could do was feel for them in some way. Interrupting her deep sea of thoughts, a strong breeze came in throughout the room. Looking around, Erlina noticed a sliding screen door within the room, which was opened. Seeing that Ellie wasn't present, it only made sense to conclude that Ellie snuck out of the bedroom. Escaping the repulsive bedroom before its scent could stick to her clothes, Erlina walked to the door and saw that it led to a small balcony. Stepping out onto the balcony, she noticed that steps extended itself from it and led to the ground blanketed in untouched snow.
Standing atop, she scanned the yard of the cabin and noticed a human figure making her way past trees. Erlina trotted down the stairs and jumped off the last three. Quickly pacing after her, Erlina made a quick stop and slid onto her rump. Standing, she brushed the snow off of her hindquarters and coat. Looking around in the meantime, she screamed and leaped back as soon as she heard a voice speak to her from behind.
"Why are you following me?" Ellie said walking out from behind a tree.
"I—" a nervous smile briefly appeared on Erlina's face, "I was... just," Erlina struggled to speak, anxiously glancing away and twiddling with her fingers.
Erlina would be lying if she didn't admit that she just wanted to talk to her. She wanted to talk to her since the moment they laid eyes on each other. After a moment of silence, she could see Ellie tilting her head to the side almost like she was making some kind of examination. There was an obvious difference in their personalities. Ellie was outspoken and colorful, meanwhile, Erlina was observant and quiet. Just think, Erlina began to suspect that maybe following her wasn't such a good idea. Just as Erlina was going to turn away, Ellie spat out a question like she had been holding it in for some time now,
"Are you good with that bow?" she asked, clearly not rejecting the company. Erlina nervously glanced over at her and followed up with a shrug and nod. Ellie placed her fists on her hips, "How good?" Ellie asked, inching closer to her.
"Pretty good."
"I used one a few times. Shortly before we got here," she sighed, "Gotta say, I like guns more, though."
"I shot a bird while it was flying once," Erlina enlightened, trying not to brag.
"No fucking way..." Ellie remarked, a bit skeptical.
"Ask my cousin," she encouraged.
It was safe to say that the two of them were trying to establish a friendship of some sort. So they carried their discussion elsewhere. They knew that what they were doing was strongly advised against, but they just wanted the adults out of their hair for some time. It probably wasn't smart but with Ellie being the ring leader, she assumed there would be enough time for them to get back without the adults realizing they were missing. In her very own words, when she demanded to be left alone, Joel left her alone.
Since then, the girls managed to climb a low tree and sit on the branches. The trunk was between the both of them and their little feet freely dangled above the ground.
"So, how old are you?" Ellie asked.
"Twelve. You?"
"Fourteen,"
"You're so lucky to be a teenager," Erlina claimed while digging into her bag.
"What's luck got to do with it?" Ellie asked, looking over to see Erlina pull something out of her bag and munch on them. Ellie attempted to leer over and take a peek to no avail, "What's that?" she asked curiously.
"Dried cranberries," Erlina dug into her bag and showed her a handful, "Want some?"
"Eh, you got anything else?" Ellie said curiously. Erlina placed her container of cranberries back into her bag, making sure to seal it tight. She reached into her bag and pulled out a very ripe banana with brown spots, offering it to Ellie. Judging by the look on her face, she couldn't understand why she was quite apprehensive, "Are you sure...?" Ellie asked. Once Erlina nodded, Ellie carefully reached over and grabbed the banana. Peeling the skin quarter by quarter with her pink fingers, she gladly bit into it after her mouth had been watering from its aroma. After taking a bite she stopped and looked over at Erlina in complete astonishment. Erlina looked back at her and froze, unsure of what was to come,
"Holy shit, I don't know if it's been that long since I've eaten a banana but," Ellie looked on impressively and swallowed, "...this is the best goddamn banana I've tasted in a long time."
Erlina couldn't contain her laughter. There was something funny about seeing her freak out over a banana and her reaction to it,
"But yeah, I can't wait to not be treated like a baby anymore," Erlina continued, trying to further the conversation between her and the ginger, "Sorta like how you can swear around your dad."
Ellie paused.
"Nah, Joel isn't my dad," she corrected, "He's just some guy looking after me for a friend," she somewhat admitted, "And trust me, a lot of people still treat me very much like a baby. But...I appreciate it," she paused yet again, "I guess."
"Oh," Erlina was surprised to learn the truth, "Where's your friend?"
"Salt Lake City," Ellie enlightened her, "She was a friend of my mom. I don't know much about my parents."
Erlina gave her somewhat of a shameful look, feeling like she unintentionally opened up a can of worms. She wanted to relate to Ellie but she couldn't. Ellie seemed somewhat content with the fact that she never knew her parents on a personal level—in fact, it probably hurt a lot less not having established a familial relationship with them. Whereas in Erlina's case, she could never see her father again. But despite barely showing any gripes about the topic, every kid needed some sort of shoulder to lean on. It was only fair that Erlina would try and share something personal as well.
"I never really knew my mom," Erlina started, "And my dad died last year."
"Sheesh," Ellie groaned, "Infected?"
"According to my aunt, a QZ soldier shot him."
"Fuck those guys," Ellie insulted, "Those dicks are no different from the Infected in my book. At least the infected have an excuse."
Erlina looked over at Ellie as her mini-rant took place. She admired Ellie's personality and attitude. Even though they were total opposites, Ellie's spunk and humor were the highlights of her day. Truthfully, Erlina wished she was more like her and it probably would've gotten her much further. It felt like Ellie didn't fear many things. Glancing upward, Erlina noticed the skies getting dimmer which either meant another incoming blizzard or it was just later in the day. The girls would have to return to the cabin nonetheless but in the short time they spent with one another, Erlina felt like she had something to prove. The young pair carefully clung unto the tree branches as they safely made their way down the trunk one after another. Once their feet touched the ground they sauntered in the direction of the cabin.
"It's nice having another kid around," Erlina rejoiced. After a few seconds of quiet, Erlina suggested something "What if we didn't go back yet?" she said while throwing a final cranberry into her mouth before officially packing them away.
"What do you have in mind?" Ellie inquired, tossing the banana peel out of range.
"Do you ever go on runs by yourself?" she quizzed. Receiving a shaking head from the redhead, she followed up, "Maybe we can do one? A run?"
"Honestly, the last time I snuck out with a friend...something pretty bad happened to them," Ellie frowned. Not being given much of a chance to respond, Ellie rested her hand on Erlina's shoulder, "Besides, I'm sure Joel's realized I'm gone by now," Erlina watched as Ellie took off, "Let's go."
Smiling, Erlina chased after.