(Play Wandering - Gustavo Santaolalla until 'STOP.')
Matthew's heart beat so powerfully, he thought it would burst from his chest at any given moment. A burlap sack over his head prohibited him from seeing where he was going. His wrists were bound with weathered rope in front of him. Behind him, three of his former "friends" stood, each equipped with a fully loaded pistol. Twigs and leaves crunched under their boots. The sound of rushing water and chirping birds grew louder the further they walked. They must've taken him into the woods only a mile or so away from the house where Jane was still being held. Matthew listened intently as he walked a few feet in front of them, like cattle being led to slaughter.
For the first time in a while, he couldn't think on his feet. There was no plan. He was terrified.
"Alright, here's good." One of them grunts.
Matthew stops abruptly, "If you're gonna kill me, can I at least look at something other than a sack?"
After a moment of some rustling and hushed whispers, one of the men yanked the sack off of Matthew's head from behind him. As the fabric lifted from his eyes, he blinked to clear his vision. For miles, skyscraping redwoods cast a shade over the area. It was midday and yet, it felt like midnight.
How was this what the universe had planned for him? For his sister to be violated and destroyed right under his nose, to be murdered for trying to save his flesh and blood and left for dead where no one could find him? Matthew knew very well how cruel this world was, but he never pictured dying at the hands of those he once trusted, abandoning Jane when she needed him most.
(STOP MUSIC.)
As if a deity had heard his prayers, Matthew was gifted with exactly what he needed. A distraction.
Through the thick of the trees, the painful shrieks of Infected incited panic. The three men behind him dove for cover behind bushes and trees, leaving Matthew out in the open. Rolling with the first thing that came to mind, Matthew dove to the side into a large shrub. He was completely covered and nearly tangled in the leaves, but he was concealed from Infected detection. Seconds later, just as expected, runners stumbled from the wooded area, but then came more. Heavy thumps and a low gurgle followed suit, and a grotesque bloater limped out into the open. It threw a bubble of acid in the direction of the other three men. They coughed and groaned as they tried to crawl away from the monsters. Gunshots echoed as they fired blindly ahead of them, nearly grazing Matthew in the process.
Somehow, Matthew's heart pounded even more fervently in his chest. He was sure he'd faint at any moment from the adrenaline coursing through his veins, but there was no time to think of himself. His only goals were to make it out of this alive, get back to Jane, and do whatever he could to get her the hell away from that den of evil.
Without missing a beat, Matthew bolted in the opposite direction. The further his feet carried him, the more unsure he was of where exactly he was going. But, he knew one thing for certain. The further from those monsters, living or dead, the better.
Everything was black. Pitch black. To reach out would be to grasp for the unknown, unable to even see your own hand. Ellie's heart raced. Her stomach dropped. What was this place?
A blood-curdling scream broke the silence. The sound pierced Ellie's ears. She clamped her hands over them, but that only made the noise that much more haunting. The only light around appeared in front of her. Her perspective seemed as if through a screen, or camera. The scene unfolding in front of her made her insides turn.
The screams poured from Jane's lips. She sprinted through thick trees with Infected hot on her trail. One hand fired a revolver blindy behind her while the other covered a wound on her shoulder. Bite marks pierced her supple skin. Blood poured down her arm and covered her palm. It became too much to manage and the gun slipped out of her hand. The weapon fumbled between Jane's feet as it fell, startling her, and sending her tumbling through dirt and twigs. She yelped with each hit to her shoulder. There was nothing to grab onto to stop the momentum. She clawed desperately at tree roots to no avail. Finally, her body landed flat with a thud. Jane laid breathless as the Infected caught up.
Ellie could only watch. Watch as they got closer… and closer… and closer-
A quick flick to the forehead pulled Ellie from her nightmare. She woke to Joel standing over her, waving his hand in her face, fully dressed and ready to go.
Ellie rubbed her tired eyes, "How long was I asleep?"
"Only an hour or so. But you were so tired, you almost fell off your horse. I figured we'd stop and let you get some shut eye."
"Okay." She sighed. Ellie sat up and began straightening out her jacket and backpack. "We think we found their place."
Her head shot up. "What?"
"Not the exact house but we've at least narrowed it down to a few streets it could be on. Downtown, past what looks like an old shoppin' mall, there's a couple pickups drivin' all over the place. "
Ellie took Joel's hand and brushed herself off as she stood up from the grass. "I guess it couldn't be anyone else. Let's go."
Joel's hand shot out to stop Ellie as she moved for the horses. "Woah, kiddo."
"What? You said you found an area, so let's go look at-"
"Yeah, an area. An area of about seven to eight blocks with 10 houses on either side of the sidewalks. That ain't small, so you're not going alone."
"Oh c'mon." Ellie scoffed. "I can handle myself. There can't be that many of them and we'll find Jane quicker if we split up."
"That's if she's still there-"
"She's still there."
"You need to be prepared for the possibility that she ain't-"
"That she ain't what, Joel? Alive? I'm prepared for that, okay?" Ellie spat.
Joel sighed, "Alright, I hear you."
"Good." Ellie shoved past him and made her way for the horses once more. Joel called out, "But, at least let me come with ya. Just… so you've got someone watching your back."
Ellie huffed as she hoisted herself up to the saddle, "Okay. Let's go."
Just run, just run, keep running, run run run run run…
Matthew hadn't a clue the direction he was heading. The shrieking had ceased long ago, but his legs refused to stop until the only sound around was his laboured breathing and pounding footsteps. All the trees looked the same. Each crunchy leaf spoke like another. This escape felt endless. It didn't feel like running in circles. There wasn't a repetition, a square one. There was only forward. Tunnel vision. A muddy clump of leaves sent Matthew flying forward. He tumbled back into a tree, knocking the wind out of him. After swallowing a few times, his breathing slowed as the silence washed over. Safe, for now. It seemed like hours had passed since the hoard of monsters ambushed. For all he knew, it could've been.
He was grateful to be safe. The happiness of being away from peril pricked his eyes with tears. One foot between his arms began the process of removing the sloppy restraints. The rope was coarse, worn, and easy enough to tear through. As it scraped the tender skin of Matthew's wrists, a selfish thought pinched his chest. Escape was within arm's reach. Mere miles away was another unscouted town. Refuge and new beginnings beckoned to him from beyond the thick trees. The idea seemed perfect, exciting- pleasant, even.
"Did you shoot me?"
"What?"
"In the woods. Did- fuck… did you shoot me?" The needle piercing the skin of Jane's wounds was somehow more painful than the wound itself. Her eyes rolled back from the wave of nausea. The agony felt eternal.
"No," Matthew gulped, "I didn't shoot you. But I was there when it happened, and the guy who shot you is dead." Matthew knotted the thread of the stitches and laid his hand over it. They felt correct enough, he guessed.
"That friend of yours sliced him open." Jane's ears perked up at the mention of a friend. "Ellie? Is she here? Is she okay?" Shaking his head, he placed the lumpy knapsack under her head. Her blonde waves were caked in dirt and a little bit of blood. He probably looked just the same. "She got hurt, but they didn't kill her. Just left her with a bullet in her leg near those big doors."
Jane whimpered, "What's happening? Why are you with these people? Y-You saw me get shot and brought me back here," Tears washed the dirt from her cheeks and left awkward tracks. "Who are you, Matt?"
"Please don't cry, Jam. Please, just try to understand-"
"Understand? You let me get sh-shot and you want me to be reasonable?!" The effort needed to exclaim was accompanied by near blinding pain. She wasn't sure she could stay conscious for much longer.
"Understand what I'm trying to do right now. I want to help you and get you somewhere safe, I can try to get you out of he-"
"You should've killed me."
Matthew was stunned at Jane's words. Her face was dazed and she could barely keep her head from lolling to the side, but her tone was absolute. She meant her words. His stomach knotted and he swallowed back a sob, "What?"
"I would've been safer… if I was dead. And now, Ellie… Ellie is in danger."
"I couldn't kill you, let you die. That would be insane. I've just found you again. I love you."
Jane's eyelids covered half her pupils, but she kept her brother in her field of vision, "I love you, but I don't know who you are anymore." With that, she exhaled heavily, and slipped into unconsciousness.
One last searing yank against the force of his foot destroyed the binding. It crumpled to the ground in shreds. The frayed edges of the rope left throbbing cuts on his skin. He bled guilt.
Selfish guilt.