Chapter 3 Dina

Dina had tried everything to make Ellie stay, but Tommy had succeeded in poisoning her. Where would this quest for vengeance lead to? Would Ellie ever come back? Would she still be Ellie? Ellie had changed so much since Joel had died. And it wasn't for the better. She was already a shell of her former self. Dina still loved her deeply, but it was hard when there were only flickers of the old Ellie. Though she had said it as a threat, that she wouldn't be here if Ellie came back in the hopes of making her stay. It had quickly become clear that running the farm by herself and taking care of JJ wasn't doable.

After a week Jesse's parents had come out along with some people from Jackson to help them move out. Nearly everything had been moved aside from some furniture and Ellie's stuff. It wasn't out of malice, Dina just couldn't bear to look at things that reminded her of Ellie. The pain was too severe already. Months went by and the pain only increased. Jesse's parents were a god sent, they helped out so much with JJ. They also made sure that Dina kept eating. It was a daily challenge to keep herself together for JJ's sake. Suddenly one evening Ellie stood on her doorstep, looking rougher than she ever had. Ellie told an unbelievable story, she had found Abby and let her go. There were a bunch of new scars on her. Dina had at first been relieved that Ellie was alive, that relief made place for anger. She was angry at Ellie for so many reasons. It pushed aside all the prayers she had said wishing for Ellie to come home alive. How could she believe that she had let Abby go, just like that. Not to mention this was a different Ellie that stood before her. Dina knew she needed time, time to get to know her again. So she asked Ellie to leave her alone, give her space. Never had she thought that Ellie would leave Jackson and become a ghost.

It haunted her during the day time, she increasingly counted on Jesse's parents and even Maria to take care of JJ. The furious blonde that had upset their lives too much and caused Ellie to change into a totally different person started featuring in her dreams. It increasingly became harder to give it all a place and Dina became desperate to find Ellie. She spent an increasing amount of time outside of Jackson looking for her, no matter who she asked, nobody ever saw or talked to Ellie. The searches were all she had left to hold onto, when she was in Jackson she spent as much time as she could with JJ but kept leaving. Often she told herself that JJ deserved to have his other mom in his life too, if she could find Ellie everything would be ok. Ellie would come back with her right?

She had just gotten back from another search in the very early morning when she found out the news, Ellie had been seen by a patrol. Well they thought they saw her, then again why would a solo straggler that looked like Ellie be at their farm. Maria tried once more to convince her to stop chasings ghosts but Dina had to try. Her gut feeling told her that Ellie was still out there. Maria gave in and allowed the gate to be opened. Poor Japan had barely gotten a rest and Dina rode her hard and fast, hoping to get to the farm before Ellie would leave. At worst perhaps catch a hint of where she'd be going next. It was several hours past dawn when she arrived at the farm, as much as she hated it she slowed down so that Japan could cool off a little before she'd arrive at the house itself.

When Dina got off her horse she saw Abby for the first time in a long time. Frozen in place she looked at the much taller tree of a woman, Ellie had told her the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"You really are still alive." Dina whispered.

"Wait, why is she here? Does she want to hurt Ellie?" Dina thought and moved her right hand towards her sidearm.

"Please, I'm not here to hurt anybody. I'm looking for Ellie to talk to her. Just talk I promise." Abby said.

Dina could see the panic on her face, a pretty face come to think of it. 'Focus Dina, Focus. What does she want to talk about with Ellie?' Before Dina could reply she heard a cry from inside the house. She rushed in, Abby and the kid were following her. She stopped when she heard a gun shot. Turning to look at the other two, they weren't holding a gun and seemed fine, the shot had come from upstairs come to think of it. DIna hurried upstairs, she was still being followed but didn't care. The door to Ellie's art room was closed, as best as she tried she couldn't get it open. Abby gently pushed her aside and kicked in the door. Dina was afraid to go in but she had to. Her worst fears were confirmed when she saw Ellie's body. Being stabbed in the heart would have been less painful. 'No, no, no. Ellie no. Please God let this be a bad dream.' after crying for some time she realised she wasn't the only one, she turned to see that blonde bitch cry too. 'Why is she crying? She caused all of this!' The sight of it all made Dina see red.

"This is all your fault." Dina said after drawing her pistol and aiming at Abby.

When Abby turned to face her she pulled the trigger, only to be further upset when the blonde fell to the floor against Ellie, her Ellie. Before Dina had a chance to move her Lev had come in too with his bow drawn.

"Abby was all I had left!" He screamed before letting his arrow fly. It had not been a shoulder shot like the last time he shot her. With the little strength Dina had left she crawled closer to Ellie. Thinking of happier times in the farm house before everything went black.

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