This was probably the hardest chapter I've written so far. You'll see why down below. :)
If you like the direction story's going in, let me know and if there's something you don't like or think I can improve upon, then as well make sure to let me know in the reviews.
Cheers
Chapter 10 – Midnight
Ben woke up with a jerk, feeling a yellowish light on his face. At first he didn't understand what it was, nor was he aware that he was lying curled up in a leaf, thick so that there was no room to move. It was frightening to be cornered in such a position, but he still did not know how to get out of there without the pursuers noticing him.
Through the darkness and the crack in the wall, he observed the torch and saw Manny's face for a moment, illuminated by light. The soldier was still looking for him, only he looked gloomy and tired. There was no doubt that the Wolves were hungry and thirsty, just like Ben.
"I'll skin you alive if you don't come out!" Manny shouted suddenly. "If I have to, I'll look for you all night, and when I find you, I'll break your bones!"
Khan was curled up right next to him, silent and motionless, but ready to rush after Ben at any moment. Ben closed his eyes and tried to stretch his muscles every time the flames moved away from him. Manny wouldn't see the trembling of the leaves in the darkness, and Ben started getting ready to run again. He slowly moved his knees close to his chest and almost with a sigh of relief straightened his legs. His whole body was numb and cold. It sprung through his head that the pain brought him back from unconsciousness, not Manny's yelling.
He slowly massaged the knots in the thigh muscles with his hands, relaxing them. The first run must be fast. All he needed was a good start, and the rest would be done by darkness that would hide him from their eyes. Manny and his wolves would not be able to find him and would have to go back for more people. Ben swore to himself that Manny would never catch him. He would run away from them and find his friends. He'll find Ellie.
Ben was already on the move the moment the torch fell to the ground next to him. He buried himself in place and saw Menny's face staring directly at him. He doesn't move even when a soldier started spreading leaves in search of his torch. The flame cast strange shadows in the leaves, and Ben's heart began to pound with sudden fear. He didn't dare look, but he heard the flames crackling near his feet. Manny must have deliberately tossed the torch deeper into the bushes to illuminate the spot he suspected.
Ben felt a hand grabbing his ankle, and suddenly, he came to life. He tried to pull himself out, however, Menny's grip is iron-tight. Ben reached for his weapon, but a strong hand began to pull him across the ground. He was soon out of the shelter of leaves and screamed of fear and anger.
"I got him!" exclaimed Manny while dragging him across the grass.
Manny dropped the torch to grab him with his other hand, but Ben felt two more hands grabbing his hoodie and raised his fist. The next moment, a third hand, out of the darkness, twisted his fist to the point that he screamed in pain.
"Hold him!" commanded Manny angrily.
A white shadow emerged from the darkness, burying its jaws in the neck of the nearest soldier, and the grip loosened. Ben felt the grip of his other hand loosen as well, as the man rose to shoot the wolf that tore his friend apart. In the end, Manny was the only one left in an attempt to subdue him. However, as he bent down to grip him better with his right hand, Ben released his left leg and relentlessly kicked the stronger man in the head until he let him go.
He quickly jumped back on his legs and knocked down the man who intended to shoot Khan. The white wolf finished the job, tearing the flesh from his face, but Ben grabbed him by the fur and dragged him along. Three soldiers shot at them as they disappeared around the corner, missing in the dark. Ben couldn't see where he was and ran blindly, wherever his legs carried him. He heard the angry and crying voices of the soldiers behind him, and for a moment he remembered the blonde girl who saved his life.
It all happened so fast that he had no idea who was holding him and who did Khan manage to kill. He only knew that he broke Manny's nose with vigorous blows, a deed that pleased him very.
"Scatter around! He couldn't have gone far!" he heard Manny's frantic yelling. Rewinding the film, he tried to count how many soldiers he saw. Six. At least three or four were still alive and after him. Luckily, he didn't lose his weapons. The rifle and the crossbow were still tied to his backpack, each with one piece of ammunition left.
He entered the first building he saw and began to climb the collapsed stairs. Not long after, he heard the footsteps of the soldiers behind him echoing down the hall, arousing panic in him. He was afraid that he would be surrounded in a place without an exit, where he would be forced to fight in unfavorable conditions. Fortunately for him, the stairs led all the way to the roof.
The wind whipped him across the face as he climbed up, and the rain began to fall again, wetting his face. He used the fire escape to get off the building and ran away from his chasers. He found himself back on Route 5 again. Far down the highway, he noticed a ray of light in the distance and wondered for a moment what it could be. Another base?
Then, Ben heard the panting and anxious voices of the soldiers on the roof as they communicated. He couldn't make out what they were talking about, which gave him some desperate hope. That meant they were far. He had no torch with him to light the road aehad, but that at least meant they couldn't see him in the dark.
The moon was high in the sky and provided only so much light that one could recognize what was a road and what was a building. He moved through the shadows, avoiding the middle of the road. His back hurt as he walked bent over, across the sidewalks and under the collapsed walls. Voices across the street disturbed him and warned that the chasers were approaching. Golden light sprung around the corner and revealed shapes moving through there.
He noticed one figure pointing a finger in his direction, and all of a sudden everyone raised their rifles, aiming at him. The sound of gunfire rang in his ears as he ran, avoiding deadly projectiles. He ran from pillar to pillar, from wall to wall, while pieces of concrete scattered across his face due to missed bullets. He held the rifle firmly in his hand, but one bullet was not enough for the four soldiers that fired at him.
He was aware that he was trapped in the place, as long as they shot at him. Eventually they have to run out of ammunition, he concludes. But when will it be? Suddenly, the shooting on the other side of the street subsided, and the air above Ben swished. One swish, then another one. He heard screams across the street, followed by curses and shouts of retreat.
For a moment he stood buried behind the pillar, gripping his rifle tightly as his heart pounded at an alarming rate. He didn't dare look behind, wondering who attacked the soldiers from the darkness. More Scars? This might be their territory. Be ready for anything. The wolf breathed rapidly under his feet, visibly limping with each step.
"Just a little longer, bud. Keep it together."
He heard footsteps on his right side splashing through ponds on the concrete. At the same moment, he squats down and raises his rifle to the height of his head, aiming at the figure that was approaching him. Man and wolf were illuminated by light that blinds them. Ben could barely see, but he must not allow himself to miss if a mysterious person decided to attack them. Gritting his teeth, Khan growled, ready to attack.
"Don't shoot." said familiar voice. "Khan's white fur is visible from a mile away."
Ben's eyes widened when he recognized the person in front of him. Jesse grinned as he put away the bow and arrow in his hands. Spreading his arms, Jesse takes him in a firm friendly embrace, patting him on the back. Every cut and bruise hurt him twicefold at that moment.
"Shit, I thought I lost you back there." said Jesse after releasing him from the embrace.
"You shouldn't have lost faith in me."
"I shouldn't have." Jesse admitted, smiling weakly.
Ben returned the smile. "Where were you?"
"Let's get off the street first."
Three old friends took refuge from the open where they were exposed to danger. They entered the first open building they came across, safe from the danger from the field and from the rain.
"When you fell, I tried looking for you, but the infected swarmed the area quickly. Without you, Khan was restless and wild. And by nightfall, he was simply gone."
Ben nodded as he listened, sitting in an old dusty armchair. The short rest suited his swollen feet extremely well. The bullet wound in his leg was still burning painfully, so he tore off a piece of undershirt and wrapped the wound in a tight knot.
"After that, I looked for any signs that would point me in the right direction." Asian completed, leaned on the wall, his arms crossed. "What about you?"
"Long story."
Jesse rolled his eyes. "You can't leave me hanging like this, man."
"I'll tell you when we find Ellie and Dina."
"And Tommy." Jesse corrected him.
"And Tommy." Ben repeated.
Jesse scratched his head and turned his head to the side. "As for that.." His comment and the slow way he uttered it caught Ben's attention.
"I found them."
"What?"
"I found Ellie and Dina."
"You're joking."
"No, I'm not."
Ben stared at Jesse with his mouth open as the latter mocked him. "Don't look at me like that, man. They're in that theater down the street."
It took Ben a few moments to process the information he had just received. Did he just say he found Ellie and Dina? Ellie and Dina. He found them. Oh my god.
"What the hell are we waiting for, then?" he asked angrily, jumping back on his feet. "Let's go!"
Laughing, Jesse followed him outside, back into the rain. The rain subsided as they moved through the moonlit street. Ben's spirit was restless as he made his way to the theater at the end of the street. The interior of the theater was filled with light, as evidenced by the windows that let out bright light.
Feelings swarmed him, and he didn't know what to do. Every next step awakens strange tingles in his stomach. He looked at the theater and tried to realize that Ellie was inside. Ellie. The girl because of whom he left the security of his home and his sister. The girl for whom he killed both the infected and the uninfected. The girl he cared about more than he wanted to admit to himself.
The three companions approached the front door of the theater, where Jesse motioned for him to stop. Then he knocked on the door three times. "It's me. I'm back." With a click and a creaking sound, the door opened slowly, letting out a warm golden light.
"You okay?" asked a female voice from the other side of the door. "I heard the gunshots."
"Mhm." replied Jesse and walked in. "Look who I found."
Ben nodded to the wolf, and the wolf obeyed. He limped across the threshold into the interior of the building.
"Khan!" Dina exclaimed, still invisible. Ben stood outside as Jesse looked at him from the inside with a sincere smile. Then he nodded. When he found himself inside, the first thing he noticed was Dina sitting on the floor, cuddling a white wolf. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and her bronze skin was paler than usual. And then she raised her head and saw him.
"Oh my god." She said in shock and jumped to hug him. Ben sighed painfully as he tried to return the hug. "Jesse said you were dead."
Her voice trembled as she spoke. She released him and stared into his face. Ben could see his reflection in her eyes full of tears.
"Not dead yet. I am pretty hard to kill." Ben said, gritting his teeth in a boastful smile. "I'm happy to see you."
"You okay?" she asked, "Your clothes is bloody, are you hurt?"
"I'm a little banged here and there, but not much." he finishes with a smirk.
Ben noticed that he was in a classic lobby. There was a door that led to the main stage, he guessed, at the end of the. On the sides there were two stairs leading to the second floor, and in the middle there was a counter. The space was filled with old covered things, and along the walls numerous couches could be seen.
"Oh my god, oh my god.." Dina said twice, excited. "What a day."
Ben smiled wearily. "Yeah.. what a day."
"You must be tired." Dina began. "Go rest, but eat something first."
"Where is..?"
Dina ignored his question, he didn't even manage to finish it. She looked back at Jesse and said commandingly, "Jesse, can you tell Ellie?"
Ben felt his heart beating faster at the mention of her name. She's here, he kept repeating to himself, the fact still unbelievable to him. He went through hell to find her, now she was there. And he had no idea how to act in front of her, what to say. Through his mind flashed Jesse's question, the one he asked when they first came to Seattle. What will you say to Ellie after we find them, the question echoed in his mind. This is harder than I thought.
Jesse didn't answer Dinа's question, he stared at Ben, waiting for his reaction. That look seemed to wake Ben from his trance, and he shook his head. "Where is she?"
Dina looked at him surprised, as if she wasn't expecting his question. They're together now, he had to remind himself. Ben totally forgot about Ellie and Dina's kiss at church. One tiny, the tiniest part of him hated Dina for it. However, there was nothing he could do.
"She's upstairs." Dina said in the end, the look in her eyes sad. "She's not in the best mood."
Ben nodded absently at her and left their company, eager to reach her as soon as possible. The white wolf followed in his footsteps. For a moment he thought of telling him to stay, but he ignored the thought. The wolf wouldn't bother anyone. His footsteps echoed through the stairs as he climbed, and his heart beat rapidly with each next step. Jesse and Dina chatted something behind him that he couldn't understand. What did you say to Dina when you found her, Jesse?
Nausea, mixed with a million feelings, accumulated in his stomach. It felt like something was cutting from inside. He missed Ellie's room twice, entering the wrong ones. Ellie was not in either of those two. That failure annoyed him. The theater was spacious, and he did not know the layout. The last door he approached was partially open. Through a small gap he managed to see the faint light and dancing of the shadows inside.
She was inside.
Why is this so difficult? Just go inside, say hello and ask her how she is.
Khan looked at him questioningly. The shape of his mouth seemed to be as if the wolf was making fun of him. Ben almost told him to leave, visibly annoyed in this crucial moment, but he knew she would hear it. He tried to force himself to open the door and go inside. If Jesse saw him hesitating now, he would burst into tears of laughter. He blushed at the thought. I fought the Wolves and the Scars, killed stalkers, bloaters and that monstrosity in the hospital. Am I afraid to face the girl?
Here goes nothing, he concluded and reached for the knob, pushing to the inside. The door creaked slowly, revealing a narrow room. It looked like a radio communications room. Workbenches with old radios stretched along the opposite side of the wall. Old boxes and small furniture also decorated the dimly lit room. The map of the city was hung on the wall opposite the door with various markings, handwritten.
The girl for whom he left his home was sitting on a chair, unaware of his presence. Her denim shirt with torn sleeves was stained with dried blood. The dark pants and sneakers were muddy. She sutured the red wound on her arm, concentrating on the needle and thread. Everything else around her did not exist. Arms looked thinner than he remembered.
Her attention was drawn to a white wolf sneaking under her feet, surprising her. With a slight smile, she stroked the wolf's head, and Ben was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion when he got a better look at her face. The face was full of cuts and bruises, dirty brown hair messily tied in a bun at the top of her head, the rest of her hair falling down her neck. It looked as if she had received more scars.
She focused all her attention on the wolf she was playing with. Ben was annoyed by it, and the anticipation led him to the brink of madness.
And then she looked up slightly and saw him.
It was hard to describe that moment of silence as the two of them just stared at each other, both dumbfounded with what they saw in front of each other. Ben could barely stand the look in her bright, green eyes. Her eyebrows moved closer to each other, and she got up from her chair.
"You look like shit." she said at last, the sound of her voice breaking the ice.
"A bit."
Silence. Silence that lasted an eternity. Ellie rubbed her fingers and looked down. "Jesse said you fell."
"Yeah." Why is this so awkward?
Her eyes darted over his body, stopping at the bloodstains on his clothes. "Rough day?"
"Yeah, rough day." he replied. "Your arm?"
"It's not too bad. My shoulder's worse." she replied and parted her shirt, revealing a wound on her shoulder. The wound looked nasty. "Arrow."
Ben nodded. "Battle scars are cool."
"Yeah, I guess."
Silence again. Ben could feel some snakes in his stomach biting him from inside. He wanted to tell her so much, yet he had no idea how or where to start. One look at her was enough to freeze him in place and make him forget everything he wanted to say.
"You don't have to stand. Sit back. Rest your feet." Really Ben? Really?
To his surprise, she obeyed him and sat back in her chair. It didn't look like he was going to say anything, so he decided to keep going.
"Um, where do I start?" he said, more to himself, cracking his finger joints. "I'm sorry. For Joel, and.. I didn't get to say it to you in time. Then you left, so.."
She nodded silently, looking at him from her seat. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes revealed an emotion Ben couldn't comprehend. "You came all this way to say that you're sorry?"
He sighed and looked away. Why is this so difficult? "No."
"Why did you come then?"
The questions annoyed him. He looked straight into his eyes, suddenly feeling a surge of self-confidence. "I did it for you."
"Why?"
Will you stop with those questions? Ellie looked more annoyed than happy to see him. A very devastating fact. He didn't answer. Or rather, he hesitated to answer the question she asked.
"You came all this way for me? We haven't spoken since the last year. We aren't friends anymore. So cut the bullshit." As soon as she said that, her face took on a reddish color.
He was speechless, frozen in the place where he stood. For a moment he wondered if he had made the right decision the day he decided to go after her. Her reaction did and did not shock him at the same time. I guess I should have expected this. Anger overwhelmed him, and he felt blood rushing to his face. The wounds that hurt him only reminded him of what a fool he really was. He risked his life for a person that won't even thank him for having traveled so far, and survived, God knows what to find her.
"Fuck you, Ellie." he told her, more insolently than he intended. His breathing was rapid, and he felt the need and a strong desire to break something. Ellie looked at him with wide eyes and open mouth. She got used to him as a calm and composed person, he never said anything bad to her in the past. "I fell. I was captured, beaten. I faced a monstrosity in the hospital. But I pressed on, I swore I'd find you and bring you home safe and sound. And this is what I get in return?"
She looked at him, shocked, then lowered her gaze, burying her face into her palms.
"I'm out." he said through gritted teeth in the end, and turned to come out, limping as the pain in his leg finally caught up with him. Anger conquered and he didn't care about her reaction. His leg was bleeding again from the rapid gait, but he didn't feel it. He had never felt so defeated and humiliated in his life. You stupid idiot. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!
"How did it go, man?" Jesse, who appeared at the top of the stairs, asked him. Ben just looked at him with eyes glowing with anger and walked past him, ignoring the question. That gesture was in itself a sufficient response. He entered another room and saw a big window leading out. Ben opened it and stepped outside. His leg throbbed painfully as he passed through the window, closing it when he was outside.
Metal ladders attached to the wall were behind him. Ben climbed them up and reached the roof of the theater. A cold wind was blowing, colder just because Ben's clothes were still wet. He approached the first wall and sat down, leaning against it. The breeze gently whipped his face, and that refreshment pleased him. The wolf could not follow him into the ladder, so now he was all alone. He remembered his home, family and the days long past.
Loneliness suited him. Loneliness and a dark blue sky above him. Only a few stars could be seen now that the rain had stopped. The orb of light was in the middle of the sky, it was midnight. Anger slowly faded from him, but the feeling of defeat was still there. He knew he shouldn't have said what he said to Ellie like that, but his emotions took over. There was no point in regretting it.
Ben didn't know how long he had been alone on the roof. He was glad that no one climbed up, they were probably aware that he did not want anyone's company. His eyes watched the moon move in the sky, partially obscured by clouds. He rejoiced at the thought of finding his friends alive, but the bitter taste still remained in his mouth.
Observation and silence were interrupted by the sound coming from the side. A human figure climbed up the ladders and approached him.
I swear to God Jesse, if you try to tell me..
Ellie stood above him, appearing taller than she actually was. His face was expressionless as he looked at her from below. The same could not be said for her.
"Do you mind if I.."
He looked away and nodded, almost imperceptibly. Ellie still understood the sign and sat down, leaning against the wall next to him. She hugged her knees and looked ahead of herself. For a while, only the sound of a light breeze could be heard.
"Sorry." said Ellie after a while, in a slightly softer voice.
Ben didn't want to look at her, he felt a new rush of anger inside him. Though, he decided to restrain it this time.
"I was not in the mood." she began, then paused, "Rough day."
He nodded absently, suddenly aware of the fact that he was sitting on the roof with her. Anger was replaced by sadness.
"I was chasing after a woman who belongs to a group that killed Joel."
"Did you get her?"
"She got away."
Ben could understand why she was acting like that, but one small part of him, the proud part, still couldn't forgive her even though he wanted to.
"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry."
"Remember when Tom died?" he said suddenly. "When he died, Emily wanted me out of our house. She blamed me for his death."
"I remember."
"Not only her. The others as well. They saw me as an irresponsible, stupid brat who got his brother killed. But you were the only one who was by my side then. You helped me get through it all."
She was quiet.
"And I don't care if we're not friends anymore. We don't have to be for all I care. You were there for me when no one else was. You asked me why I came to Seattle, there's your answer. I'm here now, I'll help you and bring you back home, alive and well. After that, we don't have to speak ever again if that's what you want."
"I don't want that."
"Good."
The silence took control again, and the two of them did nothing to disturb it. They just sat on the roof like that, leaning against the wall next to each other.
"You kn-"
"I'm-"
They both started and stopped at the same time.
"Okay, you first." he told her.
"Okay." she replied "I'm, um.. it's good to see you."
It's good to see you?
Oddly enough, just a moment earlier, his gut twisted as if there were snakes in it, but now, all of a sudden, it was as if he didn't have it at all. In the end, he laughed insecurely. Ellie looked at him confused.
"Why is it always so awkward?" he whispered.
"What?"
Ben sighed and shook his head. "Nothing."
Again, an unpleasant silence between the two of them, but by then they were used to it.
"Wanna hear a joke?"
Ellie looked at him wide-eyed, and something told him that the joke was the last thing she thought about today. He understood her silence as an affirmative answer and dared to try his chances.
"What's orange and sounds like a parrot?"
"A carrot." she concluded correctly and he burst into a laughter. The joke was so bad it was hilarious. Ellie ended up laughing just because Ben was laughing. When the laughter fell silent, the two of them exchanged glances which they then directed at the sky that brightened and the full moon that flew high above them.
x
