Chapter 3

"Aaah…!" Joel grunted, as he got kicked inside a rather large cell inside the house they got dragged into. Ellie was soon thrown after him, and he tried to catch her again.
"Hngh…!" she murmured, as she felt great pain in her ribs. The cell door closed behind her, as a guy called Mike locked it after them.
"You really thought your little plan would work on us?" he asked, frowning his face. Joel bit his teeth together, getting up from the ground.
"You listen to me, you sick fuck…" he started while approaching the bars. Mike took one step back, as he was the only one in the room at the moment. The others were probably fixing up Matt.
"I don't know what kind of person raises perverts such as the lot of ya, but that ain't normal. Now, you let us out or I promise you'll get really, really hurt" Joel threatened the man on the other side of the bars, with the lowest, scariest voice that he owned. Mike obviously wasn't laughing at him, but his reaction was nothing that he had hoped for.
"I'll see you later" he answered briefly after a moment of silence, and took a quick look at the girl sitting on the floor. After that, he turned on his heels and walked out of the room.

After that, the moment felt like forever. They were left alone for the first time after being outside, and Joel didn't even dare to turn around. He was staring at the door that Mike had just closed, and tried to get a feeling of Ellie's thoughts. She had lost the gag, but she was still not talking. That woke a concern, so he turned around.
"I.. " he tried to start, as Ellie climbed up to reach for the bench next to the back wall of the cell.
"Don't say anything" the girl answered before hearing the rest, that anyway got stuck in his throat. He swallowed once and leaned towards the bars while looking at her. She was sitting on the wooden bench, staring at her feet, yet there was something strange in her eyes.
"Ellie, listen…"
"NO!" she answered, lifting her eyes to meet his own. He could not read those eyes.
"I won't! That.. that… stupid plan of yours didn't fucking work and.. and we're… And that stuff…" she mumbled, biting her teeth together in clear hate and disgust. If he would've thought clearly, he would not have moved, but as he felt so bad for her, he had to reach her.
"Ellie, I can't…" he started while walking towards her.
"STOP! Get the hell away from me!" she cried, as the tears finally broke out. Her jaw was shivering and her whole body was shaking, as she moved just a bit further away from him.
Joel couldn't help but obey, and stand still. He stared at her for just a little while longer, but he had to turn away.
"I'm sorry" he said facing the bars, and Ellie lifted her eyes to see the back of his head. She didn't hate him, but her thoughts were more complicated than ever. There was no way to handle them now.
"I hate myself for that" he mumbled again while shutting his eyes, but Ellie figured out what he had said. The tears started to dry out, as she could not help but feel bad for yelling at him. He was not the enemy.

As Ellie could not sleep, she sat on the bench and counted the bricks that made up the wall next to her. She took a quick look at Joel from time to time, but didn't open her mouth once.
Joel was lying on the ground a couple metres away. He didn't have the power to take another look at the girl. He didn't know what to think. Was his idea that horrible? What would've happened if he hadn't done that horrible stuff on her?
Suddenly, the front door opened and one guy came in. He had not said a word earlier that day, and he was carrying a small bowl. Joel sat up and gazed at the man with no respect. The man obviously seemed scared.
"Hi, fellas.. I.." he muttered quietly, getting closer to the bars. Joel got a weird feeling about this guy, and for the first time in a long while he took a quick look at Ellie. She had also gotten up, and was now standing next to the wall.
"Uh, I shouldn't really be doing this, but I bet you're hungry" the man continued. He stuffed the bowl between the bars, and towards Joel.
"Here, take it before someone sees"
Joel could not understand the gesture. Why was this slick being so nice to them, all of a sudden?
Ellie walked towards them, next to Joel and took the bowl from the guy's hand, since he wasn't going to do that. Joel lowered his gaze to see the girl, who nodded once with the food. They were peach halves. The man soon turned his head, and headed to the door, still quite anxious.
"Hey" Ellie called to him, still holding the bowl in her hand.
"What's your name?" she continued, and the man turned around. He was already at the door, and could not believe what he heard.
"My name? It's Andy" he answered with a bit of hesitation in his voice, and got out as soon as he heard no further questions. Joel frowned his face, as he followed the little girl with his eyes. She walked back to the bench, already grabbing a piece of peach.
"What'd you do that for?" Joel opened his mouth, and got the girl's attention.
"What'd you do anything for nowadays? To survive. He seemed okay" Ellie answered briefly, grabbing another piece. Joel swallowed once, leaning against the bars again. He stared at the peaches for a good while, and put his head down. As he crossed his arms, the girl started talking again.
"You want some?" she asked, offering the bowl to him. She had almost eaten half of them.
"Uh, no. No, you need them more than I do" he denied the offer, nodding a few times, mostly to himself. He sure was hungry as hell.
"C'mon, Joel. You need it too" she kept on offering the peaches, and he rose his sight again. They could not be sure how much time had passed after they were put in the cell, but it seemed like hours. Most probably a few. Her thoughts had cleared out a bit, but the situation still sent shivers down her spine.
"It was some weird stuff out there, but it ain't worth fighting with you" she continued, looking him straight in the eyes. It was almost like he saw forgiveness in those eyes.
"You... mind if I sit there?" he asked quietly, pointing at the bench. She took a look at the space next to her, thinking about last night. She had craved for his warmth and insisted to touch him while she slept, and now she was afraid to be near him? No, that made no sense.
"Y-yeah... sure"
He nodded once for a thank you, sorry and anything else possible, and walked to her. He sat next to her, leaving a space as big as possible in between them. She looked at the bowl while offering it to him, and he grabbed a few pieces.
"You take the rest" he said after finishing the couple in his hand. Ellie looked at the bowl, putting it down between them. Joel also looked at the remaining peaches, before lifting his eyes to the girl.
"You can't possibly know how much I regret that..."
"Joel, I..." she cut his words short, shaking her head.
"I know why you did that. It just... reminded me of David. And when it was... it was you, I..." she faded away, staring at her feet. Joel's face reacted to her words.
"Oh hell, kid" he answered, and fought the instinct to grab her and soothe her in his arms. That's what he would normally do.
"I'm so, so sorry"
"I know" she answered briefly.
"It's just... that I still feel the.." she tried to explain, but a shiver made her cut it short.
"I'll never touch you again, I promise" Joel vowed to her, and the honesty showed from his eyes as he spoke.
"You just don't fucking get it!" she frowned her face as she turned.
"Don't get what?"
"Never mind... just eat the stupid peaches"