It had been three days since the ordeal that everyone just wanted to leave behind them, at least in the presence of Joel and Ellie. When it was just Erlina and Josh, they were never afraid to visit the dark corners of their past—the corners that scared them the most because they just never knew what was lurking about on the inside. However, it's what made their relationship as family work. They knew that they could trust one another and something was refreshing and humanizing about knowing that you weren't the only one who had horrific emotions. Nothing—nothing felt better than airing out the filthiness of this modern world.
Erlina and Josh could tell, though, how different Joel and Ellie operated. Ever since they first met, Joel had an issue with lingering in the past. It was always wake up, survive, sleep, and repeat. And if a little bit of trauma managed to wiggle its way into his routine, he'd be sure to severe it out and never look at it before. And although there might've been some good to that, it wasn't always healthy long term.
Around this time, it was midnight. The air was cool & minty, and the night sky shone like glitter on Prussian blue. Around this time, the group found a place to stay for the night. It was an old shed of a mechanic shop.
Unlike the growing Infected they heard every night, it was satisfying to hear the crickets they rarely heard on a calm night.
Ellie and Erlina were both laying on some stained sheets that they found in the backseat of an old car. Both girls' backs were facing each other. Unsurprisingly, Ellie found it nearly impossible to fall asleep.
"Erlina…" she whispered, although the raspiness still cut Erlina's ears in a way she could understand.
She was ultimately checking to see if her friend was awake.
"Hm…?" Erlina answered as if waking from a nap.
Ellie turned her head to face the ceiling,
"Are you tired…?"
She was, but she didn't want to tell Ellie that all things considered.
Erlina did the same before sitting up, hoping the spontaneous redhead would have something in mind, "Are you?"
Ellie sat up and crossed her legs. She cautiously looked over Erlina's shoulder, seeing Joel and Josh resting their backs against old uncomfortable cupboards as they sat up and slumbered,
"So…" Ellie paused briefly before letting out a deep exhale, "Tomorrow's going to be our last day together."
Erlina nodded her head apprehensively,
"Yeah," she bitterly acknowledged. She hesitated before continuing, "I'll miss you."
"Same here, kiddo."
Just then, Joel began to mutter in his sleep, causing both girls to turn their attention to him. Joel was far from a heavy sleeper and the girls knew he was probably getting slight disturbances from their mutters no matter how low they spoke,
Ellie glanced back at Erlina as her head was still looking over her shoulder to get a good observation of Joel because the dark make it a little hard to tell whether or not he was awake.
"Wanna do something?" Ellie tapped Erlina's leg.
"Something fun?" Erlina smirked mischievously.
Returning the same grin, Ellie stood up without answering and walked over to a massive tool chest where both girls had rested their backpacks. Erlina eventually followed suit, the miraculous twinkle having not left her face.
Returning to where they were resting, the young archer made sure to grab the very extensions of her—the bow and arrows inside her quiver that lay beside the soft sheets. Ellie was already waiting by the well-barricaded exit, which made things complicated.
How on earth were they going to leave without alerting their watchers and possibly any Infected in the area? Erlina wasn't quite sure. But that's what Ellie was best at doing. As always, she had an easy way out. Instead, Ellie turned in the opposite direction of the exit that led to a thin corridor, and at the end of that hallway was a restroom just below some steps. At Ellie's request, Erlina turned on her flashlight and illuminated the area. The walls were tiled and sky blue, the mirror to the left was completely cracked along with the destroyed sink, and just above the toilet, directly in front of them, was a small basement window.
Needless to say, the girls wiggled their way out and hit the road after making sure the coast was clear.
Erlina and Ellie walked the streets of this small random neighborhood. Just like all others, it was forsaken with remnants of the old world—whether it was rolling through the streets or taped up on old shop windows and telephone poles. And despite that, there was something still so peaceful and still about this part of the world. Even Josh noted that once they stepped foot here, nothing caused them trouble,
"What a quaint little place, ay?" Ellie playfully expressed as usual.
"Quaint?" Erlina repeated, "What's that mean?"
"Quaint…" Ellie pondered, "I think it means like….small and nice or something?" She scratched the back of her head, "Yeah, I'm not really sure."
"That's a shame," Erlina smirked, still looking around.
"Hey! Take it easy, I'm sure I'm using it the right way!" Just as she was about to open her mouth once more, jumped to Erlina's very animated gasp. Prepared to retrieve her switchblade, she panicked, "What!?"
Responding to her frantic reaction, her eyes widened and she pointed to a library in the distance,
"Sorry?" Erlina apologized, refraining from laughing.
"Oh, brother," she expressed as she returned her knife.
Frankly, Erlina liked where this was going. She reached into her bookbag and pulled out her glasses—still serving great purpose despite being a little beat up. The influence Ellie had on her was a bit of a guilty pleasure.
Both girls made their way to the library, only to realize that it was sealed off by a storefront gate. Cautiously, they made their way around the corner of the building until they wandered into an empty parking lot with a weak toll booth adjoined by a dirty-looking boom barrier. At the back of the building and immediately to their right, there was a notable entrance that appeared to be unguarded.
"Stay ready," She heard Ellie warn as they both eagerly approached it.
Erlina lightly pushed the door open but instantly froze in place after hearing a slight creak cry out from the rusted hinges. Moving further inside, she could see staircases to her right that led to both higher and lower levels, and it would be a miracle if Infected hadn't wandered into this place just as easily as they both did.
A couple of feet away from the entrance was another opening that led to an area of low bookcases and numerous children's books. Unwisely lowering her guard, she pushed further in until a tall dark figure caught her attention. She yelped and stumbled backward, attempting to hold herself up without taking her eyes off her encounter. Ellie ran to her aid and jumped in front of her, pointing her knife up at what eventually turned out to be a cardboard cut-out of a seven-foot-tall, cartoon bear in bright blue overalls and a cowboy hat,
"Nothing to be afraid of," Ellie relaxed, adjusting the straps of her backpack, "He's harmless."
Erlina fixed her posture and remained calm beside her, reading the text at the bottom of the platform,
"Barty the Bear."
"Fuck you, Bart," Ellie whimsically added.
Reading the directory around the library, Ellie and Erlina realized that they were in the children's section and that none of these books intrigued them in the slightest. They wanted something more age-appropriate, so they climbed to the second floor and, like experts, individually exterminated four Infected without breaking a sweat.
Agreeing to at least stay on the same floor, they separated, looking for genres that sparked their interest. It didn't take long for the girls to grab the first thing that grappled them. Whether it was an interesting title or an attractive book cover—it had them hooked.
Making sure to not weigh themselves down too much, they agreed to meet up after retrieving two books, nonchalantly walking over to the Infected they killed minutes ago. Without being prompted, Ellie held up a hardcovered book with a slightly worn-out cover. It featured what appeared to be a woman being held from behind with a man—their faces being cut out,
"The Loveliest Affair?" Erlina repeated.
"It's an erotica," Ellie teased.
"A what?"
"Nevermind. Just don't tell Joel about it," she then showed the second book—a comic, "I also go this."
Erlina shone her light on the next text,
"Moonpeople…" Erlina read aloud, "What's that one about?"
"It's about an alien apocalypse and a group of rebels trying to fight back after the aliens overthrow the government," Ellie explained while scrunching up her facial expression, "I dunno," she shrugged while quickly skimming through the pages, "I wouldn't mind fighting some aliens now and then. I'm already tired of these assholes," she motioned to the corpses surrounding them.
Shortly afterward, Ellie inquired about the two books Erlina chose. Erlina reached into her bag and pulled out a light paperback with a simplistic book cover with a pink and white gradient background with the sole image of a necklace on it,
"This is about a man's wife who's murdered and he doesn't give up after her case goes cold."
"Honey, Come Home," Ellie read, "Hm, interesting. Maybe you can trade books with me when I come back to the dam."
"For The Loveliest Affair?" Erlina portrayed a playful look of disbelief. She took the book back, "No thanks," she dug through her bag for a final time and showed off the second book. It was another paperback with another simple cover.
"Land on Your Hands," Ellie read once again.
"I read the back and I think it's about forbidden love, I think," Erlina theorized, "About two people who look different and have a different upbringing."
"You're kinda making me second guess my choices here."
Erlina shoved the book back into her backpack.
"I think your choices are still pretty cool."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I wanna give Moonpeople a shot."
"Then," Ellie interlocked her fingers and stretched her arms over her head until she tip-toed, "it's officially settled."
From what they assumed, they were safe, completely disregarding the various other threats that weren't just Clickers and Runners. As observant as Ellie was, she ended up wandering into a computer lab with various flatscreen monitors. There was about a total of fourteen monitors, each sharing a desk.
Erlina on the other hand was observing movie posters on the wall and realized one thing about the young girls in the images. Using her hand, she reached up and tossed a handful of her braids over her shoulder, running her fingers through them while adoring the beautiful photos that were–unbeknownst to her–heavily edited on computer programs.
However, it didn't take long for Ellie to notice the chokehold that Erlina was in, so she called her by the name, tugging Erlina elsewhere.
"Check these out," Ellie pressed the buttons on a few monitors, hoping at least one of them would turn on, "I knew someone back in Boston who said they had one of these things."
"Really? How?"
"I dunno," she glanced over, "I personally think it was a bunch of bullshit."
"You think any of them work?" Erlina said, joining along is pushing what she assumed to be a power button on all of them.
"Ever heard of a Facebook?" Ellie asked randomly, standing erect after looking underneath one of the computers under the desks.
"I think so?" Erlina paused, "Is it like a phonebook?"
Ellie shrugged, giving up on trying to get the computers to turn on. Noting that they got what they came for, Erlina was advised that it would probably be best for them to leave.
The trek through the parkway was somewhat of a bittersweet walk. Considering that today was the day when the pairs would be splitting up, it gave them a chance to reflect on the way they felt about each other—but ever so indirectly.
As per usual, Erlina and Ellie were walking ahead. This was the first time Josh and Erlina had ever met a pair of survivors that they would end up trusting so much. Joel, to Josh, was like a much older brother or maybe even a paternal figure. After all, Joel was in his fifties. Erlina would've liked to tell herself that she learned some things from Ellie and all Josh and Erlina could hope for was that Joel and Ellie could walk away saying that they learned something from them as well.
Nearly two and a half hours into their travel and the moment, they all had not been waiting for, arrived,
"Well," Joel hesitated, "We're here."
"Damn," Josh awkwardly chuckled, "That was pretty quick."
Josh looked over at Erlina and Ellie, who looked far from happy. Ellie strolled a good distance from Erlina, kicking the specks of gravel that managed to free themselves from the pavement over time,
"C'mere, girls," Joel beckoned.
"Oh god," Josh examined their walks. Erlina faulted behind, meanwhile, Ellie aggressively strolled over, "They do not look happy."
"They'll both be okay," Joel secretly muttered to avoid being heard or seen.
Once Erlina finally caught up, he was now face to face with two adorable children who undeniably saw him as today's threat. Joel, as always, avoided eye contact for too long and addressed both of them.
"This is it for us,"
"We know," Ellie expressed, slightly agitated. That's when Joel stopped talking, presumably from the look he got from her when he knew something was on her mind, "It's just…" she resumed. Erlina looked at all of the faces around her, slowly backing away before turning back to face them, "I don't know, don't you guys wanna come with us?"
Joel lifted a hand and briefly turned his head almost as if to recompose himself for insulting her ludicrous idea,
"They have someplace to be Ellie, they have a mother and an aunt they have to find," he strictly asserted, "That's unfair to them."
To Josh and Erlina, it was a fair assessment. Yes, Ellie and Joel were allies they would've loved to have the whole way back to Wyoming, but what Ellie was asking for was far too dangerous to accept blindly. When Joel mentioned the Fireflies, Josh didn't even want to know what they were involved in, because he knew that wherever the Fireflies went, trouble always followed–he understood that they had to go their separate ways and Hopefully Erlina did too. They were just a step closer to finding refuge and if it meant finding his mother or keeping Erlina safe, the latter was probably was mattered most.
Ellie couldn't bring herself to look at Erlina, but eventually gave in to glancing over at her,
"Sorry," she apologized.
Erlina suddenly moved in for a hug, ultimately ending up in an embrace welcomed by the both of them.
"Watch each other's backs," Josh said pointing a finger at the both of them, "And be safe."
Joel wasn't much of an affectionate guy from what Josh could gather, so he didn't bother moving in for a brotherly hug. However, he did find it in himself to muster up and offer a handshake. Thankfully, Joel extended his hand and firmly gripped and shook longer than he expected. And although they only shook for a moment, the young adult could tell that a considerable amount of respect was being transferred to him.
Being the only one to get emotional, Erlina removed her spectacles to wipe her eyes while moving in to give a side hug to Joel. Being the youngest, she was gladly accepted by Joel and he affectionately rubbed her shoulder to console her despite knowing her innocence and pain,
"Be good," He simply stated.
Ellie let out an exhausted exhale,
"I'll miss you guys."
"We'll miss you too."
"I don't know if this is appropriate or not, but please don't die out there."
"Trust we won't," Josh awkwardly chuckled.
Their smiles began to fade and just like in old times, stood beside their original companions, standing across from each other like they were separated by an invisible fence. The group finally decided it was best to walk in opposite directions. Just like when you were being chased there was one rule they had to abide by—never look back.
Since then, about three weeks had passed. Josh and Erlina safely made it to Wyoming according to the signs on the freeway. Of course, they had their run-ins with a few Infected, but they were better off just avoiding them. Fighting all the time was tiring, especially after feeling a sense of defeat after the split up.
They had grown so careless during their time with Joel and Ellie that Erlina was down to about three arrows and Josh had a handful of bullets. He checked his magazine every time trouble appeared to be near because you could just never recollect when fighting Infected nearly up to five times a day. Now that Joel's brute strength was no longer around, Josh had to find ways to account for that.
Currently, they were standing in the middle of a road, just having made their way through a labyrinth made up of stalled cars. It had just drizzled rain and they were both a little hungry,
"So," Josh softly flicked the map open. Unfolding it fully, he located their location on it. He looked around, "We have to make a turn up on this...route," Josh focused, peering around for some street signs that gave an indicator that they were nearby Jackson County.
"Infected," Erlina said, watching a Clicker rise from behind one of the cars. Josh sighed, getting ready to put away his map. Erlina, on the other hand, reached up and prevented him from doing so, "I've got it."
He watched her closely as she walked ahead of him and parked herself a good distance between her and the Clicker. The Clicker, seemingly aware that someone was around, stood still to get a good listen and faced directly at Erlina before being shot through the heart. The Infected jolted backward, falling over the hood of a car and toppling to the ground. Erlina could hear its cries until it went silent and went over to remove her arrow. Josh, watched as she walked back, impressed with how she handled herself. Although it should've been before today, this was the moment he realized that she was capable of taking care of herself and that he probably shouldn't worry as much as he previously did,
"Know where we're going?" Erlina asked curiously, peering at the map from below.
He tilted it over for her to read along, still admiring her in the meantime.
"Well, we just gotta walk further down this way and there should be an exit to Jackson County."
"Good."
Josh looked over at her and smiled,
"Can't wait to finally relax, huh?" He watched her nod silently, probably careful to not put too much hope into this little journey of theirs, "Alright. Let's go."
Later that evening, Josh decided it would be best to find a place to sleep in before nightfall arrived. Although he wanted to trudge on, something told him to stop procrastinating or else it'd be too late. Stumbling through an old trailer park, a former suburbian version of a housing project in Josh's book. Both were on the search for some new tools that could aid them, but unsurprisingly to them, there was nothing that appeared to be useful. Josh, however, happened to find a wooden mop. He unscrewed the stick from the head of dirty white locks and requested to have the end sharpened with one of Erlina's arrows. Considering how low they were on ammunition, this was an alternative neither of them favored.
Erlina went on to search some neighboring trailers and found some canned goods and bottles of water hidden underneath some mattresses.
This seemed to be the spot for them. They found themselves the best-looking trailer, set up camp just outside, and cooked their baked beans. Having some leftover meat, which was probably about the same texture as jerky, they proactively mixed it into their beans and devoured it like it was a five-star dinner.
To avoid unwanted attention, Josh put out the fire and they returned inside the trailer.
"Guess what I found," Erlina announced standing behind her older cousin as he barricaded the door. Piquing his interest, she pulled out her arms from behind her back, revealing powdered drink mixes in each hand.
"Oh, shit," Josh softly gasped with a chuckle. He placed the last item—a stool—with the barricade and eagerly reached over to observe them, "Wild strawberry," he read the one in her in right palm before looking to her left, "And cranberry."
"Which one do you want?" she questioned, looking at him with wide curious eyes.
"You found them, so you choose."
Without a moment to spare, she handed him the cranberry mix and kept the alluring strawberry pink mix to herself. She moved to the kitchen area and stood by the sink, carefully opened up the packets of artificially flavored powder, and poured them into each water bottle. Sealing each bottle cap tightly, she proceeded to shake each bottle until the water changed colors–her's turning a light pink and the other transforming into a deep red.
Having settled down in the middle of the living room floor and resting his back on the sofa, Josh graciously received his drink from her,
"Thanks," he said before taking two large gulps. Afterward, he removed his backpack and turned it upside down, emptying it of all its contents. Using his hand, he shuffled through the items on the ground—matches, a half-roll of toilet paper, a half-full canteen, band-aids, and a small plastic bag of flour. While scouring through his items, he was surprised by an intrusive thought,
"If we don't find my mom, we have to stay, y'know…"
Being her niece, those words were hard for Erlina to hear and although she couldn't believe how her own son could say such a thing, it had to be painful to come to terms with.
Sitting sideways on an armchair, with her legs dangling off of one side something managed to catch her eye through the broken vertical blinds behind her older cousin. She shushed softly as silhouettes wandered past the window. Just between the open spaces, she made out two figures who could have spotted had they turned to check through the window. Naturally, one would think Infected, but once the faint sound of people talking could be heard, Josh and Erlina nearly jumped into a frenzy—the worst kind of enemy.
Josh quickly shoved his items back into his backpack and Erlina pressed her stomach to the floor with her guardian shortly following suit. Looking straight ahead at the door directly in front of her, Erlina silently prayed,
Don't come in. Don't come in. Don't come in.
Feeling jinxed, the doorknob began to wiggle about. Erlina's eyes widened and she could feel her heartbeat racing. From where Josh remained he swore she could probably feel his own through the vibrations it sent through the floors.
What would Ellie do? Erlina thought to herself. Reaching inside and channeling her redheaded friend, she exhaled a simple word that encompassed a myriad of emotions,
"Shit," she expressed, unable to drop the f-bomb.
"I locked it before barricading," Josh reminded, "They can't come in."
From what they both could tell, the strangers were two males and they were speaking in a language foreign to the cousins.
After a lengthy attempt of them trying to get inside their mobile home, Josh realized that he and his little comrade must have been squatting on someone's already claimed turf. Josh and Erlina crawled underneath the windowsill to avoid being seen from outside,
"Why don't they just leave?" Erlina whispered, sounding frustrated.
"Remember those packets you found?" He watched Erlina nod, "I think those belonged to them."
"You think they—"
Suddenly a loud knock on the window took both of them by surprise, nearly cousin Erlina to squeal.
"Toby!?" the voice shouted.
"Shut up!" the second voice demanded, "There's no one in there!"
"What are you say—"
"There's no one in there!" the second person aggressively persuaded.
"Y-yeah…"
Although they heard the footsteps depart the cousins were terrified to move. As low as they were running on ammunition and supplies, it was smart not to try their luck.
However, before they knew it, Erlina and Josh had fallen asleep in the same spot—having not moved a muscle. Josh woke up during the middle of the night, panicking to see themselves surrounded by darkness. With the constant moving, it always took a survivor a while to recall their own last whereabouts. He calmed down, feeling Erlina's full head of braids underneath his cheek as she rested on his shoulder. He craned his head upward, seeing low light emitted from the night sky outside. Instead of waking her or even attempting to move, he closed his eyes and fell back asleep.
Once the following day arrived, it was more than obvious that the pair could no longer stay where they were. Having let her sleep in before grabbing some final items, Erlina felt herself being shaken awake by her older cousin,
"Erlina," he called about three, four times.
She opened her eyes to see him crouched in front of her, offering her glasses to her,
"What's happening?"
"We can't stay here, we gotta move before those guys come back."
Josh grabbed his backpack and rushed to the doorway, removing all of the heavy items he barricaded the doorway with. With enough panic and adrenaline, one could get things done faster than it initially took, and within a few minutes, Josh had removed the empty fridge out of the way and already had his palm on the doorknob.
Erlina went to grab her bow and arrows from the countertop that was directly across the area from where they were. From where she stood, her brown orbs were suddenly surprised by the sunlight that cut into the room. Blocking her eyes, she slowly began to realize something. She turned away and looked at the counter, then back at the window, getting a perfect view of the outside,
"Joshua…" she weakly called for him.
But it was too late, he was already partially out of the door. From where she stood, she saw her worst fear coming true and a stainless steel revolver hauntingly came in from the side of the entrance. Stunned, Erlina's covered her mouth and froze. The cold firearm was pressed to the side of Josh's head, the owner's hand being brown just like theirs. Without being told a word, Josh carefully put his arms up and looked to the side, unable to make out the face of the individual.
"We-we're just leaving."
"Go inside," the stranger's voice calmly demanded, a rather vague accent accompanying it.
"Please, we just want–"
"Don't make me repeat myself," he spoke softly, cocking the gun, "Get inside."
Careful not to make any sudden movements, Josh was followed into the house, the abductor revealing a stranger with a gas mask.
"Don't move," the adult said, shifting his gaze to Erlina.
As if things couldn't get any worse, a second masked man followed with a handgun in hand and a rifle strapped to his back. He raised it and pointed it at Erlina, but something about the way she reacted forced him to point it at the floor. The second man—taller and bald, walked ahead, and began shouting,
"Toby!" he bellowed, possessing a voice that matched his massive stature.
"Sit," Josh's abductor demanded, motioning him to the cushionless couch. Although it was far from generous, Erlina was allowed to sit next to him. With the gun still pointed at them, he used his other hand to remove his gasmask, scooping back wavy-jet black hair in the process. Now that they both got a full gaze of him, they saw a tall, slender man with brown skin, and a salt and pepper scruff—having South Asian ancestry,
"He's back here!" the other stranger's voice echoed.
"Toby!?" the abductor finally cried out, unwavering his aim from his hostages.
Suddenly a gawky boy, about Erlina's age, ran out from one of the back rooms with features that strongly, yet softly, matched the armed man.
"Dad!"
Erlina silently gasped with her mouth closed, while Josh shook his head in disbelief. He knew that whenever there was a child involved, people became protective but sometimes they became protective to a fault and he wouldn't go out without a fight if they meant to harm him and his cousin.
"Where were you!?" his father kneeled to his level after seeing his bald comrade walk into the room with them
"He was hidden under the bed," the towering man announced.
"Is everything okay? Are you okay?" the boy's father inquired, inspecting every inch of his body.
"I'm fine!" he wiggled his way out of his father's hounding grasp.
"We didn't even know he was in there," Josh defended themselves.
"Yeah, well who's to say you wouldn't have done something to him?" the boy's father retorted.
"Eugene…" the bald man called, "He's got a kid. They're both kids."
That's when Erlina's eyes met with Eugene, appearing more innocent than she normally would,
"Doesn't matter," he said, inspecting his child even further, "Children are just as capable nowadays if not more dangerous."
"Dad…" Toby interjected, "You have anything to worry about," he glanced over at them, "They just ate dinner together. They seem fine."
Eugene paused and looked at his son momentarily, reading the generousness within his eyes. Seemingly, he appeared to be a father to trust his son's gut and instincts no matter how young he was,
"Yeah?" Eugene softly nudged his son's cheek with his knuckle.
Toby nodded.
"We just wanted to leave," Josh attempted to defend himself a final time.
He felt like he might've had a chance, considering the time he stayed alive although there was a barrel pointed to his head a second ago.
Eugene's eye shifted over to Erlina momentarily, noticing that the timid child remained clung to this younger man's arm
"You're both on your own?"
"Yes," Josh answered while Erlina nodded silently.
After a moment of silence, Eugene made it to both feet and put his revolver away—showing that they no longer felt threatened,
"Let's just let 'em have the place," the second male said.
"No, it's okay," Josh quickly stood up, "We can go."
"Relax…" Eugene said, putting his palms defensively. He looked down and shook his head in disbelief, "I want to sincerely apologize, but I hope you understand why I had to come in on both of you like this?"
"We get it," Erlina finally opened her mouth, "You wanted to protect your son and make sure he was safe."
"Smart girl," Eugene smiled, revealing a set of beautiful teeth.
Finally, the taller man removed his mask revealing a more conventional face. In addition to his baldness, he had bright blue eyes—the brightest they had ever seen—and a dirty blonde mustache. The common thing with all of their attire was that they all wore sleeveless parkas. Toby's parka was black, Eugene's was a dark forest green, and the final stranger's own was navy blue.
"Honestly," the bald man started, "You both seem okay. We've cleared out most of this park and we stay in about four houses. You can camp in here for a while if you need to."
"I really appreciate it but—"
"Look," Eugene interrupted, lovingly pulling his son closer, "It's the least we can do."
Josh and Erlina took up the offer and it was probably the best choice they could've made because who knows where they would've spent the next couple of nights had things gone any more awry. It was eventually revealed that the stranger along with Eugene and Toby was named Connor—Toby's uncle. Contrary to their first impression, Josh could immediately tell that these were probably going to be one of the nicest pairs he'd ever meet,
Sitting on a stool on the other side of the marble counter, Eugene glanced over Josh's shoulder seeing his step-brother teaching both kids how to play blackjack,
"I swear, working at a casino was one of the worst things to happen to him."
"Look," Connor started by aggressively pointing at his own bald top, "Blackjack is good for the brain! It teaches you how to wait and strategize—great survival techniques."
"We already do that, Uncle Connor," Toby claimed, obviously not fond of the pointless card lesson.
Suddenly, Josh's attention was pulled from the blackjack dealer,
"So it's just you and her?" Eugene inquired.
"Yep," Josh simply answered with an exhale, "We came out here looking for someone."
A momentary pause came between them. Eugene adjusted his position and folded his hands on the table,
"I don't mean to pry but…"
Josh smiled at his calm approach, really hoping that despite their alliance now, this could've been the Eugene he was introduced to,
"My mom," Josh enlightened, "We got separated from her back in Nebraska and I've been searching for her," he looked at Eugene's face, thinking that he probably thought what most people would—that there was a snowball's chance in hell that he would find her, but Eugene was probably just being too find to say it. Then again, there was something about the tenacity in which he possessed that he wanted to brag about. He wanted to inform Euegene that, unlike him and so many others, he had yet to give up hope. He continued, "It's been a few months."
Possibly to be polite, Eugene nodded in understanding,
"So what are you doing all the way out here in Wyoming?"
"Heard there was a haven in Jackson County," Josh blurted, "A community," he specified.
"Well, we've come across a lot of communities around here. Not all of 'em are what they're made out to be," Eugene warned, "You don't wanna cross the wrong people out here."
"Like you?" Josh joked, invoking some kind of entertainment from Eugene, "How'd you know we were in here anyway?"
"Saw the bow on the counter," Eugene enlightened, tapping on the very countertop they sat on opposite sides of. Motioning his head to the window about eight feet behind him, Josh turned, seeing from the inanimate object's point of view as if it was a person. He pulled Josh's attention back in, "Now, about this haven?"
"Oh," Josh turned back to face him, "All I know is that there's a dam."
"A dam," Eugene sighed.
Josh noted his lack of surprise or lack of inquisitiveness,
"You know of it?" the young adult questioned, mysteriously more intrigued than his new ally.
Eugene glanced over at his family,
"I'm aware of it. It's the only dam in all of Jackson County."
"So you know where it is?" Josh became more engaged, both eyes twinkling.
"I do," Eugene admitted. However, the father put up a hand as soon as he saw as much as a breath being taken in by Josh, "And I know what you're about to ask," he claimed, shortly before noticing Josh freeze.
"Please," Josh pleaded, "Please," he began to beg. Eugene sat in silence, leaving Josh in a perplexed state of fight or flight. His eyes began to glisten and his nose tingled. He tried to hold himself together because even without knowing whether or not this meant he'd find his mom, he felt like he was so close to an answer. Just knowing that Eugene's decision could dictate how everything would unfold, was what held Josh and Erlina's current desperation in limbo. He brought his elbows on the table and brought his fists to his lips, "I need to do this for her," he motioned toward his cousin.
Eugene sat still with his hands folded on the table, now mirroring Josh's frozen image.
Eugene, Connor, and Toby made sure they had all of their belongings. Despite Eugene's requests to go alone, Connor was just too worried about letting his step-brother step foot out by himself with two complete strangers. It was all very unclear to Josh, but he assumed that it was best to not take any chance–even if they did think they were nice. Because at the end of the day, it really all boiled down to one's perception, and that usually wasn't the best thing to go by. Also, Toby wasn't about to let his father go for another day after the ordeal they just experienced.
Having been prepared the moment they were ambushed, Josh and Erlina were the first out of the mobile home, conversing amongst themselves in complete anticipation.
Finally, they looked over, seeing six-foot-one Connor be the last one to exit the home and close the door behind him,
"You both ready?"
"Yep," Josh simply responded, avoiding showing his eagerness and saying something corny and dampening along the lines of 'way ahead of you' or 'born ready'.
The five of them mazed their way out of the park and reached the road that stretched out into an open plain. The skies were clear and the breeze was light and earthy, lavishly invading their lungs.
"Does this place have other kids?" Toby suddenly asked curious, cutting through the momentary silence after Eugene and Connor spoke.
Josh looked over at Eugene, looking for any kind of signal on whether or not it was appropriate to answer. Despite not receiving any look at all, he remained silent,
"Maybe," Eugene responded, "We don't know yet."
Walking bleakly at his father's side, Toby looked away from his father and at Erlina, who kept her focus on the road they trotted,
"But Erlina will be there," he lifted his bright eyes to his father, "Right?"
"Right…" Eugene pulled his son closer to him, patting his back in the process to comfort him.
As they continued hiking, the entire party came to a halt. At the sight of something they could see from afar. No one addressed it at first, but it was only denying the inevitable. They were so close, Josh believe Eugene knew exactly how close–more than he was letting on. In front of the party was a train stuck at a railroad crossing. Clearly, it had been here for years since its wheels and rusted tracks were overgrown with weeds and vegetation.
Connor took a couple of steps back, observing well over twenty cars–at least that's what he could make out through the trees that obscured most of his vision.
Toby walked next to Erlina with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his parka,
"How are we going to get past that?"
"I say we get across," Eugene's eyes scanned the windows, "I don't see any bodies trapped in there. So that means there has to be an opening somewhere.
"Look," Josh started, "You don't have to do this. It's fine," he stumbled upon some of his words, "I really appreciate it, but if this is too much to ask for, I don't want to put you three at risk."
"Trust me. If I didn't want to do this, I would've turned back as soon as I saw this train," Eugene professed, "I want to do this. On second thought," he looked over at Toby and gave a smile, "How would you like to hang out with kids your age?" he questioned, watching Toby's face brighten. He then looked over to Connor, "If this place turns out to be somewhere safe, I want Toby to grow up in a place where he doesn't always have to be at risk. And I know I didn't run this by you, but–"
"Stop," Connor interrupted, shaking his head with a smile, "If it's for Toby, you best believe I'm there for him."
Connor looked down at his nephew and gave him a soft fist bump.
"So does that mean you're coming?" Erlina looked over at Toby with bright curious eyes.
"I guess," he shrugged, presumably hiding the excitement.
"I'm glad to hear that," Josh nodded, "I'll forever be in your debt for this. You have no idea."
Eugene laughed and placed an arm over Josh's shoulder and place the other hand on Josh's free one,
"Let's worry about getting there first."
Connor resumed looking a the train cars and wandered away from the group,
"Be careful!" Toby shouted.
Shortly afterward, Connor summoned his party over, claiming to have found an opening in one of the windows. It was small enough for a child to fit through and unlock the car door from the other side,
"I'll do it," Erlina volunteered.
"Let me do it," Toby took a step forward. However, he took a step back when his father darted a look that only he understood,
"She said she'll do it, Toby," Eugene retorted, not taking an eye off him.
Josh might've understood it, but also didn't quite know how to take that he was so willing to throw Erlina toward something so risky. There wasn't a moment of hesitance or uncertainty—there was nothing. But he knew his cousin was capable and she had done things like this many times before.
With help from massive Connor, Erlina was lifted the easiest she had ever been in her life and climbed through the window without issue. She looked around the car, examining the dingy, burgundy carpet, black seats, and chestnut-colored interior that chipped away along the walls. Both ends of the car were opened-ended and led to another car. She stared in awe, not even noticing the skeletal remains of a corpse at the far end of the train. Snapping herself out of the fascination of this first-time experience, she walked to the door and easily slid it open after fidgeting with some locks.
"Got it!" she sounded elated.
"Good work," Connor complimented, playfully patting her head as she lept out.
"It looks empty," Erlina claimed.
"But we know better than to assume that," Josh added to the claim.
Now, all five of them were on the train, making their way toward the front. They made it about three cars in and the scene was just beginning to get a little more morbid than they expected—the backs of heads on lifeless bodies could be seen laying against the windows, craned downward, or full bodies could be seen laying across their seats with their throats torn out. Although it was particularly a new sight, it certainly ruined the curiosity that sparked in the children's minds.
With Eugene leading the way, she suddenly halted, having Josh bump into him. He gave a sharp shh, indicating that he might've heard something. The closer they listened they could hear some soft weeps coming from one of two cars down.
Then, something caught Josh by surprise when he looked over to see an arm fall beside a body. He jumped back, grabbing everyone's attention and causing them to look where he gazed. Directly to the right of them, one of the heads they presumed to perish, turned to the side and revealed itself to have redding eyes and a veiny face.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," the Runner instantly howled at the top of its lungs, having droplets of saliva escape from the crevasses of its mouth. Pouncing like an apex predator,
Josh instinctively kicked it back, throwing it against the window. But knowing that wouldn't be enough, Eugene quickly pulled out his revolver and fired at the Runner twice, hitting it once in the chest and once in the stomach.
All of their hearts were racing and their adrenaline was beginning to surge. Eugene turned back to see the alerted Infected make their way from the desired cars ahead. He performed an about-face and rushed the others in front of him, pressing his back against Josh's and practically creating a domino effect to the others in front of him,
"Go! Go!" He cried.
Being the last to sandwich the kids in the middle, Connor instantly faces the opposite direction and started beaming through the aisle without warning. With Toby directly behind him, he impressively kept up with his hasty uncle. Erlina was probably the least agile of the bunch but was still quick enough on her feet to give those behind her a decent distance from the Infected that pursued them.
Toby briefly looked over his shoulder, seeing about five to four Runners and a Clicker,
"Crap!"
Erlina followed suit and gave a soft yelp,
As much as Connor wanted to stop and check every single door that came into view, there just wasn't any time. He eyed the sides of every car he tore through as best as he could. However, as he continued running, he was surprised by a Runner in the direction he was going. Driven to survive, Connor, like a linebacker, tackled the Runner and simultaneously elbowed it across the face. He heard the cracking of bones and the Runner bellowed as it flew into the spaces between the seats. With it shoved aside for a couple of seconds, Josh pulled out his handgun and shot it square in the face as he ran past—instantly annihilating it with the simple flash of his gun.
They were about eight cars in, and almost as if it was an answer to their prayers, Connor saw an exit,
"THERE!" he alerted everyone.
Jumping out, he helped both kids down and waited for Josh and Eugene to follow shortly afterward. Once all of them were out, Connor pushed the door but struggled to slide it shut. It creaked and squeaked, budging only little by little. Without even needing to cry for assistance, both of the other men supported him and within a matter of seconds, the rusty door slid shut just in the nick of time. The Infected ran to the exit and relentlessly pounded against the glass.
The group, now breathless and covered in sweat from head to toe, faltered with every bang and blow that the rabid humanoids delivered, ultimately allowing the survivors to turn away and run down a grassy slope.