I've wanted to write this chapter since three now I hope it is as awesome as I envisioned it. Also we got some dark stuff in here, and once again if you played the game this shouldn't be anything new, but don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy.
Jakes POV
"Fuck you asshole!" The hunter fiercely shouted as he spat on Joel.
Joel wiped the spit off his shirt and punched the guy again, square in the jaw.
"The girl." He held up a map of the local area to the dudes face."Where is she?" He asked, if Joel spoke to me in that tone of voice I would probably shit my pants.
A few minutes after me and Joel's little discussion, we were jumped in-between two houses by a couple of assholes. They thought they had us, but what they didn't count on is Joel being a badass and beating the shit out of them before dragging them inside, But this was going nowhere and was frustrating to even watch. The other guy was chained in the corner, completely silent. I'm super pissed at these guys, why? Because they fucking kidnapped my best friend in the apocalypse and I am NOT losing another person I care about.
"She's David's newest slave." He spat out with a devious grin splattered across his face, he looked at me in particular. The fact that David is a pedophile was kinda surprising, though the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Trying to leave me behind, trying to take 'care' of us, the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became.
"Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't already r-"He said before I walked over and pointed a gun at his crotch.
'What ar-"Joel said before I interrupted him.
"I got this Joel." I stated as I looked at him from behind my shoulder. This, this has gone on long enough.
"Alright dick, I think we know how this is gonna end, so the question is. How much pain do you want to be in before you die?" I glared at him, inching the pistol a bit closer to his… gonads.
"Kid, you don't have it in you." He said, serious this time around.
"You'd be surprised. Alright, I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. When I hit that number I'm pulling the trigger. Okay?" I finished.
The guy said nothing.
"One, two, three…" I counted slowly to gauge the reaction on the guys face; I continued counting until I hit seven. Then I pulled the trigger.
Shock and excruciating pain was forever etched on to his face by the bullet. Hell, Joel was surprised when I pulled the trigger. I think the one who was most surprised was myself, the look of pain on his face might scar me for weeks. Then I thought back to Ellie and I got refocused.
"See, I told you, you would be surprised." I said, I inner high fived myself for that awesome one liner.
He said nothing as tears rolled down his face from the pain, the guy chained to the wall just backed away even more.
"Alright, same rules apply, how much pain do you want to be in before you die?" I said, unintentionally rhyming. I pointed the pistol once more.
He got real cooperative after that, I gave him a rifle round to point to the town on the map he pointed to a location. Then I shot him in the face. I walked over to his buddy against the wall.
"I think you know where this is going." I said, crouching down.
"Look he told you the truth man; you don't have to do that shit, I swear man, I fucking swear!" He said I could smell the piss he was leaking.
"Cool." I said blandly before shooting him between the eyes, just like Ellie said.
Ellie's POV
"Wake-y, wake-y." James said before roughly waking me up from my sleep.
He pulled me to my feet and started shoving me out the door towards David, I struggled all I could but I had no energy form the lack of food.
I saw David out of the corner of my eye, and the rusty cleaver in his right hand, I panicked and thought back to anything, ANYTHING that could save me from being chopped limb from limb.
I remembered my train of thought back at the resort and bit David in the hand when he reached out to grab me. He cried out in pain and kneed me in the stomach, then threw me on the table.
"I warned you." He said, raising the cleaver.
"I'm infected! I'm infected!" I yelled, closing my eyes.
"Really?" He said, he tried to insert sarcasm but I could tell he was actually worried.
I opened my eyes. "So are you.' He shook his head. I continued "its right there, roll up my sleeve."
He hesitated before saying. "I'll play along." He then slammed the cleaver down next to my head and rolled up my sleeve.
He saw the six month bite I got, from being a stupid kid and sneaking out with Riley.
"What'd you say? Everything happens for a reason?" I mocked.
"What the hell is that?" James said, overlooking the scar.
"It can't be real; she would've turned by now." David blew my claim off.
"Looks pretty fucking real to me!" James said. David turned away to examine the bite I gave him. I grabbed the abandoned cleaver and shoved across James throat.
I quickly rolled off the table before David got his pistol out and started shooting. James fell down right next to me, gurgling for air that he will never get. I sprinted towards the open door, using a hanging carcass as cover for David's bullets.
I glanced to the left and found my trusty switch blade on a shelf. I grabbed it, opening it, before jumping out one of the windows into the harsh winter climate.
Jakes POV
Shots flew over our heads as we took cover behind a gas station counter. I popped out of cover to snipe a dude in the face before almost getting shot in the face myself.
"Jake." Joel stated as he momentarily paused from his scavenging to look at me.
"I'm just trying to keep them off us." I said before reloading the rifle.
We had got to town alright; and were met with a parade of hunters with guns. Currently, Joel and I was finishing off the last of them, which was proving increasingly difficult.
Joel stealthed right next to me, he had Molotov in his hand, made from the mixture of several different exquisite alcohols and just the right rag.
He chucked it off handedly and ended roasting the last of them. We got out from behind cover, still keeping our heads down and made our way past their bodies into a building.
The room we entered was being used as some sort of storage space. Piles and piles of worn clothes were littered across the room, and you know what? Guess what was atop the first pile I saw?
Ellie's backpack.
I quickly went over it to pick it up and looked across the room. Wondering how these guys got this much stuff before an idea formed in my head.
"You don't think they were…." I trailed off.
"Let's keep moving." Joel replied.
My backpack is actually a whole lot bigger than hers, so I figured I it could just slide right in. My clumsiness got a hold of me and I dropped her 'pack spilling its contents on the floor. Joel looked ove at me, my frame blocking his view.
He sighed. "Hurry up kid."
"Sorry." I replied before crouching down to scoop up its contents.
I looked over Ellie's belongings and examined them before shoving them in her pack. Yeah I know it was wrong but my curiosity got the hold of me. There was a walkman (Huh, haven't seen one of those in a while.)A toy robot (Never knew Ellie was into toys.) Some of her joke books she read from, during the winter (The soap one was actually pretty good.) A firefly pendant with the name 'Riley Ariel' on the back (?) A note, which I immediately shoved in her backpack when I saw the word 'Mom' written at the bottom (Okay, I might be a bit of an asshole but even I wouldn't read something as personal as that.)
I had Ellie's 'pack all zipped up in my bag when I looked over and saw an aged photo lying on its front on the floor. I picked it up and turned it over, and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
It was a picture of a twenty-something Joel with a blonde haired girl about my age.
That explains a bit.
I'm smart enough to guess who that girl is, young Joel, plus Girl that he never mentioned, plus old photograph equals a big explanation to why Joel is how he is now. Look, I'm not stupid, I know there are questions you shouldn't ask, and this was one of them.
"What's wrong?" Joel said, walking over.
"N-Nothing." I replied shoving the photo into the back of my jeans.
"Then come on." Joel said as I followed him out the door.
Ellie's POV
I had sneaked past most of David's goons, when I entered this old diner. Broken plates littered the floor, and the smell of flesh was fresh in the air. I had to find a gun, and then maybe I could go about this easier and fight my way back to the house, possibly get the car running again so we could get the hell out of here.
I opened the diner door, leading to the streets. I was met with a kick to the chest and David appearing pointing his gun straight at me.
"You're easy to track." He repeated an early quote as he stepped inside, gun still pointed.
I panicked and threw a piece of brick at him, distracting him long enough so I could hide behind one of those booths that maybe decades ago, would've been eaten on.
"That's okay." Suddenly the room felt a lot warmer, bastard, he set the place on fire.
"I locked the door, you want out? You'll have to come get them." He taunted as he started walking through the aisles, looking for me.
I slowly snuck around, trying to find a place where I could sneak up on him without getting several holes blown in me. I had to get those keys because no way am I going to end up dinner for a bunch of assholes.
"You know that little boyfriend of yours? We found him, had him for lunch along with that old man. They both tasted delicious, Hell, I cut out the kid's heart out myself and ate it." he continued to try to psych me out.
He was trying to bullshit me, but I wasn't buying. Somehow I just knew they were both alive, call it a gut feeling. What caught me off though was the word 'boyfriend' I mean, me and Jake are best friends. We covered each other's backs for about two months but boyfriend? The thought didn't disgust me, I was just so unused to the idea, and would Jake even be interested, was I even interested?
Okay, Ellie focus on the task at hand and think about that stuff later, I thought to myself, as I slowly stalked my way around. I followed David into the kitchen the guy had his back turned to me. I took out my switchblade and pounced on him, trying to dig my blade into his face. He tried to buck me; slamming me into the wall and making the world go all fuzzy. He then tripped and fell, hitting his head on the counter knocking him out cold, as my body decided to take a little nap.
Jakes POV
The first thing I saw when we walked out into the street ten minutes later was the burning restaurant. I glanced at Joel as an unspoken agreement was passed between us. We both sprinted towards the burning place.
The front door was….. On fire. So Joel and I hopped the fence and ran around to the back and entered through kitchen. We could hear gasps of struggle as we ran through it. With just enough time to witness what would happen next.
David was on top of Ellie choking her, about to do an unspeakable act, and then he was not. Then he was on the floor getting his face cleaved over and over, and over again by a machete that she had gotten seemingly out of thin air.
Ellie was in tears as she swung the machete again to strike. Joel and I immediately rushed over as Joel took Ellie in his arms, whispering to her as I stood back, unsure of what to do to comfort her.
"He tried to-"She replied sobbing. I'd never seen her this distressed.
"He tried-" she sobbed some more. Holy fuck, he almost or did he? Ah, fuck! I wish David would just get back up off the floor, his mush of a face regenerated. Just so I could turn it back into mush with my bare hands.
"Look baby girl, we need to get out of here." He said as she slowly got off the ground.
As we walked out I let her lean and sob on me, ruining my jacket but I couldn't care less. We made our way out of town and back into the forest, leaving all of it behind us. Well almost all of it.
2,339 words, longest chapter yet.
Just writing this chapter made me feel bad, I mean I haven't ever cried at a video game, but that scene and the ending brought me close to tears. Anyway, I'm doing a thing where with every review posted I'll respond to it with a pm. So if any of you have any questions or anything feel free to ask.
Until next time
-Jogman