Thank you for coming back for another chapter! This is a long one.
Chapter 2 - Dina
"God damn it Ellie, the shit I do for you"
"You love it" She laughs at me
"Hmmm, Lucky for you. I love you otherwise I wouldn't be out here freezing my arse off in the middle of the night"
"A damn fine one you have too" She throws a cheeky look in my direction and grabs my hand pulling me forward.
I feel my cheeks flush, very unlike me, It's usually Ellie who gets embarrassed. "So where are you taking me?" We have been walking for almost an hour.
"It's not long now, just up there" She points toward the top of the hill ahead of us. "So I have a new one for you"
I roll my eyes "okay hit me with it"
"So, two fish are in a tank" She looks at me eyes wide " One says to the other, 'How are you driving this thing?"
I can't help but laugh, she's so impressed with herself "Good one"
"Yeah, I thought so" She giggled.
We finally reached the top of the hill and my eyes were amazed, the view was amazing, a small river below us winding round clusters of rocks, the trees from the forest hugging close to them, the sky was still and full of stars shining down on us. We could even see Jackson in the distance, a small orange glow coming from the houses. There was a blanket and a small parcel laid out a few feet ahead of us.
"How did.." Ellie cut me off
"I have my ways" she grinned "Now after you m' lady" she gestured me forward to sit down on the blanket.
We both sat side by side cuddled into each other looking out over the view ahead of us. Ellie held my hand in hers, slowly caressing my arm. I looked at her, she's so beautiful and she doesn't even know it. One of the things I love about her.
"So I have a present for you" Ellie interrupted my train of thought.
"You do?"
"Urm yeah" She looked away looking a little embarrassed. She took a small box out of her pocket and held it in front of me. "So.. urmm.." her words stumbled over each other "shit this is hard. Dina I fucking love you. I think back to that night when Abby attacked us in the theatre, when she had you unconscious in front of me and I couldn't do anything" She shuddered where she sat. I placed my hand on her leg and she continued "I can't imagine a world where you're not in it, I don't want to imagine that. I never want to lose you. So…"
She opened the box and relieved a ring.
"Oh my god" I whispered
"It's okay if you don't want it!.. I… I just thought" Ellie started to ramble "I dunno, is this too soon? It's okay… I'll just…"
I cut her off, grabbed her face and kissed her softly. I pulled away, she looked surprised. "Oh Ellie, yes"
"Really?" She gasped
"Yeah, you idiot" I pulled her back in for another kiss, this time harder and more passionately. She kissed me back and I found myself climbing on top of her. My hands on her face, tangled in her hair, exploring her body. She rolled me over, climbing on top of me pressing her body against mine.
She pulled away and looked into my eyes "Dina I love you"
I wipe the tears rolling down my face with the sleeve of my jacket.
"Ellie where are you" I pleaded into the night sky
I've been looking for her for the last 2 months. I think I've caught her trail a few times but then it always goes cold and I'm back to square one aimlessly looking for her. She can't be too far ahead of me, she just can't be. I left the farm a few days after her. I couldn't let her do this alone. She wouldn't let me do this alone. I packed up and took JJ to his grandparents and headed towards Santa Barbara. I just hope I can find her before it's too late.
The coast is close, I think I'm just a few miles out. I could probably be there tomorrow afternoon and see if I could find Abby's boat, the one Tommy was talking about. That's where Ellie was heading and hopefully, that's where she will be.
I sat near the campfire I had made trying to keep warm, reaching my hands out to feel the heat, the ring on my finger that Ellie gave me sparkling in the glow. The night sky full of stars above just like that night, I sighed "Come on El, show me a sign"
Moments later in the distance of the town, I could see light, it was flickering, and getting bigger. I stood up to try somehow get a closer look. It looked like a fire in the distance, it was illuminating the area around it and I could hear faint gunshots echo in the sky. That has to be her!
"Ellie"
I jumped up, grabbed my bag and ran towards the light.
"Ellie, I'm coming"
She was definitely there! The light in the distance was from a huge resort. It was on fire! Looked like it belonged to the Rattlers. There wasn't much there when I'd got there but I knew she was there, I knew it was her. It must have been.
It was too dark and too dangerous to search for any clues, or even god forbid Ellie's body. I will go back at first light and see what I can find.
Ellie, please be okay
The fire was still burning today but it was slowing, the embers humming in the air when I looked around the rubble.
It was horrifying. I went down to the beach and there were people on poles! Tied to them! Left to die! Fuck it was bad. I searched every one of them and thank god I didn't see Ellie tied to one.
I couldn't find her. Ellie, where have you gone?
I've looked everywhere in this town! She's not here. My supplies are running low and I need to find somewhere to hold up again.
Maybe I should go back? Back to JJ?
No. I need to find her
That's it, I've made the decision to go back to Jackson.
I think she's gone.
There's one last house, near the beach. I'll spend the night there and leave tomorrow.
Ellie, I'm sorry.
There it is, the beach house, it's small and out of the way, it will do for the night and I will head home tomorrow. Who knows maybe Ellie finished it and is on her way home right now? A tear rolled down my face as the realisation that Ellie is probably dead sinks in. At least I tried.
I approach the house looking to see if it's safe. There's no infected around, that's a good sign. I look through the window, it's dirty and difficult to see in. It's dark inside and I can't see much. I search the room with my eyes peeled looking for any sign of movement, and then I see. My eyes bulge open and I can't believe what I'm seeing.
"Ellie!"
I push my face up against the glass to get a better look. "Oh my god, Ellie" It's her she's inside, I can't see if she's moving but she looks in bad shape.
I ran to the back door next to me, it's jammed. I throw my body against it, again and again, and again until it breaks open and I stumble inside hitting the floor with a thud. I scramble to my feet and run through to the next room where Ellie was. She was slumped against the main door.
"Ellie?" I approach her, my hand now raised to my face. I can feel the tears rolling down my cheeks as I look at the girl I love, laying dead on the floor. She's not moving, her eyes are shut, she's covered head to toe in blood. I think she's gone. And then it's like music to my ears.
"Dina" She whispers
I dive to the ground next to her scooping her up in my arms "Ellie? Ellie? Can you hear me? Ellie, please don't you leave me, not now!" I'm screaming at her as if that will help the situation.
She's totally passed out unconscious. I put my arms around her and drag her over to the cot bed in the corner of the room.
"I've got you El, I've got you, your going to be okay"
I look her over, she's covered in blood and she's in really bad shape. I grab my bag and whatever medical supplies I have left and get them out. I cut her tank top off and reveal what's underneath. I feel a lump in my throat as I look at Ellies lifeless body in front of me.
"Oh my god" I gasp.
She has a huge gash on her side that's been stitched once and torn open, cuts and grazes all over her body. She's like a skeleton wearing skin. I reach over and pick up her arm and see her hand. She's missing two fingers. Two fucking fingers! There's also a bite from an infected.
"Oh Ellie what's happened to you"
I can't cry, I can't sit here and mourn over her like she's dead. I place my ear on her chest and listen closely. There it is, it's faint but it's there she's still breathing. I start to get to work cleaning her wounds and dressing them as I go one by one. Inspecting her entire body, careful not to miss anything. This is going to be a long night.
The sun started to rise and I could feel the beams shining through the window onto me. I haven't slept, I was too scared to in case anything happened to her in the night. I just laid next to her, watching over her pleading for her to come back to me, to open her eyes and show me that she's okay. Her body is too weak and her wounds too brutal. She needs antibiotics for the infection and I don't have any and I didn't find any when I searched the town in the earlier days. I need to leave her once again or she could die.
The house is secure, I will have to be quick about this or I could lose her. I grab my bag and neal at Ellie's bedside.
"You listen to me El, I'm going, but I'm not leaving you okay? You need medicine or you'll die. I won't be long" I kiss her head and get up to leave looking back at her for a moment "I love you"
I've been gone too long, I know I have. I need to find something quick. I've searched the houses again and again and all I've found are a few infected stumbling around. I'm starting to lose hope. Maybe I should just go back to her, make her feel comfortable and hopefully, she can fight this on her own.
"Fuck!" I scream kicking a pile of rubble.
"Hey! What was that!" A voice in the distance shouts
"Shit" I dive over the wall next to me and hide, gun drawn ready for whoever is out there.
Footsteps move closer to where I'm hiding "Hey who's there?" The same voice from before shouts.
There is chatter from the radio in his hand. It's hard to hear what's coming through from the other side but the faceless man speaks back. "Yeah, nothing out here, you're clear to wheel though!" A moment of silence falls and I wait for him to speak again. "Whoever you are, wherever you've gone don't fucking show your face again or your dead!"
I crawl forward to the edge of the wall trying to get a better view of the man. I see him walking away down the street. He was large and scruffy looking with a huge beard covering most of his face. He had a jacket on and I instantly recognized it "Rattlers". They must have been on a supply run and are heading back to their base. Little do they know Ellie destroyed it. A few more of them arrive in the street followed by a truck. The truck could have supplies in it.
I need to get to that truck
I followed them back to the remains of the burned-down resort. The fire was completely out now and there wasn't much of the structure left, just a small section of the main building. It was getting dark, they will need to hold up here for the night and figure out a plan. That will give me time to get to the truck and hopefully find some antibiotics.
They set up a camp in the main building just like I thought they would, I've been watching them for a couple of hours and there are only six of them. Three of them are set up around the camp keeping watch, one is sitting on top of the truck and the other two are sitting in front of the fire looking at a map and talking over the radio.
I make my way through a house opposite to get a better look at them, I could probably sneak over and get into the back of the truck without anyone noticing me. The slender man perched on top of the truck takes regular breaks and he's gone for a few minutes at a time. All I need to do is make my way across the street. The two by the fire seem to be occupied over whatever they're talking about, probably making a plan of what to do next. So they won't be a problem.
"Fuck I wish Ellie was here"
I take out my gun and slip through the window. I bot across the street keping low and hiding behind anything I can along the way. It was only a short distance between me and the truck. As soon as I was close enough I dive under it and catch my breath, my heart was pounding out of my chest. I could hear footsteps approaching. Shit.
"Hey, jones! Did you see something over here?" It was the voice of the large bearded man I saw in the street earlier.
"Urrrr no, I haven't seen anything" The tall man shouted back
"Okay, well keep an eye out, I don't like this. We don't know if whoever did this will come back"
The footsteps started again and seemed to move away. Shortly after a thud landed behind the tuck. The other man was taking his break.
"Just on time" I whispered.
As soon as I could see him walking away I crawled out toward the back doors. It was open. I climbed in and quickly looked around. There wasn't much in here. A few boxes with the FEDRA written on them and some crates of food.
"Come on there has to be something in here" I frantically searched the boxes for any kind of medical supplies. Then I see it, stuffed under the driver's seat. A medical pack. I move towards it and pull it out taking a quick look inside. "Jackpot!" There wasn't much but there was antibiotics and that's all that mattered. I made my way back to the doors grabbing a couple of tins of food and stuffing them in my bag along with the medi pack. I didn't want to stay here any longer than I needed to. As I reach to push the door open I'm greeted by the large bearded man from earlier.
"Oh shit"
"I fucking knew it!" He pointed his pistol at me, reached in grabbing hold of my jacket and throwing me onto the ground behind him.
"Ow fuck" I winced
"Now who the fuck are you and what do you want?" He was standing over me pointing his gun at my face
"I'm nobody and I don't want anything, I'm lost" I don't think i sounded too convincing
"Yeah sure. Jones!... For fuck sake, where is he. JONES!"
The tall slender man came running from behind the side of the truck "Shit!"
"Get her and throw me her bag" The bearded man ordered
Jones picked me up by the collar of my jacket pulling my backpack off and throwing it to the feet of the man who seems to be incharge. He pulled me against him with one arm tightly around my neck and pulled out a hunting knife with his free hand and pushed it up against my throat.
"Right, lets see what you've got then" He opens my bag and rummages through "I see you've helped yourself to some of our supplies" He lowers his gun and looked at me with a grin on his face "You know, if you wanted something i'm sure we could have come to some kind of an agreement" he takes a step closer to me dropping my bag. "A pretty girl like you, I'm sure we could have thought of some kind of payment" He takes another step forward holstering his gun on this thigh and standing inches away from me.
"Fuck you" I spit at him
"You little bitch" He threw the back of his hand across my face causing me to hiss in pain.
"Jones hold her tight, the bitch is going to feel every bit of this" He moves forward starting to undo the buttons on his jacket.
"Yes sir" Jones giggles from behind me. As he does I can feel the grip loosen around my neck, I take my opportunity. I grab onto his arm and in one movement kick my boot into the crotch of the man in front of me and thrust my head back into the taller man's nose, I hear it crack and he falls backwards letting me go and squealing in pain.
"You bitch you broke my nose!" he screams
I move forward and take the pistol from the other man's thigh and shoot him in the leg causing him to fall to the ground screaming in pain. I turn to the man named Jones but he's disappeared.
"Fuck, where did he go!"
"Ahhh you bitch you're dead!" The large man was still rolling around on the floor next to me
"Fucking perv" I kicked him in the face knocking him unconscious.
The others will have heard the gunshot and will be heading this way, I need to go. I grab my bag and make a run for it back to the beach house.
"Ellie?" I whisper quietly as I throw my bag down and crouch on the floor next to her. "Ellie?"
I put my hand on her forehead. "Fuck your red hot" shes got a fever. I pull out the first aid pack from my bag and get out the antibiotics. I put a couple in her mouth and help her swallow. "There you go El, hopefully that will help" I press my lips to her head and lay next to her.
She's still running a fever. Her side is infected pretty badly. The antibiotics should be working soon. If not, I'm not sure what to do. I should have found her sooner.
I can't sleep. I'm too scared to leave her alone.
I put my bracelet back on her wrist, for luck.
It's been a few days now and the fever is easing, her skin is still pale and she's not woken up. I don't even know if she knows I'm here but I keep talking to her, holding her hand, stroking her face.
Ellie, please come back to me.
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