(Riding A Horse)
Enid guided her best friend through the old, rundown mall, hoping to bring back a feeling of innocence, if only for a moment. During their time there, Enid made friends with Winston, a soldier stationed at the mall with his loyal dog and horse.
Enid knew that if she wanted to help her friend escape from it all, she would have to do something for Winston in return, but she didn't think it would be too difficult.
As they continued their walk, Ellie stumbled upon a mannequin and decided to mimic its pose. "Creepy," she said to herself as she looked at that mannequin.
As they walked, they stumbled upon an arcade situated on the same level as the mannequin. Ellie's face lit up with joy as she noticed it - a wide grin appeared on her face. It turned out to be Raja's Arcade.
"Ellie?" Enid said, noticing that Ellie wasn't behind her. She turned around and saw Ellie going inside the arcade. "No fucking way," Ellie said with a giggle.
Enid followed her inside the arcade and looked around it. She found Ellie looking at a Triple Phoenix, vigorously pressing the buttons with the biggest smile on her face. "Triple Phoenix! I read about this game! It's about these three mutated birds who-" Ellie started to explain, but Enid found another game that was across from that game.
"That? That's nothing compared to THIS game," Enid said, turning towards a Mortal Kombat 2 arcade game. Ellie looked behind her and saw the game Enid was talking about.
"Let me introduce you to the greatest best fighting game of all time. Sub-Zero is definitely my favorite. Ice-Blast is his best move," Enid said before her smile dropped, "Who'd fuck with him...?"
She sighed and walked out of the arcade. "C'mon, let go. We're wasting time," she said as she walked out. Ellie began to follow her but stopped at the entrance. When she looked back at the arcade again, she saw how it looked before the outbreak happened.
Kids were running around, their playful screams and yells filling the air. Little did they know what the future held for them.
Ellie whispered, "It's coming for you..." As she blinked, the arcade transformed into a horrifying scene, with bloody corpses scattered everywhere.
"Too late..." she muttered, her voice filled with darkness. Enid approached Ellie, snapping her out of her trance. Concerned, Enid asked if Ellie was okay. Confused, Ellie replied, "Huh?" and looked at Enid.
"You were staring into Raja's. You okay?" Enid clarified. Ellie shook her head and turned away from the arcade. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Lost myself for a sec," Ellie said.
Enid sensed Ellie's unease and immediately wrapped an arm around her to steer her away from the source. "Let's get outta here," she suggested, guiding Ellie away from the troubling sight.
They descended a non-functional escalator and reached the first floor where a yellow Fedra tent stood, accompanied by a few dog bowls. "You in there, old man?" Enid called out, her voice reverberating through the walls.
Winston's sable German Shepherd, sporting a Fedra harness, dashed out and barked to get Winston's attention. Ellie took a step back upon seeing the dog emerge from the tent.
"Quit yellin'. I can hear just fine," Winston muttered as he emerged from the tent, commanding his dog, "Atlas, settle down." The dog obeyed and laid down next to the tent. Winston noticed Ellie standing behind Enid, who had her hands on her hips.
"Goddammit, Enid. If you keep bringing kids here, it's gonna cause problems for me," he complained. Enid briefly turned her head to glance at Ellie. "Relax, alright? This is Ellie, my best friend. Ellie, meet Winston, the charming guy over here," she introduced.
"Hi," Ellie greeted, shyly waving at him. "I brought her here so she can experience horseback riding. She's never done it before, and it's a chance for her to get acquainted with Atlas," Enid proposed.
Winston's interest was piqued upon hearing her words. "Is that all? What did you bring me in exchange?" he inquired. As anticipated, Enid retrieved a pack of cigars from her jacket pocket.
"Voila! Compliments of the school's top asshole," Enid proudly declared, flashing a smile as she presented the cigars.
She tossed them to Winston, who skillfully caught them. He examined the cigars closely and grinned upon recognizing the brand. "Arturo Fuente... the finest cigars on the planet," he remarked.
He unpacked the cigars and selected one. "Fuck those infected for taking away such good things," he muttered while lighting it up and taking a deep drag.
"Okay, she can go see Atlas and you know where to find the old girl," he mentioned while settling into a chair outside the tent.
"Thanks, Winston," Enid expressed with a quick salute. "Come on, El," she urged, glancing at Ellie. Ellie was still wary of the large dog.
"Come here, Atlas," Enid called, patting her knees. Atlas barked and made his way over to the girls. Enid knelt down and affectionately petted the dog's neck with both hands.
"This is Atlas, Ellie. He won't bite ya. The only thing he attacks is stragglers and infected. I honestly like this good boy more than Winston if I'm being honest," she said while petting the dog. Ellie cautiously held her hand out and he sniffed her hand.
Ellie cautiously extended her hand, and the German Shepherd licked it before nuzzling his head in her palm. "Aw, he's a cutie," she remarked while petting him. Enid assured her, "He can tell you're not a threat," as Atlas's ears dropped when Ellie petted his forehead.
Atlas then fetched his tennis ball from inside the tent and brought it to them. Enid suggested, "Aw, you wanna play fetch, boy?" and threw the ball across the room. Atlas eagerly retrieved it, wagging his tail and barking.
Enid encouraged Atlas to bring the ball back, and he obediently trotted over to them, setting the ball at their feet. Enid handed the ball to Ellie, saying, "Here, toss it. He loves this game," with a smile.
Ellie threw the ball, prompting Atlas to chase after it and bring it back. Enid praised him, "Good boy, Atlas," while petting him on the head. The dog then settled down with the ball near the tent.
"Now that you've met Atlas, let's go get Princess for your first ride," Enid said, taking Ellie by the hand. Ellie followed her to where the horse was being kept.
Princess, who was a dove grey mare, was kept in an old store that was a little bit away from where Winston was. She had a halter on her head so Enid had to put a lead on her to lead her out.
"Take this for a second while I get the saddle. Don't worry, she's gentle," Enid said, giving the lead to Ellie. Ellie stroked the horse on her nose and smiled a bit. Princess' ears perked forward and she nickered gently.
"Winston will walk you through the basics. If you get scared, so will she," Enid said as she carried the saddle over to the horse. She even had a bridle hanging over her shoulder.
"She smells pretty good," Ellie commented with a smile. "Yeah, she's different from the other animals here. Cows and pigs don't smell nice, but horses have a calming scent," Enid replied while putting the bridle on the horse.
"Oh, let me tell you now, Winston is a lazy son of a bitch. Don't let him cut your ride short. Get him to take you around the mall one time," Enid warned Ellie as she handed over the reins to her to adjust the saddle.
Enid placed the saddle on the horse's back and began to tighten it around her girth area. "Enid? How come you're trying to get kicked out of this place?" Ellie asked her, bringing up the conversation they had on the roof.
Enid stopped what she was doing when Ellie asked that question. Her eyes widened a bit. "Break enough rules and we get tossed into the general population. Do you want us to be separated again?" Ellie asked her seriously.
Enid rose up and put a hand on Princess's side. "No, Ellie. I don't want that. For the last three years, I've been waiting for you to come back. People in this city barely have enough ration cards to get food from the shitty jobs they're given. Being a soldier here... it just doesn't feel right to me," Enid explained, closing her eyes.
Both girls stayed silent. Sneaking out again was a huge risk for both of them because they could easily get separated once more. Enid had witnessed the harsh reality of their situation since she arrived.
It was already difficult to find enough food to survive until the next day. Living in a QZ meant that people would even kill each other for a small scrap of food.
Enid didn't want to dwell on those terrifying thoughts and shook her head. She took Princess' reins and led her back to Winston. "Just enjoy this ride for me, okay?" she told Ellie, who was walking beside her. "Okay," Ellie replied.