Full Name: Ellie Williams Nickname/Alias: El. Els. Baby Girl. Kiddo. Soldier Girl.
YEAR OF BIRTH: 2019
PLACE OF BIRTH: Boston, MA in the Quarantine Zone [QZ]
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Jackson County, Wyoming
HAIR COLOR: Chestnut
EYE COLOR: Green
HEIGHT: 5'5
WEIGHT: 110
SCARS: Scar above her right eye. Horizontal scar which follows along the bottom of her inner left eyebrow. Scar on the left side of her upper lip. Scar of a bite mark on her right forearm, hidden beneath a chemical burn (self inflicted). Bite mark on the palm of her left hand; she's also missing two fingers (pinky and ring) on this hand.
MOTHER: Anna (deceased; passed away shortly after Ellie's birth).
FATHER: Biological Father (unknown); Joel Miller (surrogate father)
SIBLING: Only Child.
FRIENDS: Riley (deceased), Sam (deceased), Jesse (deceased), Dina
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Gay
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single
CURRENT RELATIONSHIP(S): -Not Interested-
PAST RELATIONSHIP(S): Cat. Dina.
After everything I've done it can't be for nothing
Personality
Traits: Adventurous. Bold. Clever. Closed Off. Courageous. Daring. Driven. Fierce. Impulsive. Loyal. Monophobia. Protective. PTSD. Resourceful. Sarcastic. Self-reliant. Witty.
Likes: Sarcasm. Jokes & puns. Music. Cheesy movies. Comic Books (favorite comic: Savage Starlight). Books. Video games. Life outside a QZ. Patrols. Drawing. Writing songs and poems. Horseback riding. Fishing. Hunting.
Dislikes: Being treated or viewed as a child. Liars. Hunters. Fairies. Scorpions. Being left behind; abandonment issues. Sharing personal information. Racist and prejudice people. Certain loud noises (trigger for PTSD). Certain smells (trigger for PTSD). Anything related to golf (trigger for PTSD). On rare occasions snow, rabbits and deer can trigger unpleasant memories.
Quirks: Has a chemical burn and moth+floral tattoos to cover the bite mark on her right arm. Before she lost it (at 21), she would keep a switchblade that belonged to her mother on her person at all times. Ellie swears badly, but her foul language is worse whenever her emotions run high. she will sometimes tell jokes to relieve tension. Likes to whistle or hum at random times. Has a tendency to write in her journal, inspired by the environment or things happening around her.
Strengths: Immunity to the fungal infection (CBI). Takes care of herself. Courageous in threatening situations. Knows how to hunt. Has good aim with various weapons. Never afraid to speak her mind. Stealthy. Adaptive. Quick-thinking in difficult situations.
Weaknesses: Limited hand-to-hand combat skill. Suffers from survivor's guilt and PTSD. Temperamental. Rash. Impulsive. Emotionally driven at times, which isn't always good. Has an intense fear of ending up alone, also known as Monophobia; which is what pushes her to desperately cling to the relationships she has.
Extroverted Sensing (Se): Ellie is quick to take action and is highly adaptable to her environment. Ultimately, this is what has allowed her to survive so long during in the harsh environment the world had become since the outbreak. She can be reckless at times, however. She learns how to use a bow and a gun with very little experience. She is fearless in facing anyone (or anything) that comes her way. She's very excited about the new, and terrifying, experience of finally leaving the Quarantine Zone. Ellie is captivated by nature when she first sees it up close, even stopping to admire sunsets, and is shown to love music.
Introverted Feeling (Fi): Ellie is fiercely loyal to all those that she comes close to. She forges a very strong, silent bond with Joel fairly quickly. Ellie has a strong moral code to never leave anyone behind. She marches to the beat of her own drum, can be rebellious, and is not easily persuaded. This is seen when David tries to get her to join his gang. She can be very impulsive, as she ran away after overhearing that Joel was going to leave her with his brother to take her to find the Fireflies.
Extroverted Thinking (Te): Ellie often covers up her deep emotions and sadness with Te bluntness. Ellie is very mature for her age, however, and is able to take charge of a very bad situation, like when Joel was severely injured. She's a very good strategist when she needs to be.
Introverted Intuition (Ni): Ellie was usually focused on surviving day by day, but especially after the trauma she suffered with David, she falls more into the grip of her inferior function. She becomes more withdrawn and has laser focus on getting to the Fireflies base of operations. She can sometimes be fearful of the future.
NOTE: Originally Ellie was considered an ISFP, considering how strong her Fi is at times, but Ellie never hesitates. She jumps right into things with little introspection and gets bored sitting around too much. She's quick to engage most other people and also has an intense fear of being left alone.
I don't believe in luck everything happens for a reason
Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me
The Infected
Runners are the first and weakest stage of infected. They are people who recently turned after contact with the Cordyceps brain infection [or CBI] within two days. The key symptoms of people who have become infected will have increased irritability and hostility towards others. Their skin is pale, mottled, and covered in lesions, and their hair has begun to thin and fall out. Since the eyes are first targeted by the fungus, runners have poor eyesight, but maintain most of their human characteristics. For example, their moans are still human, just like their overall appearance. They are notably fast and agile. Runners migrate and attack in packs, flailing their arms in attempts to trample survivors. When migrating, runners tend to leave a few fellow infected behind, who nest in the area and await prey to appear to hunt, human and animal alike.
Stalkers are the second stage of the infected. They take between two weeks and one year to reach this stage after exposure to CBI. Stalkers have the vision and speed of runners [Stage 1], with the ferocity of clickers [Stage 3]. The most notable physical traits that define the stalkers are the distinct croaking noises they make, the beginning of fungal growths on the head and face, usually leaving the host with only one eye left, the development of pseudo-echolocation, and their discretion upon spotting a victim at a distance. They will strafe and take cover, displaying an agile and stealth-reliant nature. They eventually close in on their target, hence the name "stalker." Up close, stalkers are very aggressive and will charge directly at the victim. Stage 2 may take place anywhere between a week to a month after the start of the infection (Stage 1) and last up to a year.
Stalkers are typically found in abandoned, poorly lit buildings and parking lots, though they also appear in the sewers and subway areas. Stalkers are difficult to detect; when approached they will immediately run away and hide in the shadows, ensuring to maintain complete silence. They will only become aggressive when they are approached or provoked by a loud attack such as a gunshot or explosion. When encountered in groups, they will hide and attack their prey in a coordinated manner. Inside buildings, certain stalkers have become attached to walls, with fungus gradually growing out of them. Over time, they will eventually die and calcify. However, if found by survivors, they will break free and attack them.
Clickers are the third stage of the infected. They take roughly a year to reach this stage of infection after exposure to CBI. They have had prolonged exposure to the fungus and now possess strength that significantly surpasses the average human. Clickers appear less human than runners and stalkers, with faces that are completely skewed and scarred by fungus developed from their infected brains. Clickers claw and scratch the fungal growth on their eyes as if trying to get rid of their blindness, especially when immobile. The growth forms large patches of scale-like tissue that glow in the dark. The patches are seemingly an earlier stage of the fungal infection growing out of their hosts' bodies. These fungal plates have adapted to keep the host alive and able to spread. In fact, a direct shot to the face with a powerful weapon such as a revolver will only break off a chunk of the mold, leaving the clicker's brain unharmed but exposing the victim's face and rendering them able to see once again (until the fungus regrows). This makes them deadlier, but at the price of being completely blind due to fungal infection taking over their face.
Clickers are able to maneuver through areas by utilizing echolocation, which produces noticeable clicking and screeching noises to locate sources of sound, hence their name. Like runners, clickers can sometimes be found in a passive state. Clickers also possess high intelligence, never leaving an area when they have heard prey run by them, and will constantly check every available nook and cranny to locate the source of the sound with little regard to giving up on the task at hand. However, their echolocation is crude compared to creatures like bats, as they will not notice that something is alive or moving unless it is directly in front of them. This supports the assumption of the front being where the clicks are sounded, as their face plates are shaped like a megaphone, directing it straight ahead of them, but not all around. When provoked, a clicker will immediately enter into a "berserk mode," aggressively flailing its arms and 'roaring'. At this point, if a survivor has been "spotted" by a clicker, the clicker will attack head-on and will not flinch when shot, unless the survivor is using high-powered rounds.
Bloaters are the fourth, rarest, and most dangerous stage of the infected. They take years to develop and reach this stage after years of exposure to the Cordyceps brain infection. Bloaters are incredibly strong infected that are covered in thick fungus that effectively acts as armor. As such, their skin forms large patches of scale-like tissue that glow in the dark, which form their mykotoxin pouches and engulfs their entire body. Because of this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons such as the Shotgun and Hunting rifle, and even hatchets and machetes, making them extremely tough to eliminate. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving, making them more predictable than other infected. Like clickers, bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor. Because the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, their echolocation is much less refined than the clickers.
Bloaters, like all infected, are vulnerable to fire, making fire weapons ideal for when several bloaters are present. When set ablaze, a bloater will wildly thrash around, trying to put out the flames. After being immolated, they will be charred, black, and smoking. Their armor will also be charred and brittle, making them vulnerable to low-powered weapons. Despite this weakness, fire-based weapons such as flamethrowers or Molotov cocktails still require multiple uses before killing a bloater. Their other, less effective, weakness is armor-piercing rounds from an upgraded weapon, like the hunting rifle. It will take fewer shots to kill if the weapon has the Power and Armor-Piercing upgrades.
Shamblers are an alternate fourth stage of the infected that have been encountered in Seattle and Santa Barbara and may exist in other locations. They are believed to have developed from exposure to high amounts of water, compared to the typical dry environments bloaters develop in after infection from the Cordyceps brain infection. Shamblers are horrifying, walking pustule-clusters that spray gaseous acid when they get near any survivors and take massive damage before dying. They move slowly, but are capable of shifting into a sprint if noise alerts them. When feeling threatened, they instinctively fire bursts of their acidic spores from their body. The fungal growth is so immense that spores cover their entire body, leading to oversized heads and torsos with dozens of puss spores around them. In addition to this, their mouths have been stuck gaping wide by the fungus, preventing them from being able to bite. However, the growth has not consumed their arms and their eyes are still partially visible. Once defeated, these festering threats explode with violent force, emitting a cloud of spores that deal heavy damage to any close by survivors. Like bloaters, the shamblers are weak to fire. However, unlike bloaters, shamblers appear to be slightly weaker in a physical sense, as survivors can actually fight them off if they're grabbed.
When you're lost in the dark look for the light
The Fireflies
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About me:
LIKE TO MEET ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROLEPLAY
NOTE: My posts IC//OOC will take time. Please be patient with me. You could wait anywhere from days, to weeks, to months for a response. My life can be very busy. So, please bear with me as I will with all of you. STATUS: Active FORMAT: Third Person STYLE: Multi | Novella COMMENTS: Roleplay MESSAGES: OOC VERSES: The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, Left 4 Dead, Black Summer, Back 4 Blood, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, 28 Days
Do not read anything below this point if you want to avoid spoilers
Riley
Abel
"This is a shot at changing our fate. Are you just gonna keep letting them control your life? Or will you fight for something else?"
Military Preparatory School
I was one among many kids to live and be raised in Boston QZ's Military Preparatory School - a fancy way of saying, "Orphanage." It wasn't so bad. Though I can hardly imagine what anything was like in the Old Times, I like to think it's close to what the schools would have been like before. Well, aside from being trained to spot and kill Fireflies on sight. Pretty sure they never taught that in the old schools...
There was a lot of physical training, as well as mental. I guess you could say that discipline was something they came down hard on. And...unfortunately for me I was always getting into trouble. I could never really stay put. It didn't help that my best friend, Riley, was the same way. Chances are if you caught one of us where we weren't supposed to be, you'd find the other not too far off. We sort of instigated one another. Always competing and making stupid bets and challenges.
We were reprimanded and punished a lot by our superiors. Often times we were given bathroom duty - where we would be forced to scrub the place from floor to ceiling with nothing but a sponge and some cleaning water. And boy, let me tell ya, they really didn't cut you slack on that one. They never let us leave until every damn inch of that place was sparkling. I once even had the fortune of hand washing a bloody vehicle after it was brought back from the War Zone, and found a bloody finger in the grill.
Kids will be kids
Quite a few times we were lucky enough to not get caught, and on those days we would always sneak off. There were a lot of places in the QZ that were off limits and one of the big areas was the Boston Mall. Sometimes we brought Riley's other friends along and a big group of us would go, but usually it was just Riley and me. During one of our visits we ran into a Soldier that lived there. Apparently he was supposed to keep patrol in the mall and make sure no infected hung around. His name was Winston - and, I guess he was a pretty lonely guy because he never bothered to report us. Instead, he was kinda cool and just talked to us. He had a horse, too. Her name was Princess. Because of Winston I actually learned how to ride a horse in that mall. And...I may or may not have been afraid of the horse at first...have you seen how fvckin' huge those things are up close?
The Incident
During one of our usual adventures at the mall, Riley and I came across some infected. We barely had any time to react - and if it hadn't been for the fact that Riley was armed, we probably would've been screwed from the start. But, we ran - like hell. I don't think it's possible for me to ever forget that day. The sun had just come up and I was, without a doubt, going to be late for drills. "Just keep running!" She said, always stalling to make sure I was right behind her. I told her not to worry about me.
With luck we finally made it. We got through to the scaffolding by a broken window and that was our way out. Or it would've been, if the damn thing hadn't decided to fall when I started to climb. And...that's when it happened. One minute I had an infected on me and the next Riley had come back to save me...She shot it, but...more came and...we both got it..
I was pretty scared...I didn't know what to do. So Riley, she...started listing our options. Option 1, we take our own lives. Put a stop to any suffering we may endure before we turned into one of those things...or Option 2, we fight. She said something to me in that moment that will be with me for the rest of my life...
"There are a million ways we could've died today. And a million ways we could die before tomorrow. But we fight for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether its two minutes... or two days... we don't give that up. I don't want to give that up. My vote? Let's just wait it out. You know, we can be all poetic and just lose our minds together..."
The Infection
So that's what we did. We fought. Together we got up and left that stupid mall behind us...but Riley, she never made it past twenty-four hours...
...After she...died, I headed for the rendezvous where Riley was supposed to meet a group of Fireflies. They would be waiting for her near the outskirts of the QZ...Which was a pretty good distance from where we had been, in fact, it was on the other side of the city...
After all the maneuvering, traveling, and soldier dodging I finally started to get close. At some point during the run, I collapsed. I needed to catch my breath. I felt cold and hot, all at once. My legs felt weak. My vision felt blurred. It scared the hell out of me. I rested for a few minutes and then continued. Not long after that I made it to the Fireflies.
They weren't altogether happy to see me. Apparently Marlene had expressed her concerns of the possibility that I might show up at their doorstep one day...She said it was something my mom would have never wanted for me - being a Firefly, that is. Seeing as she was the only person I know of that even knew my mom, I guess she would know best...
Anyway, the group wanted to take me to Marlene, postponing their previous plans of transferring cargo to another Firefly base. Once we arrived, Marlene was pretty pissed. One, because Riley had disobeyed orders to come see me, and as a result lost her life, and second, because I was there.
I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty definite that she was going to follow through with her plan to shoot me...But, I guess she has more heart in her than she lets on, or maybe her promise to my mother was stronger than her desire to put me down.
They locked me up with armed soldiers in a holding cell. They were to shoot me the moment I started to turn, if I did. At first the fevers came. I got it pretty good. Within the first twenty-four hours I thought I might die of a heat stroke or something. As the day carried on, the worse it got. It was difficult keeping track of time. Everything seemed unbearably long. It's said that people who become infected with CBI have within two days before they lose total control to the disease, but apart from some slight sickness, I was never overcome by the infection.
When Riley had turned, I went from having a best friend to nearly being ripped apart by something unrecognizable...and I had to kill her myself...
We both got bit, but I survived...
From that moment on I've felt nothing but guilt, for everything...
Joel
Miller
"You either do what it takes to survive or stick to your morals and die."
The Smugglers
Three weeks later I was viewed as some sort of miracle among the Fireflies. I was the hope for humanity they had been looking for. Marlene made plans to escort me to another Firefly base. I was a little apprehensive, but, after losing Riley I promised myself and her that my survival would not be in vain. Maybe I could finally find meaning in surviving...and stop feeling so guilty.
On the day we were supposed to leave some fights broke out between the Fireflies and the Soldiers at the QZ. She and I had already traveled through a segment of the QZ...but a few passing Fireflies encountered us and asked for her assistance. This pulled Marlene away and delayed our departure. I waited anxiously for her to come back, not knowing if she would return safely.
Several hours later...the door opened and some guy walked in. I pulled my knife on him, but a woman pulled me off. I struggled to get free before I heard Marlene's voice. She was bleeding badly from a gunshot wound. I knew then that our chances of leaving had gone right out the window.
...but then Marlene suggested the most random thing. She wanted me to be placed in the care of these strangers! I couldn't believe it! ...I felt so...betrayed. How could she pass me off so easily?! Did I mean that little to her? My own mother's supposed best friend couldn't even wait to get rid of me...
Despite my retorts, Marlene was firm. There was no changing her mind. She wouldn't let me stay. The arrangements to meet the other Fireflies had already been set. Now I had to follow some bitch, named Tess, and her asshole side-kick, Joel. Apparently, they were smugglers who did all sorts of odd jobs for trades.
The Outside World
Long story short...I ended up following Tess and Joel for most of the night and into the following day. For the first time in my life...I got to see the world outside of the walls of the Boston QZ. The Outside World was...exciting as much as it was terrifying.
Not far from the QZ, we got stopped by some soldiers guarding the perimeters...They had us on our knees at gunpoint and had scanners which could check for infection within individuals. My heart nearly exploded. Nobody knew about my condition! And Marlene had emphasized how important discretion was. These assholes escorting me didn't owe me a damn thing! They'd kill me if they found out! Who would believe that I was immune?!
I acted instinctively. As the scanner was pressed to my neck, I knifed the soldier and the two smugglers followed suit. In a few seconds flat, the soldiers were dead...but that didn't stop Tess from seeing the result on the scanner. I was sold out. I pleaded with them. I showed them my mark and insisted it was three weeks old.
Despite my pleas, they weren't buying my story, but before they could reach a decision more soldiers showed up. Fight or flight, we ran until we finally escaped the soldiers. It was then that Tess and Joel reassessed the situation. Hesitant, they agreed to see this deal through to the end. After all, we were almost at the rendezvous with the Fireflies who were waiting for Marlene and me. Soon, I wouldn't be their concern anymore and the pay off would be worth their time.
After several hours with these two, Tess became less and less bitchy. She seemed genuinely interested in my story and...my immunity. I told her how I had gotten bitten. I didn't mention Riley at all...I just...I couldn't talk about it. So, I gave a vague explanation. I guess she sensed my uneasiness because she didn't pry too much. Joel, on the other hand, remained rather distant and short in his interactions with me and scoffed to himself whenever I mentioned my immunity.
We survived some close encounters with infected in the subway station, we made our way into an old decaying museum. It was here that we ran into more (what they called) clickers and runners. Due to the rotting wood, a rather large beam fell from the ceiling and caused a lot of shit to collapse. It separated Tess and me from Joel. We fought our way through the building and eventually reunited with one another.
The early morning hours turned into day, and Tess seemed to grow even more desperate in finding these Fireflies. The Courthouse was in sight. I didn't know Tess well, obviously but...her demeanor seemed strange after the museum. When we got inside...we, uh, we found the Fireflies...but they were dead. Tess was distraught...she panicked - like - full blown panic mode. Joel and Tess started arguing...it made my stomach turn. I could see myself in Tess. And in that moment I knew...
...she was infected.
I couldn't believe it. She had to have been infected during the museum...I felt...awful. Because of me...because I had to be escorted to this rendezvous...Tess got bitten. She wasn't even supposed to be here. It should've been me and Marlene.
Joel was pretty furious. Tess used her bite to compare with mine, she pointed to my arm. "Three weeks, Joel! I was bitten over an hour ago and it's already worse -- this is fฯ cking real!"
The problem was, we had no idea where the fฯ ck the Fireflies were going to take me. Tess demanded Joel to find his brother, Tommy, who was an ex-Firefly. Even with her belief in my immunity, Joel wanted nothing to do with me. The sound of approaching soldiers interrupted their fight. Tess left Joel no room to wiggle out of his responsibility to take care of me. With her last act, she begged Joel to see this job through to the end, banking on the fact that my immunity could lead to a cure.
Tess, she...wanted to buy us some time...So, she sacrificed herself to stall the soldiers from finding us. Joel and I ran...and from that moment on we were stuck together to see this journey to the end.
Together but not partners
As we escaped, we ended up in another subway station - this one was infested with spores. It wasn't until I entered here without a gas-mask that Joel took my immunity seriously. People who breathe spores directly (especially for a prolonged period) don't last long before the infection takes hold.
Once we managed to put all the dangerous situations behind us, Joel made it very clear that he still wanted nothing to do with me. He didn't have to say it for me to understand that he blamed me for what happened to Tess. We traveled for a couple days in silence before we ended up in the next city. Joel claimed he knew a guy that might be able to help us.
Bill had the whole place rigged with trip wires and bombs. Nearly killed us several times navigating through the town, which he apparently had all to himself. The dude was hella paranoid, but Joel managed to convince him to help us find a working car. After much effort and fighting off infected, Joel and I lucked out. We parted ways with Bill after a few short hours and began a long drive.
We started this journey in Boston, Massachusetts and were now headed to the state of Wyoming. Joel showed me a map and it looked like a hell of a long way there...I could barely imagine how long it would take us, even with a car, to get there. I just hoped we got lucky with finding gas whenever we would need it.
After a couple of weeks, we made it to a place called Pittsburgh. It was here that I learned just how dangerous life beyond a QZ could be. Sure, the infected posed a challenge, but at least they were predictable. As Joel was driving on one of the roads through the city, a man stumbled across the road, begging for help. I asked what Joel was going to do and he told me to put my seat belt on. He declared the man wasn't even hurt and floored the fฯ cking gas pedal!
Soon we were ambushed by a bunch of guys. They rammed our vehicle with a bus and caused us to crash. We barely had time to get out of the truck before a swarm of these aเดเดholes came in after us. Bullets started flying everywhere. Joel and I fought together to escape, finding a pathway through an old hotel. It was during this brief downtime that Joel informed me of "hunters" and what their aim was. These sick perverted fฯ cks literally hunted people for sport. I'll never forget the mound of burning bodies...and the piles of belongings from the people they murdered...
We wanted to hurry the fฯ ck out of this city as soon as possible! Joel took down several guys in this hotel, creating a clear path for us to escape to the top floor. Unfortunately...when Joel opened the elevator shaft, the damn thing fell...and Joel along with it. I nearly shแฝทt my pants! If it wasn't for the lower levels being completely flooded, he would've died from that fall. I wanted to climb down after him, but he urged me to stay put. He didn't want me to risk hurting myself. So...There I waited. I swear I was going to die from a heart attack. Between Joel nearly dying, and being left all by myself...I wasn't sure I would be able to take on the hunters if more came and found me.
...Five minutes turned into half an hour or more. Joel never made it back. I freaked! I couldn't stay put any longer. I hurried down the flight of stairs we came from and began to work my way down the building, trying to keep to the path Joel and I had already carved, hoping that would reduce my chances of running into those shแฝทtheads. Thankfully, I found a set of stairs leading to the first floor, which were still in tact. It was around then that I started hearing gunshots and shouting. I just knew it was Joel. I started sprinting towards the noise. Then things got quiet. Deadly quiet.
I ran through a kitchen, saw lots of fresh dead guys, and continued through to the hotel's dining area. It was here that I could hear water splashing and some kind of struggle. As I rounded the corner, I saw one of the hunters on top of Joel drowning him in a puddle. I could see Joel trying to blindly reach for his gun. The aเดเดhole hunter didn't even notice me until I picked up Joel's gun and put a bullet in his head.
You'd think Joel would've been relieved that I saved his aเดเด or thankful, right? He wasn't. Somehow he still managed to be pissed off at me. For the first time since being with Joel, I snapped. I went off on him! I let him know exactly how I felt and wouldn't let him get away with waving off my usefulness. If it hadn't been for me, he would've been dead! He didn't like my outburst. And, to be honest, his reaction kinda bummed me out...y'know? I thought...his opinion of me might change. Kinda hurt that we had been traveling together for this long and he still saw me as some kind of burden.
As we continued through the hotel, Joel gave me a stern lecture, flaunting his alpha male. Do what I say, when I say, blah, blah, blah. I scoffed at him and responded with a, "whatever, Joel." He didn't like that much.
A token of trust
As Joel and I came out the other side of the hotel we heard voices. We crouched upon the scaffolding connected to the side balcony and observed a lot of hunters in the center of the square. Several buildings surrounded this area and it was clear they were patrolling it to find the "tourists," a lovely term they used for the people they hunted. Joel announced that he was going to go "clear us a path," and ordered me to stay put. Still frustrated by his attitude earlier, and his overall refusal to ever give me a weapon, I retorted.
"This is so stupid! We'd have more of a fฯ cking chance if you'd let me help!"
"I am!"
For the first time Joel looked me in the eyes and I felt that he actually saw me. I wasn't some bratty kid in that moment, I was a tiny step closer to being his equal.
I was shocked. For a second I couldn't believe he'd actually said that. I had spent weeks trying to earn this dude's trust and now he was placing his life in my hands. Holy fฯ ck, talk about pressure. What if I fฯ cked up? Despite my anxiety, I kept my cool. He picked up an abandoned rifle that had been left on the scaffolding by a previous sniper and handed it to me. He gave me a quick lesson on how to operate the bolt-action. It was clear that I wasn't the only one feeling a little anxious, apprehension was written all over Joel's face.
"If I get into trouble down there, you make every. shot. count."
I looked him square in the eyes and my nerves suddenly calmed. For the first time Joel was actively depending on me and I would not let him down.
"I got this."
I could tell that Joel believed in my confidence. And I guess, maybe that was enough to push him to say what he did next. Before he dropped down into the street below, he paused to rehash our conversation about the hunter I had shot earlier. "And just so we're clear about back there," he then confirmed the words I had said to him before. "It was either him or me."
Not once had Joel ever acknowledged or treated me as anything but some annoying kid. And for the first time I received - in his own Joel way - gratitude. It was kind of awesome. I couldn't quite bring myself to reply right away. To be honest, Joel wasn't the only one with some emotional issues...I, uh, sort of sucked with sappy touchy-feely stuff, too. But, once he was out of earshot I murmured, "You're welcome."
I sat with baited breath upon that scaffolding. I kept my head low and watched the movements of the hunters, while occasionally straining to pinpoint where Joel's stealthy ass had moved to next. It was kind of cool seeing Joel maneuver through that place like some sort of assassin. There was an office building of some sort to my north-east, and I totally saw Joel choke a dude out through the window from my sniper spot. Eventually, however, Joel's luck ran out. One dude caught glimpse of him and that was when I opened fire. The round pierced right through the side of a hunter's neck who had been about to attack Joel from behind on the balcony.
The next several minutes were spent loading and unloading the rifle, firing rounds at the aเดเดholes who kept trying to flank Joel. A few times my shots came in clutch and I could visibly see Joel's relief and gratitude. Once we had cleared out the whole area, Joel called out to me to come down. I climbed from the scaffolding and approached Joel, clutching the rifle between my hands. The guy I had shot inside the hotel had been the first life I had ever taken...and, it nearly made me sick. Now, I had helped kill half a dozen or more people. I know the pricks deserved it, but...somehow it still made me feel...strange.
But, my eagerness to please Joel -- to earn his acceptance and approval -- that far outweighed anything else. For whatever reasons, I found myself caring what he thought. "How'd I do..?" I asked, as he took the rifle from me. He merely nodded and occupied himself with a small pistol he scavanged off of one of the dead hunters. It wasn't much, but hey, he gave a nod of approval, right? Joel was a man of few words. After he fiddled with the pistol a few moments, he handed it to me.
"How about somethin' a little more your size?"
Wow. Damn. I can't lie, that...was a big moment for me. I could barely contain the smile that started to grow on my face. I eagerly reached for it, but Joel pulled it back. Then his usual demeanor kinda reared its head as he told me, "It's for emergencies only." He gave me a stern look and I nodded. I let him know that I understood, and happily received the pistol. I had finally, at long fฯ cking last, earned a token of Joel's trust.
Escaping Pittsburgh
Right after that huge group of hunters, we passed through another building only to hear screams and gunfire. Joel and I ducked by a window and carefully observed the situation. Two "tourists" were running for their lives. The hunters gunned them down with a mounted turret on a military truck. It was pretty fฯ cked up. They searched their corpses and left their bodies to rot in the street. We both felt even more urgency to leave the city. The last thing we wanted was to get caught out by that truck.
Unfortunately, as we navigated through the new streets, some more hunters spotted us. Our location was given away and that fฯ cking turret started firing at us. Thankfully, we had a lot of abandoned vehicles and random debris laying around to provide cover as we bolted towards a nearby alley. We cut through a set of apartments. As we climbed through an open window, Joel was ripped inside. A scuffle ensued. I immediately withdrew my switchblade and hopped through the window to aid Joel. It was as my feet touched the ground that I saw Joel had overpowered his foe and was knelt over him, beating the living shit out of him. But then I noticed the kid aiming a gun at Joel. I shouted for Joel to stop. He noticed the kid and held his hands up.
It was weird. It was the first kid I had seen in weeks. These hunters definitely didn't have any young people around, either. We all quickly assessed that we were outsiders trying to escape. Henry and Sam were brothers who had gotten separated from their group. I could only assume the man and woman we saw shot by the turret had been their friends. We all agreed that safety in numbers was better, despite Joel's initial grumblings. He was too cynical and was always hesitant to work with others. I suppose he had his reasons.
With the help of Henry and Sam, we found the main exit to the city. The door was heavily guarded throughout the day, but was reduced to a smaller crew by night. Seems kind of backwards, if you ask me. Wouldn't people more likely attack in the cover of night? I don't know. Anyway, we took their crew out and made it, but at the last minute the military truck spotted us and we booked it. Joel boosted Henry and Sam up on a trailer which blocked the path. Then, Joel boosted me up. The military truck was about to break through the gate when Henry decided he couldn't waste any more seconds to help Joel up. He turned tail and ran with Sam. I was so fฯ ckin furious! I couldn't fฯ cking believe this guy! I threw myself off the trailer and told Joel I wouldn't leave him.
We outran the turret, but barely. It chased us to a dead end on the fฯ cking broken bridge. A rushing river was below us. Earlier in our travels I had told Joel I couldn't swim. So, naturally, this obstacle caused him to hesitate. He didn't want to risk me drowning. I told him there was no time to argue and threw myself in, knowing he'd follow me. My heart was fฯ cking pounding. I inhaled so much water. Joel tried to reach me. Just as he grabbed ahold of me, the current slammed both of us into a hard rock and Joel suddenly went limp.
I freaked the fฯ ck out! I screamed for him as the current ripped him away. I was swept along with him. I tried so hard to hold onto him, but I just couldn't. The current was too strong. We were going down the river. It was so dark I could barely see what was happening. Suddenly, over the rushing water, I thought I heard muffled voices. Something snagged my backpack and I felt my body jolt. I turned my head and caught a glimpse of Henry. He was stood upon some other rocks which sat above the water and had found a large, thick branch to barely snag my bag. And apparently, he had done the same for Joel, cuz the old man was barely caught on the side of the rock beside me.
He pulled me up and with help from Sam, the three of us pulled Joel's body up, too. We dragged Joel to the bank and waited. It was nearly sun-up by the time the old man came-to. The second he saw Henry's face, Joel pulled a gun on him. He was livid. Henry told his brother Sam not to do anything. It was then that Henry told Joel that if the tables had been turned, Joel would've left him, too. Both of these men were traveling with kids...and those kids took priority.
"I saved you." Henry finalized.
"We would've drown." I looked up at Joel and put my hand upon his arm. I hoped it would persuade him to listen to reason. And, it apparently did. He lowered the weapon, though, obviously he was still wrestling with himself on the decision. The four of us made our way to a sewer grate. The place was kinda cool. A little creepy, too. But, apparently some old survivors used to live there. They transformed it into a base...they had awesome murals on the wall drawn with chalk. It was interesting to see how other survivors outside of a QZ managed.
Along the way, we all got separated. A fฯ cking bulkhead fell after Joel set off a trap. I was left with Henry, while Sam and Joel were stuck together. The noise from the bulkhead had caused quite a ruckus. Before we could come up with a plan we heard a horde of infected. Mainly clickers. Henry and I bolted down the only other path available to us. I tell you what, I was really grateful to have the pistol Joel gave me, now. I managed to save Henry's ass when one clicker got too close. I actually took a couple down.
We came across a whole new area and it was full of stalkers and clickers. It made me realize upon seeing stalkers that these infected...they were the survivors who had lived here. I know that's probably obvious, it just kinda hit different when I saw the stalkers. Henry and I killed several and almost successfully snuck past the rest, until I accidentally stepped on broken glass. The clicker closest to us woke up from its hibernation and screeched. Another horde was after us.
Henry and I made it to another hall. I fired rounds from my pistol to cover our asses. It was as we broke free into a new tunnel that we bumped into Joel and Sam. We regrouped and continued forward. I swear it felt like we were fighting those things for hours. Eventually, we all made it to the sewer's exit. Joel and Henry pushed an old vending machine to block the door and we all gave ourselves a much needed moment to catch our breaths. The fresh air never smelled so good before.
David
The Cannibal
"Run, Little Rabbit, run. I know you're not infected. No one that's infected fights this hard to stay alive."
A Harsh Winter
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Abby
Anderson
"You killed my friends. We let you both live and you wasted it!"
An Eye for an Eye
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Hello there! Thank you so much for adding/accepting me! I hope we can discuss a storyline together soon and grow our connection! I have discord available if you would prefer to discuss and banter there. All my best to you. Don't be a stranger! In this hell of an apocalypse we have to work together to survive!
Not much, I haven't been on here and every once in a while I'll get on Steam. Cause Skyrim has me hooked like a loser. >.> LOL But anyway, I'm gonna finally try to reply to your starter you sent me aeons ago. As well as everyone else. My muse for Daryl is semi-present at the moment considering I'd just wish he'd f***ing die off the series. XD
