Latibule - The Last Of Us [Joel]

Chapter Four

"Listen carefully Ellie," Jade grabbed her sister, kneeling down as if she was proposing, "you do as I say, do you understand?"

Ellie nodded, a tad irritated- did Jade not think she could handle herself?

The red headed girl glanced at Joel, his expression reminded her of the Grinch as he stood on the side waiting for Jade to get a move on. Ellie only knew of the Grinch when one Christmas night; Jade snuck Ellie to the mall, and looking around the bookstore, that's when they found the peculiar book. To Jade's surprise, it was still in good condition.

"And if anything were to happen to me," Jade squeezed her sister's arms, "you save yourself."

"Nothing will happen to you!" Ellie's eyes widened.

"Ellie, we don't know that!" Jade slightly shook her sister, "we don't know what's out there."

For the first time, Ellie saw the desperation in her elder sister's eyes that she didn't see before. The sight slightly rattled her, after-all, her sister was a soldier.

"I hate to interrupt your lil- moment." The sisters turned to Joel, who pushed himself off the wall and uncrossed his arms, "but we got to get a move on."

Jade nodded in his direction and before she stood up, she flicked Ellie's nose playfully to break the tension. Ellie's shocked reaction made Jade chuckle.

"Hey!" Ellie playfully nudged her sister as she walked by her.

"Not my fault you're too slow." Jade smirked.

The sister's playfulness did not go unnoticed by Joel and the sudden thought of his daughter made him sigh to himself. He glanced back at the 'mother and daughter' and couldn't push the thought of how young the woman looked- could she really have had a baby at a very young age?

As the trio walked down the smelly alley, Jade winced at the thought that Ellie could see all the brutalized bodies on the ground.

"It's okay- this is what has become of the world. Ellie will have to see it sooner or later." Jade reassured herself in her head.

"Woah, I heard all the shootings, but...what happened?" Ellie said softly

"Ellie..." Jade was dumbfounded and didn't know if she should inform her sister of such situations.

"Fireflies. Same thing is gonna happen to us if we don't get off the streets." Joel said coldly.

"Well- we're just following you." Ellie said smugly.

Jade's heart sank as she saw one of the bodies up against the wall- it was one of Noah's friends. She didn't know him personally but she knew Mark was close to Noah.

Not wanting the man and Ellie to notice, she immediately snatched his Firefly pendant as fast as she could from his now rotting chest and turned away from them.

"Attention- harboring or aiding wanted criminals is punishable by death. Do not put yourself at risk. Report any suspicious activity immediately."

A woman's voice boomed throughout the street where trucks drove by and immediately, Joel ushered the two down the stairs. "Down here."

Crouching slightly out of the short tunnel where the previous stairs lead them, the three crouched and did their best to go unnoticed.

"Keep up." Joel told Ellie who was slightly behind them.

"I am." Ellie said in annoyance.

"Ellie, are you okay?" The concerned sister said.