𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐎 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒) *editing*

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝🌞

"We're going down?"

Maeve scrunched her face up while she eyed the endless depths of the building. The lower floors had been devoured by the earth and collapsed into the obsidian shadows. There wasn't much light, just the natural dimness of the glowing rain clouds from outside, which somehow seeped through broken walls or reflected through the small, streaming waterfalls.

She thought they were supposed to escape the building, not venture further into it.

"It's the only way out," TJ grunted from beside her. "Down and out."

"I don't feel comfortable with this!" Maeve complained as they descended.

"Well, by all means, stay here in this unstable building with the infected." TJ retorted as he ducked under a fallen beam.

"It was rhetorical!" Maeve shot back, following the boy's lead, and ducked under the beam.

"Didn't sound rhetorical," Ellie chimed, looking at Maeve. "We're almost out. We gotta trust them."

"But, it's hard..." the older girl huffed but continued to head down after their escorts.

"Who knows, maybe we'll get to sit back and relax once we get there — at least for a few minutes." Ellie shrugged with her guess.

"Yeah, that's still not motivating."

"Do you ever stop complaining?" TJ grumbled.

"Hey, that's offensive! I don't always complain," Maeve crossed her arms over her chest. "I could start yodeling."

"Please do not."

Aside from that, maybe it was the worry that building will collapse and they would all be buried under the rubble. And no one would even know they were under a giant ass building. Dead.

"You want to take it easy?" Joel's tone of disbelief caught the attention of Maeve.

Not to be nosy, but the adults seemed to be having an adult conversation.

Let us eavesdrop.

"Well, I won't this time." Tess answered Joel softly.

"I'll believe when I see it."

Trudging through a giant puddle which trickled down rubble and loose debris, Maeve peered down the path with uncertainty. She would rather eat salt! This was very unstable, completely loose and fall inducing.

"You gonna come down?" Ellie asked, having already made her way down with careful steps.

"Uh...sure...eek!" Maeve made an accidental bad step, which resulted in a small landslide of debris and rubble. It put her on her ass, and it carried her to the bottom of the slope. "Oof!"

Ellie cackled, hopping to the final ground. "That was awesome!"

"That's what you get for being so whiny." TJ commented while he making it to the bottom with them.

"Oh, fuck you!" Maeve flipped him off and got to her feet. "Son of a bitch! Stupid building!" She cursed thickly at the unsound structure when she realized her ass and the back of her pants were wet from the fall.

Very nice. Note the sarcasm.

"C'mon." Ellie pulled her along through double doors which, ironically, was missing the doors. The door frame hung sideways from one of the floor that had collapsed.

"Hey, Joel, Tess, over here!" TJ called for the adults as the three of them stumbled across a concrete that caved into the subway.

"That's convenient." Maeve commented and hopped down to a lower chunk of concrete, Ellie hot on her tail. "A makeshift staircase!"