𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 ➢ ᴊᴏᴇʟ ᴅᴀᴡꜱᴏɴ

Ch. 7 - THE QUEEN

Chapter Seven
🏹 The Queen 🏹

"Some survivors showed up at the camp. That's not something I gotta worry about, you don't think, right?" Joel asked making Meave raise her eyebrows as they walked.
"I mean, what are the odds that they're, like, awesome and similar to my age and potentially a threat to me romantically?" He asked and Maeve sighed, "Slim to none, probably." She said and he nodded slightly.

"I think it's good, actually. I think we're totally, uh... fine. Actually, why don't we pick up the pace a little bit, just in case..." Joel said before Maeve's arm suddenly shot out in front of him to make him stop walking. "Woah." He mumbled slightly when they looked at the giant pit in front of them

"Um... Okay, you know what? Why don't we go another way. Yeah?" Jodl suggested and Maeve nodded, "Yeah, I think that'd be best." She said and they glanced back to see Boy run off making them furrow their brows. "Uh... Boy? Boy! Boy, where you going?" Joel called out until they heard something behind them making then turn around to see a giant fin coming out of the ground.

"The Queen." Meave said in a slight whisper and Joel glanced around before slowly picking up a dog toy. He glanced at the queen before tossing the dog toy off to the side. The Queen changed at it, making them jump when she shot out of the ground slightly. "Run, Boy! Run!!" Joel said as he grabbed Maeve hand before two quickly started running along with Boy.

The Queen quickly chased after them, destroying a trailer in the process. They ran as fast as they could through the woods, Joel almost falling if it wasnt for him and Maeve holding hand. "Wait! Boy!Boy, I can't run that fast!" Joel said as Boy ahead of them and Maeve shook her head, "Gonna have to!" She said.

They hopped over a log and instantly fell down a hill making then groan slightly until they saw Boy a little ways away. "Come on." Maeve said as she helped Joel up before they quickly ran over to Boy who was hiding in a hollow tree stump. Maeve's back was against Joel's chest as his arms were around her and she had a hold on Boy.

The ground behind the stump moved before the queen came out making Joel tighten his arms around Maeve. Boy whimpered slightly making Maeve pull him closer to her while keeping his mouth shut. Joel pressed his forehead against Maeve's shoulder as they tried to hold as still and as quiet as possible when the Queen moved up to the stump.

After a moment the queen moved back, disappearing back under the ground making then take a deep breath. "Oh, my God." Joel whispered softly as Maeve kissed the top of Boy's head. Boy whined slightly as he looked past the stump, "What are you doing?" Joel asked as they glanced over to see the red dress laying on the ground.

"Don't you dare." Joel whispered and Boy moved forward making Joel grab him before there was a small gush of wind and the dress blew into the water. Boy whined before running off making them try to gr sa b him but he was to quick. Boy ran up to the edge if the water and glanced back at them, "Boy, don't even think about it." Joel whispered while Maeve glanced around.

"Don't. Don't you do it. Don't. Don't. No!" Joel yelled slightly when Boy jumped into the water, catching the queens attention. "I got him. You get the grenade and remember, count to five." Maeve said as she quickly ran after Boy while Joel ran over to his back. Maeve jumped into the water and quickly grabbed both Boy and the dress before swimming over to the other side.

Joel grabbed the grenade and took a deep breath, "Count to five." He mumbled before turning around and pulling the pin before dropping it. "One, two..." He mumbled as he quickly tried to pick it up, :Two. Uh, three, four..." He said before the Queen shot out of the ground.

"Five!" He yelled before tossing the grenade into the Queen's mouth, jumping into the water as she exploded. Maeve flinched slightly from the other side of the water before laughing as Joel resurfaced. "Whoo-hoo-hoo! Yes! Yes! Oh, my God!" Joel said before looking over at Maeve, "Maeve, did you see that. That was awesome. I feel like Tom Cruise." Joel said making Maeve laugh.

"Okay, Tom Cruise, get out of the water." She said and he nodded, "Right." He said before starting to swim over but stopped when he flinched slightly "Oh! Ow. What the hell is... Ow! Ow!" He said as it looked like something kept biting him. He grabbed his bag and swam over to the other side and Maeve grabbed his arms ti help him out.

"Ooh, shit." Maeve cringed slightly when she saw two giant leaches on his arm, "Hold still." Maeve said before pulling them off him making him gag slightly. "Take your shirt off, there's gotta be more." She said and he unbuttoned his shirt to find at least five more on him making her sigh. He started freaking out and quickly stood up making Maeve grab his arms.

"Joel! Calm down! I need to get them off before to much poison gets into your system." She said making his eyes widen, "Poison?!" He asked and she sighed. "Just calm down." She said and he took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay, alright." He mumbled as she started pulling them off him.

"Okay, I think that's all of them." Joel mumbled when she pulled the last one off his chest. She looked up at him and her eyes widened, "What?" He asked and she sighed softly. "Don't freak out and please don't move." She said before pulling one off the side of his neck, "God! No!" He yelled slightly as she tossed it off to the side.

"You! You! You!" Joel said as he pointed at Boy, "This is all your fault! What is wrong with you? Why don't you listen to me, huh? Huh?" Joel said making Maeve look at him crazy. "Joel." She said but he kept going, "You have any idea what you just did? You just almost got us killed! We are supposed to care about each other, okay? I would never do that to you, never! You bailed on me! Oh, my God!" He yelled.

"Joel!"

"That freakin' dress! I can't take it anymore!" Joel yelled and Boy whined slightly before running off making Maeve give Joel a look. "Joel!" She said making him sigh and look at her, "He's just a dog that lost his owner and that dress is the last thing he has of her. I'm sure you'd do the same if you had an article of Aimee's clothing." She said and he sighed softly and picked up his bag before stumbling slightly.

"Okay." Maeve said as she grabbed his arms before making him sit down, "I'm gonna go find some antivenom, you stay here. Do not move." She said and he nodded slightly. "Don't... move... okay." He said and she sighed softly before shaking her head and walking away.

When she came back, carrying a plant her eyes widened when Joel wasn't where she left him. "Fucking- God damn it Joel!" She yelled before quickly running through the woods.

She ran for a little while, not really paying attention on where she was going as she was trying to find him. All of the sudden she ran into someone making them both gasp. "Maeve?" A girl asked and Maeve sighed and nodded, "Aimee. Been a while." She said and Aimee nodded. "Yeah, where's Joel? I thought you were with him." She said and Maeve nodded.

"I was wondering the same thing, he got sucked on by a bunch of poisonous leaches and then disappeared." She said as she glanced around before they heard a bell in the distance. The two girls glanced at each other for a moment before quickly running in the direction it came from.

They stopped running when they found Joel. Kissing some old dude. "Oh, that's just..." Maeve mumbled slightly while Aimee raised her eyebrows, "Is he...?" She asked and Maeve nodded.

"He's hallucinating."