Joel Miller x Reader

Thirty-Nine

"I can't leave you here.", his grip on your hand tightened. "What if something happens?"

A little harshly you detached yourself from him.

"Joel.", your voice was soft as you spoke his name. "This is the end. Our paths part here. Go save Ellie. I'm only here to kill Abby."

The expression on his face turned hard. Suddenly there was this gleam in his eyes. He felt betrayed.

His hand retreated, he tilted his head and looked at you as if he could find something in your face that could explain it to him.

"I told you that you had a place in Jackson.", he reminded you even if the tone of his voice gave away that he felt attacked.

"I would have a place with you. Jackson doesn't want me. No one there does."

"Is it so bad to be with me? We get along fine, or did I misunderstand something?"

You shook your head, a soft smile on your lips. A heavy feeling spread through your chest.

"No.", you whispered, putting a hand on his cheek to caress the rough skin with your thumb. "I will keep the night in good memory."

"You never intended to stay with me."

Again you shook your head, though this time you hesitated.

"I am not a person for peace and togetherness. But you should know that."

Swallowing hard, he lowered his eyes.

"It would be better if we forget each other then."

"I will keep you as a good memory in my heart. As the stranger who helped to put the past to rest."

A long sigh escaped his lips.

You feared he would try to persuade you, to prevent you from going on alone. You were afraid that he might say you were important to him.

But he did not.

Instead, he did something far worse, something that made your heart break.

He said nothing. Without a word, he pushed past you and disappeared, searching for a way to his daughter in the maze of shafts.

Shivering, you listened as he left. A strange sound got stuck in your throat. It was a mixture between a lost whimper and a frustrated cry.

Suddenly you wanted to hit him, yell at him and argue with him. But at the same time you couldn't help but thank him that this parting was not as painful as it could have been.

As you sat there in silence, caught in your own thoughts, something wet dripped down your face. Your eyes burned and your vision became blurred. Hastily you wiped the tears from your face.

"This isn't happening...", you whispered, angry with yourself. "Stop it... He... will become a memory..."

But still you couldn't help but glance over your shoulder, hoping he would still be there. But even after a few seconds he didn't return and the place where he had been sitting remained empty.

The warmth of his hand still clung to your skin. You wiped it on your pants before opening the grate and letting yourself fall from the height into the room.

You held your breath.

With a loud bang, you landed on the table. A hellish pain coursed through your ankles and knees, but you ignored it and pulled the knife from your pocket.

Struck by surprise, Abby jumped back, her eyes wide. It took her a moment before she realized who was standing in front of her.

"(Y/N)?!", your name sounded like a curse from her mouth. "You're here?!"

With a hateful grin that you had been saving for her for years, you tilted your head.

"Surprised to see me?", you pointed the tip of the knife directly at her. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment, my dear, beloved Abby."

Threateningly you came towards her.

Abby continued to back away.

From her nervous behavior, you could tell that she was unarmed. You could have shot her, it would have been quick and painless.

But you wanted her to suffer. You wanted to hear her screams, feel her desperately fighting for her life. It might have been reckless, Abby was a strong woman and could have easily defended herself against you with her fists.

But you needed satisfaction and only the suffering through pain and bleeding to death could give you that.

With her hands raised and her head pulled in, Abby looked at you. There was horror in her eyes, as if she was finally realising that the past had caught up with her.

"(Y/N)... Relax, we can talk this out.", she was almost begging. "I know I made mistakes in the past, but it won't change anything if you kill me now."

Shocked by the casualty of her words, your eyes widened. Your voice was weak as you opened your mouth. Tears filled the corners of your eyes.

Her words were burning in your soul. She didn't mean a single thing she said, you could tell by the look in her eyes. She just wanted to get out of this mess.

But you wouldn't let her.

Not without paying a high price.

"Mistakes?", you asked, holding back cold anger. "Mistakes? No, Abby, you didn't do a mistake. You betrayed me! You stabbed me in the back, threw me to the ground and then tortured me some more!"

"I did what I had to do. My father promised they would be the perfect fit."

"You killed them, Abby! You killed my parents for a cure that could never work! They... they trusted you. They loved you like a daughter. And you drugged them so your dad could cut them open like some animals!"

With a scream filled with all the pain and hate from the past, you raised the knife and jumped towards her.

Out of reflex, Abby tore her arms into the air.

The blade cut through her skin like butter, tearing flesh and muscles apart. Screaming in pain, she fell to the ground, grabbing the blade and ripping it from your hand while doing so.

You lost the grip, your fingers slimy and slippery from her blood. Cursing, you jumped onto her and hit her in the face.

A disgusting crack filled the air.

Abby gasped.