Ellie Dixon

Welcome to Terminus

The next morning, I started limping in the direction Sophia might have headed in. I wanted to stop, take a break, lay down and wait for a walker to find me... But, I couldn't give up on her. She thought I was dead; she heard the gun and saw me fall. She wouldn't wait for me, so I had to catch up. I got to some train tracks; I wouldn't have given this a second thought if it wasn't for the sign. The Terminus sign again. 

I stared at it for a while, if Sophia saw this sign... She would've headed right towards it. It was one of the last things we talked about before she fell. I pondered on it, before deciding to head to this Terminus place. The way I'd walked, I was now only a two or three day walk away from the place. Maybe four depending on how bad my leg got.

In the days it took me to walk to Terminus, nothing interesting happened. I hunted for my food, killed a couple walkers, held up in old houses in the night. I passed a few dead walkers; Sophia had killed them. I knew the way she sliced the heads with her machete.

When I was about a mile away, I started walking through the forest. I heard them before I saw them. A herd of walkers. Looking up, I decided to climb the tree next to me. They hadn't seen me, so I waited quite patiently at the top of the tree. It was about four hundred, maybe five hundred heads.

None of them had seen me go up there, I stayed quiet, no problem. I jumped down from the tree and decided to leave my stuff. I dug a small hole under the tree and covered it with twigs and leaves... Just in case. I could always come out and get it if needed.

With three full magazines, my loaded gun, my boomerang and my pocketknife all hanging around my hips, I started moving towards the big walls of Terminus. I didn't go in through the front doors, who did they think I am? I found a pole that was attached to the wall to help keep it in place. I climbed the pole before jumping over and onto the ground, before running over to the building. I got out my gun, before stealthily going through the back door.

I peered into a room where there was about five people in this cleared out warehouse looking thing. "We really need to get Albret off perimeter watch. That's the second time this week." One man said, indicating to me.

"Hello, dear." An older looking woman smiled at me. 

I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "Hi." I said quietly, limping further into the room.

"What happened to your leg?" A different man asked.

"Got shot." I responded.

"Oh, well we can get that looked at for you." The older woman offered.

"Give the girl a chance first." The man scolded. "Usually, we do this where the tracks meet but since you snuck in..." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm Gareth. Welcome to Terminus... What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that." I stated, before clearing my throat. "My name's Ellie."

He took a step towards me, but I took a step back. He laughed. "You're nervous. I get it. We came here for sanctuary. That what you're here for, right?"

I shook my head. "I'm looking for my sister... She may have come here."

"We've had a few new arrivals. What does she look like?" The elder woman asked me.

"Uh... Bout 5'6, white, pretty thin cause there ain't much to eat these days, strawberry blonde hair, she was probably smiling, looks like she had a recently stitched up wound on the side of her head... Her name's Sophia." I explained.

"Oh, well, ye-" The woman started.

"We haven't seen her." Gareth interrupted.

"Oh, Gareth. She's a child." The elder woman tried.

"We'll look out for your sister. She'll probably make her way here, most people do. Why don't we fix up your leg, get some more meat on your bones too." Gareth licked his lips. "I'll take you to the infirmary myself, but first I need to see your weapons. You can have them back, just gotta know what you got."

I nodded, placing down my gun, boomerang and knife. "That's all I got, other than the ammo." I pointed to the magazines on my belt.

"Look at that." Gareth grinned, looking at my boomerang. "I'm gonna have to get me one of those. Where did you find it?"

"It's one of a kind. My dad made it." I responded. "My mum made the belt."

"Cool." Gareth grinned. "Alright, you ready to go get your leg fixed?"

He led me through back alleys until we got to another infirmary. I had my hand placed on my boomerang which was now safely secured back in my belt along with my other weapons. "How long this place been up and running?" I asked as we entered another warehouse.

"Pretty much since the start." Gareth responded. This room was more like a hospital, there were sheets separating the beds. "Doc, I need you to take a look at something!" Gareth called.

A young lady with black hair popped her head round from one of the separated areas. "Right with you." She smiled. "Okay, Adam. Rest up. Your next procedure is tomorrow." 

I couldn't see who the woman spoke too because she closed the curtain before she put a hand on my shoulder. "Sandy, this is Ellie. Says she was shot in the leg."

"Okay, let's check you out." Sandy started escorting me to one of the separated bed areas before drawing the curtain behind her. "Do you mind taking your trousers off for me?" She requested, handing me a towel to cover myself with. I nodded and did what she said as I sat on the bed. She got a clipboard and pen. "And, what's your full name, darling?"

"Ellie Alfonsa Dixon." I responded.

She hummed. "Age?"

"Ten." I replied.

"Okay, and do you have any diseases than can be transmitted through blood contact?" She looked to me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "No, ma'am."

"And how easily do you gain weight?" Sandy asked.

"Uhm... I'm not sure." I answered.

She sighed. "And what's your blood type?"

"O negative." I replied.

She grinned. "Perfect." Sandy put down the clipboard before looking at my leg. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Five days ago."

"How about I get that stitched up for you, yea?" Sandy smiled. "I got some local anaesthetic."

"Oh, no anaesthetic please." I requested. "I've only been here five minutes, I'm sure you understand. I'm used to the pain anyway."

She looked slightly annoyed at the fact that I wouldn't be unconsious. "Sure." Sandy smiled, but I could hear the bitterness in her tone.

After a very painful procedure of Sandy ripping out the dental floss and fixing my wound properly. She stood up and binned her blue cloves. "We good?" I asked.

"Yea, I'd like you to rest up. I'm gonna go talk to my boss. Be here when I get back." She warned... Maybe playfully... Before walking away.

As soon as she was gone, I slipped back on my jeans and shoes before leaving the curtained area. I walked over to where this Adam was before I slightly drew back the curtain. When I recognised the boy, I slipped inside before walking over to him. His eyes widened when he saw me. "Ellie?" The boy from the prison asked.

"It's me." I nodded; the blanket was pulled up to his neck, but he seemed... Thinner. "You're alive?"

"You gotta run. Get outta this place. Now. Run and don't come back." Adam said, panicked.

"Why, Adam?" I questioned.

"Pull back the blanket." He ordered me.

I let a nervous hand reach towards the blanket before I pulled it back. Adam was missing both his arms, and one of his legs, his bare stomach was full of stitches and scar tissue. "What... What happened?"

He hesitated. "They're eating me."