THE UNEXPECTED

07

"Alright, we did it!" Henry called into the night, alerting the kids still stationed by the desk. He was referring to the men we'd just killed outside, and I took a breath surveying our surroundings before hollering to the kids.

"Come on out, you two!" I see their heads peaking out from bedside the desk before they stood up fully and soon the group reformed. So far, the escape plan had been running smoothly but it wasn't over yet as we still had to cross the bridge to safety.

"Henry, gimme a hand with this." The two men approached the gate doors, flattening their palms against the metal to try and open it. But our movements cease at the sound of a familiar hum of an engine. It's that fucking truck.

"Shit!" I glanced over my shoulder and see it coming in the distance, turns out my gut feeling was right and currently, we were fucked. "We gotta go!"

"Hey, they're over here!" We hear a hunter yell, making us pick up the pace in a panicked and frantic motion.

I shove Ellie and Sam forward, and they squeeze through the small gap that Joel and Henry had made. The gate closed just as Joel made it though and repeated heavy fire rang against metal.

"We have to run!" Henry announced, taking his brother's hand. The two of them started in a full sprint down the street, the three of us not far behind them. We were all determined to get the fuck out of here.

Coming to a dead end, my panic began to increase and my eyes flickered furiously amongst our surroundings until it narrowed in on a ladder by the far wall.

"There!" I pointed, looking back over my shoulder to make sure we were in the clear. I knew the truck was close but hopefully we'd make it in time.

Henry and Sam went first, and then it was Ellie's turn. I could tell Joel was, too, nervous, he fidgeted on his heels as his eyes went back and forth from where we were to back into the distance. We didn't have much ammo left. Ellie was nearing the top of the wall when the worst possible outcome happened, the ladder snapped.

"I got you." Henry assured, his arm gripping hers but my only thought was how me and Joel were supposed to get up there.

"Shit." I mumbled, my palms sweating and eyes wide. My fingers gripped my revolver hard, knuckles whitening.

"Okay, we gotta get them up," Ellie told him once she was on her feet. She looked at them before returning her gaze at us.

Henry looked at the gate, then back to Joel and me, much like Ellie just did.

"Ah...I'm sorry." My heart sank, and nerves at an all time high. "We're leaving."

"Are you kidding me?" I shouted. Feeling a sudden surge of anger, all those nerves had been replaced with rage as I watched the two brothers depart.

"What? This is bullshit! What the fuck, Henry?" Ellie called, fuming at Henry. They disappear from my line of sight and Ellie jumps back down. "We stick together." She said firmly, bracing a small smile before we sprung back into action.

"C'mon, into the building!" Joel was a step ahead, holding up a garage door. I hear the truck nearing closer as we roll under the door, Joel still holding it above us.

"Go!" I yell in a panic as he too, rolls quickly into the building before the door smashed into him.

As we exit the bar we ran into, I notice that bridge and I swear my body nearly ascended. My shoulders sag in relief only for a brief moment before I was reminded of the truck that was hounding us in fury.

"Quick!" Ellie races in front of me and Joel as we run, dodging many different obstacles in our path which only slow us down.

Joel skids to a stop in front of me. "Oh, shit." He says, peering down at the open water rushing below us. He holds his arm out, catching me.

"Oh, fuck!" I yell out in frustration, we were well and truly fucked at this point.

The bridge was gone and there was no way of getting to the other side and behind us, the truck was smashing into anything in its path. There wasn't much time before it would be doing the same to us.

Joel turns to me, frantic. "How many bullets do you got left?"

"Not enough." I reveal to him, fear in my voice.

"They're going to kill us!" Ellie shouts over all the noise. It seemed as though she was contemplating something as she looked from the water back to us.

"What other choice do we have?" He almost growls, and if it weren't for the situation at hand I'd of definitely swooned at the tone.

"We jump." Ellie says, her eyes on the river running rapidly beneath us. So that was what her idea was, I wasn't exactly fond of going into the water but as Joel said, what other choice do we have?

"Do I need to remind you that you can't swim?" Joel states, still glancing back every so often. Well that changed everything, how would the girl stay afloat? But still, it was either get killed by those hunters or die trying to escape.

And at that, "Fuck it." I turn to Ellie and grip her hand so that she stays close to me. We jump.

"Emily!" I hear Joel yell in disbelief as we fly through the air, plummeting towards the water.