GLOWING (Joel Miller)

9 | The Museum

The museum was small compared to the other buildings around it. It was older, made of bricks and wood. As we approached the door, a shiver ran its way up my back. This place was eerie. The door stood ajar and fungus crept over the walls like ivy.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me," I heard Ellie mutter from behind me. For once, I agreed with her. This place gave me the creeps. 

"Well," Tess started as I came to a stop beside her. "There's a way across from the top floor."

I removed my shotgun from its place, slung over my shoulder and held it at the ready as Ellie shook her head in disbelief. "Well, I guess it's alright. then," she exclaimed, the tremor in her voice, unmistakable.

Tess nodded. "We used to take it all the time."

"Okay."

I watched Joel as he took a few steps forward, bending down to examine the ground near the door. I joined him as Tess and Ellie kept talking. I peered over Joel's shoulder, to see what he was looking at and my eyes widened in surprise. "Is that...?"

"Yep." Joel picked his gun up off the ground and pointed the muzzle at the tendril of fungus. I flinched back, expecting him to fire it, but he didn't. He drove the tip of the gun into the flesh of the tendril, breaking it apart like dust. "It's bone dry."

Joel stood up and I backed away so that I wasn't right behind him. "Is that good?"

He turned to look at me, squinting slightly as if he expected me to know the answer. "It could mean they're finally dead in there. "

Joel and Tess dropped to the ground, rummaging around in their packs. "Oh, man," Ellie groaned as they removed flashlights. I pulled my backpack onto my chest and rummaged around for the one I knew was in there. When I found it, I slung the pack back onto my shoulders and clipped the torch onto one of the straps.

Ellie was still standing there, watching Joel and Tess. "What?" Joel asked, looking up at Ellie. "Marlene didn't pack you one of these?" I rolled my eyes and walked over to Ellie, unzipping the large compartment of her back. "Just sandwiches?"

"Yeah." Before Ellie could piss Joel off even more, I handed her the torch. She took it with a grumble, holding it up so Joel could clearly see it.

"Okay." Tess stood up, her face grave and serious as she turned to face Ellie. "So, more ground rules." I zipped Ellie's bag back up and stood next her, giving Tess my full attention as I checked my gun was ready to go. "We're gonna go slowly. If we come up against anything, you get behind us and you stay there." I swallowed nervously, my fingers trembling slightly against the cold metal of the gun. "Okay?"

Ellie nodded. "Yes." I held my gun at the ready, my finger on the trigger as Joel and Tess did the same. I positioned myself beside Ellie, so that she was in between Tess and I, and I failed to miss her look of defiance as she eyed Tess's handgun. "I have a spare hand."

I locked eyes with Tess, who shook her head as if to say no, she can't have a gun. I nodded in agreement as Joel rolled his eyes. "Congratulations."

The museum lobby was dark, so I turned on my flashlight, clipping it to the top of my gun. I scanned the room, keeping close to Ellie as we followed after Joel. My breathing was fast and erratic, but I tried my best to contain it, if only for Ellie's sake. She seemed scared enough as it was.

Joel stopped at the end of the room, the rest of us reciprocating. In front of us looked like a murder scene. "Yep, cooked," he observed lowly.

"Oh," Tess sighed from beside me. shining her flashlight of the mess. "Finally, some fuckin' luck."