𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁.

prologue.

   "Joel."

   This was a terrible idea.

   I glance back at Henry and he nods at me. I tighten my grip on the gun in my hand and feel Sam clutch onto my jacket. I can't tell if he's scared or not.

   Normally that would be easy for me.

    "Joel!"

   The man sits up and I almost flinch at the speed at which he does.

   "Eyes on me," Henry says, diverting the middle aged man's attention from glaring at me to glaring at my older brother.

   The man, Joel I'm assuming, turns to see the young girl he was with on her knees, Henry behind her with a gun.

   I grimace, I never much liked seeing my brother like this.

   It didn't feel like he was my brother now, he felt like a stranger.

   "Okay."

   "Uhm okay," Henry stutters, just perfect. "I don't know what the next step for something like this is but if i lower my gun, we didn't hurt you so you don't hurt us. Right?"

   Joel stays monotone, "that's right."

   I can sense the beginning of Henry's freak out, "that's a weird fucking tone man."

   "That's just the way he sounds, he has an asshole voice," the girl speaks up for him, "Joel tell him he's okay."

   I bite into my lip to keep from breaking my silence and instead focus on not letting the gun slip out of my sweaty hands.

   "Everything's great," same voice.

   "Dude!" The girl rolls her eyes.

   "Fuck!" Henry curses.

   It's all too much and I laugh. It was an accident I swear but the moment my laughter fills the room everything goes silent and I quickly sense my mistake.

   Sam gives me a strange look as my gun clatters to the floor and I try desperately to wipe the goofy grin I'm sporting off of my face.

   God we are so fucked.

   "Athena! The gun!"

   "Sorry I'm sorry," I whisper, quickly bending to pick it up only to find that Joel now has it in his hands and is pointing it at me. I immediately raise my hands in the air, shifting to be a step in front of my younger brother.

   That's one way to wipe the smile off my face.

   Henry tightens his grip on his gun, "put the gun down and I'll drop mine."

   Joel looks between us and I see the crease by his eyes as he thinks it over. He slowly lowers his weapon, or formerly my weapon, and Henry does the same.

   "Who are you?"

   Henry makes his way over to us, the girl crawling over to who I assume to be her caretaker or father. Henry clears his throat, "My name's Henry, these are my siblings Athena and Sam."

   He pockets his gun, "I'm the most wanted man in Kansas city, although right now my guess is you're running a close second."

* * *

   "Where'd you get these?"

   I take another bite out of the food provided to us by Joel and Ellie, breaking off a piece to give to Sam. He signs thank you to me and I smile, pinching his cheek.

   "From Bill," Ellie answers, "he's dead."

   I nod, nowadays everyone's dead.

   "Thank you, you probably don't have much so this means a lot, really," I express our gratitude to Ellie in particular since her friend doesn't seem too friendly.

   Ellie smiles at me.

   I smile back.

   "How old are you guys?" she asks.

   I nudge Sam and he answers first, holding up eight fingers. I smile, "he's eight, I'm twelve."

   Ellie grins, "I'm fourteen."

   I grin a little, shifting my eyes over to Joel. He sits silently, chewing as he stares at us. I don't think he trusts us, not that I blame him. Nobody trusts anybody.

   That's how the apocalypse works.

   I glance away for a moment and feel his eyes linger on me for a second and I turn back to him, "everything okay?"

   He nods, looking away, "your hair, just reminds me of something."

   I nod, tugging one of my curls down from my ponytail. I need to braid it next chance I get, they're getting tangled.

   Joel wipes his hands on his pants, "okay you ate, we didn't kill each other, let's call this a win-win and move on."

   Henry nods, doing his big brother thing and taking charge, "I'm betting y'all came up here to get a view of the city and plan a way out. And when the sun's up, I'll show you one."