𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁.

eight.

   I look around at the huge buildings surrounding us, fascination captivating me, "so people would live here and go to classes and stuff?"

   Joel nods, "yup."

   "Even though they were adults?"

   "Sort of adults, I think it was just as much about partying and finding themselves as anything else. Figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives."

   "What they wanted to do with their lives," Ellie sighed, once again mocking Joel.

   The man ignores this, moving on, "so I've been thinking, I don't want a sheep ranch actually, if the deal is I can do anything."

   Ellie nods, "that's the deal."

   "Well when I was a kid I wanted to be a singer-"

   Ellie bursts into laughter and I look at her with an exaggerated frown as Joel looks at her cluelessly, "why is that funny?"

   I shrug, "me and my brothers were going to start a band, you could've been our lead."

   Joel looks over his shoulder and gives me a small smile.

   "Well you've gotta sing something for us now."

   "No."

   "Come on man, I won't laugh."

   "You're already laughing."

   "Well you've gotta sing something later, I'm saving the world this is the least you could do for me," Ellie grins broadly.

   I can practically hear Joel roll his eyes, "that's fair."

   "Holy shit, are those monkeys?!" Ellie speeds up on her horse slightly, Joel sighing as she does.

   "Must be from the labs."

   I watch as they run across the courtyard, disappearing behind a building, "look at them go."

   "First time seeing a monkey?"

   "First time seeing a monkey," Ellie confirms.

   Joel slows as we near a directional sign, the firefly emblem smack dab in the middle of it, "look it."

   Ellie looks over to the sign and sighs, "here we go."

* * *

   "Guard stations with no guards."

   "Yeah."

   "Gun?"

   "Yeah."

   Ellie swiftly hops off her horse and I follow soon after, waiting for my boots to plant on the ground before releasing my hold on our horse.

   Joel waits patiently for me to get settled on the ground before jumping off and tying off the horse to a tree.

   I dig into the side pocket of my bag, feeling around for my gun. Once I have it I pull it out, clasping it tightly in my hand.

   I follow behind Joel and Ellie as we enter a building, papers are scattered across the floor and medical equipment is piled onto a cart.

   "There were definitely doctors here."

   Joel flips open a folder, "this is a packing list, something you make before moving."

   At a sound upstairs, I jump.

   "Maybe not all of them."

   I follow Ellie up the steps, my free hand tightly grasping onto her backpack as my heart drums rapidly in my chest.

   Joel pushes open the door.

   It's a monkey

   "At least it aint clickers."

   "Or fireflies, all that research, maybe they turned into monkeys," Ellie jokes.

   At the sound of voices, Joel makes his way to the window, four men walking around outside. His eyes widen slightly, "let's go, out the back."

   I crouch low, following him back to where our horse is tied up. Joel starts to put his rifle away when I sense eyes on me, turning to find a man. "Joel!"

   Joel turns and tackles the guy into the tree, Ellie aiming her gun at the two, unsure whether to shoot or not.

   Joel wrestles with the man before I hear a crack and he drops the man to the ground, unmoving. He turns back to us and my eyes shift down to the knife in his abdomen.

   He follows my eyes, quickly grasping the knife and yanking it out. I look over his shoulder, the other three guys running towards us.

   Ellie pushes Joel over to the horse, "Joel, get on the horse! Athy come on!"

   I climb on behind him, the man starting forward as Ellie jumps onto her own horse, firing off a few shots behind her.

   We ride away eventually making it far enough to an old railroad track. Ellie sighs, "I don't think they're following."

   I ignore Ellie, nudging Joel as he starts to lean back onto me, "Joel?"

   He falls off to the side into the snow, my eyes widening, "Joel!"

   Ellie quickly jumpers off of her horse, "shit!" she grabs Joel's hands, pressing them into his wound, "Joel open your eyes, you've gotta wake up."

   At no response she breathes out, "I can't fucking do this without you. I don't know where the fuck I'm going, I don't know how to protect Athy, please Joel."