𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐔𝐬

19. Dead Things Win Staring Contests.

N I N E T E E N
Dead Things Win Staring Contests.

My feet trudge into muddy snow, the crunch underneath making me cringe. I hate the noise, yet another reason the cold is awful. So far there are no pros.

I trail behind Joel and Ellie, my feet almost dragging. I'm exhausted. I'm blaming it on the cold. I'm blaming everything on the cold.

Somehow the winter is so bright, I think it's the sun bouncing off the snow. Whatever it is, it's giving me a headache. Another bullet point on the cons, but still nothing on the pros. Just saying.

The vast majority of my current life is eaten up with walking. Walking in the fresh snow and in the muddy snow. Walking up hills, across valleys, and down hills. Walking with blisters, and with wet socks. Tripping. A lot.

After hours of walking, we get to the large river. It's bigger than what I had anticipated. Fabulous.

"The River of Death. Scary." Ellie comments sarcastically. Almost everything she says is sarcastic.

We all stop walking and stare at the river. I don't think doggy-paddling is really an option, both due to the hypothermia aspect, and that fact I don't think I'd be able to get to the other side.

"Don't start," Joel tells Ellie.

"Maybe we could try and jump." I pose a suggestion that not even the best jumper in the world could do.

"That'd work." Ellie nods.

"It's too close to dark." Joel skates over my theory. "There's some caves along the river. We'll set up camp there, cross in the mornin'." He decides.

"Good. I'm starving." Ellie says like we don't know. Like she hasn't complained every three seconds for the past hour. I'd tell her to stop, but I don't shut up about how cold it is. "Should've stolen two rabbits."

"We can get our own rabbits. We're fully capable." I tell Ellie. She shouldn't have stolen from nice old people. That's mean.

"You gonna teach me how?" Ellie asks Joel hopefully.

People have no faith in me.

"Just keep moving.'" Joel replies.

Ellie does as she's told, with a dramatic sigh. I swear the dead rabbit hanging from her back is staring at me as it swings.

We start walking again, walking down a little toward the river, staying far enough away from the death trap. Hiding ourselves away in a cave, Joel starts a fire.

"Bobbie, don't sit so close. You'll burn yourself again." Joel stares at me, audibly annoyed, not happy with my proximity to the hazard. I want to argue, but I don't, I did almost die from a burn.

I shuffle back a little. Joel pulls a roll of heavy-duty tape from his backpack and begins tapping his shoe up. His foot is going to rot away if enough water gets in. Pulling my own backpack up I rest my head on it, laying back enough so I can see the sky. Bright colours dance along the sky dotted with sparkly stars. I wish I could see one up close.

Joel whistles, the high pitches noise hurts my ears. Every time he does that I think I get a little more deaf.

"Come down from there. You're gonna break your neck." He calls to Ellie, standing at a very precarious location. She is perched close to the edge.

"I know planes were a thing." I start talking, trying to figure out how to ask the question without sounding like a lunatic. He gives me a hum, letting me know he is listening to me. "Well, did planes ever go into space? Or is that impossible?"