The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Thirteen

Link's pov

"We shouldn't have gone this way!" Mom shrieks. Dad is driving too slow and there's people everywhere, screaming. Some of the screams are animalistic and don't sound human at all.

"The highway was blocked!" Dad yells back. "What did you want me to do?"

My heart pounds and the inside of the car is lit up when a store we drive past bursts into flames. People scatter and slide on the broken glass. There's staggering people too, clutching their sides. It's pure chaos and we don't know what's happening.

Aryll shakes in my arms. She's holding Bear up to her mouth, soaking him in snot, tears, and drool. I want to tell her it's going to be okay but I'm terrified and nothing feels like it's going to be okay. Is that a body-

"Look out!" Headlights blind me and then it goes all black.

***

"Mommy? Mommy, what's wrong? Mommy!"

I slowly open my eyes and the inside of the car spins. I'm hurt and I can't tell where the pain is coming from.

"Mommy!"

I see Aryll out of her seat shaking Mom. The only movement is caused by Aryll. I stand up and shove her back to check myself.

"Mom?"

"Mommy!" Aryll wails. "She won't wake up!"

Her neck is snapped. Blood rushes in my ears as I watch her head roll unnaturally to the side. I'm going to be sick. I grab Dad's chin and he slumps forward. Then I notice the blood. They're both dead.

"Why won't they wake up!" Aryll wails again. She's clawing at my arm desperately. What do I do?

"They're gone," I tell her as much as I'm telling myself. I look around and finally hear the screaming coming from outside again and see the car that hit us, the headlights still shining into the car and making it hard to see. "We gotta go," I breathe. We can't stay here.

"No!"

I reach into the back to grab my baseball bat. "We have to." I have to get us somewhere safe. Where is safe?

"I'm not leaving Mommy!"

"She's gone!" Tears I didn't feel before pour down my face. Our parents are dead. We're alone now and I don't know what's happening or where safe is.

Aryll stands back up and shakes our dead mother again. "No she's not! Mommy!" The screaming outside continues and I watch in horror as a man tackles a woman and rips a chunk of flesh from her neck with his teeth. She screams and flails under him as he bites again and again, soaking his mouth in her blood.

"Aryll," I pant. She's still crying and shaking Mom. "Aryll, listen to me." I grab her and turn her around. "I'm going to carry you, okay?"