After walking for a while the three of you reached another river,
this one larger than the last...
"Look at that river.
It's crazy blue."
Ellie pointed out
Your breath hitched..
"Hey, Joel... What if this is the River of Death?"
you asked, voicing your concern
Joel looked over the map, trying to get his bearings
Suddenly a group of armed people, riding horses, surrounded you, Wearing masks that covered the lower half of their faces.
"Get behind me" Joel ordered
As he grabbed you and Ellie pulling you both behind him protectively
Frantically looking for a way out..
You all raised your hands in surrender as you were held at gunpoint, by the band of ten riders
"We ain't lookin' for any trouble. We're just passin' through."
Joel explained
"Drop the gun."
A man in a black cowboy hat ordered
Joel slowly did as he was told, taking the gun off his shoulder,
and dropping it onto the snow.
"You two...Take five steps back."
the man ordered,
pointing at you and Ellie
"How 'bout we just talk this through?"
Joel suggested,
fear bubbling in his chest
"How 'bout you shut the fuck up?" the man yelled,
waving his gun
"Okay, easy,...You'll be okay." Joel reassured you and Ellie,
As his heartbeat began to quicken
You both reluctantly stepped back, hand in hand
"You been near Infected?"
the man in the black hat asked.
"There's no Infected out here." Joel said.
"The hell there ain't."
He whistled and a man brought forward a dog.
"Last chance for a bullet. If you're infected, he will smell it, and he will rip you up."
He threatened,
You started to shake in fear at the dogs' angry barks, squeezing Ellie's hand tightly,
The handler released the dog from its leash, and it went bounding up to Joel. Its barking stopped as It sniffed both his legs before jumping up and placing its front paws on his chest before returning to its handler.
"Like I said... we'll just move on."
"Now them." the man ordered pointing at you and Ellie,
The dog began growling as it slowly approached you
Joel couldn't watch, his head refused to turn to you and Ellie, feeling frozen in place,
Thinking how its likely to kill Ellie if it smells the Cordyceps on her..
You had also come to the same assumption as Joel, as the dog drew nearer, Your ears began ringing as you leaned closer to Ellie feeling her hand begin to shake
But to your surprise the dog jumped playfully up at you and Ellie knocking you both off your feet onto the cold snow,
The dog started to lick your face causing you to giggle,
Ellie patted the dog a grin growing on her face as the two of you played with the dog laughing together, feeling your anxiety simmer away
Eventually the dog got called back to its handler and you both stood up, brushing off the snow
From your trousers
"You just bought yourself ten more seconds. What are you doin' out here?" the man asked
"I'm just lookin' for my brother..That's all, nothin' more." Joel confessed
"What's your name?"
a woman asked,
as she rode closer to Joel
"Joel."
