ᖭི༏ᖫྀ
desolation: a state of complete emptiness or destruction.
anguished misery or loneliness.
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"Ellie frowned at my refusal to shake her hand. I sensed her following me into the bar, and my emotions were bubbling over, threatening to erupt. I wan...
During patrol, Dina and I encountered a few Infected—nothing we couldn't handle. A couple of Clickers and runners were trapped inside an old building. We had to clear it out due to its proximity to Jackson; we didn't want them migrating any closer.
After dealing with the Infected and arriving in Teton County, we found the patrol base and signed the logbook, noting the number and type of Infected we had killed. Dina and I sat at a table inside, a long sigh escaping our lips as we finally relaxed.
"Man, I'm so tired lately," Dina said, wiping her forehead and leaning back in her chair. I looked at her with a worried expression, my brows furrowing.
"You alright?" I asked, taking off the second jacket I had layered over my hoodie earlier and draping it over the back of my chair. The building was still cold, but I was exhausted and had worked up a sweat clearing the previous building.
Dina nodded, a faint smile tugging at her now pale lips. My worry for her deepened, and I leaned in, pressing the back of my hand gently against her forehead. She shivered at the touch, and as I felt her feverish skin, my concern intensified. I stood up, speaking urgently. "Come on, we need to head back. You're burning up."
Dina's eyes widened in surprise as she realized something was wrong. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead, her expression shifting to one of alarm. "I am?" she murmured, her voice strained.
As she felt the heat radiating from her skin, she began inspecting herself anxiously, rolling up her sleeves and tugging at the collar of her shirt to check her shoulders. I looked too, worried that she might have gotten bitten, my heart pounded in my chest as she checked her skin.
"Whew. I'm clean," Dina exhaled, a flicker of relief passing over her pale face. I let out a sigh of relief too, offering her a reassuring look and extending my arm, signaling that we should head back. She took it gratefully, leaning on me for support as we made our way to where we'd tethered the horses. I helped her onto her horse with care.
"You good?" I asked quickly as I mounted Shimmer. She nodded, though she shivered from the cold air against her feverish skin. I shot her one last worried glance before we started the journey back to Jackson. To keep an eye on her, I had her ride in front of me, ensuring she didn't fall from her horse.
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ℙ𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕝 ℝ𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕖
When we arrived, the guards at the gate opened it, and a man approached us with a look of confusion. "You're back early. Everything okay?" he asked. I dismounted Shimmer and nodded toward him.
