The Last Light

Chapter. 4

(TW: Violence)

"What the hell?" Ellie says as she pushes herself from the bed and silently steps towards the door.

I quickly sit upright. "Who is it?"

She glances back at me. "I'm not sure." Slowly she pushes the door open, peeking her head out.

A man is standing there.

I raise an eyebrow at the sight of him, my curiosity piqued. He's stocky, and tall enough that his head reached over the door frame, his hair, a light blonde, was pulled back into a tight braid. I can't make out the color of his eyes underneath his bushy brows.

Ellie steps out onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "Hey, Danny, what's up?"

He steals a glance at me before it shuts completely then looks back to Ellie. "Bill needs us to go on a supply run. You in?"

She noticed him slyly look into the shack, feeling a tinge of irritation or maybe.. jealousy? She shakes the thought and looks at him skeptically before answering,
"I don't know. It depends. Where are you planning on going?"

He shrugs. "To scavenge some nearby town for supplies."

She considers for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. Although she just returned from a solo run, she knows this must be important if Bill is asking for her specifically. "Alright, I might be in. But I need more information. Who all is going? How dangerous is this town? What exactly are we looking for?"

"It's me, John, Amber, and Sam. Town shouldn't be too dangerous; it's just a few miles out west, practically in the middle of nowhere. And, well, we're running low on building materials. We also need more tools, most of the ones we got are too worn down, and we're hoping to hit a library for some more textbooks on trade jobs."

Ellie nods, processing the information. "So it's a small team, town's not too far away, and it's quite a bit of stuff we need to get. I can see why Bill would want me to go along." She pauses for a moment. "Alright, I'm in. But I have a condition."

He raises an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

"My condition is that I get the final say in any decisions we make on this run. I have a lot of experience when it comes to survival and scavenging, and I trust my instincts." She says sternly.

Danny sighs. "I don't know, Bill kind of appointed Sam as the "leader" so you're gonna have to take that up with him."

She clenches her jaw. "Sam, huh? And what exactly makes him qualified to lead?"

He scratches his head. "Hell I don't know kid, he's one hell of a shot and has plenty of experience."

Ellie scoffs. Sure, being a good shot is important, but leadership requires more than just aim. "That doesn't make him a good leader. A good leader can handle pressure, make quick decisions, and keep the group united. Can he do all that?"

He responds, "Have you met Sam? That dude's ass is so tight it's almost coming up through his mouth. He takes everything way too seriously."

She can't help but snort at his description. "Real charmer, huh?"

He sighs again at Ellie. "Are you coming or not?"

She rolls her eyes at his annoyance but decides to keep her cool. "Yeah, I'm coming. But just so we're clear, I'm not gonna let Sammy push me around. If he starts giving me crap, I won't hesitate to speak up."