Last of Us

Chapter 3

Last of Us- Chapter 3

We make it to Arkansas before we finally run out of fuel, every station we've passed run dry. It's taken about a few days with Jacob and Emma trading off between driving and sleeping, and stopping anytime we find something useful. Though not surprising, I have barely spoken a word to anyone since the incident at the gun shop.

As I feel the truck begin to slow, stuttering due to its lack of energy, when I realize I feel the exact same way. Slow, and nostalgic, purely because I haven't eaten in a day or two day, and maybe an hour or two of sleep, simply because every time I sleep, or even allow my eyes to flutter shut, the images of my father's lifeless, pale body hanging from the doorway, or watching the light leave my mother's eyes. It haunts me, like a ghost would. I've resulted in staring out of the side of the truck, watching the walkers, and people, who're suffering and obviously won't live more than another day or two, with their bodies steadily thinning. Looking at the landscape, it strikes me as curious what this place will be in a month or two, if I live that long.

We finally pull to a halt, and I hear the front doors swing open. We're at least a day or two's walk from our destination in Texas. I take that as a sign to get out, I stand, stretching out my cramped, limp body before jumping over the side of the bed. I see the other's staring at me and I realize how ignorant they are. I roll my eyes before going around to the back, popping the hatch and dropping it.

Sitting on the edge, I wait for Jacob and Emma to come back around to tell us the plan. Not a moment later, as if replying to my request to hurry, they come around. They stand in front of us, Jacob with his arms crossed across his chest, almost locking me out, as I slowly begin to accept that this is how he must be to keep us safe, even at his own expense. At our relationships' expense. "Alright," he begins, slow in thought as if he has no idea what to say, "We're obviously going to have to walk the rest of the way, which will be about a day or two." He speaks again as if reestablishing what I'd already said in my mind.

"Wait... We have to like... walk?" Sophie asks, and I can't say I'm exactly surprised. Before Jacob answers her, I take it upon myself to deal with her idiocy

"Well you're more than welcome to stay here" I reply, before turning my eyes back to the previous location, beside Jacob

"Anyway, we'd best get moving fast, it's about 8 A.M. now so we're losing daylight, we'll rest at sun down, and start back up in the morning..." he finishes, and we all begin packing stuff up. I sling the crossbow that I obtained after discovering Connor's death, over my shoulder, and slide the dagger back into its holster. Packing my black hiking bag. By the time I finish everyone else is ready also, and begin walking.

It goes pretty uneventful for most of the day, and when I assume that it's around three or four o'clock, my legs begin to ache, and my stomach growls with hunger, but I don't dare stop, even though I wouldn't be the first to complain. I begin walking ahead of the group, in desperation to get somewhere, where I know where I'm going. We've passed cars on the highway, Jacob checking each and everyone one of them to see that they don't work either. As I round a corner, and climb a hill, I see over it, a group thousands upon thousands of them; the walkers. I turn around and see the others right behind me, from my delay, and I immediately stop them. "Don't go up there" I say, as calmly as I can. Jacob eyes me suspiciously, and I return the look, knowingly, and he only nods. I quickly release a breath I had no idea I was holding.

"Why should we listen to her?" Sophie bursts loudly, and walks right past me, to the top of the hill. I see Braxton attempt to reach for her but fails. Allowing her to go overtop the hill next to me, and she screams. Loudly.