Last of Us

Chapter 14

Last of Us- Ch. 14

I walk to what I remember as the cafeteria, not exactly sure because I only know where things are at from when I was running. As I walk, I feel the tiny droplets of sweat drip down my forehead and onto my lips, despite the cool air. From anticipation. I hold the gun in my right hand, my grip tightening and loosening nervously, afraid of what I may walk into.

I finally find the large room that's lined with metal tables and stacks of black, plastic trays. The room is scattered with black and orange tables with the uncomfortable chairs attached to them. I cringe at the memory of having to sit on those. But I quickly remember what I came here for. I wander around the pitch black cafeteria, only lit by the sunlight beaming through the windows. I make my way towards one of the back doorways. Going through, it gets darker than it is where the tables are. I close my eyes, squeezing them shut for a few seconds then opening them again, allowing the room to get slightly brighter than it was before. I place my hand on one of the many cold metal racks, with cans of food on them.

If they're not here, where are they?

"Braxton?" I call out, not using his really name around people who he doesn't want to know it. As I go to move my hand to the next rack, hands wrap around my arms and shoulder. Looking behind me, all I find is people who're masked with black hooded sweatshirts, hiding their identity. "Brax-" I try to call out again, but one of them covers my mouth. I struggle against their binds, not able to break free. Three presumably men against me, I'm weak. I'm powerless. I continue to struggle as they drag me towards a door at the back of the room.

As they carry me, I'm still for only a moment as I find Noah and Braxton facing a shelf, with their backs turned towards me and a walker.

If I don't do something, they'll die.

The walker inches closer to them silently and I begin to panic again. I try to break free. One of them opens the door, and I find that it leads to outside of the gates, which is surrounded by them. I find that my arm is broken free from the restraints, enough to reach into my boot to grab the gun fit snuggly between the leather and my skin. I grab it, and pull the trigger, firing at whatever was there, and I find that it hit one of the masked men in the stomach. I fire again, now focused on the walker which almost has reached Braxton and Noah. It drops too, and I find Braxton and Noah turn and look at it. The last two of the masked men get the gun from my hand, tossing it to the side of the room, then throwing me out the door before Noah and Braxton look up to find me. And before the door closes, I catch a glimpse of the one whom I shot, as his hood fell off when he fell to the ground.

Mason. I shot him. He tried to kill me, and by the looks of it, he's succeeded. I'm outside, surrounded by them, I have no weapon, and no way to safety.

Looking around me, I find that the other two men are running, now just specks in the distance. I stand up from my spot on the dusty ground, pushing the clawing walkers off of me. I beat the blue metal due, tightly latched shut. "Braxton!" I yell as I continue to beat the door, "Braxton, please!" I continues, as I feel them continue to claw my back. Tears well up in my eyes, because I'm not ready to die.

I've gone through too much to die.

"Eli!" I hear his voice on the other side of the door, "the door's stuck, it won't open. Just hold on, we're going to find a way" he says to me, his voice cracking between words. "I love you, El." And then he's gone. I realize that I have to find something, if I want any chance of living. I run, tearing through the crowds of walkers. As I run, I search my mind for something to save myself. I look around me, and find that the playground of the elementary school is surrounded by a barbed wire fence.