The Last Ones Left

Chapter 1: Unfamiliar

"Distance isn't an issue, because in the end I have you"

SUMMER

20 years after the outbreak

Marlene's gone. She left to go find someone named Robert, so I'm alone. I pace around the room trying to look for something to do, I'm going to be stuck here for a long time, I really don't know what to do. I hear a few gunshots outside of my window, I stop dead in my tracks then slowly walk over to the window, I peer out of it "God dammit" I mutter as I look down below. I see two soldiers surrounded by three dead Fireflies. The Fireflies are a militia group who are trying to fight back against the military and stop the infected, Marlene is the leader of the Fireflies, I'm not apart of their little group, I refused to be. My best friend Riley became a member before she died. The world is shit, the people are shit, The Fireflies are dying out and I'm the cure for mankind. Great.

I bite my lip and sit on the couch, alright i'll just sit and wait, she couldn't take too long right? Wrong. Marlene finally came back after about 4 hours, she falls on the ground obviously in pain, some man who I don't know helps her up. He has black hair that has grey all throughout it, he's old, maybe late 40's. He's wearing a tight green shirt that shows off his muscles perfectly, he's really hot actually. Whoa what the fuck?? "Get off of her!" I yell and try to hit the man, a random woman comes out from behind him and stops me. She has chestnut colored hair, she looks way younger than the other man, she looks about thirty, she looks like she's been through hell. She shoves me back, I scoff at her. 

"You're recruiting' kinda young, aren't ya?" the man asks, Marlene slowly starts to stand up, Marlene has gotten old over the past few months, she has a streak of grey in her hair that goes along with her beautiful brown eyes. The apocalypse has taken a toll on her. "She's not one of mine" Marlene says quietly. "Shit" I mutter and stick my knife in my back pocket and help Marlene up "What happened?" I ask her as I hold her up, "Don't worry this is fixable" she says and leans against a table "I got us help" she says as she looks at the two strangers. I look back at them as well "but I can't come with you" she says, I whip my head back around to look at her "Well then I'm staying" I say flatly, I'm not going to leave with two strangers. "Ellie, we won't get another shot at this" Marlene sighs "Hey" I hear the man say, he walks over to the two of us "we're smuggling her?' he asks and nods his head towards me. 

"There's a crew of Fireflies that'll meet you at the Capitol Building" Marlene nods. The woman scoffs and walks up to us too "That's not exactly close" she says, Marlene glares at the woman "You're capable. You hand her off, come back, and the weapons are yours" Marlene says "double what Robert sold me" she adds. "Speaking of which, where are they?" the woman asks, "Back at our camp" Marlene says. The two strangers look at each other with an annoyed look, "We're not smuggling shit until I see them" the woman says flatly. Marlene sighs "You'll follow me, you can verify the weapons and I'll get patched up" Marlene winces when she moves a certain way, automatically making me hold her tighter. "But she's not crossing to that part of town" she adds talking about me. "I want Joel to watch over her" she says and I turn around to look at him, he gives me an angered look "Woah, woah. I don't think that's the best idea" he says and walks towards us "Bullshit, I'm not going with him!" I say and look at Marlene with a pleading look. I won't go anywhere alone with some stranger that is more than capable of killing me.

"Ellie" Marlene says in a tired tone, I sigh and glance at the two strangers again "How do you know them?" I ask her, "I was close with his brother Tommy" she nods then looks back at the Joel. "He said if I was ever in a jam, I could rely on him". Joel scoffs "Was that before or after he left your little militia group?" he asks, Marlene squints her eyes at him "He left you too" she breathes out "he was a good man". I look back at the Tess "Look" she glances at me quickly then looks back at Joel "just take her to the north tunnel and wait for me there" she slightly whispers. "Jesus Christ" he mutters under his breath, "She's just cargo, Joel" she says, I glare at her. Cargo, I roll my eyes, bitch. "Marlene..." I plead softly but she shushes me "No more talking" she cuts me off. "You'll be fine" she smiles at me warmly, she starts to stand back up so I help her. I sigh as she looks at the smugglers, "Now go with him" she says flatly and glances at me for a second, I look at Joel as he looks at Tess with an impatient look "Don't take long" he grunts. "And you" he looks at me, I gulp, "stay close" he walks towards the door.