Left Forsaken: A The Last Of Us Story

Broken

I threw some clean clothes into my backpack along with some shampoo, soap, hairbrush and scissors. This summer was even more unbareable with my hair sticking to my sweaty neck and face. I zipped my backpack and adjusted it around my shoulders. I hurriedly ran down the steps, it had just rained and I was sure it had filled the pond nearby the zone. I wanted to get to it first and use the fresh water before anyone else does.

I opened the door and set down the road.

"We want our rations!" I saw a new protest sprayed onto the cement wall. The rumored riot was disastrous, no good was going to come out of it. After walking past the sprayed protest, I saw the ration line already forming. I shook my head at the coincidence and kept my way. Doesn't matter how many people show up early, they still will open up late or not open at all.

. . .

I rushed back home, curfew was soon and I didn't want to get in trouble. Before I walked up the steps, I stopped and stared at the gates. A week and five days. I counted and I walked in.

As Marian was fixing up a shirt, she looked up at me from the sofa. "It was about time you did something about that hair," she commented.

"Well, it was beginning to bug me anyway." I dropped my bag beside the door, and walked towards the window and looked at the city's ruins.

There was a faint knock at the door - almost inaudible, then another knock, this time louder. Marian opened it and standing there was a tall, wide man in the soldiers' uniform. Harrison, the leader of my father's division, then that means they are back. Marian let him in and he sat on the sofa. I saw his saddened features and anxiety crawled up my chest.

"Harrison, thought you were at the city." Marian said as she sat down beside him. Her voice was unsure, she could also sense something was wrong.

"Marian, Lillian." He took a deep breath. "Edgar, he..." He choked on his own words. "He's dead." I stood there in shock, while Marian's face clouded.

"What?" I muttered, the words barely escaped my mouth.

"We were scouting for supplies out west, when a group of infected trampled us. We fought them down but," he inhaled deeply trying his best to keep his voice from quivering. "One of them bit Kari... And... And..." He stammered.

"And you shot him dead," I stated angrily.

"We have a drill to follow, Lillian, it wasn't our choice. We --"

'The hell it wasn't," I interrupted. My heart was banging against my chest, anger rushed through my veins, and my hands curled into fists. The soldier's code to kill an infected comrade was logical but, right now, to me it was the most senseless thing to do.

"He didn't want to turn! He told me to shoot him. He knew I was going to hesitate to do the job. More than a partner, he was my friend..." He paused, standing up and looking me in the eye. I saw the pain in Harrison's eyes and I couldn't hold my tears anymore. He hugged me but, I pushed him away.

"As a friend you should've known there was a better solution." With that I left the room as my strength faded away and tears escaped my grieving eyes...

"Lillian!" I heard Marian's nasally whimper as the distance between us grew longer...

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