Left Forsaken: A The Last Of Us Story

Believe in The Fireflies

My heart was restless, its beats hit against my sternum with loud thumps, I feared it might awake Marian as she napped on the sofa. I rummaged through my backpack, nothing useful here other than dirty clothes, shampoo, soap, and some old rusty pair of scissors; the things I usually took to my baths at that pool. I emptied it all over the floor. I rushed to my bedroom and looked for clean clothes to throw into my backpack, took my pocket knife, and a few cans of food from the kitchen. One of the cans rolled off the counter and hit the floor making a loud clank which startled Marian out of her slumber.

"Good grief, Lillian Kari!" She yelped as she pressed her hand against her chest as if in some way it will calm her frightened heartbeat.

"I am sorry, Marian, I was just... looking for food." That was close to be true.

She arched her eyebrow as she saw my backpack, upon the counter opened and full of things. "Lily, what are you doing?" She interrogated me, pinning me beneath her gaze. I stood stiff right on my spot, she'd most likely throw a fit if she found out I was running off to the city, worse yet with the Fireflies. I shifted on my footing, unsure if I should tell her the truth or not. "Well?" She started again. I struggled between the options.

"Marian, don't take it the wrong way, please..." I sighed, choosing to tell her what I was about to do. It was better to tell her than to have her worry about my absence. "I am doing what I have deemed the right thing to do." I sat beside her taking her hands in mine, wanting to make her understand I didn't want her to scold me about how dangerous this decision was, because I already knew and had my mind made up. I stared into her eyes, and I felt she knew and dreaded my next words. "I am leaving the quarantine zone, I'm going to find a cure with the Fireflies. I want to help restore the world." Her glassy eyes stared at me, her features saddened and every wrinkle that appeared with each of her passing years reflected how much my words had pained her. I placed my hand on the side of her face and wiped a stray tear that ran down her cheek with my thumb. I found my eyes watering when I realized how far I'll be from her and how much I'll miss her.

"Why?" She asked softly.

I looked at her hands. "I think that maybe with a cure, my dad wouldn't have died..." I sniffed and looked into her eyes, "You told me once in your nursing lessons that there was no better satisfaction than to see a sick patient regain strength. The world is now my patient, Marian."

She gave me a slight, pained smile but, I heard happiness in her voice - maybe pride. "As rash and senseless it may seem to me," she sniffed. "I am glad you chose the path to help the world. I am sure that's something your father would've wanted." I felt my cheek be parted by a thick line of wetness as she mentioned my father, I wiped the tear away and smiled.

"Let me help you pack. I don't want you forgetting important stuff behind." She offered as she wiped her tears away.

The sun was beginning to disappear on the horizon, leaving its crimson, orange sky and pink clouds behind. It was time for me to go back to Albert's place and wait for instructions. I stared out the window, my backpack already hanging from my shoulders, its contents weighing down on their importance. I took a deep breath to pick up the musty smell of the room one last time.

"Why are you not taking more cans, daddy? We have so many!" I had asked my dad who had only taken a few cans of food to his mission.

"I only carry what I can carry, Lillian, I can take a lot more, but I'd be slowed down by the weight." He said as he caressed my hair. "Only carry what you can carry." He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I'll be praying for you, my child." Marian said snapping me out of my trance. I turned to see her fingers intertwined against her chest, her face showered with worries and dread.