The Last Ones Left

Chapter 18: Warmth

I wake up with another pounding headache, I look to my right and see that David's moving, fuck how's he still not dead!? I grunt as I try to sit up, everything hurts, but at least my back isn't broken. I roll around on my stomach to get off my shoulder, I look up and see David's machete under one of the table's in front of me, I can get to that if I hurry. I try to stand up and walk to it but I can't move that much, I finally muster enough strength and get on my hands and knees, I crawl towards it slowly. I clutch my side and grunt, keep pushing Ellie! I'm only a few inches away from it when I feel something hit me in my side, hard. I fall on my stomach and grit my teeth, I will not scream, I will not give him the satisfaction. I rest my forehead on the ground and try to regulate my breathing, I think he might have broken a rib. "I knew you had heart" David says and takes a step away from me "Y'know it's okay to give up, ain't no shame in it" Joel wouldn't give up now, I'm just as strong as him, I'm not giving up. Not while I still have life left in me, I'm not going to give up. I pull myself up and prop my elbows, then I start slowly crawling to the machete again, I don't think David sees it yet. "I guess not" he says "Just not your style is it?" oh god, please continue talking. The machete is within arms reach, but David kicks me in my side again, only this time I see stars. I fall on my other side this time and I groan in pain, a few stray tears escape my eyes from how much pain I'm in, yeah he definitely broke some ribs with that one. 

He steps over me so both of his feet are on either side of me, then he drops down on his knees and grabs my hair and pulls it back so I'm looking at him, "You could try beggin'" he says, I spit at him "Fuck you" I growl. He gets angered by my response then flips me on my back and grabs me by my neck "You think you know me? Huh?" he starts choking me, my lungs are burning and I can't think straight, I reach up with the arm that's not trapped beneath him and reach for the machete "Well let me tell you somethin', you have no idea what I'm capable of" David growls, I wrap my fingers around the machete then with what strength I have left I hit him as hard as I can in the neck. He rolls off me and yells in pain, I straddle him and hit him repeatedly in the chest with the machete. This fucking piece of shit, I say over and over again in my head. His eyes stare dead up at the ceiling, he's not breathing or moving as I repeatedly stab and hit him in the chest, he'll never hurt anyone again. "Ellie!" Someone yells "Stop. Stop" they say as they wrap their arms around me, I try to wiggle out of their grip "Don't fucking touch me!" I scream, "Ssh, ssh, it's me" they say as they spin me around in their arms. "Baby, it's me" they hold my face in their hands "Look at me, baby look at me" I look up and see Joel, the sight of him alive and in front of me makes me start sobbing. "Joel" I cry even harder and wrap my arms around his chest "He tried to..." I trail off as my sobs become louder, Joel pulls me further into his chest and holds me tight. 

I cry into his chest as he runs his hand through my hair, "It's okay, it's okay, you're safe with me" he whispers in my ear, he kisses the top of my head repeatedly as I continue to cry "Joel..." I sob "It's okay now" he whispers and nuzzles his head into my neck. He pulls away from me after a while and stares at all of the cuts on my face, I probably look like a fucking mess. He rubs my bruised and bloody face with his thumb "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner" he whispers and kisses my forehead. "C'mon, we need to go" he says as he stills holds my cheeks in his big hands, I nod then he helps me up. I reach down and steal the keys out of David's pocket to unlock the front door, Joel wraps his arm around my waist to help me walk, we run out of the restaurant then as soon as we're out of the town I start walking, the entire trip is silent while I'm still crying. I can't believe I survived, and I did it on my own. "Joel, can we stop?" I ask out of breath "I can't walk anymore, I think he broke some of my ribs" I sigh. "Uh... Okay, let's go into this house" he says and opens the door for me, I walk inside and immediately fall on the ground. Joel quickly picks me up and carries me into the bedroom at the back of the house, "I'm going to go lock down the house" he kisses my forehead swiftly before locking the door and pushes a desk in front of it, he locks all of the windows and shuts the blinds. He comes into the room and shuts the door, he takes off his backpack and sets it on the dresser, "Okay where are you hurt?" he asks me, "My ribs, and my shoulder, he shot me" I groan and close my eyes.