Dawn: The Last of Us

Breathless

 The cordyceps grows all over the brain. After the initial bite, or even exposure to spores, the fungus moves throughout the body, and eventually begins attacking the most valuable part of a living being: the brain. It starts with the eating away of most brain functions while the host is still living, which causes the host to become incapable of reason or rational thought, as well as the occurrence of hyper-aggression. Then a slight alteration of the being's sight begins, results of fungal growth over the head and corruption of the visual cortex. The infection will eventually scar the hosts face completely, causing them to lose their sight, which results in them developing an advanced form of echolocation. This takes years of being infected. If the host survives longer, then hardened fungal plates begin to develop over most of the body.

That's what's supposed to happen to me. Supposed to. Apparently I do have mushrooms inside my head, but I guess I'm immune. Yeah. Sounds like bullshit, right? Well, it ain't. Me and Joel have walked through dozens of spores, Joel with his mask on of course, while I inhaled the stuff, and I still haven't gone crazy. I've even been bitten once since the first time with Riley, but don't ask about that. I'm still dealing with "survivor's guilt" or whatever the hell Joel called it.

"Ellie, it's time to go." Joel's voice brought me back to reality.

"Yeah." I slowly stood up from the chair I had been sitting on for the past few hours, taking everything in: the familiar mildewed smell, the light coming through the broken window, the rotting floorboards. All things that I'd learned to accept.

I was born into the circumstances. The infection, the wars, all of it. It was all I'd ever known. Surviving. But ever since Joel and Tess had found me, things seemed to get a lot easier... but also harder, if that makes sense.

"Ellie, I'm serious. Those clickers were pretty close," Joel said from the doorway, "Max said he'd be back soon, so we have to be ready."

"I'm coming." I slung my rifle over my shoulder and made my way over to Joel's side. He looked down at me with his scar covered face, his eyes the way they always appear to be: hard and grey. But that's not all Joel was. He had a heart. I've seen him use it.

"Do you have everything?" He gave me a worried look.

I could tell he didn't care if I had everything or not. He was worried about Max and AJ. They were never late. Until now.

"Uh, I think so." I went to check my backpack but Joel suddenly told me to freeze. I went as motionless as the buildings around us.

"Thought I heard--"

A single gunshot interrupted Joel.

"Shit!"

I scrambled for my rifle and had it out and ready as quickly as I could.

Joel stood in the doorway with his pistol pointed down the crumbling hallway.

Someone shouted outside. It was Max.

"Ellie, get to the roof," Joel said between gritted teeth.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I--"

"Ellie!" He growled.

"Yeah, yeah." I reslung my rifle and ran over to the hole in the ceiling. A long cable dangled into our room, the only way to the roof above us.

"Here they come," Joel said from behind me, causing me to look back.

Suddenly the hallway outside was filled with commotion. Clicking, yelling, a few gunshots, and a single cry for help.

AJ burst through the doorway and immediately began to yell at Joel to bar the door. Joel pushed a desk in the way without question while AJ began throwing chairs in front of it.