The Collapse of Mankind

Chapter Two, TCOM Part III

January sixteenth.
3:28am

Cisco: Wake up. Ellie. Wake up!

Cisco shook Ellie's shoulders in attempt to wake her up. Ellie's eyes squinted open, to be met with the view of Cisco leaning over her.

Ellie: What the fuck? What time is it?

Ellie sat up in her bed, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Ellie: Why are you awake?
Cisco: You have to come with me.
Ellie: Why?
Cisco: Don't question. Just come with me.

Ellie sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed her eyes before standing up and following Cisco. Once they reached the kitchen, Cisco picked up his torch that was laying on the table. He opened the back door, cringing as the hinges creaked.

Ellie: What are you doing?
Cisco: Just... come on.

Cisco walked outside. Ellie followed, skeptically. The ground was wet due to the remaining snow on the floor that fell a couple of weeks ago. Ellie wasn't wearing shoes, so her feet were freezing and wet.

Ellie: I really don't appreciate this.

Cisco knelt down next to a vent in the wall. Ellie crouched down next to him. Cisco pulled the vent off the wall, revealing a stash of food, water, medicine, ammo and a couple of pistols. Ellie gazed at the stash, not knowing what to say.

Ellie: Cisco... you... you can't have this.
Cisco: What? It's not mine.

Ellie looked at Cisco in confusion.

Cisco: I woke up, freezing. It's the heart of winter. And obviously the heat doesn't work. So I was checking the vents to see if there was any way we could get at least a little bit of heat. And I found this.
Ellie: Shit... fuck!
Cisco: Shhh.
Ellie: Who does this belong to?

Cisco shrugged.

Cisco: I... I don't know. But we're gonna find out.

Ellie nodded as Cisco pushed the cover of the vent back into the wall.

Cisco: Come on, we gotta get back to bed so nobody suspects we're gone.

Cisco and Ellie walked back inside to where it was at least a tiny bit warmer. They headed back to bed and soon fell asleep.

The next morning.

Cisco walked down the stairs slowly before entering the kitchen. Ellie was sitting at the table, loading some pistols. Cisco sat on the opposite side of the table, looking at what she was doing. She looked frustrated.

Cisco: Here.

Cisco held his hand out, smiling a little. Ellie handed him some ammo and pushed two pistols towards him. He began loading the pistols, in order to help his best friend.

Ellie: I'm getting really frustrated not knowing who's hiding the stuff.
Cisco: Well... who do you think it could be?

Ellie put the ammo she had in her hand on the table, sighing and looking at the rest of the group in the living room. Only Alexis wasn't downstairs. She was upstairs, getting ready to start the day.

Ellie: I have no clue. Alexis wouldn't do that. Sophia definitely wouldn't. The only people I think could be are Josh, Vi and Maddie.
Cisco: It's... not Maddie.

Ellie looked over at Cisco, smirking.

Ellie: Why do you say that?
Cisco: No reason.
Ellie: Cisco has a cruuuuush.

Cisco laughed as he finished loading one pistol with ammo.

Cisco: I do not!

Ellie rolled her eyes and continued loading her gun with ammo.