TO THE BONE/THE LAST OF US

Prologue

December 14th, 2013
6:17 AM
(This is really short, but again- it's the prologue.)
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     "Wake up!"

     Alina shot out of the car seat, panting heavily from her dream. If you could call it that. The uncomfortable seat buckle was cutting deeply into her side, the frosted windows shielded any infected from peering in, and it kept her relatively warm. She sat up, pulling the lever on the seat for help.

     Alina reached into her worn black backpack, rustling around for her canteen. She had filled it up in the nearby river yesterday and purified it only an hour later. She hoped to God there was still some left after her hike just hours ago.

     Unscrewing the lid and tilting her head back, she felt the freezing water slide down her throat, eliminating her thirst. She closed her eyes, smiling softly. "Gotta get moving." She mumbled, wiping the sleep from her face.

     She grabbed her heavy, fleece-lined, jean jacket and slid it over her shoulders. Alina slung her bag over her shoulders, deciding to eat on the way. She stepped out of the car, scanning the area in her view. Alina checked her rifle, secured to her back. Her Glock, strapped on her thigh. And her switchblade, in her boot.

     About a month ago, Alina had caught wind of a settlement near the Colorado River, north of Denver. She recalled the broadcast.
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     Alina coughed into her arm, adjusting the small CB radio sitting on the desk. Her group was scattered all over the building, being the youngest, Alina was in charge of the more mundane things. Like managing the radio. She toyed with the radio once more, hearing the familiar scratch of a broadcast.

     "Settlement... Colorado Riv-... We h-... Power, Food an-"

     The signal went flat. The promise of getting the fuck out of Michigan weighed heavy in her heart. She leaped out of the creaky chair to announce the good news to her friends, rushing down the stairs and out into the courtyard.

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      Denver was prettier than she had imagined. Alina never had any time to travel, she was only six when shit hit the fan. As far as she knew, it looked like this before. She could see a huge stadium in the distance, next to several crumbling buildings. She was worried- there were no infected, none that she had seen.

     Alina continued down the cracked asphalt, weeds pushing up through the separated pieces. The smell was unlike anything she had ever smelt before. It was-

     BOOM

     BOOM

     BOOM

     'It had to be today, huh?' The peeled the rifle from her shoulder, checking it was loaded before picking up her pace dramatically. The last thing she needed right now was a bloater ripping her jaw off when she was so close to the college.

     Alina was the last firefly of her unit. Many had gotten killed during the attack, and the few that were left died in transit to Colorado. All except Alina. She was smart, smarter than all her friends, at least.

     She knew how to shut up.