The Good, The Bad, The Dead

Back to New York

After what Wilson told us, we decided to return back to New York to meet back up with the Immune. Before we left, we restocked on rations and ammo. We had no vehicle so we would have to walk. Wilson joined our group and we left what was left of the Bridgeton Homebase. We walked for a day and when night came, we took turns keeping watch.
Later on that night, I was keeping watch and Ella decided to sit with me but stayed silent. I looked at her once perfect body that was now dirtied and bruised. She had been through a lot ever since she decided to come with me. I felt bad. I finally broke the silence.
"I'm sorry for bringing you along. You shouldn't be here. You should be with your people, the Immune."
She looked down and remained silent. I looked down as well.
"My commanding officer, the one I killed, was responsible for killing my best friend."
She looked at me.
"His death hurt me in a way I can't ever recover. I did things as a way to deal with the pain."
My mind wanders to that night with Tiffany.
"And in the end I realized that... I didn't know why. Why this all was happening. Then it hit me. I'm the reason for his death."
Ella turned her body to face me.
"I killed Sampson for being a stupid prick when what he did was just what he thought his job meant. I didn't plan to kill him but when he threatened to hurt you..."
I looked at her, tears in both of our eyes.
"I couldn't let him hurt you..."
Ella finally replied, "Why?"
I looked away. I wiped my tears and waited a second before looking back. I smiled.
"I feel towards you. I feel happy when you smile at me and I feel sad when you are upset. I get angry when you are threatened and when you are gone I feel alone... I can't explain it but..."
She finished my sentence, "You love me, don't you?"
I nodded in reply. She replied back by kissing me. I kissed her back. I felt the joy of this moment finally happening flow through my veins and for once, the apocalypse was a mere memory. I laid with her, right there at the watch area.
She kissed me and I kissed back. Her body pressed against mine and I held it. Before I knew it, the moment was over and we were naked next to each other. I sighed and smiled. It felt like a million years had gone by in what I thought was thirty-five minutes.
But every second was heaven for sure. I turned over and looked down at Ella and she smiled up at me. Her pale eyes seemed to show more than the pale white as the moon reflected off of them. The moon inside the moon. She was amazing, beautiful, and mine. And I was hers.
And God help the hell on Earth that would happen if she were to be taken from me.