𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 ━ 𝙟. 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧

suburban nightmare

S U B U R B A N  N I G H T M A R E

Joel wakes up on the beach as the two children lean over him, "Henry! He's a awake." Sam yells as he runs over to his brother, Ellie helps Joel up as she says, "hey you. We're alive. Okay." Joel stands up and he sees Iris standing by the water as she holds her fist to her chest, an angry look was on her face as Henry speaks up, he now had a black eye given to him by Iris, "see? What'd I tell you, huh? He's good. Everything's fine. Y'know Sam's the one that spotted you. You guys had taken quite a bit of water when-"

Joel knocks Henry to the ground and aims his gun at him, "what the fuck's wrong with you?" The younger man cursed as Sam rushes forward, "Henry!" Joel's aim doesn't falter as he warns the boy, "get back, son!"

"It's fine! Hey, hey, hey, hey... he's pissed but he's not gonna do anything." Henry says as holds his hand out to protect his face, "you sure about that?" Joel growls, the children shout for him to stop, and Iris moves from her position and places a hand on Joel's shoulder, the touch is enough for him to snap out of his anger and sneer, "he left us to die out there."

"No, you had a good chance of making it and you did. But coming back for you, meant putting him at risk. Stay back." Sam shuffles back as Henry continues, "if it were the other way around, would you of come back for us? I saved you."

Ellie vouches for him, "he saved me too. We woulda drowned." Joel lowers the gun and throws it to the ground. Sam falls to his knees by his brother, "it's fine. I'm okay." Henry says as he pushes himself up, "you know, for what it's worth, I'm really glad we spotted you. Now that radio tower, it's on the other side of this cliff. Okay? Place is gonna be full of supplies. You're gonna be really happy you didn't kill me."

They decide to split up to look around, Ellie and Joel go one way, while Iris, Henry and Sam go the other. There is a thick tension between the adults, but they don't speak on it, "I'm sorry about leaving you there." Sam apologises, the woman lowers her head slightly to look him in the eye. She gives him a warm smile, "it's okay, kiddo. It wasn't your fault." She glares at the back of Henry's head.

She knew that it was petty, but she thought that Henry would've tried to help her before running off, instead, a man that she had come to consider her brother, bolted and never looked back, if it weren't for Joel and Ellie's quick thinking, she probably would've been killed by the hunters.

Henry blocks out their short conversation and yells to the pair on their own, "keep your eyes peeled!" The trio climb us some eroded rocks and find an old sewer drain, Sam hops down to tell the duo, "hey, Ellie. I think we found something!" The girl shouts back, "let's go see what it is."

Joel and Ellie join them as Henry says, "hey, I bet this goes all the way through. Give me a hand with this." Joel walks toward Henry and Iris and grips onto the grate, "at the same time, c'mon." Henry nods, "let's do it."

They lift up the heavy entrance as the woman groans, "alright, c'mon, kids, go." Ellie and Sam quickly crawl through and the adults follow behind, "hey, flashlights out. Sam stay-" the boy interrupts his brother, "stay close, I know."

"Someone's finally learning." Henry teases, they walk further into the murky water and they come to a split in the sewers, "Joel, we should see what's over here." Ellie says as her voice echoes through out the sewers.

Henry, sam and Iris go the other side of the walls as they wait for Joel and Ellie join them, "Hey, this way. Yeah, looks like there's a path up ahead." Henry announces as they walk through a fence and find a flooded cistern.