Giving What You Deserve

Part IV Epilogue: A lot of Work Still Left

Dina looks out the window. Ellie is outside digging. Its been a while since the ground was thawed enough to dig a grave.

Lyle was buried next to his wife two days ago.

Ellie is burying Bite.

When Dina and JJ and Sarah had returned home the trucks were gone.

He was left.

Ellie looks back at the house and then to the body, and the crumpled note sticking out of its pocket. Ellie picks it up, and reads it once more.

Dear Emmy,

I think I get why you didn't want Sam to live with me after you got bit now. I always thought that I was going to do enough good to one day get to see you again. Go to Heaven and give you one last hug. I think I realized how bad I've fucked up. I don't think I'm going to see you again. Since I don't think I'll get to see you again to say sorry, I'm going to write this. Maybe someone who isn't as much of a me will find it. Maybe they can tell you I figured it out. Way too late – but I figured it out. You deserved more. I wish I'd grown for you. God dammit I could have.

This is the last thing I get to do... and its screwed up... that the last of me can see where I went wrong...and after so god damn long not fixing it – want to. I wish this was the me I could have been every day.

I'm so fucking sorry.

Love, Your Fuck Up,

Claude

♥

She takes a long breath.

Then returns to the hole.

There is a lot of work still left to do.

Ellie glances at the house.

A small farmhouse just outside of town.

A dream made true despite how much pain the dreamer was put through.

"She really is a survivor." Ellie whispers. "I just wished she hadn't had to survive me." Ellie looks at Bite, laying there. "I'm not going to be like you."

If she is promising the corpse or herself even she doesn't know.

But she doesn't have too long to linger on the thought.

Lariat comes trotting up to her.

"I'm surprised Sarah let you out of her arms. You like getting all those pets?"

She barks once.

"JJ want a song?"

Lariat barks again.

Ellie looks back at the grave, a crooked tune skipping back to her mind. "You know... I think I'm done humming Little Sadie, Lariat? what do you think of this one?" She softly starts to sing. 

"There ain't no grave gonna hold my body down, 

Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down.

When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna get up out of the ground,

Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down!" 

Lariat barks along, very much as if she were singing along. Ellie softly lets her head dance along to the song, slowly letting the tempo stand on its own. Until she sees that lonely farmhouse.  

"Think Dina will let me?"

Lariat lays down quietly.

Ellie nods softly, and lets the shovel rest. "I... am I a bad person for still being here?" 

Lariat whines softly.

"I... I just... Lariat what do you think? We have two options, option A. We take the easy way out... we move on. I... I'm not a fan of option A. Option B... I... I fight to not lose a friend. I know I lost her... but... I don't want to... you know. lose her." Ellie leans over and softly scratches Lariat's head, "does any of that make sense?" 

Lariat looks back up at her pack. The lonely pack of two sitting on the edge of a farm house on the edge of a town.    

"Yeah... I'm surprised she's let us stick around this long too..." Ellie looks up at the house. "I'll move on soon. I just... it feels like there's so much more to apologize for...

 I don't know..."