Safe and Sound// Ellie Williams

The Serevena

"So kid... what exactly is your group?" Ian tells me as we walk through the forestry towards wherever his camp is. We've been travelling on foot for 2 weeks now. Ian says it would be about another week or two until we get there.

"I'm an apostate now."

"Right... Well then what exactly is your old group?"

"The Seraphites. The Wolves called us Scars, but that's just offensive. Our main goal was to clear all the sin from humanity and then maybe after that the demons will be gone."

"Demons?" Ian asks slowly. I nod and he continues to look confused, "Oh! The infected?" I nod again, "You know that's a bunch of bullshit right? There is no cure of the... demons."

"How do you know that if there's still sin?"

"You can't get rid of sin. This world is full of sinners, doesn't mean it's a bad thing. One of my daughters, she's the sweetest girl, both of them are, but this one likes other girls. She would be a sinner from a religious standpoint. Now would you punish her just for having the ability to love another human being of the same sex?" Ian asks me and he stops, "Because if that's the case. My daughter comes first and I have to leave you here."

"It was just what I grew up learning-"

"Well then I'm gonna have to teach you differently." Ian tells me. He sighs and starts to walk away.

"Wait!" I call for him and he stops, "I could never think differently because they would kill me. My mother would be the first to jump at the chance of that if she... if she knew my thoughts. I said it was the Seraphites way of thinking, not mine." Ian turns to me and gives me a nod. I feel a tear run down my face, this being the first time I ever outwardly said I don't agree with everything the Seraphites taught me, and that maybe, in their point-of-view I'm a sinner myself, "How-how did she tell you?"

Ian sighs and pulls me softly into a hug, "She didn't have to."

We get the generator started and make our way to the Serevena Hotel. When we enter there are a lot of demons so we have to take them out to pass through. We are crouched behind one of the barriers and I see Ellie craft a molotov and throw it at the group of demons. They scream as they burn and I take my gun and shoot the remaining, non-burning, demons. I look at the body that the demons were eating and see a WLF uniform.

"Looks like they were Wolves."

"Looks like it. If those fuckers who came to Jackson got killed by infected..."

"They'd still be dead, Ellie."

"I don't think that's justice." I don't question Ellie any further as we search the hotel for any alive WLF. As we walk through we see more dead soldiers, "Infected didn't get these guys. Do you think it could have been your old group?" Ellie asks hesitantly. I examine the body and shrug.

"No. We didn't use guns."

"Seriously?" Ellie questions and I nod.

"Yeah. We lived... differently." Ellie nods slowly. I know I'm going to need to answer better soon, but until that time comes I am going to keep it vague. I want to tell Ellie, but I don't know how to explain the Seraphites. Ellie enters a new room and we see a dead body sitting on one of the chairs, "What do you think happened?" I ask Ellie as she examines the body.

"Tommy and Ian did this." Ellie breaths out.

"How do you know?"

"Joel told me about this once. You have them separate and ask one a question, but you make them write it down. You ask the next person the same question and if they answer it right you're okay, but if they don't... you fuck em up." Ellie tells me and I nod.

"So if Tommy did this it's safe to assume Ian did as well?" I ask and Ellie nods. I sigh and look around. Ellie crouches down next to the body and pulls out the map to write down the information Tommy and Ian got. I look over and the ground says 'East 1 7302', "Okay we got it. Let's just get moving." I mutter and Ellie nods following me out.

"Hey look, about back there... I don't want you to think Tommy or Ian-"

"Ellie. It's okay. Like I said, everyones done their own messed up stuff." Ellie nods and walks away, "Guess we are all sinners after all, Ian." I mutter to myself before following Ellie to the gate where I enter the code that we got. Once the gates open I jump on Shimmer following Ellie.

"Okay, we should find some place to make camp and plan out where to go next. You know anymore of their bases?" Ellie asks me and I nod and motion for her to pass me the map.

"The bases should still be the same. There's the hospital, school, TV station, something they call the FOB..." I mark each area as I list them. I fold up the map and put it into Ellie's backpack to look at when we find camp.

"Okay. We'll decide where to go when we mak-" Ellie is cut off by a loud explosion setting off when we jump over the barrier. I fly off of Shimmer and watch as Ellie falls out of my eyesight. My head rings as I try and keep my vision clear.

"Holy shit... we got a fucking Scar here!" One of the soldier yells.

"Shit really? They don't usually come to this area. Come on let's bring her to Issac. I'm sure he'll like her at the FOB." Another voice yells. I barely react when I'm picked up and thrown in the back of one of their vehicles.

"Take her to the TV Station. It's the closest base and they're clearing out anyway. They can transport her to the FOB from there." The first soldier says. I can't hear anymore as my vision gets black and I'm forced to black out.

"Yara, we have to do this okay? It's part of our duty."

Yara shakes as she looks at the men lined up, "I know. It's just..."

"I know. But this is what we have to do." I tell her and she nods. We walk over to the men lined up in front of their designated nooses. Each of us are assigned to one and I stand in front of the woman I'm assigned to. Her body shakes, but her face is hard as stone as she keeps eye contact and stares me down. I keep eye contact with her so I don't have to look at the hanging, struggling bodies to my side. From the corner of my eye I can see legs kick and move around, but the bucket is gone so they're forced to flail around. When it's my turn I stay staring at the girl as she is brought up, put on the bucket, and gets the noose put around her neck.

"She is nested with sin." I begin, keeping eye contact with the woman as I pull out my knife. I can feel my hands shake and the woman notices that, "Free them."

"Hey, you don't want to do this." The WLF female says to me, "I can tell."

"that they may know my-"

"Please! I know you don't want to!" The woman continues to plead and I close my eyes to zone out her voice.

"Free her from her sin." I mutter as I draw blood and kick the bucket from under her.

I keep my eyes closed. I try to drown out the noise, but no matter how hard I try, I still hear her pleads. Even when she makes no noise at all.