Is It The Last Of Us

Chapter Eight

( Morning)

" Maria." I said as she turned to walk away. 

" You've seen and done to much Ellie. It's not going to kill you to stay out of this." 

" If you are going to comb over Seattle, we are going to need everyone. If your assigning Jessie, Dina and I should to." 

" We need people here too, to guard Jackson."

" From who Maria! Where on top of a mountain covered in snow!?" 

" From the people that have been spying on us Ellie." Maria whispered. 

" What?" 

" When Tommy and Joel were out on patrol, they tracked unknown footprints and tracked them to the Baldwin Mansion, but no one was there. I'm sending them out today-"

" I'm going, and you can't stop me." I said. 

Maria exhaled, sitting down. " I know you think you have to prove yourself here Ellie, but you don't have to. Your to young to have to experience all of this. To be apart of this world." 

" I get where your coming from Maria, I do. But I've done to much, killed to much, changed to much to go back. I'm sorry. And I don't want to prove anything. I want to protect the people here more than anything. The people that want to move on. What's the difference in this and me going on patrol?" 

Maria looked up at me. Her gaze agreeing with me. " I hate for you to go out there after what happened yesterday." 

" I'll take someone else with me. Two people even, to be extra eyes. I just can't believe it took this long for those things... why are they even changing?" 

" Mother nature is unpredictable, she always have been. Ellie, if your going out there, you need to watch your back. You'll have to go back into the same mind set you've tried to come out of, and I hate to say it. You've come so far, and to have to go back into that mind set... I know how hard it is to come back from it.... truth is, you may not comeback from it."

" I know." 

Maria got up and hugged me. " Be carful out there Ellie." 

I hugged her back, tighter. " If I don't come back, watch out for him." 

" I will, sweet girl."