𝐀𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 : 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫

-Loss-

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Boston, 2033

I made the stupid mistake of looking over my shoulder and since I wasn't paying attention to what was in front of me, I didn't see the floorboard poking out of the ground. My boot got stuck in the crack, and I fell forward, my face smacking the ground with a grunt. 

"Shit."

"Ruth!" Ellie whipped around, running back for me. She took my hand in hers, tugging my arm and pulling me off the floor. "C'mon!"

I scrambled onto my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my upper lip and the blood dripping from my nose.

"This way!" 

Tess directed us up a stairwell and through a set of double doors. Once all three of us were through, I slammed them shut and pressed my back against it to keep them closed. The infected on the opposite side banged against it, but I held my ground determined not to let them through. Not that it mattered, somehow they were finding a way in. One had Tess pinned to the wall snapping ferociously at her neck.

"Tess!" Ellie shouted worriedly, but Tess yelled for her to not get closer. I thought about leaving my spot in front of the door, but that would have only given us more problems. 

Think Ruth, think. 

Suddenly, gun shots rang from behind the door, and the banging came to a stop. Next thing I know, I'm on the floor - again. I clutched onto my stomach as the wind was knocked out of me and I looked up to find it was Joel that had busted through.

He offered me his hand, "Are you alri—"

I waved him away and motioned in the direction of his partner who needed his help a lot more than I did. "Tess." I croaked. He looked over and rushed to assist her.

I stood to my feet as Ellie cried for help in the next room over.

"Guys, get in here!" 

I exhaled sharply - doesn't end, does it? 

The three of us stumbled in, and my heart jumped seeing Ellie being attack by a runner. I darted toward her and kicked in its side. "Get off of her!" Joel came up behind me and punched it until it was dead. 

I unsheathed my gun and started firing off round after round. I was impressed myself with how well I was doing. I took out about two before I ran out of ammo. Tess and Joel took out the remaining pretty quickly. 

"That was too damn close," Joel muttered, dropping a pipe to the floor. "Tess, how you holdin' up?"

"Just a bit winded," she replied, dismissing any worry he might have had. She gestures to an open window. "This way. This'll get us to the roof." Glass crunched under her feet as she went to the broken window and vaulted over onto the fire escape.