Behind His Eyes (CoD: Ghost Fanfiction)

8

Ellie didn't stop all night. She remained off of the roads even when they turned to cement, so it took a toll on her energy levels. She was hungry, tired, and her head ached more and more each hour. The bandages had begun to sag from absorbing the rainwater, so Ellie had to keep retying it and making her head hurt more.

By the time the rain stopped and the sun began to rise, Ellie had reached the outskirts of the city, nearing a gas station that just barely opened. Her clothes were still damp and her socks were clogged with water, but it was the least of her concerns. She took a minute to fix her hair and straighten her clothes before going into the gas station.

There was on older gentleman behind the counter, and Ellie gave him a slight nod as she walked in. The look on his face at the sight of her made Ellie immediately on edge, so she quickly searched around for what she wanted.

She grabbed a bottle of water, a small bottle of extra strength Tylenol, and a sandwich from the freezer. The cashier eyed her as she approached the till, taking out the stolen money.

"Hola," Ellie said kindly as he rung up her items.

"Noche difícil?" he asked. (Rough night?)

"Un poquito. ¿Conoces algún motel barato en la ciudad?" (A little. Do you know of any cheap motels in the city?)

The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he gave her the change for the food. "Maggie's Inn. Diez millas de aquí." (Ten miles from here.)

Ellie let out a quiet breath and smiled at him. "Gracias, señor." Grabbing her items, Ellie quickly left the gas station and began walking towards the city.

Tearing the sandwich pack open, Ellie scarfed most of it down in two bites. Her stomach rumbled as it went down, and she drank half of the water bottle before taking two of the Tylenols and finishing off the water.

Feeling a bit more energetic, Ellie kept to the roadside as she continued her walk. She took out her phone and put in the name for "Maggie's Inn", and found it was less than ten miles from where she was. It would take her a few hours if she picked up the pace, which she chose to do.

Ellie hopped into a jog and began the long trek. As the sun came up, more cars began to pass her, but none dared stop. The sweat on her brow formed and dripped down her head, some managing to get into her wound. She had to stop a few times to wipe off the area and reset the bandages, despite it doing less than nothing at this point.

Around 10:30 that morning, Ellie had found herself in the heart of the small city. There had to be no more than ten thousand people there, but Ellie could tell that this was pure cartel territory. Everywhere she looked, she saw people who were high off of something, or they had a gun in their hands.

She was glad she kept her pistol.

Finding herself growing hungry again, Ellie made her way over to a sketchy KFC, and ordered a bucket of 18 pieces. It would do her for at least the day. She stayed away from the crowd of people who were in for an early lunch, hearing them mutter about her and her injuries while she pretended not to listen.

Once she had her bounty, Ellie saw that Maggie's Inn was only another half mile down the road. She held her meal close to her chest and left, with numerous eyes looking at her as she left. Making sure her gun was still tucked into her pants, she carried the bag close and opened her strides towards the inn.

As she got closer, Ellie could see the inn was a bit run down, a crackhouse if she had ever seen one. Her eyes wandered to the numerous people up on the second floor watching the city over the railings. She didn't miss the hard looks she recieved, but she did her best to ignore it as she made her way to the head office.