Consequence

Chapter Twenty-Two

It was quiet. Too quiet. They moved cautiously towards the tunnel, the inside filled with rubble and decades-old debris. They fitted through the creaks towards the other side but only just. Ellie and Dina went first being the smaller ones of the group. Knees and palms were scrapped in the process but they managed to with little effort to get to the other side. Ellie checking the coast was clear before helping Dina back up to her feet.

"We're clear, you guys come through." She said to the older pair on the other side. Ada moved to crouch towards the gap when they heard an ear-piercing screech echo through the silence. Followed by more screams and grunts from the infected. They appeared as if from nowhere, a large group charging towards Ada and Tommy from the ruins of old derelict buildings that were left to rot on the outside of the QZ walls.

Tommy wasted no time in aiming his gun and taking the first shot, it hit its target. A runner square in the head before he moved the barrel to take out another runner. Ada was quick to follow suit but as the noise grew so did the horde's size.

"MOM! TOMMY! GET THROUGH HERE NOW!!!" Ellie yelled, the panic evident in her voice.

"THERE'S NO TIME!" Tommy yelled back. "JUST GO! WE'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY IN AND WE'LL FIND YOU!" Her mother added in a rush of breath as she reloaded her gun.

Ellie didn't like that one bit but they had no time to argue, Dina was pulling her away saying something...words of comfort? Angry yelling? She was too scared to process it. She'd already lost Joel, she couldn't lose her mom and Tommy as well. "Ellie we have to go!" Dina screamed, pulling hard on her wrist. She turned to look at her girlfriend, the panic in her eyes matching her own. She took one last glance toward her mother and Tommy fighting off the infected and swore this would not be the last time she saw them.

And with that, she took off with Dina's hand in hers.

Ellie couldn't speak. She couldn't think. The white noise shrieked through her eardrums; and ricocheted around her skull as adrenaline and fear shot through her chest, constricting her lungs so heavily she struggled to breathe. Her feet never stopped, old worn boots scuffed against shattered concrete as she ran from the deafening screams that followed close behind. It hadn't taken long for the infected to force their broken bodies through the cracks of the debris. Now the screeches of clickers and roars of runners were fast on their heels.

Both girls ran until their legs burned, their clutched hands sweaty and slipping. Ellie urged for Dina to take the lead but felt a jolt as she was violently pulled back by the scruff of her backpack. The next thing she knew she was on the ground, her hand wrenched from Dina's. The grunting and growls perforated the distortion that filled her head as the face of a runner howled at her. Bloody eyes bore into hers as twisted hands gripped and pawed at her. She panicked as bile worked its way into her throat, her stomach churning in raw terror. She fought to get away, her body thrashed around in a futile attempt to push away the attacker on top of her. Until finally, her saving grace was a sudden gunshot to the runners' temple, its body slipped to the side limp and silent.

Her wide eyes met Dina's; the brunette not wasting a moment to reload her pistol and dragging Ellie to her feet.

"Come on! We gotta go!" she yelled. Ellie didn't need to be asked twice. They both took off together. The broken horde continuing their relentless pursuit. Dina pushed on ahead, down the street before ducking down an alleyway. "Ellie?" She murmured in fear. "I'm right here! Don't slow down!" she replied. Taking a moment to check over her shoulder, the horde showed no sign of slowing down. An array of stomping feet trampled behind them, a booming bass that rumbled underfoot. They needed to think, they needed a way out. Making their way through the alley, it brought them towards an old security check-in point. The gates looked old and rushed but seemed to be standing firm. "Shit!" the redhead cried. "Fuck, go right!" they veered out of  the way from the confines of the alley, kicking over old trashcans in an effort to slow the infected behind and sprinted towards the gate. Both clawed at the metal; in a desperate attempt to find a way forward. But the gate didn't budge. "Fuck no!" Dina screamed in frustration. Turning back towards the horde charging their way, Ellie swung back to face her girlfriend before leaning down to cup her hands together. "Come on, I'll boost you over." Her face fell at the statement, Ellie's tone leaving no room for debate. "But what about you?!" Dina demanded.