The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Zelda's pov

I jolt awake after passing out from pure exhaustion. I had a nightmare of Link dying. I'm not sure how long I've been asleep but it's getting darker now. They would've found him by now if they were still looking. He could be gone and I'm hopeless, stuck in a cage like a specimen to stare at.

I roll over, trying to ignore the fear that lingers in my head when something catches my eye under the stained wooden table. I shuffle closer and immediately want to vomit when I see it. An ear. A human ear with blood and jagged cuts around it. All the knives. The stained table. The cage I'm in. I piece together the vile puzzle. Cannibals. I was kidnapped by cannibals.

I get up and yank at the cage door again. I need to get out! My breath catches, making me hyperventilate as I yank desperately at the metal.

"Woah," David says. He came in and I didn't notice. He's holding a plate with some sort of stew and bile rises in my throat. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"I want out!" I cry, backing away from him. I thought Link was crazy. I thought he was too far gone to be normal. The man in front of me makes him look like a saint.

"I told you you could come out when you're not dangerous anymore." He pushes the tray under the small opening and I can't help but stare at it, wondering if the meat is human. "Are you hungry?"

I shake my head. "What is that?"

"Venison." I'm starving but I refuse. That's horrific. I'll starve before I resort to cannibalism. What separates you from an infected if you fall to the same, feral level?

"Let me out!"

"Only after you've calmed down. I promise I'm not going to hurt you."

"What do you want with me?" I whimper while trying to think of something, anything to get myself out of this.

"Well I want you. You're special." That makes me sick but if I play along, I might be able to get out.

"I'm scared," I lie. I am scared and not for the reasons he thinks. I'm scared of what will happen when he gets bored of me. I'm terrified of what's happened to Link. I take a step forward anyway, getting closer to him.

"You don't have to be scared. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You won't?" Another step. "What about the others?"

"They won't hurt you either, I promise." He rests his hands on the cage. This is working.

"So I can stay here?"

He nods, making me nauseous with his smile. "I'll keep you safe and you'll never be alone." I glance down, noticing the keys hooked on his belt.

"I don't want to be alone." I place my hands on his. They're cold. They've slaughtered people for food.

"You won't be." He's so close I can feel his breath.

I smile back at him, making him relax fully. I can reach his keys if I do it now.

I yank his hand back, breaking his finger against the bars and I reach through, grabbing at his keys. He's just far enough away, my fingers brushing against my freedom.

"You bitch!" he yells and grabs me, slamming my head against the bars. He pulls his hand back and cradles it. "You shouldn't have done that!"

"It's Zelda!" I scream. "It's Zelda who broke your fucking finger!"

He leaves and I collapse onto the floor. That was my chance and I failed again. I'm going to die here.

I slump against the wall, the hit in the head making me drowsy again. I fight it as best as I can but it doesn't matter. I'm going to die anyway. I let my eyes close, thinking about Link as I drift off. Maybe we're going to die together after all.

Link's pov

It's dark and blizzarding as I make my way to the spot on the map. It's past a small town. The town is abandoned and I don't bother checking it. There's a group and this place has no sign of life. I keep moving, the pain in my side masked by the rage. I can only imagine what they're doing to her. I'll kill them all.

I trudge through the snow using my arm to cover my mouth and nose. A rotted sign comes into view. This is a fucking resort. More buildings come into view along with people. I smile as I raise my gun.

The wind drowns out the gunshots and masks my footsteps. I move closer, sneaking up behind them, snapping their necks, slitting their throats. I don't care who I kill. I'll make them all drown in their own blood, leaving the snow stained red.

I sneak into a nearby building to search it. It's dark and I flip on my flashlight.

"Holy shit," I breathe.

Bodies hung on hooks like pieces of meat. The hands and heads have been chopped off, the bodies hung upside down to let the blood drain. These bodies are older and none of them look fresh. None of them look like Zelda. But her backpack is in the corner.

"Fuck."

I need to get her. Now.