𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙊𝙉𝙂 𝙀𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙂𝙃 || 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙐𝙎

𝚜𝚒𝚡

JOEL PEAKED INTO THE HALLWAY FROM THE STAIRWELL. He looked back and nodded to the three as he proceeded onward. Tatum followed after him as Tess and Ellie climbed up the rest of the stairs. "Fuck." Tess breathed out. "Holy shit." She leaned on the wall taking deep breaths. "Come on it wasn't that bad." Ellie joked, walking past Tess to walk next to Tatum as Tatum laughed. "You try climbing ten fuckin' floors with our knees. See how you feel." Tess responded, walking past them.

Ellie wanted to start a conversation with Tatum but didn't know how. Luckily Tatum has started it for her after they rounded the corner. "So, how are you taking all this?" Tatum spoke, in a hushed whisper. "I'm okay. It's weird but it'll be worth it. I'll get to save the world in the end. Joel could be a little nicer." Ellie responded in the same tone, rolling her eyes at the last part. "Yeah. He's a grumpy old man." Tatum laughed. Ellie laughed along with her. Joel sighed as he listened to the conversation. Tess looked at him with a smirk on her face.

The girls conversation soon came to an end as they saw the hallway was blocked off by ruble. "Well, when the fuck did that happen?" Tess wondered aloud. Joel examined the fallen ruble as Tess checked a side door. The door wouldn't budge. Joel looked over at Tess struggling and decided to try the other door that was on the other side. "Maybe that one." Tess said as Joel tried to open it. "No." He responded. The door wouldn't budge either. Tess spotted a hole on top of the rubble.

"All right, well, I mean, maybe I could climb up there, work my way around, and open it from the inside?" Tess suggested. "I could do it. I'm the smallest, so it'd be easier for me to get through." Tatum told them. She wasn't wrong. "Marlene would kill us if either one of you died. So, you two stay." Tess decided to talk to both Tatum and Ellie.

Ellie scoffed, grabbing Tatums hand and pulling her over to the wall. Which was little ways away from the ruble. Ellie sat down still holding Tatums hand. Tess and Joel were working on getting Tess over the ruble. Tatum didn't listen to them as she sat down next to Ellie.

"You good up there?" Tatum heard Joel ask Tess. Tess had finally gotten over the concrete ruble. "Yeah, it's a bit of a mess, so i'm gonna need a few minutes." Tess responded as she walked away. Joel looked back at Ellie and Tatum, who were quietly talking from where they sat. He then slung his gun in front of him as he took a seat in a chair that was randomly in the hallway. As he did so Ellie and Tatums conversation quieted down as they stared at him.

Tatum moved off the wall and got her backpack of her back. She went to the small pocket of the backpack and unzipped it. In the pocket was a necklace with her fathers ring on it. The ring was in the middle of five beads. The beads colors were blue, dark pink, orange, yellow, and white. Exactly on that order. Her mother gave her the necklace when she was young. So she could have a piece of her father with her. She took the necklace out of the pocket and held it in her hand as she zipped the pocket back up.

"Ellie." Tatum spoke, looking over to her friend. "Yeah?" Ellie responded. "Could you help me put this on, please?" Tatum asked as she stuck the hand with the necklace out to her friend. "Sure." Ellie said, turning to the and gently taking the necklace from Tatums out stuck hand. Ellie untied the thin black string as Tatum turned, her back facing Ellie, and moved her hair to the side. Ellie reached her arms over her friend and put the necklace around the girls neck. Ellie tied the necklace back up. Joel watched silently as they did this.