The Collapse of Mankind

Chapter One, TCOM Part III

Madison: That's two less to deal with.
Violet: Lets just stay spread out and we'll be fine.

Eventually, Ellie, Cisco and Alexis reached the other side safely. The others stopped dead in their tracks, being happy and realizing they will most likely make it to the other side without dying.

Madison: Well, they made it.

Madison continued walking. Sophia and Violet looked behind them at Nick, who was stranded in the middle of cracks in the ice. Nick stared down at the ice underneath him in complete terror. He couldn't move. If he moved, he would fall into the water. Nick looked up at Violet. Violet started walking towards him.

Nick: Stop! Don't come over here.

Violet and Sophia glanced at one another.

Nick: I can make it. It's fine.
Violet: You sure?
Nick: Yeah.

Nick looked behind him, the infected were getting closer to him every second.

Violet: You got roamers on the way, let me help you!
Nick: It's too thin for both of us. I just... I just gotta be careful.

Nick took a step forwards, causing a big piece of ice fall into the water. His left leg slipped underwater. There was nothing to grab onto. Violet and Sophia began running towards him.

Nick: Stop. Stop! I'm fine, I'm fine!
Violet: No, you're not!
Sophia: You need help, Nick!
Nick: The ice is too thin. I got it.

Nick tried pulling himself out of the water but slipped straight back in. Violet looked at Sophia.

Violet: You need to help!
Nick: No! You're gonna fall through.
Violet: Soph, go. Go! Go help him!
Nick: No, Soph. Do not!
Violet: Go back for him. You're light. You can do it.

Nick looked up at Violet, getting a little angry.

Nick: Stop tellin' her that! Soph, look at me. Pull out your gun and shoot those damn muertos, okay? Just give me a little time.
Violet: Soph, you can make it. But you need to go! Now!

Violet pulled her gun out and aimed it towards the dead.

Nick: No, Soph. It's too dangerous. I just need time.
Violet: He's gonna die, Sophia!

Sophia slowly began walking towards Nick, watching where she was stepping. Violet stayed back, shooting the infected that were coming their way.

Nick: Just go back... please!
Sophia: I got you.
Nick: Please... please.
Sophia: It's gonna be alright.

Nick and Sophia reached out to one another, trying to grasp one another's hands. Until Sophia fell through the thin ice, making Nick fall too. The both of them struggled underwater. Sophia could kind of swim. But not well enough to be an absolute hero in this situation. She floated to the top of the water, smashing the ice with her fist, in order to make a hole she could escape through.

An infected grabbed Sophia's foot, pulling her deeper into the lake. Nick swam over to Sophia and the infected, pulling it off Sophia's foot. Nick let go of the dead, hoping it sank to the bed of the lake. But it grabbed onto Nick's shoe, dragging him down. Nick reached up to Sophia as she watched him sink down into the black. Sophia began to pass out because of the fact she wasn't breathing. Her eyes began to close as she felt her body giving up.

Before she could pass out, Madison grabbed Sophia's body from the lake through the hole her and Nick fell through. Sophia laid on the ice, shivering.

Madison: Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. It's okay, I got you. I got you!
Sophia: G— Get... Nick.
Madison: Come on, come on... you're gonna be okay.

Violet walked towards the two, wanting to help.

Madison: Go, to the house! We need a fire!

Madison picked Sophia up in her arms and began running towards the house on the other side of the lake. She was running so fast that even if the ice did break, she would run away from the hole in the ice before she could fall through.

Madison: Oh, fuck. She's gonna fucking freeze to death!

Present day.

Nick's death played in Sophia's head again. Until she was snapped out of her thoughts.

Ellie: Soph!

Sophia looked up at Ellie.

Ellie: Are you okay?

Sophia nodded as Ellie frowned at her.

Ellie: I'm sorry. He was a great guy.
Sophia: He was.

Ellie pulled Sophia in for a tight hug. Sophia will remember that.