The Cowboy and The Girl

Hurt

I push down that memory and follow Joel, Ellie right behind me. We slowly weave threw the building, taking out who we needed to. Which each body I got that nagging flicker of a memory in the back of my mind, it makes me not say a word until we were safe outside. That didn't last long us having to make a break for it to the subway nearby

"Spores." I say seeing the green cloud coming from up ahead.

Putting on my gas mask I step into the tainted air, Ellie pulling me down behind turned over vending machine.

"There's a soldier over there." She whispers his voice bouncing off the concrete walls.

"How the hell are you breathin' in this stuff?" Joel asks making me realize that Ellie wasn't wearing a mask and seemed fine.

A little winded from running but other then that she was fine.

"I wasn't lying to you." She says softly.

"Damn she's got my vote." I say Joel turning to look at me.

I couldn't see the glare because of the spores but I felt it. I shrug as a response.

"Let's go." He says starting his way through the subway.

We weaved our way through the rubble of the subway until we reached a large body of water.

"Hey umm can't swim remember." Ellie says making me look over at her.

"Well we don't have time to teach ya." Joel says our masks off the air clear here.

Joel lets out a deep sigh running his hand over his face.

"We'll figure something out." He says moving to get into the water and swim off into the darkness.

"Be careful." I say after him.

"Uh hu." He says a response.

He returns a short time later with a floating wooden pallet.

"Get on." He says gruffly.

"Umm is that gonna work?" She asks looking up at me.

"It should you don't weigh that much." I say smiling at her and helping her step on it.

"I gotcha." Joel says looking at her, then up at me.

"You coming?"

"Right behind you." I say sitting down on the edge of the turned over subway train and easing myself into the water.

It was deep, very deep. My legs only feeling emptiness under me. I tried not to think about what could be under us in the darkness as I followed Joel to the other side of the room. The water was cold and musty from sitting still for so long. I was just happy it wasn't slimy.

Ellie climbs off the pallet and onto the ledge it a bit to high or us to climb up to.

"I'll find something." She says quickly running off.

"Ellie!" I call after her worried she would get hurt.

"I'm okay, just grabbing-." She lets out a grunt then the sound of something dragging fills the air.

I tread water knowing I couldn't do it for long. I wasn't the best at swimming.

"Here ya go." Ellie says pushing the end of a medal ladder over the edge of the wall.

I push myself back along with Joel while she pushes it into the water it being over twelve feet. Lucky for us we were given a few feet sticking out of the water.

"I'll hold it." Ellie says holding the top of the ladder as we climbed out Joel waiting until I go first.

I shiver a bit when I get out of the water, it dark and cool in the subway station.