˗ˏˋ CHAPTER FOURTEEN ˊˎ˗
o. but with a whimper
THE MAN BEFORE THE EYES OF ELLIE GREENE WAS NOT JOSH WASHINGTON, but a mere shell of the youthful boy he once was, or at least, Ellie had known him as. Looking back upon it, doubt seeps into her mind when she wonders if she had ever truly known what lies beneath the facades he desperately maintains. She'd thought that, even if to the tiniest extent, that she knew his pain, and understood what thoughts circulated within that intelligent mind of his. The thought that it had all been a lie - that it had all been for nothing - ignites a spark of devastation within the ashes of her heart, which is the very reason she chooses to ignore this doubt. She dares not face the horrid truths that may linger within the shadows, for fear that the blissful light will fade the moment she strays from it. Nor could she bear the thought of losing the Josh she'd come to know, or at all.
Josh Washington had fallen victim to the demons that dwell within his mind, so much that the horrid reality around him was beyond his sight, only to be replaced by a much darker one. Incoherent mutters slip by his cracked, crimson-stained lips, and his ashen, glazed over eyes stare vaguely upon something beyond the sight of those around him. His bottom lip trembles in terror as he takes a stumbled step back, his hands trembling. Only when Mike, much to the distaste of Ellie Greene, abruptly slaps the boy does he emerge from his stupor. His eyes gain some remnants of the sanity he so desperately clutches onto, and his gaze falls upon the male crouched before him. "M... Mike? Don't h-hit me, p-please-"
"Josh... Hey man -" Mike stutters, a small polite smile flickering over his lips, even if only momentarily. A half-hearted apologetic expression passes over his features, which are covered in blood and dirt alike, the two substances mixing effortlessly. "You were deep in it, man. Full mental jacket. We didn't think we'd get you back..."
Words feeling foreign within her mouth, the tired eyes of Ellie Greene gaze upon the broken boy. His eyes are glazed with the waters of turmoil, staring off into a place she could not see. Splatters of blood taint the pale blue of his overalls, the very clothing she'd come to associate with a maniac; that she'd never imagined on him. Despite the veil of rushing thoughts wreaking havoc upon his mind, he takes note of her stare, and returns her gaze. With a sincerity she'd thought was lost upon that night, she offers him the strongest smile she can conjure. "I'm glad you're alright, Josh."
Josh's brows knit vaguely together, a spark of confusion emerging from the raging seas within his eyes. It was a look of surprise, as if he hadn't thought she'd come to save him, or he'd to decipher if she truly had. His cracked lips part slightly, words hanging upon the tip of his tongue. But before they can escape the threshold, Sam steps toward him, a fatal concoction of worry and guilt swelling within the pit of her stomach. "Josh... Hannah was down here for... weeks... a month?! She dug Beth up!"
"Sam..." Mike brings a halt to the blonde's rant, sending a glance of subtle warning in her direction. Josh deserved to know what had become of his sisters, he knew that much. But the right time had not yet come, for the boy had been through enough already, and they needed to focus upon their survival. They can't afford to lose anyone else; not even the person who led them to the very mountain. "Let's just get the fuck out of here."
"Okay... Josh, do you have the key for the cable car," Sam's voice wavers beneath the weight of her doubt, a spark of guilt igniting within her for not mentioning what they'd found, despite knowing Mike was right. Josh, stuttering a short response, reaches into his pocket, his hand emerging with the keys. He gingerly hands them to Sam, who offers him a small nod of thanks. She casts her gaze around the immediate area, seeking any point of a quick escape, and finds luck to be on her side when she sees a rock wall, the outside world awaiting any who make it to the top. "See that over there? That means there's a direct way out. C'mon."
"There's no way Josh is gonna make it up there." By merely glancing upon the rock wall, Ellie knew even he would struggle climbing it, meaning there would be no chance Josh could ever make it up in his current state. She tears her gaze away from the quick exit, turning it upon both Mike and Sam. "You two go, tell the others we're okay. I'll take Josh back the way we came and meet you back at the lodge."
"I'll stay with you," Mike responds within an instant, a tone of certainty hanging within his voice. As he'd anticipated, Ellie turns to him with an incredulous glint brewing within her emerald eyes, her lips parting to speak words of refusal. He cuts her denial off before it can commence, his mind already set in stone. "You can't change my mind, El. You won't leave him, and I won't leave you."
"Fine," Ellie mutters, a small huff bypassing the threshold of her mouth. With the arrangements of what each person is to do, the two staying behind for the sake of the Washington boy offer their wishes of good luck to Sam. Together, they help boost her into a starting position to climb the wall, an endeavour which, no doubt, would be strenuous. Once the blonde is set upon the path to the quickest exit, Mike and Ellie turn back toward the path from which they came.
"Alright, let's go you fucked up son of a bitch," Mike taps the Washington boy lightly on the shoulder, guiding him in the right direction. His words, despite their humorous tone, elicit a pointed stare from Ellie, to which he innocently shrugs off. Ellie hesitates before entering the wooden-plank enclosed area, her breath hitching in her throat as she remembers what, or rather, who is inside.
"No... no! Oh! Oh! I didn-... I didn't want you to die!" The horrified cries of Josh echo within the confines of the desolate caves, his eyes watering at the sight of Matt's headless body strung up on a meathook. Even with a daze shrouding his mind, he would recognise him anywhere. A gentle hand is placed upon his forearm, and his eyes shift to see Ellie standing beside him; concern plastered upon her features. Letting out a shaky breath, he straightens out his posture, attempting to retake what little grip he has upon himself. "I know... I know I know I know... okay..."
Slowly but surely, the trio makes their way to the body of water that stands between them and their escape. Mike first drops down into the ice-cold liquid, wincing as it brushes against his skin. Helping the others down also, he allows Ellie to take the lead as they weave their way through the murky lake, taking the job of ensuring Josh is not left behind into his hands. But the further away from the land they get, the more the uneasy pit within his stomach grows. Seconds before words of unease escape his mouth, there is a deafening splash - Ellie disappearing from his sights.
Her mind doesn't have the time to process the feeling of a hand around her ankle before she's submerged beneath the icy currents. Her head slams violently into the stone ground below from the sheer power of the pull, the girl involuntarily gasping in pain. Agony invades her chest as she breathes in the water, her body thrashing around in an attempt to reach some miraculous salvation. It had all happened so quick, and her instincts knew not what to do, so they panicked. Fruitlessly, she tries to move, but she does not know which way the surface lies. She can feel the oxygen begin to flee her lungs as she cannot reach her escape, and, though not for the first time that night, she feels terror consumes her.
When she'd thought all hope to be lost, a hand grasps upon the back of her shirt. As she is pulled from the water's deadly grasp, violent coughs rack her body, droplets of water spewing from her mouth. She can feel herself being pulled backwards, but to where she knows not. Her eyes slowly clear from the daze that'd been forced upon them, and when they do, her blood runs cold.
The back of a Wendigo faces her, the putrid creature towering over the quivering form. It's bloodcurdling screeches ripple among the walls of the mine, leaving no ear untouched by its horrid melodies. Her head pounding with the beat of her own heart, Ellie attempts to rush forward, to save him, but arms quickly wrap around her torso, pulling her back. She needed not to turn back to know it was Mike, dragging her away from the danger that would take Josh.
At first, she thrashes violently within the tight hold of Mike, desperation prevailing within her mind. She tries to say something, anything; to scream that they need to save him from a harrowing fate. But words are lost upon her, her tongue too heavy to utter a sound. Her attempts to break free of Mike's hold dwindle at a rapid rate, turmoil overtaking her mind. Grim does the fate of Josh Washington appear, and if she were to abandon him once again upon that night, his coffin may finally be sealed. But little is there she can do to save him now, a realisation that does not come without cost.
If she were to try, not only would she face a brutal death, but so would Mike; the boy who had stood by her side throughout the night, even if he shouldn't have. She'd be giving up Mike's life for a near-impossible chance to save Josh, and though she may have been willing even the day prior, that night had shifted her perceptions. So she stops fighting; Mike dragging her behind the cover of a large rock. All she can do is watch as Josh is taken within the clammy hand of the Wendigo, dread consuming his features - not because of his predicament, but for he'd noticed a familiar butterfly tattooed on her arm. "Hannah?"
Almost as if Josh's words had sparked something within the creature, the Wendigo, or Hannah, slackens it's arm which had been poised to kill the Washington boy. It's fingers tightly wrap around his body, ensuring there is no escape, before beginning to drag him away; the boy screaming out in protest. Josh's cries grow more distant as it slinks back into the cave from which it came, condemning the teenager to a fate far worse than death.
The last glimpse Ellie ever has upon the boy she loved deeper than any other is as he thrashes around within the hold of the monster, the monster which was once his sister. In the moment before he is dragged beyond sight, their gazes meet for a mere second; terror brewing within each of their young, yet tormented eyes. As quickly as it had begun, they're torn from one another, Josh disappearing from her vision. And, not with a bang, but with a whimper, the ashes of Ellie Greene's shattered heart cease to exist.
—
S T A T U S U P D A T E!
Traits;
Honest: 3/10
Charitable: 3/10 ↓
Funny: 7/10
Brave: 7/10
Romantic: 2/10
Curious: 6/10
Relationships;
Ashley: 0/10
Chris: 4/10
Emily: 4/10
Jess: 2/10
Josh: 6/10 ↑
Matt: 5/10
Mike: 7/10 ↑
Sam: 7/10
•••
A/N
You know a ship I've slept on this whole time? Ellie and Mike. Like holy fuck, that is some good content. But my OG ship has always been Ellie and Josh ( even if i shouldn't ship them ), so this chapter hurt.
We have one chapter to go, better get strapped in lads 😌 how do y'all think this story is going to end ? Who do you think will survive until dawn ? Let me know, I'm interested.
Anyway, I hope you have a great day! 💛