Andrea's P. O. V
—One day earlier, night of the party—
-Andrea's jacket
-Andrea's hoodie
-Andrea's pants
-Andrea's boots
I was sitting at Ellie's couch, where you can usually find me if I'm not creating guitars or wood carving with Joel. Right now I'm also watching Ellie play her guitar. She doesn't know I'm here. It's cute, when she play's she seems to forget the world exists. The same when she draws. She's playing Take on Me. I really like that song. She finished it and I gave her a round of applause. -"God! Don't do this to me Andrea! You can at least knock." She chuckled. -"Well, I didn't knock but I spoke to you. Many times." I told her. -"I must've missed that." She put down her guitar. -"So, any reason why you're here?" She said with a cold voice. I hate whe does that. When she suddenly remembers that, she's suppose to be angry at me and Joel. Sometimes it's fine and we talk like the old times. Other times. Well, we don't talk at all. So I guess I should be greateful that she even talkes to me. Not like Joel at least. Poor old man. -"Um, well didn't we agreed that I'll pick you up for the party?" I said and faked a smile. She rubbed the back of her neck. -"Andrea. You're picking me up......but we're not going together." My smile faided. -"I know. I didn't say we are." -"Oh right! Yeah, you didn't. I just.....yeah. Um, okay." An akward silence followed. -"So....what are you wearing for the party?" I asked like it mattered. -"Um, I was thinking about that denim jacket Maria gave me a while ago." She showed me the jacket.
-"Nah, girl. You're not going in that." I said and chuckled. -"What? Why not?" She looked at the jacket like there was something wrong with it. -"Think about it. You're gonna dance, you're gonna have fun. You can't jump around in this. Take something that allows you to move more......freely." I said. -"Oh, aren't we a fashionist." She said and looked for something else. -"How about this?" She showed me a blue checkered shirt. -"Yeah. I think I like it. Try it on." She put the shirt on her gray T-shirt. She looked beautiful. But then again. When doesn't she look gorgeous? I must've stared a lot longer then I thought because she called me out. -"What are you looking at?" She asked quietly. Why is she doing this to me? -"Nothing." I said and looked on the floor almost too obviously. -"Okay." She said and again akward silence filled the room. -"And what are you wearing?" She asked me after a while. -"This. I don't really plan on staying for long." I said. -"Why not? I thought you like these kinds of events." She a little bit confused. Well, I do. But I don't need to see you basiclly hanging on Dina the entire night. Of course I can't say that out loud. -"Is it because of Dina again? I told you already. We're not together. And even if we were, it's not like we're together or something. So why would you care?" She replied. Why would I care? Because you broke up with me? I still care about you! I still love you! I don't need to see you.........being happy with someone else. -"Yeah, I know. And I don't care trust me. I just don't feel like staying there. That's all." I told her still looking at the floor only to avoid her eyes. -"Okay. We should go anyway. We're already late." She said and put on her jacket. I opened the door for her and we made our way to the party.
When we arrived at the town hall. Where the party was happening we could already hear nice music coming from the inside. -"Hmm. Crooked Still. Haven't heard that one in a while." I said to Ellie and I knew that we both thought about that day in a mall. And our first kiss. -"Let's go inside then." She said and when we got inside we put our jackets on a nearby chair and made our way to the bar. We both grabbed a glass of whiskey. -"Little Sadie." I recognized the song and started nodding my head in the rythm. Ellie didn't say anything and had her eyes fixed on the crowd. Once I looked at what she was staring at my smile faided again. So I walked away and leaned on a wall on the other side of the room. I tried distracting myself and looked around the room. I saw Joel and he raised his glass at me. I did the same and took a sip from my liquor afterwards. Then I continued in scanning the room and saw Hannah taking with Jesse. She standed really close to him and her body language told me she's really happy he's single now. Go get yours girl. I chuckled at my own thoughts. Also I saw Maria and Tommy dancing to the slow song that came up. It was really cute. They danced in the old fashioned way. They looked happy. My line of view was interupted by Joel that suddenly stood right infront of me. -"May I please have the honor and dance with you this one song ma'am?" He said and took off his imagionary hat. -"Well of course you can gentle sir." I set down my already empty glass on a nearby table and took his hand like a lady and we went to the dance floor. He put one of his hands around my waist and the other to my hand. Told you. Old fashioned. We started slowly swaying and rotating to the music. -"So your legs still serve you good old man?" I chuckled. -"Oh and they're going to for a long time. Just to kick your ass." He chuckled back. -"Just don't jinx yourself." I added. As we were dancing my eyes fixed on Ellie and Dina. Who were also dancing with each other. But real close. Joel was talking about some improvements we can do on one guitar I've been working at. But I didn't listen. I watched Ellie and Dina, I didn't hear what they were saying but after just few words they kissed. Just when their lips touched I couldn't handle it and pushed away from Joel. -"I'm sorry I have to go." I said and rushed outside, grabbing my jacket in the process. -"What? Kiddo where-" Joel was talking to me but I could no longer hear him as I was running through Jackson. I ran towards Weastern gate, there's a tree right outside the wall, so if you jump from the wall and manage to safely land on the tree you can get out. It's not possible to get in this way but at least it's something. And so that's how I got out and ran to the only place I knew I'll be alone.
Finally I arrived. It was just my place. Well mine and Ellie's. It was an old ruined church. We hide in the tower because the rest is too ruined. It was well hidden and there weren't any patrol routes nowhere near. I was near an old villa. It was nice 'cuz you could see all of Jackson. But nobody knew about you. The trees made the tower almost unnoticable.
-The church (just imagine coniferous forest around it instead and it's a lot higher. And it's winter so snow is there too. I just couldn't find any matching photo, sorry)
I climbed up by a rope we leave tied up to a branch. Then I looked around the place. There was nothing exept few Savage Starlight comics, an old mattrace, our secret stash with a small amount of pot and one really good whiskey. And small table with petroleum oil lamp. I know it wasn't the best I idea to lit it in the night. But I don't care. I lit the lamp to see in the dark. Then I sit and leaned my back against a wall. I take the whiskey and take one big sip from it. *Gulp* How could she do that? *Gulp* I mean. It's not like we're still together. We're not. But still. *Gulp* Shit. *Gulp* *Gulp* I love her! -"Aaaagrh!" CRASH! I threw the bottle towards the opossite wall and buried my face in my knees. Tears started rolling down my face without warning, or any intention to stop. It felt like an eternity before I calmed down. Suddenly I heard voices somewhere nearby. I quickly went and turned off the lamp. I listened to the voices.
-"Come on. How long are we going to walk? I'm tired." A man's voice said. -"You're not the only one, Owen." A woman answered. -"The villa must be close. It wasn't so far since we last saw it." Another woman spoke. I knew it was stupid of me but I waited until they were further away and climbed down to follow them.
-"How do we even know we're going the right way?" Another guy asked. -"Shut the fuck up Jordan! You always complain." -"Oh, fuck you Manny!" They started arguing until a woman with a braid stopped them. -"Enaugh! I can see the villa already. So stop whining and walk." She said and they all went quiet. I was following them through the woods. Finally I took a good look at them. Luckily I'm good when it comes to remembering names and faces. There were ten people. Fuck. That's a lot. Five men and five woman. I really didn't care about most of them. Who I recognized was the one that they called Manny. I remember him because that was the guard I knocked out when I tried getting to the Salt Lake hospital. And I also recognized the one they called Jordan, for he was the one that found me with Manny when I blew up the propagane tank to escape from a horde. And I'd bet that the woman with a braid that seems to be the leader of this group is the one I've met in the hospital hallway. But what are they doing here? I kept on following them but then but I stepped on a branch. CRUNCH! -"What the-" They all turned towards me and it was clear they see me. -"GET HER!" One of them yelled and ran towards me. -"Oh, shit. Oh shit!" I started running away from them. BANG! They shot at me but missed. -"What the fuck, Nora?! Don't shoot we need her alive!" One of them yelled but I was still running. Unfortunately drinking before running from your death didn't turn out to be the best idea. I didn't noticed a big rock in my way and I tripped over it. I quickly tried getting up but got kicked in my stomach by a guy that was ahead of the group. I turned around and pulled out my gun to shoot him but he got on top of me and wreastled with me for my gun. I tried kicking him in the balls but my legs refused to cooperate and soon enaugh the guy took the gun from my hands and punched me in the face with it multiple times. I started seeing black spots when suddenly some voice stopped the guy. I'd like to at least guess who stopped him but I couldn't it was too much to take for my body and I blacked out.
********TORTURE WARNING*****
If you're not comfortable with torture I'd recomend to skip this part until samiliar warning tells you it's over
-By Cotudelam
I woke up in a building. I was tied up to a radiator with a rope. My face was towards the radiator and I couldn't turn around fully. Who the fuck are these people? What do they want with me? I noticed that I didn't have anything covering my mouth. And so I took the risk and tried yelling for help. -"HELLO?! CAN SOMEONE HEAR ME?! PLEASE HELP!" After a while I heard footsteps. It was like someone was coming down the stairs so I guess I'm in the cellar of the villa. It's not close to Jackson and not on any patrol route. I'm fucked. The door opened and a woman with long raven hair tied up in a bun walked in. -"Stop whining, you little shit. I haven't even started yet." What? Started with what? I tried slowing down by breathing. -"Who are you?" I asked. I saw WLF badge on her jacket. Seattle? They're long way from home. The woman grabbed a golf club. -"Let me tell you the rules. Rule number one. I ask questions. And a rule number two. Feel the consiquences." She the hit me to my ribs. -"Aaaaaaghr." I felt a few of my ribs brake. -"You fucking bitch! What do you want from me?!" I hissed at her. -"Uh uhh. That is a question." She said and hit me to the same spot harder. -"Aaaaghr!" The pain took over the right side of my body. -"So. Now I've got a question for you. Where is Joel Miller?" What the fuck. They're looking for Joel? Why? They're gonna kill him. I can't do that to him.
-"I don't know who you're talking about." I told her. Even I would believe myself. -"Don't make this worse on yourself kid." She said and hit me to the left side of my body. -"Aaaaaaghr! Fuck!" Then she put the golf club away and pulled out a whip. -"Where is Joel Miller?" She grabbed me by my hair and spoke right in my ear. -"I don't know any Joel Miller." I spit back. -"Why do you have to be so stubborn? Well at least I won't be bored." She hit my back with the whip and I felt my skin rip and imidietly my shirt was wet with my blood. -"AAAAAAGHR!" The pain was unbearable. -"Oh, God!" I cried out. -"God? No God is going to help you. But if you tell me the truth then maybe I'll give you a brake." She told me with iritatingly calm voice. -"I....I. Don't. Know. Him." I said. Another hit came. -"AAAAAAGHR!" And another one. -"AAAAGHR!" Then I heard the door open. -"Alex. I hear that it's going well." A man came downstairs. I turned my head and even a small movement hurt like hell. I saw the face of Manny. -"Are you sure she was there? She sounds like she doesn't know him." The woman asked. Manny kneeled down to me and looked me in the face. -"Yeah. One hundred percent. She knows him. By the way Abby took off. Owen came back and said that she wants to finish it on her own. I say we wait here a few more hours but then we have to leave." Manny said. -"Few hours is enaugh for me." Alex said and hit me once more. -"AAAAAGRH!" -"Jessus. Wait before I'm gone. I don't need to hear the screaming." Manny complained and left. I looked under me and saw my own blood. The sound became a blur and I no longer knew what the woman was saying. I felt just the pain of another hit -"AAAAAAAGHR!"
Suddenly someone started untying me. -"What the fuck are you doing Mel? I'm not done." The woman that tortured me snapped at her. But Mel grabbed me by my hand and tried getting me up. The wounds opened more and more blood went out. -"Fuck!" I hissed and they put some peice of cloth in my mouth. -"Abby's back. And it looks like she has someone with her. They can't see this. And you go and hide somewhere too, you've got blood everywhere." Then they hid me behind a door and Alex stood at me to watch me with a blanket over her back, to cover the bloodied clothes. I lost a lot of blood so I couldn't hear more because everything suddenly become blur. BANG! I was brought back to reality by a shotgun blast and a familiar scream. Joel's scream. Shit! Then someone grabbed me and threw me next to Joel. -"Joel?" I said with a weak voice. -"Kiddo?" He answered just as weakly. -"Who are you people?" He asked them. The one they call Abby kneeled down to him. -"Guess." She said. Fireflies. -"Why don't you tell me your trained speech and let's get this over with. But let her go. She has nothing to do with all this." He said. -"Bullshit. She's just as involved. I remember her. And you don't get to rush this." With that she started beating Joel to death. -"No! Leave him alone!" I yelled. -"Shut the fuck up! You'll join him soon enough!" She yelled at me and kicked me in the face knocking me uncontious.
*******TORTURE PART OVER******
I woke up and saw none of the people that tortured me and Joel. But when I looked to my left I saw Joel's lifeless body, I could see his brain on the floor. -"Joel?" I cried. -"Joel?!" I tried getting up but failed because of the wounds on my back and my broken ribs. I saw Ellie laying at the door to the cellar. -"Ellie!" Ignoring the pain a crowled to her. -"Ellie, can you hear me?" Panic filled my voice. I checked her pulse. She was alive, thank God. Then I also saw Tommy nearby. He was breathing. I took Ellie and make her lean on my lap. -"Ellie. Ellie, wake up. Please." My tears were falling at her face. But it looked like she already cried before. She was also beaten up. Then I heard some voices upstairs. -"Hello? Is anybody here?!" I recognized Dina's voice. -"Dina! Dina we're down here!" I yelled and soon after Dina slammed the door open and saw the slaughterhouse. -"Oh my God." Were the first words she said. Then she saw Joel's body. -"Get help. We need to get him to Jackson." I told her. When she walked to wake Tommy she noticed my back. -"Jessus Andrea. Your back!" My back was ripped with multiple hits by whip. I didn't even feel it. Then Ellie started waking up. -"Ellie........I'm sorry." Were the only words I said to her before Jesse and the others started taking us back to Jackson.
We're lucky we have Hannah at Jackson. Otherwise I think I would get an infection. They let me get to the clinic first. When I came in through the door I was leaning on Dina and was really pale because of the blood loss. Hannah let the tray she had in her hands fall on the floor and imidietly attended to my wounds. It was a long night. The next morning it was Joel funeral, I know I shouldn't get up. I know that I should rest, but I can't miss the funeral of the only man that I could call my father. It hurt when I was standing at his grave and watched his coffin being put down. I was standing next to Ellie. I can't even describe the saddness we felt in that moment. When I looked around I saw a lot of people, and I mean really lot. I didn't even know some faces. They really loved you old man. And so did we. I took Ellie's hand. I know it was a foolish thing to do but when I did that she broke down and hugged me while crying her eyes out. Dina was right next to her. Everybody left except me and Ellie. -"Ellie....I....." Nope. Bad timing. The worst timing. She's with Dina, stupid. -"I'll stop by later, okay?" I told her and she nodded. And so I left too.
—few hours later, nightime—
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock* I knocked at Ellie's door. I never knock but it just felt right this time. She opened and besides sadness I also saw surprise in her face. -"Andrea? Shouldn't you be resting?" She asked and motioned for me to go inside. -"Yeah. Well fuck that. But I told you I'll be dropping by." I told her and she looked at me with her eyes red from crying. -"Oh, I must've forgot." She said. -"Yeah......Come here." I hugged her tightly. She didn't returned the hug that tightly because of my wounds. But buried her face in my shoulder. We stood like that for a long time. Until another knock on the door made us pull away from each other. -"I swear if that's another person who has the need to say they're sorry...." She mumbeled under her breath while going to open the door. She opened the door and there was Tommy. -"Hey." He greeted her. -"Hey." She replied. -"Can I sit down?" He pointed at the couch. -"Yes, of course." Ellie let him in and he sat down and put some food on the table. -"Maria wants to make sure you're eating." Then he noticed me sitting on Ellie's desk. -"Oh, hey. Should've guessed that you'll be here. I left your food at Joel- um, your house." He said.
Ellie sat next to him. -"Maria can't stop us." She said. -"I know. But to have the guys that we would need to do this smart. We'll be leaving Jackson vulnerable." He replied. -"Wait. What are you two talking about?" I tried following. She looked at him in disbelieve. -"So they just get to get away with this?" She said. -"Hello? Can anyone tell me what's going on?" I tried catching up again. -"Nobody wants that." Tommy answered Ellie and they both just seemed to ignore me. -"Yeah but that's what's happening." She started speaking a bit more louder. -"If it was you, me or Andrea. Joel would be halfway to Seattle already." -"No he wouldn't." Tommy replied. -"Yes he absolutely fucking would be." Ellie stood up. -"So you wanna go to Seattle?" I asked. -"Yes. To get the fuckers to justice." Ellie finally answered me. -"But we don't know for sure that they're from Seattle." Tommy said. -"Washington Liberation Front. That's what you said was on their patches." Ellie got angry at him. -"That's right. I saw it too." I agreed. -"What if they stole those jackets? What if the WLF moved?" -"What are you doing?" Ellie yelled at him. -"You know what? I'm leaving tomorrow and if you wanna come with me, great." She said and crossed her arms at her chest. Tommy walked to her and put his hands at her shoulders. -"Please, give me one day to talk to Maria. Just one day, okay?" He pleaded with her. -"Okay." She whispered. Then Tommy pulled her into a hug. They stayed like that for a few seconds then Tommy pulled away. -"Look, I know it's hard. But try to get some sleep okay? See you tomorrow." With that he left.
-"So. I guess I should go to sleep too." I said to Ellie and walked towards the door. I stopped just when I touched the handle. Shit. The house.......will be so empty. It will be my first night there without him. -"Andrea?" Ellie spoke to me. I snapped back to reality and turned to her. -"Do you......do you wanna stay the night?" She asked a little unsure. -"I'd love to." I smiled at her. After we got ready to bed, which was only brushing our teeth and taking our hoodies off. I started preparing the couch so I could sleep. -"If you want we can share my bed. I don't mind." Ellie said sitting on her bed. I smiled at her again. -"It's fine. Goodnight Ellie." -"Night Andrea." Well I think it's safe to say none of us had much sleep that night. And boy, the nightmares........the horrific nightmares.
Hi! Sorry again for the longer chapter. I just get lost when writing sometimes. This chapter took me whole day to write. I really hope you liked it. Let me know!
-By Cotudelam