The Last of Us : 10 Years Later - (CLOSED)

[IntriguedLover]

For Elvenoff1 and myself.

{Writer's Note: This is based 10 years after the end of the game. Sorry in advance if there is a bunch of 'time-skips' in the opening post, just trying to get ahead to where I need to be for my co-writer.}

Character Profile : Ellie - now Age 24.

"Joel! No, fuck. This is all my fault. You can't...you can't leave me here! Joel! Joel! Wake the fuck up! Come on! Joel!"

"Ahh!" Ellie screamed out as she woke up panting. She looked around the room she had come to call her own and moved the hair out of her face. "Another dream." She sighed as she got up looking in the mirror. She had truly grown up but darkness had consumed her mind. Depression. Regret. Guilt. Anger. So many emotions filled her, just not those of caring. She had lost so many that meant so much to her. Riley. Marlene. Joel. She sighed once again remembering her friend. He had become mostly her guardian. Almost like a dad that she never knew.

Memories flooded her mind of their travels. Even after the failure of finding a cure at the hospital, she and Joel had traveled back to his brother's place. Tommy accepted them with open arms. His wife had become pregnant and he wanted his family to be there. To survive. Together.

But 5 years later, things made a turn for the worse. The morning had been hazy from the fog and Ellie had just come from caring for the horses in town. The noise was deafening. Clickers. A few hundred of them had stormed into town. "No! Get everyone away! Run!" she urged as she picked up little James, Tommy's son. She rushed with the children of the town to the factory to try and hide out. Joel was already there because of making repairs. He ran out into the group of clickers and began to fight them off, protecting Ellie and his nephew.

"Joel! No!! It's not worth it!" Ellie screamed after him, her anger raging as she picked up a gun and began to shoot it into the crowd of clickers. There were runners in the mix but she dispatched of them quickly. But not quick enough. When she reached Joel, he was torn to shreds, already dead from the wounds he had suffered. She dropped to her knees and began to sob. "Jo...Joel.." she muttered under her breath.

3 years ago, a cure came in the form of deer meat injected with the cure. She's no longer able to infect people, but others still look at her odd. She's alone, to a point. Tommy looks to her as a nuisance, even though he protects her. He doesn't blame her for the loss of his wife and brother, but Ellie feels it is all her fault. "If only the cure had come sooner," is all he ever says.

"Yeah, if only," she muttered to herself as she finished getting dressed. She sat in the room pulling at the strings on the guitar, the familiar twang of the instrument the only thing that keeps her close to Joel even though he's not here any longer.

"Ellie!" James came in with a piece of paper. "Dad wants you to go out for supplies."

"Ugh, again?" she mumbled as she looked to him. She really didn't care to help people, especially those that would desire her dead.

"Yeah.." James urged with a smile. "Just be safe, Ellie.."

She sighed and got up from her seat, leaving the guitar on the stand. She twanged a string again before leaving out. She left through the front gate that she had traveled through many years ago. She took a horse and made her way for the edge of the forest reserve. She'd have to camp out for a few days on her trip since everything had been scoured and scavenged for 5 miles around.

She dismounted the horse and pulled an arrow out for the bow she used. She walked through an abandoned cabin campground, following a noise she had heard. She thought it was a deer until she heard metal clanging together. She stopped short and turned the corner. There was a young man, someone that looked to be about her age, rummaging through some food cans. "Who the fuck are you?" she asked with the arrow drawn, ready to kill him if she needed to.

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott...http://kolyan.net/uploads/posts/2010-01/1263168490_26.jpg

August ninth, twenty- fifteen Scott watched his family being massacred by a group of clickers, he was on his way back with supplies when he heard the screams. Running up a few fire escapes he was able to see down into the fortified makeshift camp that his family and a few others constructed out of abandoned cars, buses, and a lot of tin sheeting ripped off from a few junkyard fences. They thought it was safe for it has been weeks since anything has ventured close to their walls.

He lowered his head, for there was nothing he could do but mourn their loss. He looked at the bowie knife that was firmly gripped in his hand and then back to clickers, seven in all. Not a chance in hell was the only thing he could say to himself. He knew his family would want him to live, not die by doing something stupid like jumping down there to fight them, for they were gone and nothing would bring them back.

He turned away from the carnage, muttered a few words of being sorry for taking to long getting back with the supplies. He took one last mental look of his family, wiped the tears from his cheek and slowly made his way back down the fire escape. His mind was set on getting the fuck out of New York, there was just too many damn infected, not to mention the gangs of thugs that seem to stem from every nook and cranny.

Scott made good time getting across the states. He would hot wire a car here and there when needed. He tried to stay on the larger highways whenever possible, there were a few times he went off road for a few miles to get around major road blocks but that was pretty much his tactic of staying alive. He wanted to get out into the open country states, there were less people which meant less infected, however, there were still the hick country boys whom claimed what land they could, but he would deal with that when it came to be, hopefully that would never come to be, but that would be rising his hopes to high to think like that. ‘

He hit the Wyoming state line about midnight or so, his watch zonked out somewhere in Indiana or close to there. So he was just guessing on the time by how high the moon was, and how it was nearly impossible to keep his eyes open. He pulled off the interstate onto a smaller road, drove down a little ways till there was nothing around but trees and more trees.

When he woke it was early morning for the sun was just barely clearing the half way mark on the tress around him, not to mention it was fucking colder than a popsicle in the Antarctica’s. Okay, maybe no that cold, but till cold enough to make his body shiver and his teeth chatter. He grabbed his extra sweater, slipped it on and then reached for his backpack. Pulling the thing to him, his hand darted inside to grab that last can of pears and too his horror it was gone. His mind raced, his eyes darted around the floor board, looked behind the seats, under the seats, and finally giving up after he realized that he ate the damn thing the night before. “FUCK!” echoed in the Suv.

Stabbing the key into the ignition he turned it with a bit of anger … Click….click…click ..Fuck! Scott howled in anger. Grabbing the backpack he stuffed the blanket inside. Slipped it over his back and headed off into the woods. He knew from studying the maps that the river was due west and as long as he walked the river he was in good shape.

He made his way through the forest, stopping every once in awhile to listen. He would find a place to stare at for a few moments then slowly move his eyes up and down scouring the area, then sliding over a little bit to do the same thing. It was something that a retired special forces dude was teaching him and his family a few days till he healed up and moved on, he had a daughter that he had to find and didn’t have time to drag us with him, so we took the training and bid our farewell’s to him. It has saved me many times.. Except for now…

“I’m a fucking nobody!” He responded to the ’who the fuck are you question. his shamrock colored orbs shifted up and over to the left. She was one tough looking mama, not to mention a very nicely pulled back bow with an arrow that had one damn sharp looking point to it. “My name is Scott, I’m from New York, My Suv went kaplunk about two miles east of here.” He slowly looked up at her. “So, I’m getting a cramp in my legs, would you mind if I stand up?” He indicated that he would keep his hands up in the air…

 

[IntriguedLover]

"Well 'fucking nobody', it would be nice if you could just stay like that. Don't want an accident," Ellie said with a bit of anger in her voice. She didn't like having to deal with smartasses. She had had to deal with too many of those in the past and right now, she just wasn't in the mood. Hell, she wasn't in the mood to deal with people, period. She watched as he turned his head. He was probably trying to get a view of what she looked at. "Don't move I said.." she hissed.

He looked ragged as he was then he explained who he was. She listened as he spoke of a SUV up the road. She had come across the abandoned vehicle, amazed that it was still in good condition, considering how everything around here was messed up anyway.

"Yeah, Scott. You can stand, but keep your hands where I can see them. Don't want you reaching for anything that would cause me to release this arrow into your chest."

She watched as he kept his arms up and turned around. "So...what brings you around here? Is there anyone around here that might interrupt us?" She looked around keeping the arrow drawn, looking for lurking shadows of people that might cause an issue with her high-tailing it out of her in case of emergency.

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott sighed heavily as he pushed himself up, which was a mistake, for instantly after he straightened up his leg his face twisted up in agony as the cramp took its grip upon him. “Holly Fuck!” He hobbled around in a very small circle, but he kept his hands up for he didn’t want any accidental release either. He did take the opportunity to look her over while he was hoping around like some one legged bunny. She looked weathered, tired, somewhat paranoid and extremely fucking agitated.

Soon, the cramp gave way and Scott sighed with relief. His hands remained up as with his eyes. He wouldn’t want to get shot for him checking her out, soo, that will have to wait for a later time if he could talk himself out of this mess.

He looked away from her when she asked what brought him this way. The moment that question reached his ears, the images of his family came haunting him. He took a deep breath and exhaled it a little slower. “Well, why I’m out this way is easy enough. I was tired of living in New York city with over six million infected people. It was a little unbalanced in the survival game. As for anyone doing to interrupt us, well that can only happen on your end. I’m alone. Hell I don’t even have a cat.” he smirked but removed it quickly…

He caught her looking around, “Hey, look I get it, I’m in your shoes as well, well maybe not I don’t have a nice bow with a sharp ass arrow, so okay you got one up on me.” He looked around for a moment than refocused upon her… “Look, you and I are the only ones out here, I‘m hungry, cold and my only shelter is a kaplunk SUV.” This was a stalemate for there wasn’t anything he could say that would make her lower that bow. She obviously had some kind of betrayal in her history. “I give you my word that I’m the only one here.” Here let me make this easy for you as far as being worried about me.” Scott slowly pulled off his shirt and turned around .. “See nothing, “ He took one hand and unsnapped his pants and let them fall.. “See nothing here. I have a bowie knife in the sheath on the pants.”

 

[IntriguedLover]

As the man called Scott turned and kept hopping on his leg, she lowered her bow a bit. She looked at him weird as he explained about New York and everything else. Her eyes focused on him as she took mental note of his features. Rugged, slightly tanned, a bit thin but still had muscles. "Hmm," she thought to herself. She felt something inside of her burn like a fire and not the normal fire that would mean she was anger and wanted to burn you alive.

Then he mentioned about how he was in her shoes as well, survivor wise. She stopped him there. "You don't know anything that I've been through, so don't think that you can try to figure it out either."

Ellie twisted her face around as she heard him say 'kaplunk' again. "Fuck, dude.. If I promise I won't shoot you, please tell me you won't say that word again."

She put the arrow back in the quiver and turned around towards one of the cabins. She looked to the sky and knew they wouldn't be able to make it back anytime soon. "Let's hide out in here for the night. It would be better, besides clickers at night are a bitch.."

She walked in the door and turned to him. "Oh, and if you so much as draw that Bowie knife on me, I will drop you where you stand.." She didn't want to seem too harsh, but...perhaps he could be of some use to the town. If Tommy doesn't kill him first.

She sat down on the ground and leaned up against her backpack. She kept her eyes on him as she opened a can of beans. "You might want to eat these.." She handed them to him waiting to see what else she could learn about Scott.

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott smiled. His eyes remained on her as he shook his head in an agreement not to use the word that agitated her. Although he thought it was an awesome word, but hey to each their own right?

When she turned around and looked at the cabins he quickly grabbed his shirt me in one swoop pulled up his pants. Pulling the shirt back on while he slowly walked behind her. His eyes traveled over her once more. Her words about not knowing anything about what she had been through echoed in his head, even the part where she told him not to try and figure it out. She must have been through hell Scott thought. He wasn't going to pry for if they stay together she might let him know. At least he had something to hope for.

"Umm I know this might be out of place or something I don't need to know but umm I don't know who you are. So to make things a little easier could I have your name or do I just say hey you?" Scott waited to be assaulted by her agitation again. But what came out of her mouth was a warning that he didn't really need to be told, he wasn't the stupid man that just got off the train. Scott slightly shook his head. She was right he didn't know what she'd been through but one thing he did know whom ever betrayed her, hurt her like no other.

"Not a chance in hell will I draw a knife on you, if you was a scoundrels' bitch you wouldn't have put your weapon down nor allowed me to live this long." He remarked while gazing into her eyes. Wondering how he could ease her fear of him.

When she sat down against her backpack he took a seat just a few feet away. He took a few minutes to look around. Looked out the windows planning an escape route if it and down to them having to flee. He then turned toward and took a seat very close to he so they could whisper and still hear each other.

He watched her open the can of beans with hunger growling at his stomach, but when she offered it to him he raised his hand up. "You eat first." He didn't know how much food she had and he wasn't going to eat and make he

 

[IntriguedLover]

She looked to him as she began to open another can. "Seems only right," she mumbled. He didn't seem dangerous at all, so she could only be kind enough to let him know her name. "Ellie... My name is Ellie." She watched him sit near her and it felt odd having someone near her other than the ones she's used to in the town. Even his joke about being a scoundrel's bitch made her chuckle a bit. "Hey, that's funny.." she said handing him another can from her bag.

"I have plenty of food, so..." she shrugged as she sat it next to him with the can opener. "...eat up." She tried to keep her blushing away from his eyes. Hopefully he wouldn't notice.

She thought it time to tell him. "So...I was thinking. The town I'm from is looking for some type of repairman. Are you any good at that sort of thing??" she asked as she took a bite.

 

[Elvenoff1]

A smile formed upon Scott's face when she admitted that it was only fair for him to know her name. "Ellie, that name suits you." Scott spoke after swallowing the first spoonful of beans. He didn't wait for her to ask why it suited her, "Your not one of those lipstick models that men drool over, your the tough cookie that says, if you piss me off I'll cut your dick off with a spoon type of gals." He took another spoonful of beans. His eyes admiring how ruggedly attractive she was.

He felt relieved when she chuckled at his statement, well he thought it was a chuckle, it could have been a bean burp but then she told him that his little rhetoric moment was funny, this relaxed side of her was extremely appealing. He looked at the can and back at her. He was hesitant to eat the other can for it has always been a struggle for food. His family never knew when, and what the next meal would be.

Putting in he can back toward her. I'm good save it for when it's needed. "Please don't take an offense, it's just on my path of life till now food was scarce." He looked back down at the ground when she asked him about his skills, her question caused a moment of inner turmoil. He sighed heavily before looking back up at her. "Well, your looking at the best throbbing thumb in all of the east coast." He lied for he was a mechanical engineer of ages past.

He wanted to ask about the town but refrained on doing so. He wasn't sure if he wanted to get close with anyone after New York. "May I ask why your out here alone if your from a town of people." His gaze capturing her eyes.

 

[IntriguedLover]

She chuckled again leaving the bean can to the side. She didn't like the beans at all, but it was food. And food was scarce. Everything had become scarce. It wasn't proving to be well for the human race. "Well, perhaps we can find something else for you to do there."

She smiled looking to him. It wasn't a wide smile, but it was something that she hadn't done in a long time. But that was short lived when he asked why she was out here all alone. She looked to him and then to the floor. "I'm the only one that knows how to hunt really well. There isn't much to it.."

Then she shook her head. "Nah, that wasn't entirely true." She looked to him. "I'm out here because there aren't many hunters left. A few hundred clickers came into town about 5 years ago. My...my friend died and so did Tommy's wife. He's the leader. My friend...he..." she paused a few times, trying not to get choked up. But honestly, crying about Joel wouldn't bring him back. She wiped the small tears that came to her eyes to continue.

"Let's just say, I lost someone close to me..He..he was sort of my protector is all." She looked back to the floor pulling out her own blade to sharpen it a bit.

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott smiled again hearing that soft, low toned chuckle of hers. He wondered a little more about this town of hers. What was it like? how was the people? If they were like her calm and collected than he woulld'nt have a problem with them, however, he still didn't want to let her know about his skill. Not because his talent was wanted by a lot of people, because he didn't want to be responsible for people's lives again, like in New York the wall he thought would hold back the infected and when it failed many people died that day, because of him and his stupid wall collapsing.

His eyes narrowed when he noticed her small, but gorgeous smile fade into an heavy frown. His question seemed to draw all the life out of her like he had just stripped her future away. His heart went heavy when he witnessed the sorrow that gripped her. She broke their eye contact to stare at the ground.

She told him the reason why she was out here, but it didn't count for the emotion that he witnessed in her face nor in her eyes there was more to her story that she wasn't telling, then she shook her head and amitted that she lied.

The story wasn't more than a fem minutes of being told when he was wishing he never asked why she was out here. He felt her pain for he went through it just a few weeks ago. But this pain she's Having now was from five years ago the loss was more than a friend or a protector for he witnessed the painful tears in her eyes before she wiped it away, heard the pain rattle her words to him about this person, but what he was to her wasn't important enough foe Scott to push the issue just to know what he was to her. All that mattered was it was a loss that affected her deeply.

"I'm sorry for your loss." he looked at her when she took out her blade and began to sharpen it. "I'm a mechanical engineer, I constructed a wall around a few businesses to give about seven families and myself a safe places to live. My arrogance costed them their lives for the wall didn't hold." he looked down to the ground feeling that pain of loss just as she.

 

[IntriguedLover]

She put the knife back into the sheath and looked to him. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. In fact, many considered it my fault. The reason for the clickers, anyway. They had a reason then to consider it, but now -- they still hate me. Even though I haven't done anything wrong." She pulled her sleeve up to show him an old scar. The bitemark that started it all. "I was once infected....but since the cure came, I can no longer infect people. But they still see me as a nuisance."

Then his explanation of how so many people died. "It wasn't your fault in that either. Something went wrong, but--- you don't have to blame yourself."

She got up and moved over to the window. "Daybreak should be in about 7 hours. Why don't you rest up, I'll keep watch.."

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott watched Ellie stand up, shuffle over to the window and peered outside like it was a time long ago. He knew that look about her for he watched his mother do the very samething when she lost most of her world. He shifted his gaze from her to the floor allowing her to have that moment to reflect on all that was her past. He didn’t know if it was worth holding onto the pain, the guilt or even the what if’s, there was a time when all that had to be swept to the side and a fresh new path taken. That’s what he was going to do on this side of the world, the new start.

“I’m not really that tired, if you wish to get it all out.” Scott stood up and walked toward her, but stopped at a distance where she didn’t feel as if he was going to try something. “My mother did the samething that your doing now.” He added while dropping his eyes to the floor. “I came west to start my life over again. I want the past to fade and with it all the pain that I have went through, I may be out of place here, but it seems like you have a whole lot more pain that I have went through, but maybe allowing yourself to start anew. Start making another history line like say five minutes ago.” He waited for what he figured would be a mind your own damn business.

“I know you told me not to try and figure you out, but I think that is my business and so I’ve decided to find out all I can about you. For your now in my history line.” He took the step forward in trying to get to know this women whom holds onto so much pain. “Its okay if you want to throw something at me now.”

 

[IntriguedLover]

The truth of it was -- she didn't like letting people getting too close to her. It always ends up bad for them and then----then she's alone once more. She looked to him as he neared her. She backed up against the window -- knife within reach behind her back on the window sill in case something happens. She looked to him -- he seemed sincere enough. But, everyone does before they get so close you can't get away in time.

"Yeah, I'm not going to throw anything at you, unless you make it where I have to." She didn't want to seem stand-offish but, that was probably what was going on. She looked to him before relaxing.

"You may not want to get too close -- people don't stick around for too long after they meet me. I'm...I'm like bad luck."

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott stopped immediately when she took her first step back away from him. “I’m sorry. I had a brain fart and considered us as friends. I know now bad assumption.” Scott was used to just bringing people in when he saw that they weren’t affected, and then of course that changed for the good people changed as well just to survive. He just figured that he was a good guy and she was a good girl that they were friends, but then there is that damn deception shit that ruins everything. He raised his hands up and backed away. “Ellie, I’m sorry.” He moved back to the spot where he was sitting.

“Well Ellie, I think that is the most ridiculous bullshit I have ever heard.” Scott looked at her with a most definite look in his eyes. “Ellie, if you leave the decision up to me well then I want to get close. I need all the friends I can get. Also I don’t believe in luck so that bad crap is well crap. What happens is life, that is all it is, yes it isn’t fair but well that is life. It’s what you do with it that counts don’t you think?” He looks away from her for a moment then returns his gaze to her. “It’s up to you, I’m offering my friendship no strings attached, and well I plan on sticking around with you until you tell me to get the hell away and point that pointy arrow at me.” He reached down and opened the other can of beans, “Well, I think I will eat my applesauce now.” He chuckled

 

[IntriguedLover]

Ellie eased up when he said what he did. She looked to him with curiosity and realized if he had truly been a bad guy like David or some of the other guys she's had to deal with, then he would have gone ahead and tried to over take her. But he didn't. Could he have known she had the knife behind her back? Nah, he couldn't have. She had it concealed. She moved around and sat near him, calming down quite a bit.

She pulled out a small handmade map and looked to him, pointing to different areas. "I believe if we hunt over here like you said, we might be able to stealth kill any clickers in the area before we go after the deer. What do you think?" She was still quite hungry and pulled out a fresh batch of wild cherries she had found on the way to this area hanging off a tree.

"You want some?" she offered. "Cherries, anyway.. I think these things have pits. Not sure, so don't choke.." She popped a few into her mouth as she looked to him, handing him some across the table.

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott looked up from his can of beans and caught her look of curiosity flash over her face before changing to one of contemplation. He imagined she had a lot to think about. It was obviously she has been through more then he has, and even though he knew he was one of those rare good guys she didn’t know that and had to protect herself. He just wished there was something he could do to ease her stress. As they said in the old days, action speaks louder than words, and that was how it was going to be with her.

His brow raised in curiosity when she put down the homemade map and began pointing out locations and her plan to protect against the clickers and be able to get the deer. He smiled when she asked what he thought, He had to make her smile for it seemed to relax her when she chuckled, so in his most serious tone of voice. “Well, I think who ever made this map really needs to take some art classes!” He looked up at her and smiled sheepishly at her.

He thought she was going to tease him when she pulled out some wild cherries for his art class remark but she didn’t and asked if he wanted some, then the most curious word combination followed her offer, ‘Cherries anyway.’ Did he miss something else that was offered that he didn’t see? He waved that thought out of his mind for that was just not possible or was it. It has been a long time for him, maybe it has been for her as well. Nah, he best hold off and await to see if she gives off anymore hints besides that one.

He nodded when she told him to be careful for they may have pits in them. He almost felt like he at home with mom. He smiled at her as he took them and popped them into his mouth. “OH, by the way, Yes your plan of action would work with the clickers unless there was a few to the north that we don’t know about. The stampeding of the deer would draw them, unless you killed it with a single shot. Unless I was standing here, it would take off southward instead of northward toward the unknown area.” He tossed in his two cents worth. “How good are you with that thing?” He asked with a smile and a ‘No I don’t want to find out by you using me as a target’ expression upon his face.

 

[IntriguedLover]

His comment about her map made her face twist up. "H-hey! I made this thing. I think it's pretty damned good. B-besides, who made you an art critic?" When she gets flustered, her words twist up into big versions of stumbling over her own tongue. "But yeah, we should be able to catch the deer on the downslope -- shoot a few arrows into the group before they scatter."

She took a few of the cherries and noticed his skepticism about the food. "Yeah, no. They're cherries. I wouldn't feed you poison. I'm not sick and demented." But when he took them anyway, she smiled. Another shock. She smiled again. She hasn't done this in a long time. Smiled for no reason other than just for laughs. Why was he able to bring this side out of her? She couldn't put her finger on it.

Ellie looked to the bow when he mentioned it. "Yeah, and I think I can make you one out of some stuff here if you want. Shouldn't be hard. Just make some arrow heads from the forks leftover in the drawer over there." She got up, popping a few more cherries into her mouth.

"I'll even show you how to work one." She began to rip apart an old rocking chair and pulled out her bowie knife to start whittling away at the bowed part of the chair.

 

[Elvenoff1]

He spit out a couple of pits but savored the flavor of the cherries. Their tartness hit the spot, something that hasn't happened in a while. eating state crackers or beef stew never gave him that bite he so desired. He really enjoyed seeing someone laugh and smile again, it was all but too serious back in the big apple for anyone to smile or laugh for someone was always dying somewhere. The screams seemed endless and unforgiving.

He allowed his attention to fall back on Ellie as she began to talk about making him a bow and what to use. He nodded to her and stood up, taking a few moments to look upon her once more. She reminded him of Kim, a very tough tomboy, she had the street toughness of new York as Ellie here at the toughness of a country girl. He watched her toss a few more cherries into her mouth. "I really do hope you have a few more of those." His hand pointing to her mouth.

He didn't wait for answer as he moved over and grabbed what forks there were to grab. "So you never really told me much about this town of yours. how many people do you protect there?" He stopped and hoped that she didn't get that eerie feeling like he was trying to get intel from her. "Nevermind. I don't want you to get that bad feeling again. I was just trying to keep the small talk going." He walked over with the forks.. "Okay what's next.." He eyed her quizzically.

 

[IntriguedLover]

"The town. The people, anyway. They are just scared. Too many people there and now not enough people to work on anything to repair it. It is a mess. Not organized -- not as well as it was before the clicker swarm 5 years ago. Now, it's just a bunch of hectic odd jobs that they have me do. Mostly just to hunt. They eat more than they should. But...I don't care. I don't need to eat much to survive."

She smiled looking to him and pulled out a pouch. "Here. More cherries." There was a slight red stain from berries past at the bottom of the pouch. She looked to the forks and looked around. "You're gonna have to find something to bend the spoons and forks around. Or just break the end of the knifes off. As long as their triangular."

She continued to break down the chair, carving arrows, threading a string through the bow. She took her bowie knife and carved a 'S' in the wood. "Here, that way you know it's yours."

"So, what about your town? I've never been out east, not far anyway. Just Philadelphia once. I was born there." She was wanting to know more about him as well.

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott stopped what he was messing with so that he could turn and look at Ellie. He listened to her words as she told him about the town. He wondered if he could make a difference there or not. It really didn’t matter he had no where else to go and if he did go, at least Ellie would be there. That in itself was enough to make the decision that he was going back with her.

“Thanks!” He took a few and popped them into his mouth, then tossed the bag back to her. “So you have a berry plant close by huh?” He smiled as he was lucky enough to see the stain on the pouch. He didn’t pull his gaze away from her after she caught it. He shook his head and forced himself to look away. ‘Make things for bow!’ his mind blasted him for his gawking at her.

“No problem,” He began breaking some of he knives. Then he took some of the spoons and forks to the wall of the cabin near one of the windows, using the window frame as a brace, he began to bend the utensils.

“OH, about six million affected, maybe three to four hundred gangs running around trying to claim all the heavy stored sectors they could collect. It was a grand place if you wanted to die within a few years” Scott uttered angrily at how stupid humans can be by turning upon each other instead of helping. “Now, the small community that we had there was about forty of us. A variety of skills, we where doing real good, had a water supply, a few well stocked food banks and a small grocery store. So food wasn’t an immediate worry.” His head dropped down, “It was the security aspect that we didn’t have that ended up being our weak link and what got a lot of them killed when my wall didn’t hold up to the horde that arrived over the night.” He began tapping his leg, each tap was hard till he was basically hitting himself full strength. “Oh, I thought I was hot shit for I’m the one that rigged up an aqueduct that captured rain/condensation water off of the skyscrapers and had it pool to a holding area near the center of our community. It was a piece of art if I say so myself…. Like your map..” He chuckled

His chucking stopped, “That night when the wall collapsed was the night I lost all my family.” I was out scavenging for items that I needed to do some more projects, Also we found another food bank that we was going to start transporting it back to the community but when I got back the wall had already fallen and my family was being well you know…” He went silent as his mind’s eye replayed all the images he seen that night. A single tear streamed down his cheek.

 

[IntriguedLover]

His story. It sounded a bit rougher than hers. Someone nice like him to have suffered so much. To have lost so much. It seemed like he would need a new start. And that's what the town would be able to give him. "Scott.. I'm so sorry. But it wasn't your fault. You did what you could given what you had available. I'm sure no one blamed you." She finished carving the bow, adding a special touch to the intricate carving she did in the wood. "Scott" in swirling font is what she did, a small hammer carved in the wood under it.

"There ya go," she said handing it to him. "The fix it man, Scott. I'm sure with some ingenuity you can do anything."

She stood up and began putting the arrowheads on the tip of the arrows, tying them on with some twine and glue. "That should hold them together. Now we can do more in a shorter amount of time."

She handed them to him and stood behind him, raising his arms up and guiding him. She showed him how to pull the arrow back and taught him how to aim. "Now, release but only the arrow. Your finger here will guide it to the target.." She kept her hands on him for a minute to allow him time to get used to the form he'd need.

"How does it feel?" she asked.

 

[Elvenoff1]

He snapped out of his traumatic replay of that night to her soothing words. “Yeah.” he replied to her the pain was still evident but he tried to pull himself up, for she had pain too and they both needed to help each other to keep above the water. He looked away from her for a moment took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Well, it seems like both of our roads have moments we wished we could change. But as harsh as it is we must move on and so that they will remain with us. Words he heard a priest tell some mourners that made them feel a little better. As it just did with him.

“Hey thanks!” he took the bow and looked at it smiling when he saw the hammer and his name. “Damn your good!” He smiled at her words, “So does this hammer mean that I’m your new handy man?” He sure hoped she said yes..

“Talk about ingenuity,“ as he watched her putting the arrows together. “So they don’t put a hammer in your hand? It seems like you have the knowledge of survival that would help a town flourish.” he looked at her with a slightly tilted head glaring at her.

He liked how close she was to him, her body felt really good as he even caught himself pushing back a little into her. It has been a long time since he had someone close to him in this fashion. He savored her feel against him for the lonely nights that were to come too soon.

“Damn good to me, a little hot where that hand is at though.” he turned toward her and pushed his lips to hers.. Kissing her lightly..

 

[IntriguedLover]

Ellie didn't hesitate this time and pushed into the kiss with him. She hadn't ever had a kiss except with Riley and Riley was...was a girl. This is her first kiss with a guy. It felt good. Her body began to relax as she continued the kiss with him. The bow and arrow he had had drawn dropped to the floor as the two of them began to makeout. Well, at least that is what it seemed like with her. Making out. Was this what it was like? She pushed any hesitation out of her mind as she moved back against the wall, keeping him close.

She pulled back for a moment, panting slowly. "Scott? Is this what kissing is?" she asked, hoping she wasn't seeming stupid. She didn't know anything to do with this sort of thing. "I...I only ask because --- it's my first time.."

 

[Elvenoff1]

Scott was pleased that the knife she still had in the hand was sticking out of his gut, but was pleased that she moved into the kiss and was kissing him back. He could feel the heat rising within him when she pulled him back and trapped herself against the wall. It was very erotic and it worked for his cock began to swell.

He paused and backed his head away from her. His head tilted a little to the side. “Yes, this is kissing and ..” He just realized what she said about this being her fist time. He looked at her with a soft glare, “Umm, Ellie I now this sounds old fashion, but are you sure you want this now? I mean this would be a great gift for a man that wanted you as a wife. Not saying that…” He shook his head for he walked himself right into that one. No, the way he was feeling about her it would be more than a one night session.

He leaned into her pushing her up against the wall gently. Pressing his lips back to hers. His hand moving down and pulling her leg up around his waist, then stepping into her to hold her up against the wall. His hand slowly moving up down over her hip and cupping her ass to help support her white the other one moves up her side to the swell of her breast. He cupped it lightly allowing his fingers to stimulate her nipple.

 

[IntriguedLover]

The feelings that she was feeling was something she hadn't felt ever before. It felt good. She moaned into the kiss as she was pressed into the wall by him. Then her leg was pulled up to where he was holding her against the wall, his hand moving to her breast. She felt at ease with him. The feeling of a heat rising in her body. She wanted more. More of him. More of this. She moved around feeling his fingers against her nipple, loving the touch of his hands on her flesh.

She moved her hands around and held onto his back, keeping him close to her as she continued to kiss this man. This man she had only met a few hours ago. In this hell filled world. Everything seemed...normal. For once in her life, she was happy with this.