|WARNING|
This chapter is very awkward.
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I awaken to the sound of nothing. The deafening sound of silence made me uncomfortable. I couldn't feel anything. Like, my body was completely numb. And it was. My eyesight was blurry, and I could just make out dust floating in the air. I turn my head, and close my eyes.

Hoping once I open them again, I'll be able to see. But I can't. I force myself up, as my body was weak.
As I stood, some feeling came back up my body. I release a sigh of relief. My eyes sight clears as well.
Though, I was still tired.

I look in front of me. Ruins. It's all I see. I walk slowly around. Buildings torn down, and burnt. Questions flood my brain. What happened? How did this happen? How long was I out? Where are my parents? Where's Ellie?

A sudden shot of pain bursted out into my chest. My parents. Ellie. Where were they? Are they... No. I refuse to believe it.

"Mom, Dad!" I shout to the top of my aching lungs. My voice sounded rough, and unhealthy. But I didn't seem to care. "Ellie!" I say. "Where are you?"
I look for what seemed like hours. Where could they be?

"Drake?" A faint voice comes from behind me. I quickly come to nothing, as I turn around. At first I thought my head was playing tricks on me, but then I heard it again.
"Drake," the voice was a girl, I believe. "Mom? Ellie?" I say. I didn't know which it could be. Of course it wasn't anyone from the village itself. No one in the town knew my name except for Ellie, my mother, and my father.

"Oh my gosh, Drake," I heard foot steps. Slowly coming closer to me, but soon going at a fast pace. I couldn't tell which way it was coming from for some reason, so I kept turning in circles, trying to navigate the sound. I feel hands grab my wrist, and I find myself being hugged.

I didn't dare break the hug. Thinking it might break the persons heart for some reason. "I thought you were..." the voice stopped in its tracks. But who did the voice belong to? Then it hit me. It was Ellie's. I felt myself hug tighter at the realization. I soon noticed how caring Ellie sounded.

Does Ellie... care about me? I thought. Surely not. She's just... pretending. Right?
But I couldn't bring myself to even think it was true. "I'm here, now." I say without intention.

I felt Ellie pull away, though I didn't want to let go, I pulled away too. I look at her face. It's dirty and scarred but, beautiful. Beautiful? Shut up, Drake. Stop being so weird.

"Are you... alright, Drake?" she asked. I noticed I had zoned out for a second. Correction, for a couple minutes.
"Oh, yeah, I'm... fine." I reply.

"Drake. I have something to tell you," she looks down at the ground.
"What is it?" I ask.
"It's your... parents." she says.
"What about them?" I say.
"I found their bodies a couple hours ago. Purple, bloody, cold, and stationary." she says the words with sadness. "Drake,"
"Yes, Ellie?"

               "Your parents are... gone."

I wake to the smell of fire. It was fresh and new, as well. The smell sent relaxation into my body, as I noticed how tired I was. I could barely hold my eyes open. Can't I just feel awake already? I complain. I put my hands on my face, and rub it. I sit up in some soft grass. I wasn't in the village anymore.

I sat with my back against a tree as I watched Ellie make some soup. Soup? Where did she get that? She must've found it in the village. Out of all things, she found a can of soup left in those ruins. Well, I guess that gives us some extra food to eat.

I stretch and sigh, and Ellie turns to face me. "Morning," she says. "Sleep alright?"

"Not really," I whisper. It hurts my throat to speak, so I speak as loudly as I can allow. She puts the soup in a wooden bowl, and she walks toward me. She has a wooden spoon too? Where does this girl find these things? I think to myself, as she stirs the soup with a small spoon.

"Here," she lifts the spoon, which is filled up with the soup. "Eat. You look like you need it."

I try to lift my arms, but I can't. She seems to notice. She feeds it to me herself. "There," she says.
I felt awkward about this, but I didn't mind.

Soon, after I finished eating, Ellie wrapped some cloth around my forehead. "You were bleeding when we found each other in the town back there," she says. "This should help stop it." I smiled, and we looked into each other's eyes.

"You need your rest." she speaks softly. I nod. She gets up to walk away, but I stop her. "Ellie," I say.
She turns to me. "Yes?"
"Thank you." I say. Still, my voice low.

She smiled, and sat in front of the fire.