FLY ME TO THE MOON
iii. IF THE WORLD WAS ENDING
❝FOR YOU, I WOULD DO ANYTHING.❞

THE UNEARTHLY SCREAMS ECHOING FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE CITY WAS THE ONLY THING JULIA COULD FOCUS ON. No matter how far they ran, it continued to buzz in her mind as the image of innocents being ripped to shreds flashed across her dark eyes. People had lost their minds and abandoned their morals, running aimlessly to avoid the ones who had succumbed to the unknown disease. It was no surprise their car had been plowed into by another reckless driver, looking to escape the same purgatory they were trying to. Sarah had broken her leg in the accident, making it impossible for her to walk on her own. Tommy and Joel had escaped with minor cuts while Julia was mostly unscratched, but all four of them were left unnerved as they faced what their town had deteriorated to within a few hours.

Yet, there was nothing they could do but run from the horrors they had witnessed. It was too dangerous to wander the streets, so the four had opted to go through the alleyways where a chain-link fence kept out the Infected. But eventually, the wired wall gave out due to their growing weight and the four had a group of snarling townspeople on their tail. They had kept running, making it to a restaurant Pistol Cantina where Tommy had chosen to stay behind to keep the Infected from reaching them. "Go! Get to the highway!" Tommy had screamed at them, holding the door closed with his pistol pointing at the edge where hands reached in. They did not cease their attacks as Tommy slammed the door harder, trying to keep them out of the restaurant. "Go, you guys have Sarah! I'll be okay, I can outrun 'em!"

They had run with the promise of reuniting at the highway, leaving through the restaurant's back door ━━ a place where Julia remembered eating after one of Sarah's soccer games. She had done her best to ignore the blood pooling from the kitchen, not wanting to know the fate of the owners of the establishment.  The backdoor led to a small parking lot, fenced in by a waist-length brick wall. Beyond the wall, it led to a small river, and above it was the bridge that led out of the city ━━ part of the highway they needed to get to. Luckily, there was a broken patch in the wall where a motorcycle had crashed into about a few months back and it had never been fixed. They ran down the hill, Julia clutching her swollen stomach as pain shot through her legs and abdomen. Stress isn't good for the baby, her mother had told her multiple times throughout the course of her pregnancy but Julia had always thrown her mother's advice out the window. It wasn't any different this time.

With no time to catch their breath, the three were forced to run faster when they came to an overturned ambulance with its lights still filling the darkness with red and blue. A man crawled out of the open door, hissing at them as he tried to stand. He bared his bloodied teeth, still not satisfied from the EMTs he had torn limb from limb. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, feeling her legs start to numb as she kept running to keep up with Joel. Sarah kept her eyes on Julia, begging her to keep up as she clung to her father. Despite it all, Sarah was a brave girl ━━ much braver than Julia felt at that moment as she tried to ignore the vengeful screams behind her. But, the screams had been silenced by the shot of a gun.

The harsh sound had caused the three to freeze, not daring to move another step as they waited for the Infected to sink his teeth into them or to feel the heat of a bullet as it tore through their skin. But, when they were greeted with only silence, Julia dared to open her eyes. At first, Julia thought Tommy had joined them but nothing was behind them except for the corpse of the Infected slumped to the ground with a shattered skull. Tommy had not been the one to shoot, unfortunately.

Standing in front of them at the top of the hill was a military soldier, he was dressed in heavy armor with an arsenal of weapons attached to his person but he held on tight to a rapid-fire machine gun. For a moment, Joel and Julia shared a relieved glance ━━ the end of their awful journey through the city they used to call their home. "It's going to be okay. We're safe," Joel told the two of them, keeping them close as he turned to look at the soldier. "Please, it's our daughter! I think her leg's broken."

"Stop right there!" the soldier shouted at them, ignoring the words that had left Joel's lips. His flashlight was pointed to their faces, forcing Julia to squint her eyes as the blinding light hit her. Perhaps, he was checking to see if they were infected by the disease. It was the only assumption Julia could make as she held her hands up, hoping the soldier would see they were not a threat.

Joel took a small step back, looking at Julia from the corners of his eyes. Stay behind me, it was what he was saying without uttering a word to the woman. He tightened his hold on Sarah, taking in a shaky breath as he stood tall. "Listen, we've just been through Hell," Joel spoke softly and slowly, keeping his distance from the soldier. "We aren't... sick."

A beat of silence passed as the soldier mulled over Joel's words, turning to the side as he began to speak into his earpiece. "Got a couple of civilians in the outer perimeter," the man said, tapping a foot against the shifting dirt below. Julia could feel her heart beat faster and faster as each second passed, making the world spin around her. The soldier continued to speak, stealing a glance at the three. "Please advise."

"Daddy," Sarah's voice sounded over the beating of Julia's heart, forcing her to focus on the young girl instead. Her leg needed to be treated as soon as possible. If not, the pain will only worsen with time. "What about Uncle Tommy?"

Joel's eyes were frantic, causing Julia to feel uneasy as well as she faced her husband and daughter. Yet, his voice was calm as he spoke softly to the young girl. "We're gonna get you and Mama to safety," he started, forcing a smile to his lips. "Then, we'll go back for him. Okay?"

As Joel spoke to Sarah, Julia turned her attention back to the soldier as he continued to speak to his commander. His voice was wavering, shaking his head as he listened. Julia couldn't see his face, but she could see his distress through the way he moved. "But, sir," the man began again, "it's a family with a little girl and a pregnant mother."

This wasn't going to end in their favor. Julia could tell, causing her to grip the back of Joel's shirt as she began to tug him backward. Joel was speaking, but she didn't hear his words as her mind told her to run. However, they didn't react in time as the soldier raised his gun and fired.

Julia was pushed back by Joel, rolling down the hill as the mud seeped into her clothing and the only thing she could think about was the sting of the bullets that had managed to graze her skin. She stared up at the night sky as her watering eyes began to focus on the twinkling constellations that remained unaffected by the terrors happening on the Earth. Julia took in a shaky breath, listening to a scuffle before another gunshot rang in the air. She flinched, shivering at the cold that seemed to surround her. Joel? Sarah? Were they okay?

However, a familiar face came into view causing a small smile to replace the woman's frown as her brother-in-law helped her sit up. Tommy. He had been the one to fire the last shot, killing the soldier that had dared to open fire on them. He asked questions, but the ringing of the gunshots continued to deafen the woman. But through the ringing, she heard the smallest whimper of pain and it caused her head to snap toward Sarah.

No.

Joel reached Sarah first, pulling her into his arms. Julia was quick, lifting Sarah's t-shirt to reveal her bullet-ridden abdomen. No, no, no. Her hand trembled, noticing the dark red that stained her hand and had quickly begun to soak into their clothing. "I know this hurts, baby," Joel's voice sounded, pulling Julia out of her shock as focused on the task at hand. "But, you gotta hold on, okay?"

"Pressure on her wound, now!" Julia snapped, trying her best to ignore the painful cries coming from the young girl. Images from their past began to flood the woman's mind as she blinked the tears away, remembering how small Sarah had been when she had first held her in her arms. Fuck, what should she do? "It's going to be okay, Sarah. I promise, darling. We're going to get you help," Julia whispered softly, refusing to look at anything but Sarah's wound. "Tommy! I need you to get supplies from the ambulance up the hill, please!"

"Y-yeah, okay," Tommy stammered, taking a few steps away from the scene before he began to run to the overturned ambulance they had passed on the way. It was going to be okay. Tommy would be back with the supplies Julia needed and she would be able to treat Sarah's wounds. In the emergency room, it wasn't unheard of to have a few victims of gunfire. She had done it all before. It wasn't any different now. Right?

"Mama's going to help you, baby," Joel whispered, his voice cracking with every word as he held onto Sarah. Her whimpers were the only things that filled the air, breaking Julia's focus every time as she held her hands over the wounds. Joel's pleads reached her ears, begging for her to save their baby girl. Save Sarah. She had always been such a tough little girl, overcoming any injury that came her way with a bright smile and a thumbs-up. But, Julia couldn't lie to herself. It was what any medical professional would say when they would notice the blood-soaked clothing, the stark-white skin, and the once bright blue eyes that seemed to become duller as the seconds went by. "Julia, please!" Joel pleaded, meeting the woman's downcast eyes. "Do something!"

"Joel..." Julia whimpered, trying to hide the shaking of her body as a soft sob wracked through her body as she faced Sarah's blank expression. She stared at seemingly nothing, still holding onto her father's hands while her other rested on top of Julia's as she still tried to stop the bleeding. Nothing came out of Julia's mouth as she began to sob, lowering her head as she refused to look at Joel.

"Julia, please," Joel breathed, keeping his eyes on his wife as he waited for her to do something, anything to save Sarah. He used his free hand to shake the woman, forcing her to look up at him as she shook her head. "Look, Julia, Tommy's here!" he said, facing his brother for the briefest moment who had stopped in his tracks. "Please, you have to help Sarah!"

"Joel," Julia repeated, meeting the man's eyes as took in a deep breath. How do you tell someone their child is gone? What do you do when you lose your child?  Julia couldn't do much but shake her head, trying to ignore the pain festering within her chest. Sarah was... gone. She had helped raise Sarah, considering her to be her own despite not sharing a single ounce of blood. She had always been the perfect daughter, making Julia so proud to be her mother. They were going to be the perfect little family ━━ Joel (and sometimes, his Uncle Tommy if he behaved, according to Sarah), Julia, and Sarah with baby Adam on the way. But, it had all been taken from them in one sweeping moment. "It's too late, my love. Sarah..." Julia took in a shaky breath, trying to still her trembling hands. "I can't help her anymore, Joel."

"No..." Joel whispered, finally looking at Sarah as he placed a gentle hand against her cheek. He shook his head, unable to stop the cries that left his lips. "Sarah? Please, baby, don't do this. You have to be okay!" Joel sobbed, bringing the young girl to his chest as he held her close. "Sarah, please don't do this to me."

Julia felt Tommy's hand against her shoulder, causing her to take a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her to pull her into a tight hug. She could feel him shaking, knowing the younger brother had been brought to tears as well. This wasn't how their story was supposed to end, but they could not control the outcome that fate had given them. Sarah was gone. And, it was something her little family would never forget.

━━ ━━ ━━

    JANUARY 1ST, 2018.

A SOFT GASP ESCAPED JULIA'S LIPS AS SHE OPENED HER EYES TO THE DARKENED ROOM, taking a few moments to realize Joel had been the one to shake her awake. He hadn't turned on the lights, leaving the room shrouded in darkness as Julia rubbed her eyes and waited for them to adjust. Her heart still raced from the awful nightmare, forcing her to take in a few deep breaths. It had been over five years since Sarah had died. She would have been seventeen-years-old, planning to go off to college and leave the nest to make a home for herself in this whole wide world. But, the day would never come and Julia would continue to miss her little rebel every second of each day. She shook the thoughts from her mind, looking to Joel who was pulling out his revolver from the drawer. "Joel," Julia mumbled, yawning as she stretched her arms and looked to the clock to see it was still two o'clock in the morning. "Why are you up so early?"

"Get up," Joel said, not going into detail as he holstered the gun into his belt. His tone was one Julia was used to, cold and distant as he spent most of his days working with Tommy and the others down at the power plant or out on patrol. "We have to leave."

"What?" Julia asked, frowning at his words as she finally pushed the blankets off and got out of the bed. She stood tall, dressed in ill-fitted pajama pants and one of Joel's older shirts. "It's the middle of the night. What are you on about?"

"Grab your things and pack light, we're leaving now," Joel ordered, flicking on one of the lights as it flooded the room with fluorescent light. And, that was when Julia noticed the blood that stained the man's clothes. She took a small step back, trying to find the words to ask him what had happened so late at night. But, he didn't give her the chance to speak as he began to walk toward the door that led into the room that was supposed to be a walk-in closet. Yet, they had renovated it into a small bedroom to fit their young son. "I'm going to get Adam."

Julia didn't question him, moving toward the wardrobe to get her backpack ━━ something she had not touched for months as she had gotten used to life in the community. She knew she didn't have too much time as she collected their weapons, stashing them away in her bag but keeping out her handgun just in case. Julia picked up a few of Adam's things, putting them into his little backpack and some of his things in her own. He would be devastated if we left behind any of his favorite toys, but even Julia knew she couldn't take everything. Next, she grabbed a change of clothes but she wasn't too concerned about that. It was often they passed by abandoned clothing stores and everything was ripe for the taking. Julia, herself, quickly changed into something more suitable for the colder weather outside. She put on a pair of jeans and a jacket over the shirt she was already wearing, deciding it was good enough. She looked back at Joel, watching him come out of the closet with a sleeping Adam in his arms. Though, he had managed to put on his boots and coat. Texas didn't get freezing winters, but it was still too cold to wander around outside without a coat on.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" Julia asked, slipping on her shoes before she shrugged on her backpack. Five long years after the world had gone to Hell, Julia had learned how to pack everything up and leave within moments without a second thought. But, this community had become home. It was a safe place. What had gone wrong? Something told her the blood covering Joel's clothing played a part in their sudden departure.

"We have to go before someone realizes," Joel muttered, moving Julia toward the door that led into an empty hallway. People would still be sleeping, causing them to quiet down to make sure no one would hear them. He sighed, shaking his head as he led her down the hall. "I'll explain everything later. But, for now, we need to meet Tommy. He's waiting for us in a warehouse across town."

"Okay, warehouse across town," Julia nodded, keeping that in mind in case she and Joel got separated. "Is it just us?"

"Yes."

"But, why, Joel?" Julia asked softly, stealing a glance back at the man. She could see how tired the man looked with his dark circles and drying skin. It had only been six years, but it seemed as if Joel had aged decades. He put too much stress on himself, working hard to keep herself, Adam, and Tommy safe. "Things were going so well. I don't understand what━━"

Her voice was cut off by the blaring alarms, filling the hall with red light as everyone began to stir within their bedrooms. It wasn't often the alarm sounded, causing dread to hit Julia. Something was very wrong.

"Shit," Joel swore, moving faster as the two walked down the hall toward the exit. It wouldn't be long before the others were coming out of their bedrooms to see what the commotion was about. Adam stirred in Joel's arms, mumbling quietly as he glanced around the red hallway. "We have to go, can't let them find us."

"What the hell did you do?" Julia asked softly, knowing the people they once called friends were out to get them. She didn't know what Joel and Tommy did, but it hadn't been good to have the whole community on alert. Chaos could be heard behind them, causing them to pick up their pace.

"Find them!"

"They couldn't have gotten far!"

"We need all four of them!"

"Find them, now!"

"Move," Joel whispered harshly, slipping out of a back door as they entered the wooded courtyard. The camp was located at the edge of the small town, being surrounded by buildings on one side and woods on the other. Usually, the only problems they received were wild animals or Infected coming in from the woods. Sometimes, strangers would appear at the doorstep of the camp but they were usually dealt with by their leader, Clayton Donovan. They stuck to the shadows, hiding from the floodlights that roamed the grounds.

"M-Mama," Adam's quiet voice filled the silence, causing both Joel and Julia to freeze before they turned their attention to the young boy cradling onto his father. He looked around, tightening his grip around Joel's neck. "Where are we going?"

"Shh, baby," Julia whispered softly, placing a finger against her lips before she offered her son a small smile. He looked confused but did not question his mother as he rested his head against Joel's shoulder. "I need you to be quiet. Can you do that for me?"

Adam nodded, not saying a single word as he closed his eyes again. Joel and Julia shared a look, remembering they needed to be careful ━━ if not for their sake, for their son's.

━━ ━━ ━━

THE DOOR OF THE WAREHOUSE SCRAPED AGAINST THE GROUND, causing the sound to echo throughout the empty lot. It caused Julia to look back, scanning the darkness for any signs of people or Infected. Joel ushered them into the dark building, causing Julia to take in a deep breath as the man closed the door behind them and locked it. The first thing Julia looked for was Tommy, but the warehouse was empty. Nothing in sight, but that did not mean something couldn't be hiding in the shadows. Julia held onto Adam, watching Joel flash his light as he searched the corners for any sign of danger. "I think we're safe," Joel muttered, continuing to check around as he held his hunting rifle close to his chest. "For now."

The man could not alleviate the tension coursing through his bones, standing guard by the window with his rifle in his hands as if their lives depended on it ━━ which it did.  His narrowed brown eyes scanned the treeline, looking for the slightest glimpse of light to spot their pursuers. But, it seemed as if they had lost them in the dense vegetation of the forest. Julia turned her gaze away from her husband, looking down at her son as shivered against the chill in the warehouse. She shrugged off her coat, putting it around the boy's shoulders. "Are you alright, baby?" Julia asked softly, wiping away the dirt that coated his cheeks. Dark circles ringed his eyes; his exhaustion even more evident as he yawned. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"I'm okay, Mama," the young boy whispered, sniffling another yawn as he snuggled into the coat. He pointed to Julia's arm, noticing the rip in the clothing and the blood that soaked her blouse. A bullet had grazed her arm, but she had been relatively unharmed other than that. She was lucky to escape with her life. And, thankfully, Joel and her son had not been hurt in their escape. Adam frowned, looking up at Julia. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," Julia reassured, ignoring the look she had received from Joel. It wasn't something they needed to make a fuss over, for sure. She gave Adam a warm smile, pinching his cheek to make him smile. "It doesn't even hurt, sweetheart."

Adam nodded, giving her a toothy grin ━━ one was missing near the bottom. He had been so scared when it had fallen out one day, but Julia had told him stories of the Tooth Fairy and how they would come to take his tooth and leave him a treat in return. He had woken up to a candy bar the next morning, something Joel and Tommy had stayed out all night to find. Adam looked to his father, frowning slightly. "Is Uncle Tommy coming with us?"

Joel didn't say a word, letting out a heavy breath as he continued to stare out the window. It filled Julia with dread, causing her hands to shake as she clutched onto the young boy. It was a possibility that Tommy had never made it out of their old base, but they wouldn't give up on him yet.

"He'll be joining us soon, okay?" Julia whispered, ruffling the boy's short hair. It had been cut only a few days prior by Tommy, but it was already starting to grow out. "Stay here, baby, I'm going to go talk to Daddy."

"M'kay."

Julia walked toward the man, noticing the way he tensed without needing to spare her a glance. She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as she hid the injury. It had started to burn, but one glance at it told her it was only a flesh wound. No stitches needed, but some bandages would be nice to keep it from getting infected. "Joel, what happened?" Julia asked, keeping her distance from the man. "Do not keep me in the dark, please. I need to know."

Joel let out a heavy sigh, looking in her direction as he shook his head. For a moment, his gaze flickered to Adam and Julia could see his eyes soften for the briefest moment. He returned his attention to the wooded area outside the window, clenching his jaw as his mind went back to the events that had occurred only an hour prior. In a quiet voice, he answered Julia's question. "Clayton Donovan isn't the man we thought he was."

♡

HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER! I have to admit I am not updating as fast I would like, but I am working on an outline so I hope it will help me put out chapters faster because I actually have some idea of where this story is going. But, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It is pretty sad if I am being honest. Sarah's death is something that makes me cry every time without fail, so some tears were definitely shed while writing this.

We've also met Adam in this chapter! I love him with all my heart and I am so excited to tell his story and how it ties into Joel and Julia's! So far, I am sticking with all the odd chapters being in the past and the even chapters being set during the events in the first TLOU game! But, I might have to split up some chapters into multiple parts because I think they'll start to be over 5000+ words and I don't want to limit myself on word count so I am just going to make them as short or as long as I can!

I am so excited for the next chapter because it is a lot of action and more interactions between Joel and Julia! Plus, writing Tess and Ellie is gonna be lots of fun as well. I hope to post the chapter soon and within the next month or so!

ALSO, PEDRO PASCAL WAS CAST AS JOEL IN THE LIVE-ACTION REMAKE AND I AM SO EXCITED. I LOVE HIM AND MY FRIEND HAZ [ STARKVADER ] MADE EDITS FOR ME! IT IS SO PERFECT. I am personally imagining both video game Joel and Pedro Pascal as Joel! You guys are allowed to imagine things however you'd like! I don't mind either one! :)

━━ AMARA
[CHAPTER POSTED ━━ 02.24.2021]