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「 fifteen. I was so young when I behaved
twenty-five
Yet now I find I've grown into a tall child . 」

JOEL MILLER'S EYES SNAPPED OPEN TO THE SOUND OF A FEMININE SHRIEK. Instantly, the man sat up, assuming the worst. He silently scolded himself for falling into a peaceful sleep—it was his job to watch over the girls and he had failed.

He turned to Lizzie, watching as she breathed heavily in surprise, her head and shoulders adorned in particles of cold snow. She shivered noticeably, looking up to Ellie with her mouth agape.

Ellie laughed joyfully, amused at the blonde's reaction. She had woken up first, and after standing watch for series of moments, she looked over to Lizzie.

The blonde was curled tightly in a ball, one of her arms resting over Bellamy's sleeping figure. Ellie smirked lightly as she placed down the shotgun, making a large pile of snow. Quietly, she picked it up, hurrying slightly so that none of it would slip from her grasp.

Revenge for blaming the snowball on her the previous day.

Then, with a grin, she dropped the pile of glistening snow over the blonde's head. Lizzie shot up in surprise at the presence of the icy substance—waking Joel up accidentally.

Ellie laughed blissfully, moving away from the blonde as she attempted to kick her in the back of the leg. The brunette simply grinned as she heard the blue-eyed girl curse, wiping away the snow on her shoulders and hair.

Ellie turned at the sound of Joel's annoyed grunting. "Still mumbling in your sleep. I woke up early. You were passed out, so I took second watch." She explained to the man.

Joel gave her an irritated glance, standing up from his spot and watching as Lizzie flipped her hair left and right in an attempt to execute the remaining snow.

"You gotta wake me up if that happens. You can't do things like this." Joel scolded, his tone laced with annoyance, though it seemed he felt more annoyed at himself than to either of the girls.

Ellie gave him a tight-lipped smile. "But I can. . . 'cause I just did."

Lizzie snickered lightly, looking up to the man. "Oh, she's got you there, cowboy."

Joel looked down to her, holding out his hand to help her stand from her sat down position. She took it grateful, letting him pull her up. Beside them, Bellamy howled as he stretched, standing straighter and shaking his fur.

"It's not funny, Bug. I'm responsible for you, okay?" He lectured, giving Ellie a stare of disapproval at her actions.

Lizzie shrugged. "Kind of funny."

"Then don't fall asleep." Ellie remarked, "I was quiet, I checked my six, I looked for tracks, I found the high ground, and I kept watch. Like you taught us to. What can I say, man? I'm a natural." Joel scoffed, taking the large shotgun from her hands. "Wake me up next time."

"Yes, sir."

As inviting as the cave was, the trio weren't able to stick around any longer, and instead carried on their journey through Wyoming.

Once again, snowfall adorned the trees, bridges, and lakes, highlighting them in a pale glow. The air remained cold and bitter, like it had been the previous few weeks.

The world fell still as two teenage girls, a man, and a dog walked along the oddly-shaped bridge. It was adorned with frost, and as Lizzie let her hand touch over the steel metal, she could feel the cold invade the cotton of her gloves.

It hadn't taken very long to cross the bridge, the unsettling environment caused them to pick up their speed as they traveled.

After they had crossed over the desolate bridge, Joel lead them through the snow-filled district. Occasionally, one of them would start a conversation over something meaningless, but for most of the journey, they trekked on to the sound of their own breathing.

As they walked over a plane of snow, Lizzie turned at the sound of unsuccessful whistling. She raised an eyebrow as she watched Ellie attempt to create a sweet whistle, only for it to come out poorly.

"What are you doing, ponytail?" She watched as Ellie turned to her, rolling her eyes and making a 'duh' sound. "I'm learning how to whistle."

Joel turned from his place in front of them, "you don't know how to whistle?"

"Does it sound like I know how to whistle?"

Lizzie smiled lightly. "I can whistle." She remarked, a smug glint in her eyes as Ellie narrowed her eyes at her. "No you cant."

"Yes, I can." Lizzie persisted, demonstrating by whistling the tune of an old song Marlene used to whistle to.

Ellie rolled her, scoffing lightly. "Seriously, though, how the fսck do you do that?"

Lizzie grinned, shrugging her shoulders as she walked. "Just that talented."

"Whatever." Ellie dismissed, turning to look at Joel who walked in front of her. "You should teach us how to hunt."

"Huh."

Lizzie turned to the two, nodding her head lightly. "I reckon I'd be good at hunting, you know." She turned to Ellie with a small smirk, "I'd get you all the rabbits in the world." She referenced the previous day's conversation.

Ellie looked down for a moment, her cheeks slightly rosy, though she hoped the blonde would assume it to be just the winter air. If she noticed, Lizzie didn't say.

Joel huffed loudly. "Well, you'd be able to handle the shootin', that's for sure. Not so sure about the dressin'." The man finished. He breathed heavily as his boots collided against the hardened frost that adorned the once grassy floor.

Ellie's eye brows creased, walking forward so she was beside the blonde girl. "What the fuck's the dressing?"

"The part where you take the guts out."

Lizzie winced loudly, turning to Ellie and nudging her shoulder. "Oh, don't think that's for me. You should do that though, El. You'd be a natural." She suggested, a teasing look washing over her face.

"Think I'll pass." The brunette tilted her head at Lizzie, a grin on her face despite the unsettling topic of conversation. "Why do they call it dressing? It's like, you should call it undressing 'cause it is. It's like. . . undressing from the inside. Still interesting, though."

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"DAM." Ellie breathed out, standing beside Lizzie as she and Joel stared down at the large dam that flowed before them.

Lizzie turned to her, shaking her head lightly. "I was waiting for that one."

Joel exhaled, unamused at the joke as he gave Ellie a glance from the corner of his eye. "You're no Will Livingston."

"Yeah, yeah, but who is?" Ellie smiled. "So that made electricity?" She asked, looking over the rust-covered dam that rested before her.

"Yeah. Don't ask me. I don't have a clue." Joel denied.

Ellie released a small chuckle as the man turned away from her. "You know, you could've just made something up. I would've believed you."

The trio journeyed once again, walking past a large river that rippled beside the damn. "Look at that river. It's crazy blue." Ellie said in awe

Lizzie looked down at the damn in curiosity, an unsure presence filling her gut as she turned to look at the older man. "Hey, Joel," the man turned to her as she spoke, "are you sure this isn't the river of death?"

Joel stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her though she'd said something completely and utterly insane. He reached to pull the map from his pocket, looking down at it before staring again at the vast river, his breathing rate increasing subtly.

His walking slowed drastically as his eyes frantically searched over the map. He turned for a moment, simply to make sure that Lizzie, Ellie, and Bellamy were close behind him.

Suddenly, Bellamy's ears pricked up as he barked furiously in the direction of an approaching rumbling of the ground—the rumbling of nearing horses.

Lizzie stepped back unsurely, her hands clasped tightly around the pistol in her pocket. After a moment, her hand found a tight grip over the weapon.

Joel turned at the sound of horses, shoving the map back into his pocket and grabbing both of the girls hands before attempting to drag them in a safer direction, only to be met with the sight of more stallions.

Joel turned to the two girls, his gaze protective as he ordered them. "Get behind me."

Joel and Ellie raised their hands up to show no sign of danger. However, the small blonde behind Joel's back kept her firm grip over her gun.

A dozen men adorning bandanas and riding horses intercepted their path. Had the situation not been so tense, Lizzie would've made a joke that Joel had finally found his people.

"We're not looking for any trouble-" Joel's voice boomed over the sound of rippling water, "-We're just passin' through."

One of them narrowed his eyes—leaning his horse forward. "Drop the gun." He demanded, looking at the man. Joel did so reluctantly, releasing an exhale as he did so.

The man's gaze flickered over to the blonde behind him. The blonde who's hand remained in her pocket and who's dog barked savagely at the horses, startling some of them.

"Hey," the man snarled, "Hey! Now the little one," he gestured to Lizzie, who simply stepped back slightly as all eyes fell over her.

Joel and Ellie turned to her, their eyes wide as they both conveyed silent pleas for the girl not to get herself killed.

The man grew impatient "I said drop your fucking weapon—"

"Give her a minute, alright!" Joel barked sternly, his gaze hard as he looked to the man, before turning to a conflicted Lizzie. "Liz, please."

His voice was light and tender, as though he were speaking to a wound up child. His eyes were overflowing with trust and devotion as he searched her eyes for something he almost couldn't find.

Finally, Lizzie sighed, pulling her hand out of her pocket and raising it in the air.

The man clenched his jaw as his ears were overpowered with the sound of violent barking. He looked down to were the trio stood, watching distastefully as a golden retriever stood before them, his teeth bearing and his eyes hollow.

"And get your fuckin' dog, Kid, before I shoot both your fucking faces in." The man sneered, earning two equally disgusted looks from Joel and Ellie.

Had she not been at gunpoint, Ellie would've stepped forward, insulting the man with every insult she could think of. She scowled at the man, taking a protective step towards the blonde with an ambitious glare.

"Bellamy!" Lizzie yelled, only to be ignored by her golden-coloured companion. "Bellamy!" Her voice was louder—thundering like a bolt of lightning amongst the sky.

Bellamy turned to her, his barking ceasing as he walked closer to his owner, casting a dangerous snarl to anybody who dared to approach.

"Good." Said the man, his gaze burning into Lizzie before flickering to Ellie for a moment. "You two. . . Take five steps back."

Lizzie stood firm in her place, her jaw clenched tightly as she shuddered.

Her chest felt warm, like molten lava flooding over a blazing hot furnace. Her eyes narrowed and her face appeared barren of emotion. The girl before them showed no sign of vulnerability—not as she had those few months ago.

Only when a soft, gloved hand clasped her own did she step free from her angered trance. She turned, meeting Ellie's fearful eyes as the brunette pulled them both five steps back, Bellamy not far behind as he trailed them.

"How 'bout we just talk this through?"

"How 'bout you shut the fuck up?" The man barked at Joel, his hands secure around his shotgun as he glared at the man before him.

"Okay, easy." Joel stressed. The attackers went silent, prompting for Joel to turn to the two girls behind him for a moment. "You'll be okay."

"You been near infected?" The man inquired, his eyes sharp and alert as he clicked his tongue in irritation.

"There's no Infected out here."

The man nodded his head, raising his eyebrows. "The hell there ain't." He whistled once, fetching the attention of a dog.

Instantly, Bellamy forced himself to stand before the two girls, his wolf-like demeanour eliminating his once playful nature. His nose twitched as he watched the foreign dog approach.

The dog was smaller than Bellamy, yet he barked as though he were ten times bigger. However, Bellamy remained unfazed, as though the dog was simply nothing in his eyes.

"Last chance for a bullet. If you've been infected, he will smell it, and he will rip you up."

Lizzie scoffed loudly. "We already have a dog. He would've ripped us up if we were infected, you fucking—"

"Every word that comes out your mouth just gets you closer and closer to your deathbed, you know that?" The man on the horse sneered angrily, beckoning for one of his men to release the hound.

The dog approached Joel first, sniffing around at his legs before jumping up, resting his front paws on the front of Joel's coat as he inspected them man.

After a moment, the dog retreated back to the man, his tail swishing back and forth harmlessly. "Like I said. . . we'll just move on."

The man stayed stoic, transfixing his gaze onto the two girls behind the man—specifically the brunette who moved backwards in trepidation. "Now them."

The air thickened, and everybody sensed it. Lizzie's gaze hardened into stone as she watched the dog turn his brown-eyed stare over to them.

She really didn't want to hurt a dog, especially not when she herself was the owner of one, but she wouldn't let the dog land a scratch on the girl beside her.

She watched blankly as the dog approached her, staring up at her curiously before turning to Bellamy. Lizzie internally winced as she pondered the thought of Bellamy showing the dog no mercy. She suspected Bellamy would grow defensive, snapping his jaw at the dog as though proving his dominance.

Instead, he let the dog approach. The dog stood a couple of feet away, tilting his head at the larger dog. Hesitantly, he moved closer to Bellamy, simply smelling his scent for a moment.

Matching the other dog's curiosity, Bellamy leaned forward, watching as the smaller dog jumped backwards. Lizzie assumed the dog feared Bellamy was going to attack. However, Bellamy simply nudged his nose towards him before sinking back into his space.

The dog turned away from Lizzie, setting his sight upon Ellie. He howled for a moment, earning a small look of annoyance from the blonde as she fought the urge to stand in front of the brunette.

Suddenly, the dog swished his tail again happily, jumping up at her in a much more friendly manner. Lizzie released a sigh of relief, kneeling to stroke the dog gently.

When the man whistled again, the dog retreated back towards him. "You just bought yourself ten more seconds. What are you doin' out here?"

"I'm looking for my brother." Joel responded, lowering his hands. "That's all, nothing more."

A woman suddenly moved forward, standing before Joel with an uncertain look in her dark eyes. "What's your name?"

"Joel."

☼

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Shorter chapter today sorry <3

Also just in case any of u guys are confused as to why I've been updating every night it's just so that the story is fully caught up with the timeline of the show and it's just quicker ya know?

Anyway I changed the cover but I don't know if I like it so I might change it back to the original cause tbh I do like the original. Do u guys like it now or like the original better cause I cant decide.

Anyway the next episode comes out in half an hour and I am so excited but so scared I can't wait for Riley and ellie but let's be fr we're all gonna be sobbing at the end.