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Ellie was walking down the path ahead, watching Joel and Tess argue about whether they should continue this path or down another due to something they saw up ahead. She turned to look into the forest and noticed movement. She tensed, ready to break out in a run at a moment's notice. She relaxed a little as she saw it was a white wolf chasing a rabbit off. She sped up her pace to catch up with Joel and Tess, as she didn't know if the wolf would come back or what they were supposed to do to ward off a wolf. Perhaps she should ask them about it, but she didn't want them to think she was an idiot, so she kept her mouth shut.
“Why are you fidgeting so much??” Tess's eyes narrowed as she looked at Ellie, waiting for her answer.
Ellie nervously answered, “I thought I saw movement is all.”
Tess nodded, and they continued north-west, towards the town of Jackson.
Ellie didn't know why they were heading there. She was curious, but she knew they would not answer her questions. She had tried to get answers the day before. She felt like they were being watched, but she didn't see anything. Perhaps she was just jumpy from seeing the wolf. She brushed it aside and focused on the path ahead of them. She glanced at the treeline again but still didn't see anything, so she followed Joel and Tess to where they would set up camp for the night. As they sat around the fire, Joel roasted a few squirrels over the fire.
Tess saw Ellie's disgust and tried to distract her from the cooking squirrels. “It tastes just like chicken... If you didn't see it, you would not be able to tell the difference.”
Ellie doubted that, but she was not going to turn down food, not when it was spare. spare. She turned away from the fire and the cooking squirrels and looked into the woods to see the white wolf again. She felt a connection to it that she couldn't explain when she met its eyes. . It was like she knew she could trust it, but that didn't make any sense.
The wolf sat there for a moment before darting back further into the treeline and out of view. Ellie still had the feeling that it was watching them, but she figured if it was going to attack, it would have done so by now. She curled up by a tree, falling asleep for the night.
The next morning, Ellie woke up to the fire making an odd noise. She looked to see that it was starting to pour rain down on them., and it put the fire out. That was the noise that she had heard. She watched as Joel and Tess moved around, looking for a better spot to take shelter from the storm that was passing through. Ellie looked around and spotted a spruce tree. She pointed to it and yelled to them over the downpour, “We would stay a little dryer under that tree than out here.”
Joel disagreed, “I don't think that's going to help much given the downpour.”
Tess walked closer to the tree as she said, “It's better than nothing, I guess.”
They crawled through the tree branches, and Ellie said, “It has oils that make it harder for the rain to get through to the under layers of the tree.” She paused. ""They are great to take shelter from the weather under, even in a snowstorm.”
Tess tilted her head before asking, “Where did you learn that?”
Ellie smiled as she softly replied, “A friend of mine. Riley had an interest in botany. She mentioned it once. . I guess it stuck.” She smiled at the memory of sitting together and going over a few books on different plants. . It was one of the few fond memories she had left of Riley that was not corrupted by killing her. Ellie had to choose between killing her friend or letting herself die, and she made the hard choice. One that she had regretted more than anything, pulling the trigger that day changed her. She would never forgive herself for killing her only friend.
Tess noticed the haunted look in Ellie's eyes and stated, “You have taken a life.”
Ellie looked her in the eye and replied coldly, “Yes, I have.” She didn't think anything more had to be said about it. What was done was done, and there was no turning back that clock.
Joel had not expected that answer from Ellie; she was just a kid. She shouldn't have been on patrol yet. He shared a look with Tess, who nodded, sharing his thoughts on the matter.Tess walked over to Ellie and asked, “Do you want to talk about it??”
Ellie stated, “It was me or them.” Crossing her arms over her chest.
Joel placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder and said, “We have been in that situation before; if you ever want to talk, we will listen.”
Ellie shrugged, and she didn't see why they were offering. It wasn't like it didn't happen often now that the infected were a thing. She wondered how common it was to have killed someone before the virus had hit.
The rain stopped a few hours later, and Tess stepped out, looking at something on the ground. She said, “Joel, we might have a problem.” Looking down at the wolf track.
Joel looked at the track and said, “It was probably passing through, but let's start walking along the road regardless.” He didn't think it was tracking them, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.
Ellie saw the wolf track but stayed silent. She didn't want it to be killed if it was not a threat to them. She closely followed them behind her. She had the feeling the wolf was following them. It was almost like she could sense it, but that did not really make sense to her. Why would she be able to sense an animal's location? She didn't think it was going to hurt anyone here without reason.
Tess noticed that Ellie was being rather quiet and wondered what that was about before deciding it might have something to do with teenage mood swings. She was still adjusting to having a teenager around. It was strange since she had only dealt with adults for the last few years. She. She had no real reason to hang out with a child until now, and it was a little awkward and made her wonder why she had ever wanted to have children. She was not exactly cut out for it, as it would appear.
Joel whispered, “You're doing fine with her. She. She's a little moodier than I remember Sarah being, but that might have to do with killing someone while she is so young.” He didn't think the guilt would be fun to deal with at that age, because even when you kill in self-defense, you take a life, and that changes a person;You are never the same person you were before that again.
Ellie stopped when it was starting to get dark, knowing they would be setting up camp in the clearing like they had last time. She started the fire while Joel wandered off, probably to find them something to eat for the night. Joel came back with three rabbits and proceeded to clean them up.
Ellie looked away, as she didn't want to see what she would be eating later. Getting its guts removed actually made her queasy. She missed aspects of Q.Z. times like this; not having to worry about food or even where it came from; but it had not really been safe to stay there longer, and she was supposed to help with making a cure somehow. She was so excited that this could all be over soon and people could go back to the way things used to be, although she was a little nervous that the scientists involved were hiding something from her. She had talked to one in Marlene's office, but they had not answered her question about what it was they needed to extract for a cure, and it left her a little nervous about the whole thing. . Another question she had was, Why did everything have to be done under the table? Marlene had told her she was just being paranoid, but she was not entirely certain that was the case.
Joel asked, “Tess, want to do a perimeter sweep?”
Tess stood up and nodded, walking away from the campsite and disappearing into the trees.
Ellie said, “You seem to be good at hunting.”
Joel chuckled, “I learned at a young age. My dad was of the opinion that everyone should at least learn the basics; you never know when it will come in handy. He was not wrong.”
Ellie said, “I can skin and gut a fish, but I cannot look an animal in the eye, dead or alive, and then eat it.” She had been fishing a few times at the Q.Z. when one of the others would get hurt. . They had decided that since she had already killed an infected person, she could take on more responsibilities when they were needed.
Joel poked at the ember covered coals as he said, “Everyone has to start somewhere, somewhere, I suppose.”
Ellie shifted on the log she was sitting on and asked, “What was your first hunt like?” She was a little curious.
Joel smiled as he answered, “It was fun. I was nervous about missing, but I hit the deer and killed it in one shot. I was so nervous about it, but I remember my father saying he was proud of me." He paused before adding, “Did you know most people eat the heart of their first kill on a hunt? It's an old superstition about it giving you the power that your prey possesses. Luckily, my father did not follow that tradition.”
A few hours later, they were eating around the campfire and laughing at some stories they had chosen to share.
Ellie smiled; it was kind of like having a family she would miss when they got where they were going. She threw a piece of the toughest meat into the woods, waiting for something to get it. She saw the wolf grab it and dart off. She had been right; it was following them. She should probably tell Joel and Tess about it, but she didn't want it to be killed unless it deserved it.
The next day, while they were walking down the path in the direction of Jackson, Tess stopped and said, "Did you hear that?”
Joel nodded and said, “Wolf, I didn't think there would be many out this way, but that sounded like a pack of them.”
Ellie froze.. She didn't mind the one wolf, but a whole pack of them in the area could be extremely dangerous, especially if it brought out the runners.
Tess stated, “We will have to take shifts again.”
Joel nodded in agreement with her assessment.
Ellie asked, “What do we do if the wolves come after us?” She didn't care if she looked like an idiot anymore; she just wanted to know what to do in that kind of situation.
Joel said, “It depends on a few things; if they are hungry, they are dangerous. If you are near their den, they will kill you. So if we start seeing any signs of frequent activity in an area, we need to move away from that area and go around it.”
Tess said, “Don't show fear.”
Ellie saw the white wolf, and she felt a connection to lurking in the trees again. She had noticed it was slowly moving closer to them as the days went on and so on, so she decided to mention it. She said, “There is a white wolf who has been following us.”
Joel harshly said, “How long?”
Ellie shifted nervously on her feet. She was fairly certain she was about to get yelled at for keeping things from them. She bit her lip before answering, “The day I was really quiet, I saw it.”
Tess said, “If it's been following us that long, it would have attacked us if it wanted to; it's probably a lone wolf who is using our scent to pass through the other wolf's territory without being killed.”
Ellie blinked in surprise; she had not considered that and that, and she wondered where it was heading if that was the case. She wondered where its old pack was as well; did they get killed off by the virus?
Later that day, Joel said, “I think we are being tracked.” The forest around them had gone silent, which was not a good sign.
Tess asked, “What do you think it is?”
Joel replied, “I'm hoping it's just a predator passing through.” Pulling his rifle up.
Tess handed Ellie the spare pistol with a stern look.
Ellie said, “I know how to use it.” She noticed movement in the trees and tensed up. She saw runners and groaned, “This is so not our day.” She knew the chances of outrunning them were slim, and she was not sure if they had enough ammo for this. . They would definitely need supplies soon. She squared her shoulders and joined Tess and Joel in dealing with the infected. She saw one jump for Tess and shot it, taking it down. It still landed closer than they would have liked. Ellie ran out of ammo first, followed by Tess. . Joel was starting to get nervous.
The wolf jumped out, taking down three of the runners that were moving at full speed. It tore the heads off of them, and they sat down, looking at the group.
Joel said, “It's probably infected now.”
Ellie said, “Can we give it a chance?? It helped us.”
Tess curiously asked, “Why are you so protective of the wolf?”
Ellie said, “I feel a connection to it; I don't think it wants to harm us... Let's just give it a few days. . If it looks infected, we can kill it.” She didn't want a senseless death on her hands. She knew Tess was curious why she was protecting it but she didn't really know what to say.
Joel and Tess share a look before nodding.
Joel said, “Just just this once.” Ellie smiled and hugged them, pulling away when they had tensed up.
Ellie said, “Sorry, I was just excited.” She hadn't thought they would agree so easily.
Tess said, “That's okay.” They went back to walking towards Jackson, hoping they wouldn't run into any more infected people.
A few days later, as they were walking down the trail to Jackson, they were still about two days out of town, according to Joel. The wolf was still behaving like a semi-normal wolf, besides staring at Ellie.
Tess said, “Perhaps it is like hers and immune? It would explain the connection she claims to feel.”
Ellie had decided to tell them about the fact that she could sense the wolf even when it was not in sight. Although she didn't appreciate Tess's claims, that seemed a little rude. “I do feel it; it's as simple as that, whether you believe me or not.”
Joel said, “It's a little out there, kid.” He was not sure if he believed it.
Ellie snorted, “Like the cordyceps fungal infection was not out there?” She knew that the people from before had not expected it to happen; they had not thought it was possible.
Joel winced; she had a point with that. They really should know better than to make assumptions about things.
Tess sighed.. “We need to keep going; the wolves are sounding closer than before.” She was worried that they had started tracking them.
Ellie said, “Well, our wolf is back behind the third tree.”
Joel glanced and was not surprised that Ellie was correct; they had been testing it a little the last few days and had to admit she had a knack for knowing exactly where it was, even if her eyes were closed the entire time. “It's been staying closer; perhaps the pack is getting closer as well.” He didn't like their odds since they didn't have much ammo to work with at the moment.moment. The last batch of runners had taken up a large portion of the supplies they had brought with them.
Ellie knew that water drew animals to it, so she suggested, “Perhaps if we don't walk near the stream, we can avoid them.”
Tess sighed, “If they have our scent and are tracking it, that will not help. help. We would be better off walking in the stream, so we don't leave a strong scent trail.” Joel nodded.
Ellie said, “That stream has a strong current; I'm not so sure that was a good idea.” She was nervous because she didn't know how to swim and didn't think this would be the best place to learn.
Joel said, “We will only do that as a last resort.” He didn't particularly want to tread in the water due to the possibility of water moccasins lurking in the water or on the banks.
They went back to walking, and Joel said, “This is not a good campsite.” They had low visibility and would be at a disadvantage if they got ambushed.
Tess said, “Let's keep walking then; I have no intentions of dying because we picked a stupid camp location.”
Ellie nodded in agreement and walked beside Tess, wondering what exactly was going to happen when they got to Jackson. Neither of them had told her the plan exactly; she didn't know if there were fireflies there or if it was just a stop along the way to the drop-off point. She was nervous about what was going to happen once she was dropped off.
Tess sighed, “You are being quiet again.”
Ellie said, “Just think about the future.”
Joel laughed and said, “That can be a dangerous thing because things seldom work out the way that you imagine they would.”
Ellie muttered under her breath, “I already know that,” before replying, “I suppose it can be.” She thought about fishing for more information, but she already knew they were not going to tell her anything about Jackson or why they were heading there. She was starting to wonder if it was dependent on something, but if it was, then what exactly were Joel and Tess basing it on?
The wolf ran up beside them, growling at the treeline. Its hackles were raised and its ears pointed back.
Joel growled, “Shit, why is my luck always like this?” The wolves stepped out of the treeline, a black wolf standing higher than the rest.
Ellie saw the white wolf lay low to the ground, but it was not exactly submissive; it looked more like it was prepared to protect them, which didn't really make sense to her. She grabbed a flare from her bag that she had been keeping back for emergencies, and this qualified in her mind as a good time to use it. Marlene had given it to her before sending her off.
Joel asked, “When exactly did you get that?”
Ellie shrugged and said, “Marlene.” Lighting it and waving it at the wolves, who all rammed, except for the black wolf, who glared at them before retreating into the tree line.
Tess said, “We will have to move, that gave our location away.”
They started walking again, and the white wolf was staying beside Ellie almost protectively.
Joel was not sure what to think of the wolf staying near them; it was a wild animal, but it seemed to be rather tame around Ellie. It was peculiar.
Ellie walked alongside the wolf, who seemed to know where they were going, or perhaps it knew they were following the path. She heard something up ahead. She looked back to see Tess and Joel gesturing to the forest, so she hid behind a tree. The wolf followed her and laid down in a patch of tall grass not far from where she was. She was starting to wonder if it was smarter than average or if all wolves were this smart.
Joel continued walking down the road, but at a slower pace. Tess had hidden up a tree and was observing what was ahead. Ellie could barely see them and was starting to get nervous that they would be separated. She didn't really know where they were going and was not sure she had the skill set to get there alone.
Tess slowly made her way down the tree, moved over to Ellie, and said, “It looks like a patrol party, so they may not be hostile.” She added as the vehicle got closer, “The only ones who should be patrolling the area were the people of Jackson.”
Ellie sighed in relief, but she was still a little worried about what would happen because if she was scanned by someone, they would probably shoot first and ask questions later. She also didn't know why they were going there.
Tess said, “Joel may have some friends here... He's not exactly sure if they have moved.”
Ellie nodded. That was more information than she had gotten out of them before, and it made her a little calmer to hear it.
They watched as Joel was approached by a white truck that looked to have seen better days.
The driver said, “Long time, no see, Joel.”
Joel said “Tommy, I have to agree, it has been a long time.” Regret echoes in his voice.
Tommy said, “Well, who's fault is that?” His voice was not making it clear if it was an insult or not.
Tess stepped out and said, “He has had a hard life; Tommy, you should know that... He messed up, but who the hell is alive now and has not made mistakes?”
Tommy laughed. “Tess, why am I not surprised you found my brother?”
Joel said, “Because she's a survivor and a lone wolf just like I am.”
Tommy asked, “What are you doing in my neck of the woods? I thought you both had different paths to take.” His tone made it clear he was curious about what had brought them back to Jackson—together when they had not known each other the last time they had been there.
Tess pulled Ellie out from behind the tree and said, “We are looking for a place to lay low. The fireflies want the girl.”
Tommy laughed bitterly and said, “Let me guess another one they think might be the cure.”
Joel said, “Yes, and you know that none of the others have ever stepped foot outside of the drop-off point again.”
Tommy coldly asked, “This could bring trouble to my door. Why would I let you in?”
Tess stated, “You would sentence her to death?”
Ellie got big-eyed the longer she listened. She didn't know what they were going on about, and what did they mean by saying there had been others before her, and why were they never seen again? She had a bad feeling about all of this. She looked around and debated if she should try to make an exit.
Tommy sighed and said, “No, my brother is attached, or he wouldn't have come back, and my wife Maria would kill me if I let another one go through here.” His wife's younger sister had been one of the ones who had never returned. He gruffly said, “Get in.”
The white wolf strolled up to Ellie and stood beside her. Ellie was still nervous about the whole thing.
Tommy said, “Is that a wolf?” grabbing for his gun.
Joel said, “Yes, it's not a threat. It's kind of like a pet.” Shrugging, he really was not sure what to say.
Tommy said, “It could be infected!”
Tess rolled her eyes and said, “The wolf is immune, just like Ellie.”
Tommy gave them a weary look before saying, “We need to get going soon. It can tag along if it gets into the vehicle.”
Ellie asked, “What exactly is going on?” She was prepared to run if she had to.
Tess said, “You are not the first they have claimed might be a cure; we don't particularly want to see you disappear... We don't know what happened to the others'; they just vanished. We came here to find refuge for you.”
Ellie gulped. She was not sure how she was supposed to respond to that information. She didn't know what to think about it either. but she trusted them. So she would go to Jackson; they could always talk about it more there. Ellie and Tess hopped into the back of the truck, and Joel got in with his brother, and the wolf jumped in, lying down next to Ellie, although it looked nervous. Ellie patted it on the back and started messing with its fur until it started to drift off. She needed to pick a name for it, but she was not sure how to. She had never had a pet before, although she was wondering if this qualified if it was the one following them around.
Tess quietly asked, “What are you going to name her?”
Ellie said, “I'm not sure yet.”
Tess said, “Well, I don't think she intends to leave you anytime soon.”
Ellie smiled and had to agree that it looked like she had gained her first pet.
They arrive in Jackson a few hours later. Ellie was still a little nervous about what they meant by that. She didn't know what to think yet since she didn't have a lot of information. She stayed close to the wolf; she was thinking of naming it Amber; its eyes were about that color, according to Tess.
Tommy led them to an area and pulled an obviously pregnant woman into his arms. He said, “This is my wife, Maria.” Maria raised an eyebrow as she stared up at tommy.
Tommy sighed “Maria, this is my brother Joel," gesturing to the only male in the group. “That's Tess; you might remember some stories about her.” Gesturing to Tess, he then gestured to Ellie and said, “And last, besides the wolf, is Ellie, who is like your sister was.” He didn't want to cue other people into what was being said.
Ellie waved and replied, “The wolf is amber, by the way.” She watched the wolf's ears perk up. She was still convinced it was smarter than it should be, but perhaps the virus it was immune to had done something extra to it. The wolf walked up to her side and stuck its nose in her hand. She patted it on the head. She was actually surprised at how tall it was when it sat upright; it was bigger than the dogs she had seen on the other side of the Q.Z. fence before.
Maria said, “Well, so long as Amber behaves, I guess she can stay.” She opened a door down a corridor and said, “We can talk more privately here.” Leading them into a living room that looked surprisingly cozy given the so-called apocalypse that was happening.
Ellie asked, “What exactly do y'all mean, the ones before me?” She had never heard of anyone else who couldn't get the virus before. She was curious if they had stories like hers or if she was still considered a freak among them. Marlene had hidden it because it made her an anomaly.
Tess said, “I don't know much, but I do know that the fireflies had at least five possible candidates for the cure in the past, and none of them have ever come back.”
Maria said, “My sister Mal left when one of the scientists told her she might be a carrier for the cure... I have not seen her since... The patrol followed them to the location; they were not ambushed.” Tears were streaming down her face as she remembered that day.
Ellie asked in rapid succession, “What was your sister like? How did she find out she was immune? Was your mother giving birth and infected?”
Tommy laughed and said, “Joel, I can see why you adopted her.”
Ellie snapped, “No one has adopted anyone.” I was glaring at him.
Joel said, “He meant no offense, but I'm fairly certain Tess has claimed you, .”
Tess rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, and I claimed you before that, although not for adoption.” Joel turned red and coughed.
Maria said, “My sister Mal was ten years younger than me; she could light up the world with her smile; she was positive despite the dark times... We found out she was immune shortly after she was born. We do not know why she was immune, just that she was.” She was smiling despite the tears.
Tommy hugged her and said, “Remember what the doctor said about stress right now?”
Maria glared and snapped, “If you didn't want me to stress, you wouldn't have brought them here.”
Tommy held up his hands. Maria took a deep breath and said, “Sorry about that.”
Ellie said, “No problem; I'm sorry to bring that back up for you.” She was happy that Maria had shared that much with her. She had not expected it after dealing with Joel and Tess for so long. The two of them were extremely private about their past, which sometimes made conversation short.
Tess asked, “Can we stay here?”
Maria looked at the three people who had brought a white wolf with them. She said, “Yes, unless the fireflies find out you are here, I will not endanger the town for you.”
Joel said, “If they find out about our location, we will leave.”
Tess said, “We will also make an obvious tail for them to follow until it disappears.”
Tommy said, “Well, then Tess, Joel, welcome back to Jackson... and Ellie, if you give it a chance, I'm sure it will grow on you.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow and asked, “Was that a mushroom joke?”
Maria said, “Welcome to the family, kido; you'll get used to it eventually.”