¹epiphany ─ j. miller

He Was My Partner

TW: SUICIDE

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SUMMER
HE WAS MY PARTNER

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The four weaved in and out through the different corridors and hallways of the school, trying to navigate around the foreign building to escape the infected.

Elva, Joel and Ellie ran after Bill, making it behind another set of double doors just as the horde broke through their first blockage. "They've broken through!" Joel yelled, making sure that Bill knew.

Everyone ran down the halls, walls covered with dusted and molded lockers. They caught their breath for a moment, trying to stay silent as they spotted a few infected. One at the end of the hall, one to their left, and one up above on a platformed second floor.

The one at the end of the hallway was a clicker, so Joel threw a brick onto the other side of it, letting Elva sneak up behind it and send a shiv through its neck. She had found a few supplies in some empty and open lockers, and it was enough to make a few more small knives.

Joel quickly placed a bottle over one of his guns, maneuvering it to make sure that it would semi-silence the shot. He placed it over the box that he and Ellie were hiding behind and took a few shots out of the runner in front of them.

Elva scrambled back towards them, pulling out her bow and claiming a headshot on the clicker walking on the second floor platform above them. It fell to the ground, blood gushing out of its head as its body went limp.

Due to the commotion, another clicker walked into the area, Bill pointing it out towards Joel as the group snuck towards the staircase in an attempt to get somewhere useful.

They managed to sneak through without a hitch, entering in a science-type classroom just as another clicker walked in. "There's a way through." Bill stated, whispering. "We gotta get past these guys."

Two more infected walked through the classroom, but they were only runners. Elva threw a bottle towards a corner of the room, signalling for Joel to light one of his molotovs he had resting in his backpack. He nodded, and just as the three infected were grouped together, he tossed it over, letting the flames engulf their enemies.

Joel led the group through the hallways once again, ducking behind the wall as he spotted a few runners making their way over. "Looks like there's a path down this hallway." He stated, revolver still in hand.

Elva ran out, making sure to duck underneath a few desks to remain unseen. She placed her back against one of the crooks in the desk across from the others. She pulled out her bow, ready to strike one of the infected.

Joel nodded towards her as the group of runners split off into two groups. One, had two, the other, had one. Elva quickly fired an arrow into the single infected's head, whilst Joel threw one of his nail bombs at the other two. Blood sprayed everywhere, but the group continued into another door.

"Help me open this." Joel spoke, letting Elva and Bill push against the jammed door with him. There was definitely something in the way to get to the gym, they just didn't know what.

Finally, the door gave way for Elva, Bill, Ellie and Joel to push themselves through, finding a large metal mat holder in the door's way. "Shit, there's more on the way." Bill stated, watching as Joel pushed the mat holder back against the door to create a barricade.

They took a quick moment to catch their breaths. "This isn't gonna hold them for too long." Elva stated, wiping the blood off of her cheeks and forehead.