When a beaten and lost, near-dead girl walks up upon the gates of Jackson unannounced, people are bound to be suspicious of why she's shown up. But, when she reveals that she knows something about an organization in Seattle planning to come to Jacks...
"No-one likes a mad woman; you made her like that."
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CHAPTER TWELVE Back Home
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Thankfully, the torrential rain had stopped, and Willow and Ellie both side with relief as Jackson came into view. They hadn't gotten their horses back, which meant the walk back to the county was extremely exhausting. Nonetheless, they made it. And it seemed like the weather had cleared up just for their arrival. Their feet were blistering, but Jackson was just down the hill of their last checkpoint. Willow and Ellie had truly made it.
They walked down the hill slowly, their bodies not used to the sudden harsh change in weather. It was just like their first day in Seattle, the sun boring down onto their heads and almost causing a deep sunburn. The grass underneath them had turned a deep green because of the non-stop rain over the past few days, and it was a nice change from the dull, gray colour it used to be. Summer was clearly almost over, and the clouds were warmly welcoming autumn in.
Willow looked over to Ellie as they traversed through a wooded area. She still had a question lying at the bottom of her stomach, and now that Ellie was feeling better, she could ask. "So, can I ask why you didn't even flinch when you inhaled spores?" Willow asked cautiously, her voice still soft despite the harsh nature of the question. "Or is that still in the vault?"
Ellie chuckled, trying to avoid thinking about the question too much. "'The vault'?"
"Yeah!" Willow exclaimed, as if it were obvious. "Y'know, where everything is that I don't know about you." She answered.
The older girl sighed, kicking the dirt path with her foot as they walked. Would it be so bad if she told Willow about her immunity? Joel would have her head on a stick, but that was the last concern on Ellie's mind. Ellie truly cared for the girl that had stumbled upon Jackson on accident, and she believed that the feelings were not unrequited. Of course she had doubts, but she was brash. Willow was her balance to that. It wouldn't hurt to tell her the truth.
"I'm immune."
Willow stayed silent for a few moments, her head mulling over the thoughts. Ellie watched, her eyes softening as the younger girl she had grown to admire stopped in the middle of the street. Her heart raced and pounded through her ears, was she going to be mad, or maybe even furious that Joel had killed everyone she knew? Probably. Ellie held her breath, stepping in front of her friend and waiting with pursed lips for her reply.
"So you're-" She cleared her throat. "You're 'the cure'?" Willow asked for confirmation, looking up at Ellie with furrowed eyebrows. She didn't look mad, just- confused.
