THE UNEXPECTED

04

"Joel!" I gasp, not expecting him to be plummeted to the ground by another man. We'd attempted to find shelter for the night by climbing through an open window only to be attacked by an unknown man. "Shit!" There was nothing I could do, only watch as Joel took the upper hand. I couldn't help but ogle as his muscles flexed and stretched through his shirt as he punched the man. It was definitely attractive no denying that.

"You gonna stop eye-fucking him and help?" Ellie's teasing voice made my skin jump. I gasped and cursed as she came up from behind me.

"Shit, Ellie. None of that." I rolled my eyes with a smile before getting back to business, but it all happened so fast.

A young boy came into view clutching a gun and pointing it right at us. Quickly, I withdrew my own gun and mirrored his position with a hard gaze.

"Wait, wait!" The stranger calls frantically, looking back and forth from us to the young boy.

Joel doesn't falter in his movements, so I scream, "Joel!" He freezes, his eyes snapping to my own, "Look." I gesture to the boy and begin to lower my gun.

"Leave him alone," Said boy says shakily, his hands now unsteady as he still cocks the gun at us.

Joel raises his hands above his head, slowly getting back onto his feet and backing up toward me, "Easy, son. Just take it easy." He attempts to coax him into lowering the gun.

"What's going on?" Ellie whispers in my ear, and I shake my head, unsure myself. The man, clutching his side, stands up.

"It's alright. They're not the bad guys. Lower the gun." The boy listens, and lowers it slowly, "Man, you hit hard." He comments to Joel with slight humour, in attempts to lighten the tense atmosphere.

"Yeah, well, I was trying to kill you." He gruffly responds.

"Yeah, I thought you were one of them too. Then I saw them." He points at me and Ellie, "If you haven't noticed, they don't keep women or kids. Survival of the fittest."

"You're bleeding," The younger boy points out, but he brushes it off.

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm Henry, and this is Sam." Henry introduces himself. "And Joel was it?" The older man nods.

"Ellie."

"Emily." I respond shortly like Ellie just did, trusting strangers was always a risky move. I hope we aren't wrong in doing so.

"Emily huh? Your accent, it's different." Well done for pointing out the obvious. I notice both Ellie and Sam look at me curiously, it was then I realise that they probably haven't heard of a British accent considering they were born into the infected world with little to no experience of other countries and their accents.

"Yeah I'm not from around here technically, UK born and raised baby." I chuckle, making a joke out of it but on the inside it pained me. I would do anything to return to my mother country, my home. But that was near damn impossible now.

"British? I like it. How'd you end up here?" Henry was so obviously flirting, it was flattering but I had no interest. Mine is peaked on another man.

"Ah, another time maybe." I mumble and Henry doesn't pry which I'm grateful for. I notice Joel glaring at Henry which makes my eyebrows raise at him, was he jealous? The thought alone made me smirk.

Joel's eyes then flickered toward mine and they soften, I always forget that he knows me inside and out. He knows my pain and my history. He sends me a sympathetic look which I smile at.

"How many are with you?" Joel then speaks, curious of the two we just met.

"They're all dead." Sam interrupts with a sad look.

"Hey, we don't know that. There was a bunch of us. Someone had the brilliant idea of entering the city to look for more supplies. Those fuckers, they ambushed us. Scattered us. Now, it's all about getting out of this shithole." Henry fumes.

"We can help each other," The auburn haired girl piped up. Her eyes flickering between myself and Joel.

"Ellie." Joel warned lowly, but I intervened.

"Safety in numbers, Joel." I remind him.

"They're right. We could help each other. We got a hideout not too far from here. It'll be safer to chat there." Henry explains before gesturing us to follow him. I only hope it's not too far as I'm exhausted and could do with some sleep.

The older man contemplated for a moment, eyebrows furrowed but I throw him a pointed look,

"Alright, take us there."

And with that, our trio expands.