𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁.

three.

   "Dead end Henry," I hear Kathleen's voice, "wanna step out, save us some time? No? That's alright, doesn't matter."

   Henry looks at Sam and then at me.

   I shake my head, he can't.

   I won't let him.

   "I'll come out, just let the kids go."

   Kathleen's voice is sickeningly calm, "no, sorry. The girl is with the man who killed Brian and Sam and Athena, well they're with you."

   "You don't understand!"

   "I do! I know why you did what you did but did you ever stop to think that maybe she was supposed to die?"

   I suck in a breath and feel Ellie squeeze my hand.

   "She's just a fucking kid," Henry's voice cracks.

   "Well kids die Henry, they die all the time. You think the whole world revolves around her? Everything? Well this is what happens when you fuck with fate."

   Henry looks back at me and tears prick my eyes. He looks past me to Ellie, "get ready to take them and run, do it."

   She slowly nods before grabbing Sam's hand with her unoccupied one. I shake my head more quickly now, hoping Henry will just stop trying to be the hero.

   But that's not my big brother.

   "It's time Henry! Enough!"

   I reach out for him but he ducks away and stands, holding his hands in the air. Sam tries to stand after him but Ellie pulls him back down. I feel my heartbeat quicken as a lump forms in my throat.

   He can't die.

   There's silence and I can't bear to look.

   "It ends the way it ends."

   I hear the click of a gun and squeeze my eyes shut.

   Just then the wrenching sound of mechanics fills my ears and I turn over my shoulder. The truck that Joel made crash into the house is now sinking into the ground. It disappears and a new sound fills the air.

   The sound of infected.

   It's like bees from a beehive.

   They swarm everywhere.

   My blood pulses in my veins as I push myself to my limits running after Henry and Ellie. There's fighting everywhere and I can't see.

   I feel someone grab my hand and see it's Ellie. She pulls me with her to a car and we climb through the window. At the sound of groaning I turn over my shoulder to see something new crawling from the hole.

   It's a monster.

   An infected that's been completely covered by the fungus.

   The lump in my throat thickens, "Henry...Sam...where are they?"

   Ellie squeezes my hand, "hey they'll be okay, we're gonna be fine."

   I nod and watch as Ellie's eyes widen at something behind me. I turn to see a small infected climb in through the window and fall into the trunk.

   She's a kid.

   She pops back up a moment later and panic rises in my chest. "Come on!" Ellie scrambles to the front and pulls open the car door, tumbling out with me behind her.

   I look through the chaos to find my brothers beneath a car, kicking away two infected. My heart drops and I look up to Ellie urgently and she nods down to me. She grabs my hand and leads me towards them, the infected around us being shot down by Joel.

   We make it to the car and Ellie pulls one of the infected away, stabbing it in the neck as Joel shoots the other in the head, allowing Henry and Sam to emerge from their hiding spot.

   I quickly pull Sam to me, drawing in a deep breath.

   Ellie and Joel are saving our lives.

   "Come on, this way!"

   We run towards the house, almost there.

   "Wait!"

   I turn, Kathleen behind us with a gun. I frown and grasp onto the back of Henry's jacket to keep him from doing anything dumb again.

   Before she can shoot the small infected from earlier jumps onto her, beginning to bash in her head. Sam tightens his grip on me and I turn him away, my gut filling with a sick feeling.

   "Come on!" Joel ushers us toward him, "let's go!"

* * *

   I give a weary smile as I come into the room, kicking off my shoes and crawling onto the bed where Sam is sitting. The mattress is lumpy and dirty but it's an actual bed.

   We get to sleep in actual beds.

   I look at the bed across from ours to where Ellie is sitting and she isn't smiling like usual. Instead she looks sad as she stares down at her hand. I follow her gaze and see a deep cut there.

   I frown, "what happened? Are you okay?"

   Ellie nods, "you sleep in my bed, you need sleep, I'll hangout with Sam."

   I smile, "are you sure?"

   She nods and I grin standing from the bed. I quickly place a kiss on Sam's head and turn to switch beds with Ellie. However before I can get far Sam grabs my hand.

   He signs, "I love you," before pulling me into a hug.

   My brows furrow, "I love you too."

* * *

   I groan slightly as I roll over in bed, light streaming into the room. I rub my eyes and wait for them to adjust to the light before sitting up. Ellie is asleep in the rocking chair beside me and Sam seems to be awake sitting facing the window.

   I throw off the covers, rubbing my eyes, "Sammy? Why're you awake?"

   He doesn't respond or even turn. I set a hand on his shoulder, "Sam?"

   He turns and hisses at me and I realize in an instant that it is not Sam.

   I fall to the floor as I try to scramble away from him but he has gotten faster. Ellie is awake in an instant, "Athena!" She chases after us as we stumble into the next room.

   At the sound of my screams Joel and Henry awake. They take a moment to process the situation before simultaneously reaching for the gun.

   Henry grabs it first.

   Tears push themselves from my eyes as I push Sam away from me, my brother relentlessly attacking me. He doesn't recognize me at all.

   I can feel my heart tearing.

   Henry shoots at Joel's feet to keep him from advancing before turning to look at me. He looks between me and Sam and I shake my head no.

   He doesn't listen and shoots.

   Blood splatters over my face.

   Silence expands over the room.

   I slowly sit up as Sam falls motionlessly to the side. I look at Sam and then I look at Henry. He looks at me and a tear runs down his cheek.

   I've never seen my brother cry.

   Without a second thought he raises the gun to his head.

   "Henry no!"

   I scream.

   I feel as if someone has reached into my chest and pulled my heart right out. I lurch forward and sob. Ellie tries to wrap her arms around me but I push her away. I feel something rise up my throat and I empty my stomach. I do it two more times until I'm just gagging.

   Scream, cry, gag.

   I do it over and over.

   Why not me?