𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁.

fourteen.

   I look around at the torn tents and overgrown pathways, wandering slightly away from Ellie and Joel. Ellie starts to walk away from Joel and towards me, saying something about stitching when Joel interrupts her.

   "It was me. I was the guy who shot and missed."

   He takes a seat on a cement block and me and Ellie go to follow. I find myself curious, I've always wondered about the scar on his forehead.

   I always thought it looked like the moon.

   "There's no story behind it," he explains, "Sarah died and I couldn't see the point anymore, simple as that. And I wasn't scared either, I was ready. I couldn't have been more ready," he shakes his head, "but when- when I went to pull the trigger I flinched, still don't know why."

   He sighs, "anyway the reason I'm telling you all this-"

   "I know why you're telling me all this."

   "Yeah, I reckon you do."

   "So I guess time heals all wounds, huh?"

   I look between the two from my spot in front of Joel, one of my hands clasping a ripped piece of his jeans. He looks up at me, a look in his eyes I haven't seen before.

   "It wasn't time that did it."

   I rub the denim of his jeans between my fingers, my lips pursing, "I'm glad you missed, I mean, that it didn't work out."

   He smiles, "yeah me too."

   After a few moments Ellie stands, "we should probably go."

   Joel agrees and we only make it a few steps before he speaks again, "you know what I'm in the mood for? Shitty puns."

   "Ohoho," Ellie grins, reaching into her bag.

   I groan, yet still can't help the goofy smile pulling at my lips as she reads the first joke.

   "People are making apocalypse jokes like there's no tomorrow," she grins.

   I roll my eyes as she asks, "too soon?"

   Joel smiles, "no it's topical."

   "Oh I love this one! Moon rocks taste better than earth rocks why? Because they're meteor," she draws out the word and I can't help but laugh.

   "That's awful!"

   "Oh that's terrible," Joel agrees, "zero out of ten."

   "Fuck you! Okay how about this one? What did the green grape say to the purple grape?"

   Happiness bubbles inside me as I know the answer to this one. I look up to Joel and he mock glares down at me, his lips twisted into a smile that gives him away.

   "Breath you idiot," I beam.

   "Three out of ten."

   "Seven!"

   "I'll give it a five."

   I go to retort but hear a beep behind me, turning to find a small device on the ground that wasn't there a moment ago. Next thing I know Joel has pushed me behind him as the device creates a small explosion.

   My ears ring and dust clouds my eyes. I go to turn to Ellie only to find her being dragged away by a man. My stomach immediately drops, "Ellie!"

   "Joel! Athy!" she calls.

   I feel a hand wrap around my arm and I feel violently ill, "Joel! Joel!"

   He reaches towards me, "Athy!"

* * *

   I'm awoken by voices.

   I can hear two people conversing, one of the voices I recognize.

   It's Joel.

   He sounds panicked while the woman's voice stays calm and level, babbling about something to do with the virus and cure.

   I peel open my eyes to realize that I'm in a hospital bed in an empty room. Across the hall I can see blurred figures, one of which I figure is Joel. I look down at myself, my skin clean and my clothes replaced by a white hospital gown.

   Before I can question why I hear Joel.

   "No, you take me to her! You take me to her right now!" Joel yells then grunts, his figure disappearing from my vision. The woman says something that I can't quite hear and then Joel speaks again.

   "What about Athy?"

   The woman sighes, "where did she come from Joel? You don't have the means to be taking care of a kid like that."

   Joel enters my vision again, standing back up, "no, you are not taking her too."

   "She'll grow up safe and protected, she doesn't even have to become a firefly. This is my debt to you," she argues before saying, "take him to the highway, give him his pack and leave him there. He tries anything, shoot him."

   My heart jumps and I slowly sit up, approaching the glass of my room. I watch as two men usher Joel out, his eyes briefly catching mine as I bang on the glass, Joel calling my name.

   I go to try the door as he disappears from sight but it's locked. I shake the knob a few more times before turning back to scan the room.

   This can't be happening.