sunshine // joel miller

ELEVEN

Chapter Eleven
I'm losing it

All Fran wanted to do was go into a corner and cry her eyes out. The boys screams were still running rampant through her head as Joel worked to get the door to where Ellie was open.

As soon as he did, he quickly guided Fran inside, both her and Ellie sharing a haunted look.

"Let's go, fast," Joel was quick to snap them out of it, getting Ellie's help to move shit against the door. By this point, Fran's hand had come
Up to her shoulder again, pressing against it to try an stop the blood.

Joel took a second to look at Ellie and check her over, knowing what she did couldn't of been easy.

Ellie, noticing this right away, put a stop to it, "I'm okay... I'm good. I, uh, got some food in here still, and I got your light still... What now?"

She passed the torch to him, Joel turning to look at Fran who was stood staring at the wall, still in shock, one hand on her injured shoulder, other arm hugged around her middle for comfort.

"We go up," He says, knowing realistically he needs to give Fran some medical attention, but can't do it in such a dangerous area. More people could be on their way.

"To get a better look?" Ellie asked him, looking over to Fran, "Is... Is she alright?"

"Hopefully, we spot a clear route out." He tells Ellie; quick to stand in front of Fran to get her attention, "We've gotta go. I promise we will sort out your shoulder as soon as we can."

Fran nods at his words, not trusting her voice.

"You're fine," he says to her then, more assuring him than her, and walking to the door. Ellie is quick to link her arm with Fran's good arm, walking after him, "Stay close."

"Got it," Ellie nods, both following him through the door and out the side of the building. They practically hug the wall as they go, hiding behind a car when they reach the end of the alley.

Two vehicles go by; one armoured up, one a classic truck, both with several people on it - like their own squadrons.

"Bryan! Bryan!" Fran shakes her head at the yells for the dead boy. Joel looking back at the two and motioning for them to stay.

"Body, body! They got fսck¡n' Bryan!" Joel dashes across the road to a door on the other side; opening it up and gesturing for the two girls to follow; both saying low as they run and shutting the door behind them.

-

They'd made it only a block before realising they couldn't go any further, every ten seconds a car went by.

They were inside of another old shop, newspapers covering most of the windows. Joel and Ellie were by the windows, looking through the small gaps of paper to get a grasp as to what was going on. Fran sat on a nearby table, still holding her wound and holding back more tears.

The adrenaline of everything had worn off, the stinging the only thing on her mind as she tried to think about what was happening.

"They're not FEDRA, and they're not Fireflies, so who are they?" Ellie asked Joel quietly, standing by his side as he looked out.