The Last of Us

It was peaceful...

For just a moment, before I snapped back into reality and the blackness cleared around me. The blurry haze of flashing lights, and the unforgettable screams of the dying... The inhuman shrieks of those damn creatures...

“Dad!” 

I blinked several times, getting my bearings straight, I recognized asphalt right outside my window and slowly clicked into place that we were on our side, Tommy should have been dangling somewhere above me, but he was gone, no trace of his existence there other than the stain of blood on the steering wheel. 

“Sarah!” I shouted in relief, glad to hear her voice. I grabbed the headrest of the chair and righted myself, positioning my foot against the cracked windshield, I kicked four times until it gave away, scattering bits of glittering glass all across the pavement.

I crawled out through the opening, standing up, I quickly checked for safety of the situation, when a massive force threw me back against the hood of the car. It's breath smelled, teeth gnashing relentlessly at my face as I grappled with it, trying to shove it off.

Tommy ran around the side of the overturned Jeep, brick in hand, bringing it down against the nasal bone with a sick crunch, the body folded to the ground, blood spurting from it's facial wounds, momentarily traumatizing me.

I ducked to help Sarah out of the car, she carefully stepped out onto the glass barefoot, stumbling forward a little and whimpering in pain.

“Babygirl, what's wrong?” I asked, concerned.

“My leg...” she gasped, reaching down to pull up the pantleg of her pajamas. A deformed bump poked under the skin, I resisted the urge to look away or feel sick.

“How much?”

“A lot.” she admitted.

I saw Tommy shoving a creature off of a woman, then stabbing it in the forehead with his pocket knife.

“Tommy!” I yelled. 

He ran over out of breath, I tossed the revolver into his hands “Keep us safe.” I growled, turning to scoop up Sarah into my arms, adjusting her weight, and we began moving, making our way down the street, crowded with abandoned vehicles and fleeing citizens.  

A car drove swerved down the street, over the curb and straight into the gas pumps at Riley's gas station. I felt the heat off the fire, turning my back to shield Sarah from any debris, and braved the heat, pushing on, turning right onto another street, this time, most of it was blocked off by... Ironically, a firetruck that was on fire.

"More infected!" someone to my left shouted, just as one ran up behind her and tore a chunk out of her shoulder, her horrified cries split in my ears, echoing...

"Sarah, don't look!" I shouted over the growls of the mutated and the cries of the dying. She turned into my chest, tucking her head into my shoulder, the light from the surrounding fires illuminated the plain terror on her face, eyes wide and terrified, I gripped her tightly and watched my every step carefully, determined more now than ever to reach the edge of town.

“In the alley!” Tommy yelled over the screaming, pointing towards the locked gate that would serve as our escape. He shot the lock off and pushed it open, holding it while I ducked inside with Sarah. 

“Run, dammit!” Tommy yelled behind me as I went as fast as I could. My lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and my legs felt ready to snap in two and drop me to the ground. Under the weight, I kepy pushing forward, dragging my legs forward, one after the other.

"Watch out!" Tommy shouted as a mutation jumped up from what remained of a mangled middle-age woman on the ground, lunging at me, arms stretching towards my throat. Tommy grabbed a fistful of it's shirt and yanked it off, tossing it to the ground, planting the toe of his boot under it's jaw and pulling the trigger.

"Move! There's a restaurant ahead we can take refuge in." Tommy said over the deafening bang of another explosion nearby. "stay back from the fences!"

He ran ahead of us, I paused long enough to get a better grip on Sarah before taking off again. My legs burning, my mouth dry and I wanted to stumble to my knees, which I might have done if Sarah was not in my arms, her life depending on me... I charged onwards, up three short stairs, weaving around the tables in the outdoor eating area, and running in the back door that Tommy held open, slamming it shut in the faces of three infected.

Two arms forced their way through the gap, wriggling around, determined to grab a fistful of flesh. Tommy slammed his shoulder against it, gripping the revolver in the other hand, grunting in exertion.

“GO! You've got Sarah, I can outrun them.” Tommy yelled over their angry hollering outside the door, beating against it so hard small splinters emerged, and the door began to groan.

“What about you?!” I yelled back, struggling to keep a grip on Sarah.

“I'll catch up, now go!” 

I heaved a deep breath, getting my bearings straight, turning and running towards the door on the other end of the restaurant, pausing and swapping Sarah's weight to push it open, stumbling forwards a bit, catching the attention of a roaming infected man. He hissed at me and lunged towards me, missing by inches as I jumped off the porch, landing wrong in the mud, stumbling, a sharp pain in my ankle confirmed I'd probably sprained it.

I bit back the swarm of profanities on the tip of my tongue, instead forcing more andrenaline into my veins and moving as fast as I could, the pain numbing over, sweat forming on my forehead and neck, my eyebrows crunched together in determination as I jogged on, Sarah swaying my arms, I whispered things so softly I doubted she could hear me.

I ran past an ambulance, crashed off the dirt trail we ran up, from the side, an EMT squirmed out from under the front of the vehicle, stumbling to it's feet to charge after us. I gripped Sarah tightly as I ran up a hill, headlights behind us illuminated all the infected following us, charging after us, mere inches from snagging the collar of my t-shirt and pulling us down.

My breaths were little more than pathetic gasps, my chest barely swelling with air, I just glided to the top of the hill, where a bright light flashed over my face, blinding me. I turned my shoulder inwards to cover Sarah from it, peeking up to make out a black silhouette standing on the hill, illuminated by headlights. The ground flattened a little bit, smoothing out into a little packed down clearing where I stood, facing a man with a heavy set of riot gear dungarees. An assault rifle in his hands, pointed at us, face hidden behind a gas mask.

“Get back!” a voice rumbled angrily, some hint of fear and reluctance behind it.

I squinted to make out the figure of the armored man, his gun fixed on my face.

“Please... My daughter...” I gasped, barely enough air in my lungs to form a coherent sentence.

He motioned for me to shut up and stay put, reaching up to his headset.

“Sir, there's a man her with a little girl... Yes sir... But... Yes sir.” he still sounded reluctant, even resisting...

He had a sign of sympathy as he raised his rifle again training it on me.

"Look buddy, we've just been through hell..." I whispered, raising my hand that supported Sarah's back slightly, her eyes were wide and frightened.

It didn't stop him, he pulled the trigger, I turned my back in time, losing my footing and falling down the hill, Sarah falling out of my arms at some point, her brief scream alerted me that she was nearby...

The guard hovered over me, the muzzle of his gun pressed up against my forehead. I held my hands up in surrender.

“Please... Don't shoot...”

I heard the bang of the gun, but felt no pain. I looked up in surprise to see the guard fall dead on the ground, his flashlight rolling out of his limp hand.

“Tommy,” I grunted as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

“No...” Tommy whispered... His eyes wide, pain in them, but he didn't look at me, he looked past me, stumbling past me, crumpling to his feet mere feet from where she laid... Her hands clasped over her abdomen in pain, little terrified whimpers and squeaks of pain came from her.

“Sarah!” I scrambled across the ground, tripping and crawling towards her, pulling her up into my arms, she screamed at the small movement. 

“Baby, I know it hurts.” I whispered, panicked, moving her hands, stained in her own blood, her shirt staining quickly... I applied direct pressure, I had learned first-aid when I signed up with a construction crew, however I did not think in that moment that that was what was leading me... It was the raw feeling of being hopeless and doing everything and anything you can...

She sniffled, crying... So many tears, her face held so much pain that it was unbearable.

“I know Babygirl, I know..." I murmured as soothingly as I could, but it sounded tight and panicked.

"Stay with me, baby, come on, keep your eyes on me, okay?"

She nodded meekly, gripping my hands tightly, I looked up quickly, shooting Tommy a horrified look. Neither of us knew what to do, I did, but it was lost in the panicked thoughts.

I quickly looked back down at her, her eyes remained wide, but they did not flash everywhere as they had seconds ago... Instead, they were trained on something far away, her breaths built up, heavy and thick, blowing out between her slightly parted lips in the final fall... The last breath, her last blink... Her very last tear, rolling down her pale, freckled cheek...

“Sarah?...” I whispered again... Unbearable broken cracks in my voice, it came out muted, light as a whisper...

"Oh God..." I sobbed, ducking my head, pulling her into my arms, hugging her so tightly, hoping with every fiber of my being... That it was enough to bring her back, the warmth of my own heart was enough...

"Oh God... Oh God..." I sobbed, my anger spreading out, bleeding into depression... Terrible sadness, darkness... It just consumed me... And I let it.