THE
LAST
OF US:
ALONE AND
FORSAKEN
By Hand Banana
PROLOGUE - Spring
The car ride was long and agonizing for both Joel and Ellie. Joel kept his attention to the road while Ellie read a comic book she had found while scrounging for fuel. A song played on the tape Ellie found while at Bill's town, almost a year ago.
"Are we ther-"
"No." Joel said, for the umpteenth time, trying to concentrate on driving straight and dodging debris on the road.
"Well, I wasn't the one unconscious for God-knows-how-long, were you? Wait, don't answer that..."
"I have been unconscious longer than you. You've been out for maybe seven hours. From what YOU told me, I was out for three weeks."
"... Okay, you win the Coma Contest." Ellie said as she sank back down into the passenger seat, finishing off her comic book for the day. "Wish these weren't so damn short..."
Ellie snored softly as Joel kept himself awake by telling himself to watch the Clickers on the road, sending a sharp jolt up his spine. A thought crept its way into Joel's mind, asking a very, very good question: 'Why haven't there been any signs of life since we left Utah? Suddenly, a gunshot rang out in the distance, a bullet zipped downrange and blew a hole in the window on the driver side window. The car screeched to the left, narrowly missing the railing that separated the road and the steep hill with a rushing river at the bottom.
"Shit!" Joel grunted as the car impacted the side of a abandoned pickup on the highway. Ellie had woken up as soon as the gunshot rang out and was promptly holding on to the armrests for dear life.
Figures atop a hill emerged in the late daylight, the sunlight that peeked out over the hill blinding Joel as he fumbled with his seatbelt, trying to get out of the moving deathtrap he was in. He triumphed and Ellie cut herself out with her trusty switchblade and made a mad dash to the trunk to receive her weapons.
She hastily opened the trunk door and grabbed her backpack, pistol and hunting rifle, making sure they were loaded and ready for action. Joel did the same with his shotgun and .38 revolver. They rushed to the nearest cover as more shots rang out and more bullets impacted the ground and vehicles nearby. Joel popped out of cover, took aim with his revolver and pulled the trigger. The muzzle flash lit up the area as a bullet streaked downrange and found its mark in one of their attacker's arm. What Joel didn't know, was that they were coming from behind.
