{ Spring }

Her scathed fingers laid on the six-string instrument that was rested on her knees. Her knees were dangling off her sturdy bed, scraping the ground often. The chirping of birds irritated her hearing, making her hands shake furiously as they hovered above the strings. The floor creaked when she leaned forward to steady herself. The instrument was already waiting for it to be played, yet the player was not ready. All these minor actions outside bothered the senses. A horse neighed loudly when it was startled by a cry of a wolf in the distance. Children began to laugh to this occurrence, sharply followed by the scolding of the adults.

She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, taking the environment around her. It was a messy room to begin with— photos misplaced, clothes scattered around the floor, and bedsheets folded unevenly which was hanging off one of the bed's corners. That seemed to calm down her nerves, finally laying her hands to the guitar's rusty strings. She strummed once, finding that it was somehow untuned to her liking. Her right hand instinctively tuned the 'D chord' which always seemed to be the string that was different.

Finally, everyone had quieted down in her mind. There was nothing that was bothering the flow of her brain, only the rhythm of the song was endlessly playing in her head. It was a melody she was so familiar with yet she hadn't done a complete run through with it, as she often finds herself mistiming the strokes or losing focus. This day was about time she completed it. It was time to make him proud.

Slow groans exited her mouth as she began singing, "I've hurt myself... today. To see if I still feel. I focus... on the pain. The only thing, that's real."

Her left hand began to shake, weakening her grip on the chords, "The needle... tears a hole. The old familiar sting. Tried to kill it, all away... but I remember, everything."

She started stroking the strings more aggressively and making a loud rhythm. Before she could continue, small droplets left her eyes, "What have I become?" The eyes glance at a picture in the corner, "My sweetest friend?"

The guitar seamlessly fell out of her hands, losing her grip when three continuous knocks laid afoot on her doorsteps. In truth, small frustration boiled within her, but she had learned from the best. All she could do was mutter a few words, "Everyone I know... goes away... in the end."

The knocks strangely grew louder, startling her which instinctively made her stand up. She approached the door, grabbing the knob with caution. The noise stopped when she turned the handle to unlock the entrance. A rugged voice called, "Ellie?"

She swung it widely, revealing a man clothed in a clean green-checkered shirt with fresh jeans that smelled heavenly. It almost made her chuckle for a moment, leaving Joel's question unanswered.

"Ellie? Can you hear me?" He repeated.

She was taken aback for a second, "Oh yeah, sorry. I guess I was making too much noise, huh."

"What do you mean? I just got in after visiting the dam." He peeked inside, spotting a coloured-torn guitar on the bed, "Ah, playing the 'ol guitar again?"

"You know me..." She raised her shoulders, as he entered her room. "Just playing the guitar in here while I wait for orders."

"C'mon now, Ellie. It's kind of disrespectful to call Maria's chores as orders." He inspected the guitar, touching the surface.

"I'm not saying I don't enjoy it. It just seems a little bit," She wandered in a circle, "I don't know - forced?"

"Yeah?" Joel ignored the response and quickly picked up the guitar, "Rusted strings, torn down colour, and no good keys." He lightly chuckled, "You know, Ellie, I do have a guitar downstairs. Why do you keep on using the one we found outside?"

"Because it's yours and that's mine. Finder's keepers, remember?" She recalled.

"I know that but... no hard feelings if you use the one I have." He sat on the edge of the bed, "I mean, I can't even play this properly."

She had decided to pile up the reading material that was on her desk, "It's because I was trained to practice on broken guitars."

"And who said I didn't give you the good guitar?" He argued.

"I'm not complaining." She shrugged back. "Anyways, why are you here?"

"I was just checking up on you..." Joel laid the guitar on the bed, "Also, Neil told me you were playing with the other teenagers outside."

"God," She shook her head, "Look, I wasn't playing outside. I was just fixing one of their water guns. I just don't play outside."

"I guess I was lied to by Neil... again." He sighed, which garnered no reaction from her, "Are we good?"

"What do you mean, good?" She chuckled.

"We haven't been talking a lot lately. Is there something wrong?"

"Well..." She smirked, "If you could tell the girl down the street to - "

"Ellie..." He scolded her in a deep voice, "She's new here and trying to make friends; just like us when we first got here. Give her a chance."

"So I'll just let her keep on staring at me while I do my work? It's fine with you?"

"And you expect me to do what?"

"Tell her something." She raised her hands in the air, making Joel laugh, "Come on, it's kind of freaking me out."

"Ellie, she's a kind kid, just like you. I've talked to her and - "

"Great you talked to her," She interrupted.

"And she's approachable and funny." He loudened his voice. "Just give it a shot. I'm counting on it."

He turned away and scanned the room, noticing a whiteboard that was sketched like a crime scene. His finger pointed to the corner, "And that?"

"Oh," She quickly jogged into a position blocking the sketches, "Don't look, please? I'm into drawing now."

"Huh." He grinned while slowly standing up. The wood creaked heavily, "The place needs some repairs."

"It's fine, Joel. You don't need to." She shook her head.

"I insist, Ellie." He quietly shuffled to the door to leave. Before he did, he held the frame with his hand and turned around, "By the way, Esther's coming over. You might want to wear a hoodie of yours instead of that tank top."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" She groaned in frustration.

"She makes good stew, Ellie, I don't know what you're thinking of."

"It's salty and it tastes like shit!" She stated without hesitation.

"Keep your voice down..." He said playfully, "It's like you want her to hear it."

"Well I do!" She sighed and fell to her rolling chair, "I want to eat something else, to be honest."

"Just change outfits, she's coming over soon." Joel left and stomped heavily on the way down the stairs.

Her attention was brought by a wolf that was once again howling in the distance. In honesty, the stew did make her lose her appetite for the rest of the day the last time she ate, so she wasn't going to allow it again. She approached the white chalkboard which was hung up against the wall. Multiple sticky notes and video records were taped on almost every corner, seemingly leading to the middle— the note from Anna.

"I love you, mom." She sighed deeply.

She grabbed her worn-down backpack that was sitting on her desk, placing on her back and stepping outside of her room. The rest of the house seemed the same as her room, but not as prominent. There were unsteady floors and old wallpaper. The paintings on the wall, however, were still in good condition. It showed off a picture of the dark woods, with a animal in the shadows. It just fascinated her a little bit, but it hasn't made her stare at it for hours unlike Joel.

As he was setting up the table, she descended into the first floor and grabbed her hoodie of the cloth rack, right next to the door. Silently, she twisted the handle of the door, which alerted the old man.

"Ellie," He scolded, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm - "

"You're running away from the stew again, aren't you?"

"I'm going to check up on Maria! She asked me to check up on her right out on the gate!" She thought of quickly.

"You better come back here. I'll give you thirty minutes, tops."

"Thanks, Joel!" She shut the front door, rolling up her left sleeve to release the heat inside her.

Just like any other night, Jackson was lit up like a carnival. Many people, families, were walking out in normal clothing, visiting the shops that had somehow come to fruition thanks to Maria's order to let people sell what they want. Street lights were open, shining brightly in the air. Like earlier, children were running around. Teenagers were on their bikes,  laughing as they went along. Adults had come and started drinking outside, sharing stories of the outside. Although it may seem to put a smile on everybody's faces, she was still walking alone, nobody to talk to.

When she came to the end of the street, she took a right between two houses that looked identical. The area she crossed was overgrown with vegetation, just like the outside world had shown. In the end, there was a metal fence that was emitting electricity on the regular. Someone was standing there, a hoodie covering his face and silently waiting for something.

"Hey Bruce," She called out. The man looked towards her, revealing his scarred eye, "You know the drill."

"And what's the occasion, hm?"

"Food, stocking up, the regular." She walked over to the broken wood floor of the house nearby. There was a hole covering it, where her equipment was stashed. The weapon that she always preferred, the old-stringed bow, was lying there, waiting to be picked up. Multiple arrows were also being kept, but only few were needed. "Any signs of Infected?"

"Haven't heard a single click... all day." Bruce leaned over, silently removing a crate that was covering another hole. This time, it was a passageway between Jackson and the outside.

The sound of music and laughter was all about to go away, with one simple fall. Before she exited the town, her eyes locked into his, "Promise you won't tell Joel?"

"When have I ever?" He giggled.

"Last month." She recalled, finally dropping into the passageway.

Just like last time, the small "cave" was dimly lit-up, only producing light at the very end. The faint smell of oil lingered in her nose, making her feel nauseous inside. Small stems were sticking out from the ceiling, hitting her as she progressed deeper. There were obscure but familiar noises that were echoing into the cave. This made her eager, making her sprint to the end. There was a light cardboard covering the hole from the outside, so bandits wouldn't notice it.

She emerged from the ground, quietly stepping on the surface of the woods. There were branches laid everywhere, able to make a sound at any second. In the distance, there was a figure that was hoping up and down, but also was like a size of a cat. This alerted her immediately, making her traverse through the forest quickly. In the end, her senses were true, as she spotted a bunny that was looking for a snack.

"I'm sorry little bunny..." She muttered, grabbing the middle part of the string of her weapon. The tip of the feathers tickled her fingers, making her try to maintain a stronger grip, "but I rather have you than Esther's stew."

There it was, in perfect position. It was standing still, chewing on a branch that seemed like food in the dark to it. The eyes were recklessly fumbling everywhere, trying to spot anything that it could eat. When it turned it's head, looking into the other direction, she pulled the arrow back, not at it's breaking point but just right. Just before she could release, it had a final look at her, finally realizing that she was there.

All of a sudden, an animal had entered the scene. It galloped its way there, almost ignoring the moment that was about to happen. It startled the bunny that it returned to its hole. For her, it made her relive everything once more. She breathed, trying to let every last bit of air enter her before she paused entirely. Blurred visions of the snow entered her mind. It was like a nightmare playing in front of her. The animal came to a stop nearby, examining her when she had suddenly stopped moving.

The deer ran past her, making her let go of the arrow which snapped into two when it collided with a rock. She started to settle down, grabbing leaves near her and rubbing it with her hands. Screaming and groaning were evident in what she was thinking, all nightmares of the past. A voice in the darkness began shouting.

"Hey! I think we got something." A scarred and rugged voice exclaimed.

"What is it?" Another person, but one with a light and calm tone, spoke.

"We got some arrows and..." He looked across towards her. "We found a girl!"

"Shit..." She realized and hurriedly ran back towards Jackson.

The world around her began fainting into darkness, that even light was hard to see. Cracks of wood and leaves filled the forest ambiance. It was a quick chase, as the pursuers followed the trail and easily tailed behind her. The forest had gotten so confusing that she stumbled on a large oak tree, rolling down a hill.

A loud thud followed when she stopped rolling. Her knee was burning with a small flesh wound that didn't entirely hurt. The determination was still there and she struggled getting back up, crawling to the hole that was just beside her.

"The kid! She's going into that hole!" The voice shouted.

She fell into the hole, groaning in pain because of the wound on her right knee. The footsteps seemed louder every second she wasted, so she used a strong stem that was sticking out to help herself stand on both knees. The sound of music and laughter began to return. The light at the end of the tunnel was brighter than ever. Unfortunately, the two men had dropped down to the hole she was in. They fired a warning shot at her, that almost struck her right achilles. The fear increased when the younger man was gaining on her.

The man was basically sprinting at her, when she couldn't do anything. She finally reached the end of the tunnel, and jumped up to the safety in Jackson. However, the agile man grabbed her foot and tried to pull her back into the passage. She kicked him right on his eyes and willed herself to the town's safety. Her wound began bleeding profoundly, dripping all over her clothing. "Motherfucker!"

Bruce was no longer to be seen around the area, which meant there was no one she could rely on. She moaned loudly, applying pressure to the wound so it would stop hurting. The old man leaped onto the hole, dangling off the edge. Using her quick reflexes, she pulled out her bow and pulled an arrow on it.

"One move, fucker!" She warned. "It only takes one!"

"You've got courage, ma'am..." He placed his foot up so he could get up, "but it - "

An arrow flew through his head, as the tip exited on the other side of his brain. Blood splattered all over the grass and his lifeless body fell right back into hole. Angered, the young one swiftly got up from the hole and charged her. She leaned back to get another arrow, but realized she was empty. The man leaped towards her and tried to choke her, but she instinctively got her switchblade and stabbed him in the stomach. The man surprisingly didn't stop.

"Ah..." She muttered, as the man pressed his thumbs onto her throat. "Stop... please..."

Her eyes began to shut, as the ringing in her ears overpowered the world around her. The only vision she could see clearly was the young bearded man, slowly cutting of her life with every breath she loses. It was all starting to fade, until air sped through her, and blood started dripping onto her face.

The raider fell to the ground, laying dead beside her, "Fuck." She looked to the side and saw a young woman, with dark eyes and a bun hair, wearing a magenta long-sleeved shirt along with some denim pants.

"Oh god..." The woman kneeled, releasing the bow from her hands. Her voice sounded scared and shaky, "that was... intense."

"Tell me about it. Shit!" She calmly answered. Her attention was brought back to her, when she realized that it was the neighbour who had been staring her on some instances, "Hey, uh, thanks for being here."

"I heard the noise while I was passing by," She stated, walking over to her. "Glad that I had my bow on me."

"You're one hell of a shot with that thing." She smiled, slowly rising up.

"You could say that I have the best shot in town." The woman giggled.

"You haven't seen me shoot," She quickly retorted. "I would bet I have a better shot."

"Confident girl, I like it."

She rubbed of the blood that was present in her hands and pulled the dead body into the hole along with his companion. To hide it, she returned the crate over it to block the smell and the sight of the two killed raiders. The woman stood there, standing upright with her bow.

"I'm not known to be confident," She paused, wiping off the sweat on her head, "I'm just really good at this."

"Really good? How old are you?"

"Sixteen, turning on seventeen. Why? Haven't seen a girl do this type of crazy shit?" She boasted.

"Um, no." She laughed, "I've done crazier shit than that. It's called escaping a mansion filled with clickers."

"Huh, so you haven't done crazier shit."

"What makes you say that, hm?"

"Because..." She raised her hands, "You haven't heard my part of the story..."

"That's a good point," She nodded towards her. "Hey, my name's Dina."

Ellie looked at her, grinning, "and I would like to say that we are officially bonding..."