CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

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          THERE WERE NO CHEERFUL CHIRPS OF BIRDS AS THEY AWOKE FOR THE DAY, NOR WAS THE WEATHER PARTICULARLY WARM. It was glum outside, which reflected the mood Lucia was in. Her head was lowered, strands of hair falling over her face as she watched her boots shuffle along the road. 

The three of them were scattered a few feet away from each other as they walked in silence. The only words that were shared between them were that of warning or a signal for a quick stop. This went on for most of the day since they'd left the motel.

Lucia and Joel had dug two hollow graves for the lifeless bodies of their new found friends not long after their deaths. Lucia remembered now, remembered why she had insisted on not getting attached to anyone. It always ended up in pain and sorrow. 

The woman had looked at Joel as they dug and promised herself that if there was going to be an after once they'd finish their journey, if they were going to die on her, she was never going to speak to anyone ever again. Lucia was too far gone to detach herself from them but grief weighted heavy on her chest.

Once Sam and Henry were buried, they didn't linger around and went on their way. It was better that way. Ellie had since completely shut them out and the teenager hadn't met their eyes, having put her headphones over her ears and listening to her tapes.

One of her ears was uncovered halfway, a way to stay alert in case of an emergency.

Hearing a stream in the distance, Lucia perked up and jerked her head toward the forest after she tapped Joel on his shoulder.

The smuggler nodded his head and called, "Ellie."

It took her a second but the girl glanced in their direction, spinning on her heels slowly. One of her brows was raised slightly and she turned off her tape, sliding her headphones down her head and around the back of her neck to rest them on her shoulders.

"There's water nearby." began Lucia, offering the teen a small smile as best as she could. "Might be worth checking out."

Their water bottles were empty and they desperately needed to get some fluids into their systems. Ellie gave her a single nod and placed the device and headphones into her backpack.

"Lead the way." voiced Ellie, lifting her shoulder slightly as she waited for either of the adults to move.

Joel furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the teen stalk after Lucia who had already stepped away from the pavement and onto the hardened soil beside the road. He watched as Lucia slowed her steps to walk beside the teen and a small smile graced his features, but he stopped himself once he noticed and narrowed his dark eyes.

"How are you holding up, El?"

The Williams girl shrugged her shoulders, at a loss for words as she briefly peered up at the woman walking beside her. Turning her head back toward the forest, she focused on the trees that surrounded them and sucked her lips between her teeth.

"I don't know." she answered, honestly. "It's just not fair. Any of it."

"I know," frowned Lucia, bumping her shoulder with hers before tugging her bag further up her back. "I'm really sorry."

"This is why we need to find The Fireflies." exclaimed Ellie, raising her voice ever so slightly. "We need to find them so that they can make a cure and so that nothing like this can ever happen again. Sam he ... he was just so young."

Lucia heaved a sigh and bit the inside of her cheek, not knowing how to comfort the girl. Even if they found The Fireflies, there was no guarantee that the could indeed find a cure for Cordyceps. After a moment, she looped an arm around Ellie's and the girl gave her the best smile she could muster in return.

The brunette could feel his eyes burn the back of her head, but she kept walking with Ellie.

Lucia had been right, there was a small stream that ran through the forest and she and the teen fell to their knees, making cups with their hands and gulping down the freezing water to ease the aches in their stomachs.

Joel thought it would be a good idea to set up camp near the water for the night. It had been a very long walk and after the day they'd had they needed some rest. Ellie had her headphones on, again, doodling away in her notebook as she leaned against a tree, Joel's jacket resting over her lap.

The smuggler had scavenged some berries an hour prior and he and Lucia were eating them as slowly as they could to make them last.

It was quite cold and Lucia hoped they'd find some sort of place where they could scavenge some clothing for the appropriate weather. Winter was only three months away but autumn was almost just as cold as night these days.

"From now on," uttered Joel, eyes on Ellie to see if she could hear them but she gave them no indication that she was listening. "no matter who we're getting acquainted with, we travel alone. Just the three of us."

"Yeah," Lucia nodded, resting her head against the tree behind her. "I agree. I don't think I want to ... relive that. And I don't want Ellie to go through that again."

"Are you okay?" he met her gaze in the dark.

"I am." she inclined her head in a nod, moving her eyes away from his own and staring up at the sky through the trees. "But I can't seem to get Henry's face out of my head."

"Neither can I." he confessed. "But we'll be okay."

"Well," she chuckled, but there was no humour in it. "we've been through hell already, how much worse can it get, right?"

"Right." muttered Joel, brows pulled together.

There was a long way between their location and getting to Wyoming. They were barely armed, had no supplies and the sole of Lucia's right boot was slowly giving in. Really, how bad could it get?

okay, so a bit of a short filler chapter that isn't the best BUT there is going to be a three month gap between this day and when they get to jackson, i already have one or two ideas on how i am going to fill it but i was wondering if maybe you had some ideas? i'm having a bit of a writers block and need some ideas/scenes that you'd like to see here.

love you