Chapter Text
The sun had already risen by then, indicating the new day ahead. Ellie took care of Imani's wound. She already knew what was passing through her mind. Ellie sighed heavily and bit her lip. "Imani, I know you don’t care about what I’m about to say, but don’t do it… You want to avenge your people, your sister, but don’t." Imani let out a sarcastic laugh. "It was fun, Ellie. But it’s time for each of us to go our own way." She then averted her gaze, rubbing her temples in a tired gesture as her eyes welled up with tears that she was fighting to hold back. “It’s best that way, Ellie… I have to do this. For my people. For myself. For her." Imani’s voice trembled, but her resolve didn’t. "Out of all people, you should understand that." She turned to look at Ellie, and in her eyes was a fire Ellie knew too well. That was the problem; Imani was right. She did understand. And that’s exactly why she had to stop her.
She took a step forward, but Ellie moved in front of her and gently took her hand. "Listen to me... I know how you feel; I already told you how many more I lost because of that one decision for revenge." Imani bit the inside of her cheek; her jaw clenched tight. Ellie raised her hand again, this time placing it softly under Imani’s chin, guiding her to meet her eyes. Her voice trembled. "Revenge will take even more from you, and in the end, it won’t give you what you’re looking for. Please, let’s keep going; together."
Imani snapped; her voice cold and sharp, "Why do you care? It has nothing to do with you..." She yanked Ellie’s hand away before she leaned to take a rock from the ground, and then threw it angrily toward one of the many abandoned cars scattered around them. The sound echoed as it hit the rusted metal; breaking the silence. "We are not friends, Ellie." Her voice was bitter, but Ellie could hear the faded pain in it.
“No, we are not friends; but that doesn’t mean I want to see you even more heartbroken, or even worse… dead. Don’t let your pain blind you, Imani.” Ellie took one more step forward; she was determined to stop her from making what would be her biggest mistake.
Their conversation was cut short as Ellie noticed the stalkers slowly approaching; they were still on the same highway as the day before. So much had changed in a single night. Around them, the three bodies of the Drifters now lay lifeless. Ellie scanned the area, quickly calculating which direction might offer the safest escape.
“They probably smelled the blood,” she said, her voice tense. “Imani, please, come with me. They’re getting closer.” She extended her hand toward Imani, hope flickering in her eyes.“You can’t go back; there’s a whole horde behind us. You won’t survive.” Imani looked over her shoulder, fists clenched tight. Something in Ellie’s eyes made it impossible to say no, no matter how much she wanted to. Without a word, she stepped past Ellie and began walking off the highway.“Are you coming, or what?”
She didn’t stop; she didn’t wait for Ellie. She just kept walking—fast, purposeful—like slowing down might betray the crack forming in her resolve, like pausing would expose just how close she was to breaking. Her heart was telling her to go back, find the drifters, but her mind didn’t let her. Ellie was right; she already knew that, but Imani wouldn't admit it.
Ellie dropped her hand and followed Imani in silence; she feared that if she spoke now, it would be the spark that made Imani explode — and there’d be no coming back from that.
This time, they chose to go through the forest that had swallowed the highway; to the eye, it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. The tall grass choked the path, wild and overgrown, making the forest look more sinister and unwelcome, while the trees looked old, brittle, their broken branches like silent reminders that all hope had died with the world. They kept moving, deeper and deeper into the woods, without a clue where they might end up. Ellie never had an actual plan—just the need to run. That was the only thing she had scheduled when she left the farmhouse behind. Imani hadn’t been part of the picture back then. Ellie hadn’t known just how much space she would come to occupy in her life… or her walk toward redemption. Everything was new for both of them. They shared the same pain; a pain so deep and consuming that neither of them was ready to face it alone. But they didn’t know that yet. They weren’t aware—not yet—of how important they would become to one another.
Through the forest, they both stayed silent, like the words wouldn’t dare leave their mouths. Hours had passed, but Imani’s anger still pulsed through her; it hadn’t dulled, only deepened. It was like being slashed by a million razors—each emotion cutting deeper than the last. Everything inside her was fighting to surface all at once, drowning her in a tidal wave of grief and fury. The pain wasn’t just emotional; it was physical. Her steps felt heavy; her breath came fast and shallow, like the air itself wasn’t enough. Ellie stayed behind her, keeping a careful distance. All of this dragged her back to memories of her own journey. Joel’s face kept haunting her—the scene of his death playing on an endless loop in her mind. She was caught in the same turmoil Imani was drowning in. Time seemed frozen; her legs moved forward almost automatically. She kept walking, eyes fixed on the grass, swaying violently with the occasional gust of wind. She wanted to say something—to reach out—but the words felt too heavy to speak.
Ellie knew it; this would be a long journey, one that pulled them into the unknown. Neither of them was ready to speak; the silence between them felt like they were strangers all over again.
And yet, Ellie couldn’t help but care deeply for Imani. Was it because they shared the same pain? Or was it something deeper—something she hadn’t yet dared to name? When Ellie started this path alone, she hadn’t expected to feel so many emotions at once. Now, she realized she’d have to face more than what she was ready for.