Chapter 2: Flesh Quarry

A/N - This chapter is hasty. I've been working on a way to get the story to move at a breakneck pace while still keeping enough room for characters to breathe. This is still only part of the opening section, but rather than bore you with long descriptions, I decided to spin a lot of crazy threads instead. Originally, I was going to have the opening be three gigantic chapters, but I decided to pare them into smaller, bite-sized chunks so the premise of the story can sink in more effectively. I'll be focusing on character through action, rather than just character through description. Hope you enjoy.

"It's not every day you get to play a hero."

- Ellie

Jackson Settlement

Lights were still on when they got back into town. Ellie checked the watch dangling from her wrist—a birthday gift from Joel that he'd found while scavenging an abandoned mall last spring. It was ten o'clock. The watchmen positioned at the gate gave them no trouble since they knew who Ellie's "father" was. Now if only she'd had Joel with her back in military school.

The boy was still wide-eyed and curious, his eyes darting between the lit buildings and streetlights, still uncertain of his fate yet caught in wonder of the town's existence. She held his hand and smiled upon catching his careful glance. There was still serenity in a child's presence, faint as it was, despite the savagery and starvation and cruelty of the world outside. It wasn't until she had gotten older that she began to understand what Joel meant by finding something to fight for. People took things for granted, but children didn't. They were a stern reminder that there was still wonder to be had.

They stopped in front of Tommy and Maria's property, a modest home with a white picket fence, a meticulously tended garden, and some absurdly adorable gnomes. God, Ellie wanted to steal them so bad. There was still light from the inside that penetrated through the windows, dancing shadows against the blinds indicating that no one was sleeping yet.

Connor looked over his shoulder to Renard.

"Waaaiiit heeere," Renard droned, mocking Connor's intonations. "I heard you twenty minutes ago."

He rolled his eyes with a wry smirk. "Ellie?"

"Can't wait to see the kind of circus this'll create," she replied, taking off her backpack and carrying it in-hand, then turning to the child. "Can you go with Renard for a little while?"

The boy looked at the hunter, still uncertain as to whom to trust. Renard sighed and brushed the kid's shoulder.

"Come on, kid. I'll teach you the alphabet or something."

Connor watched his cousin lead the child to a nearby bench. The smirk hadn't left him. Despite the drama earlier, Ellie felt like she was starting to get how these two ran together. It reminded her of Henry and Sam.

"So did you have a stroke on the way back? Because I've never seen you smile that long before," Ellie noted.

He seemed to blush somewhat, brushing his hair to the side. It was actually cute. "I don't think he's uttered half as many words to anyone in this town since we moved here."

They walked up the steps to the house and placed their bags on the patio. Ellie knocked on the door, which granted them a peaceful silence while they waited. She found herself arching her head somewhat as if she had something to say, but ultimately couldn't summon the words. Connor caught her in the act and turned his face to meet hers. He didn't say anything. She peeked at him just a bit and gave him the most awkward grin, to which he didn't react. Kind of assholey of him to just stare at her without saying anything, she thought to herself.

The locks on the door sluggishly came undone. When the door creaked ajar, a small head with a pair of piercing blue eyes poked out to see them.

"Hey there, Clarissa!" Ellie greeted, bent over with a wide grin. Tommy and Maria's daughter, six years old.

"Ellieeee!" the child jumped, swinging the door wide open.

They shared a brief embrace.

"Ah—okay. Can't hug too much, babe. I'm dirty from hiking," she told her, fixing her dirty blonde hair, still wet from having recently showered.

"Are you looking for mommy?"

"Yeah. Is your dad home too?"

"No. He's out with Uncle Joel I think," the little girl said, playing with the fringes of her pajamas.

A voice echoed from inside.

"Is that Ellie?"

"Yeeeaaahh," Clarissa said.

Maria emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands with a towel. She approached her daughter and caressed her cheeks, squatting down to meet her at eye level.

"Now what did we say about opening doors?" she asked.

Clarissa's eyes flickered. An acknowledgement of reproach.

"Oh," the girl remembered. "Sorry, mommy. I forgot."

"What do we do?"

"We ask who it is first," they said together, Maria nodding proudly.

Connor looked at Ellie, who tilted her head with adoration.

"Okay, good job, baby. Now go to bed. I'll tuck you in after I talk to Ellie, alright?" she said, kissing her child on the cheek.

Clarissa scuttled off into the hallway leading to her room and left them alone. Maria suddenly reverted back to the usual solemn, commanding demeanor she was known for, with just a touch of easiness to alleviate the tension of her guests. The aura surrounding her was aged and mysterious, paired with a straight-talking attitude that embodied her charisma. Ellie was a bit intimidated. Tommy always had a thing for these types of women, Joel told her once.

"Come in, you two."

"Uh…we're pretty grimy," Ellie responded.

Maria nudged her head towards the kitchen, her eyes bright and aware. "Come on in."

"Okay," Ellie promptly obliged.

They reluctantly took off their boots and stepped inside the living room, a warm, earthy abode with pictures lined on every lectern—which weren't even available in the town until a few years ago when someone finally had enough printing material and ink to create a photo service. Ellie read once in an anthropology book that the most cherished objects in burned down homes in the past were photographs. After all she and Tommy had gone through, it wasn't surprising to see this place plastered with them.

Maria handed them glass bottles of water upon entering the kitchen area, kept cold in the refrigerator. Ellie nearly chugged all of hers. She was thirstier than she thought.

"Hello there," she welcomed Connor. "I don't think we've met."

"This is Connor. He's my ranger partner this quarter."

He shook her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Have you?"

"Actually, no. I don't know why I said that," Connor chuckled. "Guess I'm nervous."

Ellie smacked her lips at another sip. "He's really nervous."

"I'm just a little bit nervous," he shrugged. "It's not everyday I get to meet one of the people who started this whole town."

Maria laughed and grabbed a bottle for herself. "I'm flattered."

"I also heard that you were the one who made that hydroelectric dam start with your bare hands."

Her eyes set upon Ellie. "Those sound like your words, you gossiper."

"See? I told you," Connor said, vindicated in his much-earlier statements.

Ellie nearly spat out her water.

"You dickwad! You're supposed to be on my side."

She lightly shoved him and they all shared a laugh, allowing things to ease up a bit, but the true topic of discussion still hung over their heads. Maria had already suspected it the moment they came in, but was letting them get comfortable before speaking on it.

"Maria," Ellie started, her face turning fervent, "we ran into a bit of trouble out on the hike with the Junior Team."

The blonde's eyes tightened, her head tilted, and her posture erected straight. "What?"

"We found some kid out on the hike. He's like…ten years old or something and I think he's some sort of straggler or something, too…"

Connor butted in, noticing that her words came up short in describing what he knew. "We found a runaway slave in the woods."

"A slave?"

She was surprised, but didn't seem as shocked as Ellie would expect. Perhaps she'd encountered something like this long before they met.

"He had a sheep tattoo on his wrist. You can check. He's from the Commonwealth," he said. "My home."

Those last words hung in the air like a revelation, almost an admission of guilt. Ellie examined Maria's expressions like a coroner, paying attention to all the subtleties in her mood. There was visible confusion, suspicion, and uncertainty, though the town leader veiled them with her confidence.

"The Commonwealth is your home," Maria reiterated, crossing her arms. It wasn't a mark of suspicion; she threw it out there to see how Connor would respond.

"We escaped from the Commonwealth sixteen months ago. My cousin and I," he replied. "I…we…endured nearly seven years of tyranny in that hell hole. A city of trade turned city of slaves."

His answer invoked sympathy. Maria's face softened.

"We lost too much in those years and left behind much more," he continued. Ellie's heart skipped at the latter half of his statement. "We just wanted a chance to live."

Uncrossing her arms, she drew a long breath, deep into her gut – but before she got to say anything, the door unlocked. Multiple figures entered mid-conversation, disrupting whatever moment they'd had to reflect on this issue.

"…told you it was the three-quarter inch. You just about punched a goddamn hole in Westin's barn door," a gruff voice reverberated in a thick southern accent.

"That 'three-quarter' ain't gonna save you next round of football we get," another voice said back. A woman with them giggled.

The three entered the kitchen area: Joel, Tommy, and Rachel, back from having overseen the repair of one of the local farmer's barns. Ellie's eyes brightened at seeing her only father and uncle, two men who had been through too much. She was also pleased to see Rachel, who had come far along, the bulge in her stomach now the size of a volleyball. Joel married a good, handy woman who had a thirst for excitement in the day, but tenderness in the night. They met a couple of years back.

"Heeey, baby girl," Joel said to Ellie, pecking her on the head as they came in. "Back already?"

"Hey guys," Maria responded flatly, fingers tapping the counter.

Connor had scooted back and stood behind Ellie, somewhat excluding himself as if waiting for a better time to talk about what they'd found. Tommy walked up to his wife and planted a kiss on her lips.

"I'm starved," Tommy said, heading to the fridge. "Anything good?"

Maria cleared her throat as he swung the door open, a gesture sharp enough that anyone who knew her understood. He looked over his shoulder and closed the fridge.

"Oh, right. Where're my manners?"

He held out a hand to Connor, looking him dead in the eye.

"Tommy."

Connor shook his hand. "Connor."

He then introduced Joel and Rachel, whom also received him kindly.

"We got something to talk about," his wife said.

And the light mood evaporated. Everyone stood silent.

"That kid gonna be okay?" Joel asked, standing on his porch, hands on his waist.

Ellie waved to Connor, who was hurrying to get back to his place and pack up for tomorrow. They had decided to round up the militia and go for a scouting run in the morning, combing for survivors. Connor explained that the child could have been part of a larger group, and that they may have fled the Commonwealth in droves. With the survival of the others on her mind, Ellie would have trouble sleeping tonight. It was a little disturbing to have danger lurking behind her neck once again, but she believed in this place. New lives could start here, slave or not.

"He's got nowhere else."

"It's cold out. Why don't you bring him in, sweetie?" Rachel called from inside the house.

Joel looked across the street and noticed someone.

"Isn't that the other guy you came with?" he asked Ellie.

Ellie let the boy inside, still not knowing his name since he wasn't willing to talk. She peered over her shoulder and spotted Renard still sitting at that bench under the streetlight. He hasn't gone home yet?

"Hey, I'll be inside in a minute, Joel," she said to him.

"Alright, well…don't take too long."

He shut the screen door and went back inside to help Rachel with the little boy. Ellie fiddled with her fingers somewhat anxiously, unsure of what to say. She walked down the steps of her home and traversed the road, shuffling her feet towards Renard, who had vanished into his thoughts.

"Hey."

His eyes tracked her. Most would act surprised and force their optimism, but he didn't seem to put up any fronts.

"Early day tomorrow."

He looked down at his lap. "Can't sleep."

"Because of today?"

Renard chuckled. "Can't sleep in general."

Pretty ballsy to divulge his feelings like that, she thought. Ellie didn't want to pry, and instead stopped playing with her fingers, clearing her throat. She held out her hand.

"We weren't properly introduced," she said. "Ellie."

"Renard."

He shook her hand, observing it curiously.

"You got an archer's grip there," he remarked. "Spend a lot of time with the bow?"

She nodded with a proud smirk as she lowered herself to the seat next to him.

"Yep. Started shooting, like, seven years ago and never looked back. I noticed your kills earlier. You're pretty good."

"It was luck."

"Luck must love you then because I don't cross more than a couple of animals when I go out these days," she said. "Unless there's a secret you're not telling me…"

He smiled modestly. "Everything you need to know can be figured out by paying attention."

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, hand caressing forearm.

He was a lot harder to figure out than he originally let on. Perhaps Connor had created a false impression of his cousin, since Ellie thought that he was just the normal depressed survivor who just needed some time to sort things out. There was a rawness to the way he said everything. His presence was a little unnerving, to say the least.

"So…that kid today," she mentioned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

His mouth twitched slightly.

"It sounds like you do."

"But you don't?" she retorted pretty annoyingly.

Renard smiled, as if amused by the way she was behaving. "Look, it's not a complicated thing. I moved because of the slaves. And the lies."

He hadn't been present while Tommy, Joel, and Maria discussed what to do about the slave child, but it was a good guess to assume that Connor had updated them on everything. That part about lies, though, wasn't discussed. Ellie wasn't too aware of it, but it struck a nerve in her heart, her breast literally rising as he mentioned it. He seemed to notice, too, but didn't say anything.
"What lies?" she asked.

"Sometimes you figure things out for yourself that others have been hiding from you," he answered cryptically. "It never really leaves you over the years. You kind of bury it because you know you can't accept it."

He nearly droned like a robot. It was detached, egoless, the way he spoke about it. Ellie had flashes of memories from years past.

"And even when you try to confront the truth, they'll tell you that they did it out of love and that you should get over it."

"…yeah."

"They're right. The world doesn't turn because of you," he said rather bitterly.

Was it Connor he was talking about? She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words could come out.

"Do you wanna know why?"

Ellie tilted her head. "Why?"

He scoffed disgustedly, flipping his demeanor around. "Because of gravity. Christ, you're not the brightest bulb, aren't you?"

Her jaw dropped. Renard stared right into her eyes, gauging her reaction, then laughed straight from his belly, which caused Ellie, both bewildered and shocked, to follow suit.

"You're kind of an asshole."

"As long as I'm not a real asshole then I can live with that," he jested. "I'm a fan of dumb jokes."

"Oh, you shit. Just wait," Ellie said. "I'm going to top that one of these days."

He stood up and grabbed his pack, hanging it over his shoulder.

"I don't know…I'll believe it when I hear it," Renard muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie got up, too, ready to head back to her house. "It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah."

Renard scratched the back of his head, somewhat unsure of how to end their conversation.

"I'll, uh…see you tomorrow, I guess."

"It's going to be fun searching for them," Ellie said with a wave, walking back across the street. "It's not every day you get to play a hero."

The Woods, Jackson

It was seven o'clock when Tommy gathered his militia and rangers out on the trail. Search parties had been grouped into teams of eight to twelve, and they planned to search the area where the child had last seen his people before they split off. It was frustrating to work on such low-information—the child wasn't one for talking much—but Connor was determined to find the rest of escaped slaves and figure out what had instigated their departure from the Commonwealth. He chose to group with Ellie, Renard, and Carlton, who had called off ranger training for the day, much to the relief of the young, tired recruits who stumbled back into town exhausted from yesterday's hiking. Joel, Ellie's father (he was still unsure of this), definitely gave him the stink eye upon making this decision, but she told him off well enough to get him off the hook. Connor definitely didn't want to cross him, though. Guy looked like he could slaughter an entire clan of marauders if he wanted to.

"You give that radio to Carlton. We're gonna stay in contact 'till noon, got it?" Joel told Ellie, bending over from his horse to hand her the walkie-talkie. He then looked at the ranger captain. "You keep an eye on 'em now, boss man. Them kids love to get in trouble."

"Don't worry Joel-san. I'll keep them in check."

Carlton was such a nerd.

He adjusted the brim of his cowboy hat. "Be on 'em like a clicker."

Ellie handed the radio to Carlton. "Clickers are blind, you know."

Connor let out one breath of laughter, which instigated Joel's wolf-like glare, shutting off any more joking at his expense. He might as well have been shot at that very moment.

"Something funny to you, boy?"

She looked at him and was holding back, contorting her mouth as to not show how close she was to bursting out laughing.

"I…"

"I can't even hear you. Speak up, son!"

Connor hung his head with a sigh. "Ahhhh I'm on the shit list now, aren't I?"

Ellie's father scoffed and spurred the horse, making it rush to catch up with Tommy and the others, who were discussing search patterns. She patted him on the shoulder as they prepared to move out.

"You're too funny."

He shook his head ironically. "One of these days I'm going to stop shaving, and when my beard grows bigger than Joel's, he's going to have to watch his unreasonably masculine back."

She chuckled. "I actually think he likes you."

He could have sworn he heard Joel and Tommy laughing from far away.

"Yeah, about as much as an alpha wolf likes being challenged by a…" Renard said, appearing from behind after having taken a leak, "…more retarded-looking beta wolf."

His cousin was always a bit prickish when it came to comparing their physiques, being shorter, but packing more muscularity. Connor was taller and lanky, more built for endurance while Renard had always been more of a sprinter and strength athlete. They both had good physiques from having lived outside of the city while in the Commonwealth, compared to the others in the city who lived in closer confines. He took the jabs in stride. At least he wasn't a chubby little hobbit when he was a child.

Ellie stepped in with much urgency. "It takes one to know one!"

"Ouch. Shots fucking fired," Renard remarked, placing a hand on his chest. "You gotta be snappier with the comebacks, bro."

"Since when the hell did you two become best buddies?"

She only returned a self-satisfied smirk, clearly still relishing in the timeliness of her joke.

"Days ago," his cousin replied.

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Alright, you guys," Carlton said, map in his hands. "Kitowski and his team are taking the left side. We're going to take the south road here and try to meet up with them at this halfway point, past the waterfall."

He gestured out to Connor.

"Anything interesting we should keep an eye out for? You're familiar with these people, right?"

"Umm…the kid said that there were a lot of them. I'm guessing footprints, evidence of campfires. They're not skilled survivors, so it's easy to know where they've been if we just track the waste," he retorted.

"How the hell do you know that?" Ellie asked.

The group leader neatly folded the map and tucked it away in his jacket pocket. He swung the rifle hanging off his shoulder and loaded the magazine. "Okay then, that settles it. Remember kids; this is outside the safe zone. We're keeping a narrow spread. Stick together. Could be infected out there, too. You never know."

Nearly two hours had expired with noon fast approaching. The sun was high enough now that it permeated the gaps between the trees, light shafts cutting through dust to reveal the enigmatic forest that surrounded them. Connor looked at his watch then at Ellie, whose shoulders slumped over. Boredom.

"Not as exciting as you'd hoped?"

She stood straight, playing it off. There was a blade in her hand that she'd been messing around with. "This backpack is heavy."

Renard was to his left kicking branches as he marched, consumed in his thoughts as usual. It was easy to give up so early. At a young age, Connor learned about the short attention spans of young people, though he wasn't complaining because he'd heard about how kids used to live back in the old world, bombarded by technology and information and distraction. In the Commonwealth, the oldest folk painted a horrid picture of the past, but then again these old people were often the ones who complained the most when it came to rationing supplies. He had a theory that humans were so adaptive, they could find something to bitch about even if they were living in caves. And, among these people, there were others who were willing to suck it up and find solutions. And that's how civilization began. He came up with this while high with his buddies one night—the night before he left with Renard.

"Earth to Connor," Ellie whined, suddenly three feet away from him. "What are you smiling about?"

His attention snapped. "Oh. It's dumb. Forget it."

"So I've got a question. About the Commonwealth."

"Of course you do," he sighed.

Ellie nodded. "Mm-hmm. So, let's say we find these people. What's in it for you?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh, come on. I wasn't the only one who saw that face of yours," she mentioned. "Like, 'Oh, check that arm,' all serious and shit."

"Yeah, and I was pretty handsome while under pressure like that, wasn't I?"

Ellie giggled, but it was quickly swept aside. "Come on."

"I was scared that there could be others out there."

Her bullshit detector was on point. "Uh-huh. You fucking shit, you can't pass that one by me."

They hopped over a tree trunk. His ears caught the white noise of rushing water, meaning that they were drawing close to the meetup point. Connor poked his head up and looked around, but a tug at his arm pulled him back. Ellie was persistent today. Curious people were often annoying that way, but she was cute enough that he could forgive it.

"Hey," she insisted, halting him. "Talk to me."

Carlton called to them from far up ahead, signaling that he'd heard the rushing waters as well. Connor waved to let him know that they'd catch up, sitting down on the trunk with Ellie. She was pretty serious about the question, but he couldn't put his finger on the reason.

"You're a lot nosier than the other girls around here," he said rather pointedly, as to draw out her insecurities by comparison.

It pricked her mood like a needle, yet she was willing to qualify herself. "Maybe because I actually give a fuck."

"Not too brushed up on your manners, though," he continued.

"Yeah, tell that to your mom."

"You're actually not that cute when you're pouty. I liked you better when we were just ranger partners."

Last straw. He could see it in her face.

"You…you fucking asshole," she remarked. She looked at him incredulously, like she was speaking to a completely different person. Ellie scoffed and swore to herself as she turned around and continued on without him.

Great. He'd done it now. Connor realized that he'd have to come up with ways to patch it up with her later. For the time being, he was more relieved that this discussion was kept at bay. He thought about where these questions would have come from while trailing from behind. By the time they both disappeared over the next hill, he remembered that both she and Renard had gotten acquainted with each other at some point.

Did Renard tell her that he used to be a slaver?

He peered into the thick wood with a growing sense of dread. Ten minutes flew by as he ran his head through the possible scenarios, fists tightened. Shit. He had to catch up.

"Hey," Ellie hollered.

Renard had been resting on a rock, head leaned against an old tree, yawning. Apparently, he didn't get much sleep after all.

"Where's Carlton?" she asked.

"I thought he was with you guys."

Ellie glanced at her surroundings. No one in sight. She then tried to listen attentively, but the waterfall seemed to drown everything out. They must have gotten separated at the other hill. Renard had a protein bar in his hand, munching on it thoughtfully. He handed it to Ellie.

"Can't finish it."

She took it and helped herself. "We should get moving. He's probably pissed at us."

"We'll do it once you learn to chew with your mouth closed," he poked. It lifted her mood just a bit. "Why are you here, anyway? Weren't you with Connor?"

"Uh, yeah. He got lazy," she claimed. "And we were wondering where you ended up."

"He likes you, you know."

Wow. Just throw it out in the air like that, huh?

"I got the feeling."

"He expresses it in a jackassy fashion. Don't let it get to you," Renard said. Was he reading her behavior?

He got off his ass and threw his backpack on, gesturing with his head that they should continue moving. They clambered up the hill with heavy breaths, the hike taxing their endurance. When they got to the top, he was chuckling to himself, prompting Ellie to inquire.

"What?"

"I don't know if I should say."

Hands on her hips. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Good," Renard nodded. "Because I don't think you're the type to have an eye for…you know…"

She squinted, head tilted, scowling. "…what?"

He shrugged. "You're not like the other girls, is all I'm saying."

He was going there, wasn't he? She couldn't believe he hooked her into asking.

"Don't fret, I think it's adorable," he said, almost patronizingly. "I mean, it's been a long goddamn minute since Connor's taken a liking to a woman. He's still hurt over leaving his last girlfriend back in the 'Wealth."

Ellie snarled. "You don't know me."

"No," he smiled contentedly. "I only know what you put out. And, you know…it's going to suck when he realizes that…you don't. For guys, I mean."

"This day," she started with her eyes shut, rubbing her temples, "is getting too suffocating with all these dickheads around."

Renard placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry. I still think it's adorable. I know, it doesn't really sound like I mean it, but…"

She raised her head to look at him.

"It matters to him. Because you're real."

Those last words stuck to her like glue.

"Come on," he said. "We gotta find Carlton before he decides to abandon us and makes your father come out here to track us down. Then we might as well be grilled chicken."

She groaned. "Ugh, you're making me hungry for chicken now."

The two hiked down the small incline and noticed a sizable pathway of trodden branches and pine needles. The tracks went up over that hill, but also sloped down to the small gorge below, concealed by thick brush. Renard held out a hand to signal a stop, observing the tracks before they moved any further.

"Could be deer," she said.

"If deer traveled in packs of thirty."

"Now you're making me hungry for deer."

"You started it."

Ellie knelt down next to him.

"Hey."

He turned his head curiously.

"What did you mean by the lies last night?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Ellie blinked.

"I was raised outside of the Commonwealth. I didn't know what they were doing to people inside. If I'd known about what they were doing with the slaves and all, I'd have probably left a long time ago."

She nodded. "Oh."

"I wasn't told much about what was going on," he revealed. "Makes a man a little nutty on the inside."

Ellie rested her chin on her knee. "Evidently."

Renard brushed some fallen needles off his shoulder and stood up. "I think these are actual tracks. We should call the others."

"Yep," she said, standing up as well. "Connor's following us, too. He shouldn't take long."

"Damn right," a voice spoke from behind.

They both turned to the top of the hill and saw Connor standing with his arms crossed. His eyes appeared glazed over for some reason, fixed on them like a predator. Ellie prepared herself for some negativity, seeing as their last conversation ended quite sourly.

"There you are," Renard replied. "We just found these. You should come take a look."

Ellie noticed Renard's physiological response. Shoulders tensed, knees bent, and eyes flared. Something awful was looming. His older cousin trudged down the hill clenching his fists.

"What were you guys talking about?"

"The tracks," Ellie answered, trying to nudge herself in between them. "I think these are human."

Connor looked at her. "Are you sure that's it?"

"What's your problem?" Renard asked emphatically. "Got another stick up your ass about me?"

He could read his cousin's body language from a mile away. This train wasn't going to stop. It had already taken off, reached full speed, and was ready to derail at any moment. Connor pointed his index and middle finger and shoved them into his cousin's collar.

"What did you tell her yesterday, Ren?"

He stumbled back with a grunt, not willing to answer so easily. "Guess."

"Oh, I'd be much happier making you tell me."

Ellie pressed a hand on Connor's chest. "Okay, that's enough, guys! What the fuck is going on with you two?"

He ignored her and lightly shoved her aside.

"Oh. I know what this is about," Renard said. "You don't know just how afraid you should be right now, do you?"

She was lost, caught in the confrontation. The search had gone horribly wrong.

"You…" Connor said, shaking his head, "you fucking told her, didn't you?"

Renard laughed, wiping his chin. "Lies have a funny way of coming out, don't they?"

That was it.

Connor dashed towards his cousin with an ape-like grunt, tackling his midsection and driving both of them to the ground. Fists flew in the air as they wrestled, sliding down the hill, sinew on sinew, blood on blood.

"Shit! You fucking idiots!" Ellie screamed. "Stop!"

He mounted his cousin and gripped his throat. "I ought to cut out that tongue of yours, you snake fuck."

"Is that my cousin telling me this, or the slave master?" Renard replied with a muffled cackle, his nose trickling blood down the side of his face.

Connor began raising a fist, ready to teach his cousin a lesson, but at the very end of the arc, Ellie yanked his arm back and he lost all momentum. He fell backwards onto the ground, leaving Renard room to squeeze out of his hold. The former slaver wasn't satisfied. He tried going for another tackle, but Renard dodged out of the way and redirected it downhill. His cousin didn't get away clean, though, as he was dragged along the way.

They fell past the steep point and into the thick brush, disappearing, gravity dragging them down the hill, and out of Ellie's line of sight. There was nothing left but undulating branches and lingering dust.

"Goddamn it," she cried, cursing herself.

They rolled a good twenty feet before dropping, landing on something soft that broke their fall. A splashing sound. A small pond. Connor lied on his back for a good few seconds, his ears ringing from the impact. He hoped that he hadn't broken any bones, because he definitely heard some crunching—no pain, though. The waterfall must have been very close because he could hear it just a couple of hills away. Groaning, he took deep breaths before gathering his thoughts, trying to get a sense of where he was. He ran his hand along the smooth surface that he landed on, and gasped. Skin.

Oh shit. He didn't land on Renard, did he?

He sat up, the world closing in, and opened his eyes to his surroundings. His jaw dropped and his arms twitched. His breathing halted. Spine turned to ice.

Bodies.

Thirty. Forty. Fifty? All thrown into a pile. A flesh quarry at the bottom of the creek—petrified faces staring blankly into the sky, limbs protruding up in the air. The stench, by god, the stench. Men, women, and children. Slaves, all of whom were tossed like garbage into the nether-realm of the forest. The flies buzzed furiously about, invading eyeballs and gaping mouths, feeding. The pond up ahead was practically made of blood. Connor felt his breakfast rising up from his gut.

He puked on the body next to him. As tears welled up from retching, his eyes gawked upon a deceased woman's contorted face, her throat slit open, left to bleed like a pig.

His skin crawled as he sat on the pile of dead bodies that broke his fall.

"Hey!" a feminine voice shouted from above.

It was Ellie.

"Down here!" Connor beckoned. He glanced left and right for his cousin.

Renard was unconscious, lying face up next to him with leaves on his face, still breathing. A growling sound echoed from the scarlet pond ahead of him, jolting his senses awake. He spotted a few crouching figures far up in front, where the body pile started. They were…feasting?

One of them raised its head, which had been split open by invading fungi.

Oh god. Clicker.

Connor quickly scrambled for his backpack, taking it off. The clicker sensed the sounds he'd been making and made its way towards him, but stumbled upon the bodies. The other figure was a runner, equally stupid but with better eyesight. He had to make his move because they were closing in fast.

"Connor!" Ellie screamed, sliding down the hill behind him, safely. She saw the bodies and nearly froze in place.

The clicker shrieked and began sprinting over the bodies, crushing bones as it stampeded towards them at full speed. He found his pistol and loaded the clip. It was cutting the distance. He took aim and squeezed the trigger. Nothing. The safety was on.

"Shit."

Ellie gathered herself, taking off her backpack and grasping for her pistol. The clicker leapt over the next few bodies and instantly closed the gap between them. It was too late. The creature towered over Connor, its hands ready to clench his skin and tear him to shreds. Ellie's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to let out a scream.

BANG!

In that instant, the clicker's head split open, shreds of skin and blood falling on Connor's face. From far away, he could see a figure aiming his rifle in their direction.

Carlton. Holy shit.

Connor got up and clicked the safety on his weapon, taking aim at the runners who had been startled. From the trees surrounding them came other infected who answered the gunshot. There were at least seven or eight.

"Get your gun!" he told Ellie.

She loaded her pistol. "Ready!"

Carlton slid down the hill from the opposite side and took aim at the encroaching monsters, emptying his magazine one-by-one, not missing a shot. Connor and Ellie fended them off with their pistols, clipping limbs, kneecaps, and a few headshots. The struggle seemed to last forever. Minutes felt like hours as adrenaline and cortisol flushed their systems. After awhile, the shrieks and screams stopped. The last gunshot exploded and blew a runner's head open, right through the eye.

He was deaf by now. Connor looked at Ellie, who had done a much better job of holding her own than he thought. She returned an acknowledging nod, and looked down at his cousin.

"We need to move him," she said.

They dragged him out of the pile of bodies and onto a dry rock next to the water. No words. The moment was still sinking in, and before he could predict, Ellie was vomiting next to a tree. Carlton walked up to them, radio in hand.

"Miller," he called, his face strained in disbelief. "Joel? It's Carlton, over."

"Yeah. Did you find them?" Joel's voice huffed over the radio.

Carlton nodded. "Roger that. Ellie's safe. So are the boys."

He guessed that the team leader announced their absence some time ago.

"We heard gunshots. What happened?" Tommy's voice came on.

"We…uh…we found the rest of the survivors," Carlton answered. He looked at the remnants of the slaves, their bodies not more than a day old. "You're going to wanna see this."

"Send us the coordinates and we'll be on our way. Stay put."

He closed off the radio and hobbled off with wracked nerves. Looked like he was just as affected by this as they were.

Connor sat on the rock next to his cousin, who hadn't regained consciousness yet. He placed a hand on his forehead. A quiet apology. A thought came to him upon gazing at the body pit while he waited for Joel and the others. It flushed back all of his memories of home, the ultimate culmination of a community spent searching for truth.

This must have been what hell looked like. His past had finally caught up to him.

A/N - Take a breath. Real slow. You hear that? That's the sound of me typing up the next chapter. The story hasn't even begun yet.

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