Eternal Mind | The Last Of Us

18

Prim sat in the front this time while Ellie sat in the back. "How come you speak English all of sudden"? She gave him the side eye. "I mean not that you have to or anything, you can speak any language you want I mean-". He was cut off by laughter.

"She wanted to see if she could trust us, well more like trust you", the girl in the backseat butted in. He couldn't blame the girl. Who would have known they would be stuck with each other for so long. "Isn't it cool though she speaks like every language"! Ellie exclaimed as she went through the seat.

"Only seven". 

"Still six more than me". She moved up to the front seat to show the cassette she found. 'Here, nostalgic isn't it".

"This was actually before my time, it's a winner though". As the song played Ellie rummaged around more. Her foot hit something that laid on the floor.

"Got something else". Her eyes widened when she opened the magazine. "Its uh light on the reading". Joel looked through the rear view mirror. "Oh no, no, no, no put that back".

"Holy, how the hell does he walk around with that thing? Prim you gotta see this". Prim turned around and was met with a sight indeed. "It's so bulky".

"Please get rid of that".

"Hold on, I wanna see what the fuss is about". Ellie smirked. "Wait, why are the pages all stuck together". The older man started to panic. "Well, uh... the".

"I'm just fucking with you". The girls took one last laugh and then Ellie threw the graphic paper out the window. "Bye, bye dude".

Throughout the road trip they passed by some wild buffalo, a broken down amusement park and a large river. The sun set so Joel decided to pull over into the forest. Ellie walked around and Joe worked his chef magic on a can of boyarddes.

"Slow down".

"This is slow", Ellie replied back with a mouth full of food. She stuffed her face full of the ravioli. It might have expired but it was one of the best meals she ever had. "What is this anyway"?

"Twenty five year old chef boyardee ravioli". He gestured toward the car. "Did she not want any". 

Prim had been the car ever since they stopped. She had been huddled in the seat not moving an inch. "She didn't want to get out. I took her a bowl but I don't think she'd ate". She was starting to grow concerted. Ever since what happened at the path the tension seemed to have increased and not in a good way.

"Well, this chef guy was good", she looked back trying to make conversation.

"I agree with that".

Ellie continued too munch on her food. "How long are we staying here".  He huffed, digging his fork through the meat. "Well I figured we sleep through the night then drive tomorrow, all day, all night. We'll get to Wyoming by next morning".

As the two conversed over their decade old meal, Prim sat in the car staring out in the forest What traumatic memories it brought. She blinked, then suddenly day time had turned to night. The car door swung open. Bare feet walked along the dirt silently.

The older man had stayed up to keep watch, however his eyelids began to close on their own. No matter how hard he tried to keep them open. His eyes were a bit blurred when a shadowy figure came into view. Immediately Joel jumped up with his weapon gun in hand.

The girl stood there unmoving, the gun pointing right at her face. The man's eyes widened as he put down the gun. He went to apologize but was stopped mid sentence.

"I will keep watch. Sleep". For a moment he was hesitant. He began to protest and then saw the serious look that was on the girl's face. Well as serious as she had been throughout the trip. Her expression was less stoic and more demanding.

He put a hand to his forehead. "Uh alright, just yell if you need me". No response. Joel nodded his head to the awkwardness. He laid down and after a minute drifted off into slumber. Prim stood between the two for hours, watching and waiting for hours/ 

The sun shined down upon the makeshift camp. Ellie opened her eyes. They were filled with shock for a second when she saw a person standing over her. She rubbed them, "You almost scared the shit out of me prim".

The girl stepped back when she got up to check a pot of boiling water, still wrapped in her sleeping bag. A whiff of bitterness hit her when she opened it. A gag escaped her mouth. Ugh, what the fuck is that"? Joel raised his eyebrows. "You don't like coffee"? Ellie closed the lid and flopped back down on the ground. 

Prim helped pack up the stuff. She was the first one in the car, slamming it shut. It was about time they got out of the damn forest.