Asthma (The Last Of Us)

Stairs, so many stairs

(Tj's P.O.V.)
"Its like a fucked up moon" Ellie said as she walked to one of the craters caused by the bombing, "is this where they bombed?". I walked up next to her and looked down the crater as well. Rubble and water had filled it. "Yeah, they hit most of the big cities like this" Tess began, "they had to slow the spread somehow". "Killing innocent people most likely aswell" I softly spoke up. I had no doubt they just dropped bombs on cities without evacuating the unsick people. "it worked here, but it didn't in most places". We continue to walk and stopped when we came across a building that had collapsed in our way. "Isn't the State House across there?" I asked pointing to the direction where the fallen building was blocking the path. "Yes. Its about a 10 minute walk if you could go straight" Tess said with a sigh. "So?" Ellie asked, wanting to know what we where going to do now, that the straight road was blocked. "Long way or short way?" Dad asked turning his head to Tess, "I mean, it's the long way or the we are fucking dead way" Tess explained, "Im not one to volenteer for long walks  but if I can pick a long walk over a death then Ill gladly do it" I answered, "so I vote long way" I said and raised my hand, "based on that limited information I also vote long way" Ellie said copying my movement. Two for the long route. Dad kept silent for a moment to think of the option "we have to check it from the hotel first" dad said eventually agreeing to take the long route. And so we headed of to the hotel. During the walk Ellie and Tess had a conversation that led to Ellie talking about how she got bit. It happened in the boarded up old Mall. She snuck in, wanting to see what it was like. Ellie thought nothing was there but clearly was wrong. "How old are you?" Tess asked turning to Ellie to stop her from continuing, "fourteen" Ellie replied simply. Tess chuckled impressed and glanced to me and my father quickly before returning her attention to Ellie "well, I mean, you got some balls on you sister". As I passed Ellie to climb over the parked cars blocking the rest of the highway, I could see a faint smile form on Ellie's lips, enjoying the compliment. I looked over the railing down below. "Everyone said the open city was crazy" Ellie said breaking the silence that appeared between us, "like, swarms of infected running around everywhere". "Not exactly like that" I told her, "and people like to tell stories". "So, there aren't super-infected that explode fungus spores on you?" Ellie asked interested, "shit, I hope not" Tess exclaimed with a laugh. "Or ones with split open heads that see in the dark like bats?". "Who even came up with that?" I asked her with a laugh. Then suddenly a painfull shriek bellowed through the air. Stopping us all instantly. The scream made the hairs on my neck stand up. It was the painful sounding shriek and hiss from the infected. "What was that?" Ellie asked nervous, "lets keep moving" Dad said and began to walk again. Wanting to get as far away as possible from the bone-chilling shriek.

I helped dad with opening the dirty glass entrance doors of the hotel. Stepping inside I smelled the disgusting smell that still water gives off. It smelled musty and like rotten eggs. I looked around and saw that the lobby was filled with water and overgrown by vines and other plants. I grabbed mt bandana and tied it around my face. This prevented me, slightly, from smelling the disgusting odor. But also lf inhaling the spores that where released from mold and mildew. "You ever stay in a place like this?" Ellie asked wxcited as she loomed around, "eh, no. Little out of our league" Tess asnwered truthfully, "hos do you even know what this is?" Dad questioned Elle stopping by the stairs that lead into the lobby, "have you ever heard of books?" Ellie asked sarcastic. Dad rolled his eyes and traversed the steps down, ignoring Ellie. "Wait, are we going in there?" Ellie questioned looking out to the water that was covered in lily pads, surrounded by moss-covered walls. "Gotta get to the stairwell on the otherside somehow" I told her and stepped down the stairs aswell. "Well, I-I don't know how to swim" Ellie nervously co fessed as she took a step back, "seriously?" Dad asked stopping at the end of the stairs, "do you think we have pools at the QZ?" Ellie snapped, "no, smart ass" Dad said before giving me a push to show her that it only came to our knees. "Asshole" I cursed at him, not enjoying that I was pushed, "you could've just stepped down, you know. Instead of pushing me" I told him and walked further, "how was I supposed to know that?" Ellie mumbled stepping down into the water. "This is so gross" I heard Ellie laugh behind me, "woah, check it out!". I turned to watch Ellie make her way over to the front desk. Dinging the still working bell and acting out a conversation with a guest and worker "yes, Sir. I would like your finest suit, please. Yes, ma'am. Would you like me to take your luggage?". I turned to my father "and you thought I was weird" I whispered to him. "Oh fuck!" Ellie suddenly yelled and bolted, making both me and my dad alert and ready to shoot. But luckily it was just a skeleton.