PetrA

Chapter thirty: Daniel

Daniel was forced to scoop Gordon up in his arms as they ran towards the closest door leading into a building. Getting open the door was a real test. Gordon was fighting to get free. It seemed that everyone in Ellie's family had some sort of physical strength you just can't see by looking at them. He dropped Gordon on the other side of the door and hurried in after him, forcing the door shut. It wasn't an easy task, considering several dead people was pushing to get inside. But he managed it and turned the lock, now he just prayed that they didn't have any unwanted visitors inside the building, because Gordon was screaming for his sister and brother. "Shut the fuck up!" Daniel said. Perhaps a bit too harshly because the nine-year-old kid shut his mouth immediately, his eyes shining with fresh tears.

He was shaking all over, and it looked like he'd have a panic attack soon. "Come on." He grabbed the kids arm and pulled Gordon after him. Up several flights of stairs until they reached the top floor, on their way it had been nothing but quiet. Gordon hadn't uttered a single complaint as they forged up the stairs, he even made sure to walk quietly. Daniel hated that he was stuck with Gordon, he wasn't older than nine, and he couldn't just leave him if it got too much for him, because then Ellie would be sure to have his head put on a stake. He forced the door open and prepared for the worst, but there was nothing. It was completely abandoned there wasn't even as much as a hiss or growl.

Daniel slung his bag on a desk and opened it. At least they had a tent, and two sleeping bags, but there was not much food, a bag of some Spanish dish, mashed potatoes and bags of dried fruit, it wouldn't last long, but it was better than nothing. Gordon approached carefully looking over the stuff, "Two sleeping bags... that means that some of us doesn't have a sleeping bag, the others have the dried turkey and everything else..." Daniel stared at the kid as he listed off what the others would have and not have, from just looking in their own bags. He then stuck his hand into his own bag and started to rummage after something, he started to grumble in a language Daniel didn't understand until he finally seemed to find what he was looking for. He pulled out a small box and opened it, inside laid a necklace, the only bead hanging from the chain was formed like leaf with a firefly on it and it looked like it was made of silver. Daniel stared at the necklace as the little kid put around his neck and hid it under his shirt.

Gordon must've registered the confusion because he looked up, and put the box in his pocket. "Ellie's got one just like this, in gold and Timothy have one in bronze." It wasn't much of an explanation but Daniel didn't ask. As the sun crossed the sky outside and left them with the dark starry night, Daniel watched the kid walking around restlessly, checking every inch of the floor, coming up with a lot of things that could become useful. A gun, with bullets, some extra blankets, a half-empty bag with rice, and some coffee. 

Authors note: Chapter thirty! Only a whole lotta chapters to go. I will be posting more chapters soon, and hopefully soon the whole thing will be out, I can't wait for it to be published in full. Hope you guys have enjoyed following Ellie and her mates' journey thus far, because there's a lot more to come!