PetrA

Chapter thirty-four: Daniel

Daniel hated being stuck with a nine-year-old that reminded him of Ellie and Timothy all at once. The kid talked back, and hardly took no for an answer. "We should go through the woods, easy access out of town, and provides cover." The kid said annoying Daniel further. They'd been searching for a bike, hell Daniel would even settle for a car, but he would prefer a bike, that way he didn't have to listen to the kid talking. "No." Daniel said flatly. Although, the idea of going through the woods wasn't a bad idea, but Daniel didn't want to have a blabbering kid following him around in the woods. "It's better than risking our lives going around town, breaking into buildings and running for our life when they catch our smell." Gordon said. Daniel gritted his teeth, and searched the parking area of the building for something useful. "I recon they like the flavour of alive. Perhaps it's better than rotten meat." The kid frowned as if he was thinking about which one he would order at a restaurant. You wouldn't think he was nine years old, he looked like he was twelve and talked like he was fifteen. It annoyed Daniel endlessly. "Why do you hate me so much?" He asked after a while of Daniel not answering. "Because you are a pain in my ass, you talk way too much and you are just as annoying as your sister." Gordon grinned and bowed, "Thank you."

Daniel wanted to punch the shit out of that kid, but he kept himself in check, he didn't want Ellie on his back. Even though she wasn't there, he was sure that they'd see her again one way or another and if the kid had as much as one scratch she would haul his ass of the nearest cliff, even if she were dead. Her ghost would probably haunt him and shove him into a pit of poisonous snakes. Curse overprotective siblings, "Let's take the woods, we can climb trees and sleep up there, just like Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games." Daniel's eye twitched. Oh gods, not that too. "FINE, we'll take the fucking woods, if you can shut the fuck up!" Gordon grinned clearly satisfied with himself and hummed a show tune as they climbed the stairs to the roof, where a ladder hung off the side. Luckily, the woods were just behind the building, with a fence keeping those creepy rotting corpses at bay. Gordon climbed down and looked around. He then flashed thumbs up and started to block the entrance to the valley. He pushed containers with garbage so they formed a protective line towards the street.

Daniel climbed down the latter and made a hole in the fence. It wouldn't last if a horde pressed against it. One thing that made Daniel less angry was the fact that the kid knew how to tread lightly in the woods and make almost no sound as he walked. It also seemed like that he kept his part of the agreement about shutting up. Because he didn't utter a single word as they moved deeper into the woods, he was still humming that annoying show tune. Daniel recognised it, but couldn't place it. Another thing that annoyed him. Why did Ellie care so much about this kid? He couldn't keep his mouth shut and was a smart ass, but that made him think about his own brother, whom he hated, but still somehow loved and would stick up for if needed. No matter how big of an asshole he was. He grumbled some choice words under his breath, he did remember how many times Ellie had complained about her brothers.

Gordon stopped a few feet away from a tent, and stood quite still and he'd stopped humming. Maybe the kid wasn't stupid, but boy that was not enough to weigh up for how annoying he is. When he didn't seem to hear anything he picked up a long stick and moved closer until he could poke the tent. With just one tiny poke the tent collapsed, he stomped on it to make sure that there wasn't anyone or anything in there. Daniel looked around, the campsite hadn't been used for a while, and obviously whoever had been here hadn't bothered cleaning after themselves. Daniel poked around and came across a tall and old oak tree. He looked up to see somebody hanging by their neck, with a sign around it. The legs of the person were nothing but picked clean bones. Daniel wrinkled his nose at the smell, when he poked the bones the person started to move, and growl at him. Its rotten arms stretched out and the face snapped after him.

Daniel chose to ignore that and read the sign. "They bit me. Therefore, I hung myself to free myself of the burden. I will not eat anyone, goodbye my sweet world." Gordon snorted. "Somebody didn't do their homework. Everybody knows that you blow your own brains out, nothing else have an effect." The comment annoyed Daniel. "Shut up and keep moving."