CYOA Page 19
Sep. 15th, 2013 10:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lumy12You watch Zack's face fall as Joel tells him you're going to take him back to Jackson. And you watch with a growing sense of apprehension when he starts backing away. "No! No, I don't want to!"
Oh my God... is he going to run? You know he doesn't want to stay out here, though... "It's for the best, son," says Joel, his tone more cajoling than it was earlier.
Zack is looking at you like you betrayed him or something. ...DID I? I didn't share his secret... "You can't make me!" He looks at Joel defiantly. "You're not my dad! You can't make me!"
"I can't in good conscience leave you out here all alone, either," Joel replies, crossing his arms over his chest.
Joel should just knock him out and we can drag him off against his will, you think... only half jokingly!
"What if... what if Ellie stays with me?" Zack offers. The poor kid is practically panic-stricken.
"Ellie is not stayin' with you," Joel says firmly.
"Not forever! Just 'til you come back through here... and then I'll be ready to go home."
Joel gives him a disbelieving look. "You ain't ready now, but a few days from now you'll be fine?"
"Yeah!"
You snort softly. Obviously the boy is just trying to stall for more time before facing his d-- his pseudo-dad.
"That ain't an option," Joel says with a surprising amount of patience. "Ellie'n'me got a job to do. Together."
"Maybe I can just stay for a little bit?" you say, not at all certain that it's a good idea, but... your heart goes out to the poor kid. "You know... maybe hunt some game, get him--"
"Absolutely not," says Joel... who might finally be starting to lose a little patience...
"What if both of us stay?" you suggest.
"No!" Joel takes a couple slow steps toward Zack. "Kid, you're comin' home with us, so you might as well jus' come over here an' not make it any harder than it has to be."
"No no no... please, no..." Zack looks at you pleadingly. Lip trembling... a single fat tear rolling down his cheek.
Although Joel can be a hard-ass, he's not totally immune to such looks... but Zack has apparently decided that you are the one who's more susceptible. You know you can make Joel do whatever you want -- sometimes it just takes a little more convincing than others.
If you convince Joel to let you stay with Zack for a while, turn to page 38.
If you back Joel up and insist on returning to Jackson, turn to page 41.
Carlos
Date: 2021-02-24 04:09 am (UTC)RE: Carlos
Date: 2021-02-24 04:32 am (UTC)