CYOA Page 70

[lumy12]

Page Seventy

However cool it might be to get more Savage Starlights, it's not worth risking your lives. And there's no guarantee that you'll get what you want in there, anyway. When you tell Joel, he says he agrees... that it's the right move... yet you get the feeling he kind of wants to go kill the fucking thing. Is there anything he wouldn't do for me? you wonder fondly.

You keep a close eye on him as you make your way down the main street of this tiny town. Such a close eye that he finally has to ask you what's up.

"Nothing," you say innocently.

"It ain't nothin'. You're lookin' at me like... like you don't trust me or somethin'."

You roll your eyes. "Of course I trust you."

"Then what is it?"

You might as well 'fess up. "Promise me you won't turn around and go kill that Bloater."

Joel looks amused. "Now why would I do that?"

"To make me happy. Which it wouldn't, by the way!"

"You think I'm gonna turn the horse around and fly on back there, as if you wouldn't just turn around an' follow me--"

"Maybe you'll wait 'til we take a break, and then trick me?"

"...trick you how?"

"I dunno! I'm not going to give you any ideas!"

"So I'll wait until your back is turned an' go? Like on a bathroom break."

"Maybe!"

"Why would I do that?"

"I told you -- cuz you think it would make me happy."

"We just took a break. I don't imagine we'll be takin' another one for several hours, unless you wanna search this area some more -- which I don't recommend, seein' as how we've seen plenty of infected here already. You think that I'll just decide to ditch you an' ride like hell for hours back to where we came from, jus' so I--"

"Okay, fine, so you won't!" you say irritably.

Joel rides up right alongside you... so you maneuver your horse to pull away from him. He adjusts his route to get close to you again, then you readjust, ignoring him calling for your attention. You keep it up for a minute or so and then finally give in, giggling when he tugs on your arm and pulls you in for a quick kiss. He cups your cheek for a moment, stroking it with his thumb. "You are the only person who can get me to do... pretty much anythin' you want, just by lookin' at me. I would've killed it for you." Then he gives you a little shove to center you -- as if simply letting go might cause you to topple off your horse (you think it's pretty cute that he does that, actually).

"But you said it was the right call," you remind him. "And I wouldn't have wanted you to do it for me... just to help me."

"It was the right call."

"Except... what if somebody else comes along and it kills them because we didn't bother killing it?"

"It ain't our job to kill those things."

Yeah... he's never been the hero type. For all the people you two have killed, there's probably been just as many that you haven't -- that you just ran away from, or didn't bother to get involved with. "But if we're capable... and maybe someone else isn't..."

"Tell you what. We'll report the Bloater to the military. They can go get rid of it."

You know Joel (purposely) doesn't deal directly with the military, but the Big Three (Tommy, Maria, and Maria's father) have the means, and they could get the word out. Or maybe someone at this hospital you're going to could do so. "You think they'll come all the way out here to a town where no one lives just to kill it?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But then at least we've done our duty as concerned citizens. I bet some o' them macho assholes would wanna take a trip an' kill it for the braggin' rights."

You grin. "And then we come back and take all the comics we want?"

"Sure."

You wouldn't classify Joel as a 'macho asshole,' but you do wonder sometimes if he would be happy with the job of hunting and killing infected. He's just so... good at it. At killing. Like he's totally comfortable with it... and maybe even enjoys it. Whenever you used to praise him for well-executed kills, he would downplay it and make it sound like he's just doing what he's gotta do, or what anyone else would do... but after getting to know the people in Jackson, you're still pretty convinced that Joel is special in that area. He could do the world a lot of good -- save an untold number of lives -- if he set his mind to the task. Hell, you both could; you're not so bad yourself. But you understand why he has no desire to work with or be a part of the military, and yeah, maybe he could do some shit on his own, but he won't -- because of you. He would have to either leave you or put you at risk... and you're pretty sure he values his own life more now than he used to (thanks to you) as well.

The afternoon passes by uneventfully... pleasantly, for the most part, until it starts raining. The rain starts out nice enough, too -- light, misty, refreshing -- but it starts coming down harder after a while, with no blue sky on the horizon. You and Joel lament that it waits until you're in the middle of bumfuck nowhere to do it rather than pour while you're passing through a place with buildings.

Aaaaaaaaaaand it's starting to get dark out.

"I thought you said we'd find something before dark!" you call to Joel, shouting to be heard over the din of wind and rain.

"I thought so, yeah," he calls back, "but we've had to take it easier in the rain!"

"What should we do!" Some of the trees might be able to protect you... at least a little? Maybe the really big ones?

"Keep goin', for now!"

But finally your desperate searching with the binoculars pays off. "Joel! Look over there! Is that a house!" It's hard to see through the rain splotching on the lenses, and you don't exactly have anything dry to wipe them off, but you see something nestled in the hills that looks different from its surroundings.

"Let's check it out!"

You get closer and see that it's not a house, but some kind of public building... a sign tells you that it was (... or still is?) a ranger station. It has a log cabin look to it, which promises a fireplace and warmth and coziness, but even if you can't get inside, there are awnings outside that will at least let you get out of the rain. You park the horses around the side of the place, safely under cover; the horses don't seem to mind the rain much (well, yours doesn't... Joel's seemed more eager for the shelter), but your bags don't need to get drenched any further. Even the blanket in the protective plastic has somehow gotten wet.

Joel tries the front door and finds it open. He doesn't even open it, though. Just pauses there a moment, then ushers you back to the side of the house. "I don't like this," he grumbles.

"What? Why the fuck not?"

"Keep your voice down. I think someone might be in there."

"Really? Did you see something?"

"No."

"Hear something?"

"No. Just a feelin'."

Great. "There's no light, though." The windows are boarded up, but surely some light would filter through the little panes of frosted glass on the front doors, right?

"Ain't that dark yet."

"It would be, in there!"

"Maybe they're asleep. Maybe they don't have a light."

"There's a chimney!"

Joel shrugs. "No wood for a fire, no way to light it... or the fireplace don't work... who knows."

"How could it not work?" But you don't wait for an answer. "Can't we at least look? Like... carefully?"

You can tell he really doesn't want to.

But you don't want to go back out in the rain!

"Well, they won't come outside while it's raining, right?" you reason. "Should we just wait over here for a while?"

"Except it's gettin' dark, an' we don't wanna risk the horses gettin' injured." Among other reasons that Joel doesn't like traveling in the dark.

You sigh. "So we should at least look. Your radar isn't always 100% accurate." ...Or so he says. It seems pretty spot on to you, but mentioning that would hardly help your case!

"It ain't all the way dark yet, though -- an' I know we're close to somethin'. We can find somewhere better."


If you insist on checking out the ranger station, turn to page 130.

If you keep going and hope for something better, turn to page 134.

Comments

Carlos

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, Joel was always good in killing too bad they fuck all that in part two. I hear they're planing on do a part 3 and even a remake of the first game. I don't get that because why you want to do a remake of a great game.

RE: Carlos

[luminations.livejournal.com]

Probably the same reason movies get remade that don't need to be? It's all about the money. I'm not interested in any of it. I want to preserve the good feelings I have as long as possible. I'm kind of amazed ppl are respecting my wish not to know about part 2. I figured a troll would have said something by now, or someone who didn't bother to read my A/N. Nope! But maybe that's cuz no one's reading me on AO3 and FFN either. Ha!

RE: Carlos

[(Anonymous)]

What is a Troll? I don't know why you no want to know about the game you probably like it. because they did a few think you like to write. LOL

Re: Carlos

[luminations.livejournal.com]

Just like a person who causes drama and likes fucking with people. What I write and what I want to be canon aren't necessarily the same thing... I'm not ready to give up MY world yet. If I do a part 4 I might never be ready, ha!

Carlos

[(Anonymous)]

Interesting. But good for you. Part 2 ruin the game story for me, but lucky that not will ruin my story to make, because I will be doing my stories like part 2 never happens.