SAILOR SONG

IV. tess

Ellie walked in front of her, which irked Billie for reasons she couldn't quite place. Of course, Ellie was cocky enough to think she could handle an infected.

They moved through the gift shop, where five infected lay rotting on the floor.

"Yeah, cooked." Joel commented.

Tess chuckled, a grim sound. "Finally, some damn luck."

"Guess this isn't the 'we're fuckin dead' way, huh, Tess?" Billie quipped. Tess made a face at her in mock horror.

"Oh shit!" Ellie whispered, her flashlight catching a fresh corpse slumped against the wall, blood pooling beneath it. "What the hell did that?"

"Maybe it crawled in here after being attacked outside." Tess suggested, glancing at Joel. "Door was open. Could've been him. I don't hear anything."

"Who'd you hear?" Ellie asked, not bothering to lower her voice. Billie clamped her hand over Ellie's mouth.

"Shh." She hissed, releasing her grip. Ellie's eyes flickered with a mix of apology and defiance.

"Are you saying an infected did that?" Ellie whispered. "Because I've been attacked, and it didn't end up like that."

Joel stayed silent, then muttered, "From here on, we're silent. Not just quiet. Silent."

"What-" 

"No. No questions. Just do it."

They ascended the stairs, carefully, though every creak made Billie's heart race. She knew her uncle Tommy had once told her that Joel's daughter, Sarah, used to love museums. She wished Joel would talk about her, but he never did.

At the landing, she saw more dead infected and took careful steps to avoid them. Ellie, however, stepped on a desiccated arm, sending a puff of dust into the air. Billie grimaced, exchanging a knowing look with Tess.

As they moved deeper into the museum, a faint click reverberated from down the hall, chilling her to the bone. She recognised that sound: a clicker. Tess pulled both Ellie and Billie close, pushing them into cover as the sound grew louder.

The creature stalked through the room, its head swaying from side to side, sniffing for any sign of them. Ellie's breathing became erratic, and Billie reached for her hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Ellie clenched back; her fingers cold but steadying. Billie mouthed. "They can't see, just hear." Hoping it would calm her.

The clicker moved away, but then Ellie's breathing caught the creature's attention. It turned sharply, its clicking growing faster, more agitated. Joel shot, but the clicker lunged. Another runner burst into the room as Tess swung an axe at it, yanking Billie along the aisle for cover.

Billie and Ellie scrambled beneath a table, pressing their backs to the cold metal legs as another infected shuffled close. Joel's face appeared, motioning them to move. But before they could, the clicker lunged over the table, its jaws snapping at thin air. They held up their arms in defense, Billie managing to raise her gun and fire. The creature stumbled back but wasn't dead.

Her heart racing, Billie lined up another shot, pulling the trigger and hitting it straight on. It dropped, still and silent. Joel shot it again to be sure, finally lowering his gun, his expression unreadable.

"You, okay?" He asked Tess, who winced, clutching her ankle.

"Twisted it, but I'm fine."

Ellie let out a shaky breath, managing a weak smile. "Didn't shit my pants, so."

She peeled back her sleeve, revealing a fresh bite beside an old scar. "You gotta be kidding me." She muttered. "Well, if it was gonna happen to one of us."