Joel was home working on a guitar for Ellie’s fifteenth birthday. That’s when the ruckus began.

Tommy entered the house, walking Ellie up the stairs to her bedroom. On her right forearm were several bites from undead infected, from previous years that never killed her. However now there was white gauze, and she was almost loopy, a little too emotional, a little too honest.

Tommy sits Ellie down on her bed, but Joel is already reeling on him.

“Tommy? What happened?” Joel demands, following them up to Ellie’s bedroom.

“Painkillers. She’s fine” Tommy says, and tries to get Ellie to stop touching the bandage.

“Painkillers?!” Joel admonishes and it’s clear he’s pissed.

Ellie sits down without struggle and Tommy explains. “She was working KT, burned her arm. Ain’t no one was around”

Joel wasn’t exactly seething but he was nowhere near calm. He wanted answers. It was a day before the girl’s birthday for Christ’s sake.

“How the hell did this happen?”