Everything that had happened in the last week was proof that you couldn’t survive without Joel. You’d met months ago, and he’d stuck with you. However, you were attacked by three men and Joel ended up getting stabbed. You took refuge in an abandoned town and tried to nurse Joel back to health, but there wasn’t much you could do except hope that he would wake up.

You’d met David, who supplied you with some medicine for Joel and you thought you could trust him. You were wrong. Now here you were, pinned on the floor of a burning building as David smiled down at you shamelessly.

“Don’t be afraid.” David taunted. “There’s no fear in love.” He gave you a malicious grin as he started to unbuckle his pants. You took this opportunity to grab the knife you’d dropped before and attack David before he had the chance to do anything to you. You sobbed as you repeatedly stabbed him, his body eventually going limp as the smoke surrounding you started to affect your breathing.

You quickly left the burning building, your face covered in David’s blood and dry and fresh tears. You walked until you felt someone grab your arm. You obviously started to defend yourself, somewhat scared that it was David but knowing he was definitely dead. You were pulled against someone’s chest and began to thrash at him, before realising that it was Joel.

“Hey, hey.” He tried to console you as you shouted, before holding your face in his hands. It pained him to see, you were just a kid, you didn’t deserve any of this. “It’s me, it’s me.” He knew exactly what had happened due to your terrified expression, and he cursed himself for being useless for so long. “It’s okay.”