You dropped to the ground in front of her, collapsing in a heap of your own bile. The taste burned your throat, and you could feel the shame tightening around your chest. You hated this-this endless cycle of hunger, gnawing and insatiable, that no amount of denial could ever escape.

Ellie didn't have to deal with anything like this. You gasped for air, rolling onto your side, and caught the way she tried not to visibly grimace. You could hide your... needs from everyone else, but not from her. Never from her.

When you fell, the severed leg of a clicker tumbled out of your mouth, landing in the dirt like a cruel reminder of what you were becoming. You crawled forward to pick it up, shame and desperation twisting together in your chest. This was disgusting.

Demeaning.

Still, you took a bite, forcing the meat past your teeth. The texture made your stomach churn, and you grunted, barely keeping yourself together.

You swallowed, and for a moment, the world tilted, your glazed eyes finally meeting Ellie's.

"Ellie," you rasped, your voice trembling with frustration and exhaustion, "this fucking sucks."