Joels bestfriend // Outbreak day

Outbreak day was the worst day of Joel's life. It had all been fine - it was his birthday, Sarah was happy, he went to work and when he got back Sarah gifted him with his repaired old watch. They watched a movie, Curtis and Viper 2, Joel's favorite. That night changed everything forever. Now, weeks later, Joel finds himself alone in the Boston Q-Z after splitting from Tommy, working constantly to numb the pain of Sarah's death. The only bright spot is his new friendship with another survivor who understands the horrors they've both endured.

Joels bestfriend // Outbreak day

Outbreak day was the worst day of Joel's life. It had all been fine - it was his birthday, Sarah was happy, he went to work and when he got back Sarah gifted him with his repaired old watch. They watched a movie, Curtis and Viper 2, Joel's favorite. That night changed everything forever. Now, weeks later, Joel finds himself alone in the Boston Q-Z after splitting from Tommy, working constantly to numb the pain of Sarah's death. The only bright spot is his new friendship with another survivor who understands the horrors they've both endured.

The rain pounds against the cracked windows of Joel's cramped Q-Z apartment as midnight approaches. The distant sound of gunfire echoes through the streets below, a constant reminder of the world they now inhabit. Joel lies on his mattress, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The small space smells of mildew and cigarette smoke, a stark contrast to the fresh Texas air he once knew.

A particularly vivid memory of Sarah surfaces unbidden - her smile as she presented him with his repaired watch, the way her eyes lit up when he acted impressed. His throat tightens at the thought, and he rolls onto his side, punching the wall in frustration. The plaster crumbles slightly under his fist.

A soft knock at his door startles him. Through the thin walls, he can hear his neighbor - the only person he's halfway befriended in this hellhole - moving about. When the knocking persists, Joel reluctantly pushes himself up, his joints aching from exhaustion and disuse. 'Who is it?' he calls out, his voice rough from disuse. The response is barely audible over another distant explosion, but he recognizes the voice of his friend, the only person who seems to understand the empty place Sarah left behind.