@irrevocablecommitment liked for a starter
She had only known him for a few days; they had crossed paths by some twist of fate and decided it was safer to travel together. Now James lay dead in front of her and she didn’t have it in her to move just yet. They should have seen it coming really. Should have been more alert. Instead they’d been ambushed by three others and she was only alive because James had given her a hard shove and told her to run (now she felt cowardly for doing so).
Ellie screwed her eyes shut to keep from dissolving into tears and then slid down to sit beside James’ body. She had returned when everything had gone quiet. James lay bloodied on the ground, obviously dead. She had forced herself to do the only thing she could think of to thank him for what he had done and now he wouldn’t be cursed to come back as one of those things.
She should move on in case they came back. It’d be dark soon and harder to find some place to hold up for the night. She just needed another moment or two. Her eyes closed before snapping open at the sound of footsteps. She scrambled to her feet, gun raised. “Don’t come any closer.”