Day 47: Denial
Eli awoke to the sensation of cool air brushing against his skin, a stark contrast to the blistering heat he had endured the day before. The pain was still there—sharp, searing—but dulled now, as if the worst of it had receded into a distant ache. He blinked his eyes open, the dim light of the morning filtering through the ruins around him, casting long shadows over the crumbled stone.
His body felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the lingering effects of his burns. As he shifted slightly, every movement sending a ripple of pain through his arms and face, memories of the previous day came rushing back—the Listener, the unbearable heat, the way his skin had sizzled under the creature's proximity.
Eli forced himself to sit up, his muscles protesting with every inch. He could feel the rough texture of the bandages that had been wrapped around his arms and parts of his face, their tightness a reminder of the damage he had taken. The bandages were makeshift—strips of cloth torn from whatever the group had on hand—but they were better than nothing.
As he looked around, he saw the others moving about quietly, their faces drawn and tired. Cass was nearby, talking softly to Luke and Raya, while Ben sat close to her, his wide eyes watching Eli with a mix of curiosity and concern. Jay, Mae, Dom, Sara, and Blake were gathered a short distance away, their expressions serious as they prepared for the day ahead.
When Eli made eye contact with Cass, she immediately broke away from her conversation and walked over to him. The concern in her eyes was clear, but there was something else too—something softer, almost hesitant.
"Eli," she said, her voice gentle. "How are you feeling?"
Eli swallowed, his throat dry. "I've been better."
She knelt beside him, her gaze flicking over the bandages that covered his burns. "We did what we could," she said softly. "It's not much, but it should help until we find something better."
He nodded, the memory of the others' reactions to his injuries still fresh in his mind. The looks of pity, the way they had recoiled in disgust—he couldn't blame them. He hadn't seen his reflection, but he could feel the damage, the way his skin had bubbled and blistered from the heat. He didn't need to see it to know how bad it was.
"I need to cover it," Eli muttered, his voice low and rough. "I can't… I don't want to walk around like this."
Cass's eyes softened, and she reached out, her hand hovering near his arm as if unsure whether to touch him. "You don't have to do that. We understand—"
"No," Eli cut her off, his tone firmer than he intended. "I need to. Please."
Cass hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. We'll find something."
She stood and walked over to where the others were gathered, exchanging a few words with them before returning with a worn, dark-colored cloth. It was nothing special—just a piece of fabric they had scavenged along the way—but it was enough. She handed it to Eli, her expression understanding.
"Here," she said softly. "It's not much, but it should do."
Eli took the cloth with a shaky hand, his fingers brushing against the rough material. The pain flared up as he moved, but he gritted his teeth and began to wrap the cloth around his head, covering the bandages that hid his burned face. He tied it tightly, pulling the fabric down over his brow, so it cast a shadow over his eyes. It wasn't perfect, but it would hide the worst of it.
As he adjusted the makeshift covering, Eli could feel the others watching him, their silence heavy with unspoken emotions. He didn't need to look at them to know what they were thinking—to know that his appearance had changed the way they saw him. He was no longer just Eli, one of them. He was something else now—something marked by the brutality of the world they lived in.
But he couldn't afford to dwell on it. The world outside the ruins was still dangerous, and they had to keep moving. He needed to focus on survival, not on the way his face had become a grotesque reminder of the horrors they faced every day.
When Eli finally looked up, he saw Cass watching him with a mixture of sadness and resolve. She offered a small, reassuring smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "We'll get through this," she said quietly. "Together."
Eli nodded, though he wasn't sure he believed it. But he didn't have the strength to argue. Instead, he pushed himself to his feet, every movement sending a jolt of pain through his body. He was tired—so tired—but there was no time to rest. The day was already beginning, and they needed to be on the move.
As the group gathered their things and prepared to leave, Eli couldn't shake the feeling of shame that clung to him like a second skin. The cloth covering his face was a flimsy shield against the world, but it was better than nothing. It hid the worst of the damage, but it couldn't hide the way he felt—broken, scarred, and different from the person he had been before.
But he had to keep going. There was no other choice.