Introduction
In episode 01 of The Last of Us Stories Plus Series by English Plus Podcast, what seemed to be a happy birthday night turned out to be full of horror, heartache, and loss.
Audio Episode
Video Episode
Episode Transcript
Please note that I am using an AI transcription service that promises only about 95% accuracy in the transcript, so if you find any mistakes, and you will, please excuse me, because I cannot afford human transcription at the moment 🙂
0:02
Today we’re going to start something completely new in English plus podcast. Well, I have done something similar before, but not the way I’m doing it this time, this time is much better. And I hope you like what you will listen to today’s episode is the first in a long series of episodes that I’m calling stories. Plus, we’re going to enjoy great stories. And the plus part is that we’re going to get into the heart of the action with the characters of the stories. And even more than that, for those of you who want to see it in action, you can do that as there will be a video of this episode that you can watch on English plus education YouTube channel. Of course, you don’t have to watch the video to enjoy the stories. I plan these episodes to be audio episodes. And I promise that I will let your imagination fill in the blanks in your minds where it is calling for pictures to understand what’s going on. But I have to say that I have done something special in the videos as I have added key expressions, words and even structures sometimes that you can see while you’re watching the video in context when these words or expressions are used in the story. So that might be interesting for you. And as usual, that’s not all. There’s something special reserved for my patrons. I have started posting some of these video episodes on Patreon, where you will get to watch the story, learn a few key words and some language tips along the way. And there will be a prompt for you to write about the episode and I will read your writing and send you my feedback on it. So if that sounds interesting enough for you, why don’t you take the link you can find in the description of the episode and go to my Patreon page and become a patron to enjoy this great benefit among many other benefits, such as having access to our brand new premium episodes, one premium episode for every single free episode I create here on English plus podcast, don’t think twice take your English and learning to the next level and become my patron today on Patreon. And now one last thing before we start with our very first story in the series. If you would like to find the transcript of this episode, you can take the link you can find in the show notes. And now let me tell you a little about the story we’re going to start our new stories Plus series with the story is called The Last of Us. And I’m not going to spoil any of the fun and tell you what the story is about. You’ll find about that in a minute when we start the story. And I’m not going to tell you the whole story in one episode. Of course, today is only the first episode that I called all is lost. And there will be many more episodes in the series. And trust me, it’s worth it. The story is amazing on many different levels. And I hope you like it as it is indeed my first big four stories. Plus, I believe I have talked long enough telling you about this new series. And now without further ado, let’s dive right in the story and start our very first episode of The Last of Us. This is your host Danny and this is English plus podcast.
3:21
Joel usually finds himself late to come back home and get a few hours of rest before heading back out to earn a living in what has become his daily life, which is not getting any easier. After his wife is gone. He’s left with the most precious thing in his life. His daughter Sarah, Joel keeps wondering whether anything he’s doing away from his daughter is really worth it. Isn’t life supposed to be about living with the people you love? You may accept losing some of the people you love when there’s nothing you can do about it. But what about the ones who are still here, the ones who are still waiting for you to come back and see them for a few minutes every day. And you try to tell them that everything you’re doing is actually for them. But can this lame excuse you’ve been using over and over quench their thirst to spend just a few more minutes with you? Maybe they’d even dare dream of just a few more hours every week. Joel’s mind can never get rid of these ideas, although his mind is always filled with problems from work, but he keeps telling himself that there’s time. If he just works hard for a few more years. He may still have enough time to be with Sarah before she is off starting a life of her own somewhere away from home. These precious days and yours will never be back. But Joel is doing the best he can to be there for Sarah. But today is different. Today is Joel’s birthday, and Sara stayed up way beyond her bedtime to surprise her father. It is not like she would ever forget the birthday of the most important man
5:00
in her life
5:05
Tommy, Tommy Tommy Listen to me. He is the contractor. He’s the contractor. Okay, I can’t lose this job.
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I understand
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with let’s talk about this in the morning okay.
5:19
We’ll talk about in the morning
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call
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are you still doing that slate time is it it’s way past your bedtime today.
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Please note right now I do not have the energy for this
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here
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this is your birthday
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you kept complaining about broken watch. So I figured you know
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you like it
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I think this is
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nice, but
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I think it’s stuck. It’s not what no no not no.
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Oh Ha ha
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Where did you get the money for this? Drugs? I sell hardcore drugs. Oh good. I started helping out with the mortgage then. Yeah, you wish.
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Baby girl
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Joelle may look and sound so hard like a rock chiseled by the hardships of life, but he’s still drowning with emotions inside. Maybe he doesn’t care to show that to anyone outside he needs to maintain this rocky look. But here at home with his beloved Sarah, he can finally take off all the masks he needs to wear everyday to work and to face pretty much everyone else. Joel gently put Sarah to bed and goes to his room. He turns on the TV hoping to doze off watching something he has watched a million times before. Sometimes the TV seems like counting sheep for him. But today instead of sheep, there are wolves to count the monsters that are the stuff of nightmares. And the worst part is that he’s not even asleep yet. Something bad is going on. And all channels are reporting something bad happening from almost everywhere. It’s not something that is just happening in Joel’s hometown. It seems that it is happening everywhere. Joe looks outside the window. And even the serene rural view he has from his bedroom that has put his mind to ease countless times in the past could not call him this time. All he can hear outside is strange noise police car sirens and the usually quiet night in this part of town seems to be getting ready for some real commotion. Joel turns back to his TV and what he sees on it does not help ease his worries. Something really bad is happening out there everywhere. Joel immediately calls his brother Tommy as he is the one who has a car because what Joel has seen on TV calls for a quick getaway. Joel decides not to wake Sarah yet. Not until Tommy arrives. And while he’s waiting by the window, he saw his neighbor standing right by the fence eyes fixed on something deep into the darkness of the bushes in front of their house. Joel thinks danger may be getting close and he hurries down to give his neighbor Jimmy and the two of them fighting off those things is much better than having to fight them all by himself. He still doesn’t wake Sarah but a late night phone call from her Uncle Tommy certainly does.
9:29
On our needs get to daddy on the phone. Tell me what what time is it? I didn’t talk to your dad now.
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Uncle Tommy. Hello
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What was that all about?
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Daddy
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Daddy
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Have you in here seem to be somehow connected to the nation? Or are you we’ve received reports that victims afflicted with the infection show some aggression and out of here now there’s a Catholic. There seems to be some commotion coming from
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Oh God
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what is going on
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Sarah has searched everywhere around the house, and still there’s no sign of her father. She still cannot fathom what is happening outside. But even her 14 year old brain can comprehend that something serious is happening out there. But she can think of whatever she’s heard on TV, or the explosion that seems to have come from the city. All she needs now is to find her father. Her Uncle Tommy is looking for her father too. And Sarah thinks that since two are looking for him, she will find him unharmed. She has no idea what is happening out there. But she knows in her heart that nothing can ever happen to her father, who’s going to protect her If not him. God cannot take him and leave her alone. Her father is so important to her that nothing bad could ever happen to him. But even Sarah knows that the same thoughts have not saved her mother and panic has already started to creep into her heart. The sound of police sirens and the abrupt silence of their dog haven’t helped. Sara has already searched everywhere around the house, and she knows that she might have to step outside to search for him for he will probably be there. But she starts to walk very slowly toward the door because she’s afraid of what she may find outside. And dark thoughts have finally found their way into her mind with a picture of her father abruptly silence just like their dog. And she cannot shake off these ugly images no matter how hard she tries when she finally makes her way toward the door which is already open
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there was this phone
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eight missed calls. Who the hell are you?
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Call me
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Are you are sir Are you okay? Yeah.
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Has anyone come in here? No. Who would come in here? Don’t go near the doors just just stand back there. The head you’re kind of freaking me out. What’s going on?
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So many ride with them. I think they’re sick. What kind of sick?
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Me I am warning
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this morning.
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There’s something bad going on. We’ve got to get out of here. Do you understand me? Yeah.
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Sarah has imagined the devil and his minions walking through the open door into their house. But she has never been more relieved in her life when she sees her own father walking in instead. But he seems as if the devil and his minions were after him. Joe locks the door and the next thing that comes banging on the glass door is their neighbor’s head. Jimmy is right there at the door not using his hand to knock and definitely not his head either. Jimmy breaks into the house and tries to attack Joel and Sarah. But Joel, who was ready to fight side by side with Jimmy 10 minutes ago, finds himself putting a bullet in his neighbor’s skull. Sarah who has just been relieved for a fraction of a second gets her panic levels up all the way. That is something she has never seen before. She has never seen their neighbor Jimmy looked like an animal trying to attack them before. She has never seen her father shoot anyone
15:00
than before, she has never seen a man die in front of her own eyes. None of these things are ever good things for a child to see. But it seems there’s a lot more of the same scenes which Sarah will see tonight. And there’s nothing her father can do about it. What Sarah has seen on TV is no science fiction is no joke is no mistake. The devil is real. She has seen him in the face of Jimmy before her father blows it up with his gun. So much for the innocent thoughts. She’s kept in her mind all her life until now. Sarah has grown years older in just a few seconds, and now they have to leave and she won’t get a chance to take anything with her or to say goodbye to her room or any of her precious stuff. And even though souvenirs she keeps that reminds her of her mother. All these little musings in the life of that innocent 14 year old girl vanished in seconds. And now she has to become a survivalist like everyone else. Joel and Sara haven’t waited long before they hear the friendly sound of Tommy’s car and there’s no time to think do or say anything other than get into the car and get the hell out
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Tameka?
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You have any idea what’s going on out there? I got some notion
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you got blood all over you in mind. Let’s just get out of here. We’ve seen half the people in Sydney lost their minds. Just please go
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you’re gonna tell me what happened later.
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Hey, sir.
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How y’all love
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yours on the radio
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thanks
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cell phone. No radio. We’re doing great.
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News man wouldn’t shut up. He said where to go. He said
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always put up roadblocks on the highway. No getting into Travis County we get the hell out. Take 77
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They say hang on you’re dead. Probably a lot. Fellas, one family all mangled inside their house.
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Right.
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Sorry
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Chris how this happened? They got no clue.
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But we are the only town reverse their sales just
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on the east coast, the West Coast.
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Joel’s had some foolish hope that this might be a single incident just in their part of town. And maybe they can simply get away to safe places since they are not infected yet. But Tommy confirms to him what his mind not his wishful thinking has kept telling him all the time, nowhere to safe. So where will they go? In Joel’s mind? The answer is clear anywhere but here. There seems to be military action to try and quarantine the area. But this thing seems to have already spread out of control and Joelle understands that very soon he will not be able to trust anyone to protect him or his family. And maybe there’s still some time to be panic and insanity to those soldiers and be safe even if for a little while until Joel and Tommy figure out what to do or where to go. After all. They are also among those who are shocked by what’s happening all around and they still haven’t gotten a moment to think clearly. But now is not the time to stop and think now is the time to get away and hopefully in one piece and definitely while avoiding being infected at all costs. So the only way for Joel is forward but he has no idea where the hell they are supposed to be heading he doesn’t know if road 71 will lead them to safety nor if any other road will do for that matter. But they have no other choice but to keep moving on
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no of course not. How do you know they said it’s just people in the city we’re in the city
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That’s right
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we’re fine
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All right.
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See what they need to be thinking you’re doing keep driving and we got a kid job so do we ever own Jeep drive and Tommy
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see what I see. So Mr. Come along.
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You should help
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this is bad
20:00
The head the same damn idea
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just backtracking.
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Damn, turn here
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come on
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give us a try
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we can’t stop you’re
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behind me to
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hold on
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survival mode has already kicked in when Joel refuses to help that family stranded at the side of the road. Joel knows that very soon all vestiges of humanity will vanish. And there will be one thing in the minds of everybody. Everybody will only worry about themselves. But maybe Joel has done that because he can’t be worried about anyone now other than his own daughter, and maybe his heart is still beating into his chest, maybe it hasn’t turned to stone yet, the road ahead leads them into the heart of the action in the middle of the city, there’s no escaping that if they want to get away they need to get to the bridge. And to do that they have to pass through the city. And what they see is nothing short of a horror movie. Only they happen to catch the live version, the infected have already started attacking Healthy People and at this rate and when you see their ferocity you know that this thing whatever it is, is going to spread very soon and he’s going to infect almost everyone they get stuck between people trying to run for their lives just as they are and those things trying to attack them there’s no time to wait until the masses pass Joel urges his brother to even run over some people if he has to but to get them out of there and as Tommy tries to get out of that tight spot they got stuck in someone else seems to have the same idea and no one in this situation will ever pay heed to road safety so the accident happens a T bone sent their car sideways rendering it completely useless. But I bet that’s not what you’re thinking about right now. Will Joel Sarah and Tommy make it unscathed
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daddy
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hey
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I’m your baby
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gonna make a run
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the whole time
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Joel manages to get himself and his daughter out of the car. Tommy seems to have been okay, but Sarah has hurt her leg. It must be broken because it hurts like hell and she cannot move it. So Joel carries her and gives the gun to Tommy to keep them safe. total chaos is on the streets panic infected people attacking explosions and fires everywhere. Not a good combination for survival, or at least knowing what to do or where to go. So Joel and Tommy do what everyone else does. In situations like that. They follow the crowd. Everyone is running towards somewhere but no one really knows where to go. It always takes a long time for people to realize that they can simply stop barricade themselves and help each other fend off the infected swarms as they still outnumber the infected. But it’s easy to say that when you’re not in the fray, some people even freeze to death, literally. Very few people may use their minds to find better ways to get themselves to safety. And most people just follow the crowds like waves breaking against rocks. But the ironic thing is that there is an equal chance of survival whichever group you belong to, people tend to forget that in hot zones like in wars, only the people who are not hit survive and the ones who are die. Not the strongest, not the brightest, but those whose luck still hasn’t run out of these. I
25:00
Diaz are even occurring to Joel at the moment these are thoughts for some campfire after surviving such a terrifying experience and Joel is running like crazy with Tommy at his back and Sarah in his arms all he can wish for is to get to that bridge before it is too late
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you’re
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looking to me baby
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gonna get out of this
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we’re almost there. We’re almost
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out
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go you got Sarah
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meet you there, hurry.
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We can’t wait.
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It’s gonna be fine.
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We’re almost
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even following the crowds doesn’t work anymore as people have started to turn back and there’s no way to tell which way is the obvious People’s Choice at the moment. People are scattering in all directions, but Joel and Tommy find an ally that may lead them closer to the bridge, but there are no safe places anymore. They are attacked by the infected along the way, but Tommy holds his ground and defends his brother and niece. They get to a house where Joel and Sara barely make it inside before Tommy tries to close the door crushing the hands of some of those infected trying to read jolts back. Tommy cannot close the door properly, but he tells Joel to beat him to the bridge and that he will follow them there. Joel knows that this might be the last time he lays eyes on his brother Tommy and some terrifying idea crossed his mind in which he has seen his brother Tommy again. But not like the Tommy he’s always known. But there’s no time to think Sarah is hurt and she comes first. He needs to get her to safety. And maybe then he will come back to help his brother. However, Joel knows this is not going to be one of those fairy tales. So he takes one last look at his brother’s eyes and somewhere between their eyes. There were words flying back and forth. Joel’s eyes probably say thank you. And Tommy’s are probably like just go You idiot. Just go brother
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Hey, we need help.
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It’s my diary. I think her legs broke right there
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we’re not sick. We’ve got a couple of civilians in the outer perimeter. Please advise Eddie What about Uncle Tommy? We’re gonna get you to safety angle back round okay sir as a little girl
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but
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somebody we’ve just been through hell we just did
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oh no
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no baby no no
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okay baby stay with me
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Come on, please
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Sara
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baby
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don’t do this to me. They
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don’t know
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They’re very close to that bridge and maybe safety, just a few more steps, and at least Sarah will be safe, but there are a few infected following them. And Joelle cannot fight them with Sarah and his arms without any weapons. So he just runs as fast as he can. And as the hands of those infected stretch out, reaching closer and closer to Joel’s neck, a few shots are fired. And for a moment, Joelle waits to see if any blood will come out, but they finally reach the side of the bridge where a soldier is stationed, and the soldier takes aim and shoots those infected on Joel stale just in time to save Joelle and Sara. Maybe it’s already too late for Tommy, but at least Sarah is safe, or that’s what Joel thinks. He doesn’t believe in fairy tales, and he hasn’t been waiting for any miracle to just happen. But after going through all this and coming all this way, he can’t imagine that danger has still not passed. Joel tries to go toward the soldier, but the soldier stops him and awaits his orders. The orders don’t come as Joel or even the soldier himself wants. He tries to soften the heart of his commanding officer by telling him that there’s a little girl, but Orders are orders and he takes aim again, but this time at Joel and Sara Joel jumps aside when he sees the soldier taking aim and he avoids the first burst of bullets, or the soldier comes closer to him to finish the job. And all Joel can do is begged the soldier not to kill them. But there seems to be nothing that can stop the soldier from following his orders, except for a shot in the head coming from Jolles handgun itself, delivered by Tommy who has made it against all odds. This moment is nothing short of a celebration moment. But something is wrong. Tommy made it against all laws Joelle dodged the bullet burst from the soldiers and four, but one bullet finds its way and lodged in little Sarah’s heart. After all this Joel has thought for a second that the nightmare is over, at least for that night. But this nightmare will haunt him for the rest of his life. And all the time he thought he still has to spend with his Sarah has just run out.
32:50
So that’s all about today’s episode of The Last of Us and next time we will meet Joel again in the next episode 20 years after that fateful night, but we’re not done yet. I will leave you with some reports of what happened after that night to try and fill some gaps before we move on to see Joel again after 20 years in episode two.
33:16
The number of confirmed deaths has passed 200 The governor has called a state of emergency hundreds of body slamming streets. Panic spread worldwide after a leaked report from the World Health Organization showed that the latest vaccination tests have failed or the bureaucrats out of power we can finally take the necessary steps. Los Angeles is now the latest city to be placed under martial law. All residents are required to report to their designated foreign rights have continued for a third consecutive day and winter rations are at an all time low.
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A group calling themselves the fireflies have claimed responsibility for both attacks. Your public charter calls for the return of all branches of government demonstrations broke out following the execution of six more alleged fireflies
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you can still rise with us. Remember when you’re locked in the darkness, look for the light believe in the fireflies.
34:19
I hope you enjoyed the story. Don’t forget that there will be more episodes in the series. And we will continue the story next week. So stay tuned. And of course there are many other episodes that I publish every week. So do check those out too. And of course there are the premium episodes that are available only to my patrons and you can become one by going to my Patreon page and becoming a patron yourself and enjoy all the exclusive content I create for my patrons and by doing that you will be supporting me to keep the show going on. The link is in the show notes. So what are you waiting for? Take your English and learning to the next level with me and with my English plus, that’ll be everything for today. I would like to thank you very much for listening
35:00
Turning to another episode from English plus podcast this is your host Danny I will see you next time
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