When a beaten and lost, near-dead girl walks up upon the gates of Jackson unannounced, people are bound to be suspicious of why she's shown up. But, when she reveals that she knows something about an organization in Seattle planning to come to Jacks...
"No-one likes a mad woman; you made her like that."
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CHAPTER TEN Trauma
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Willow set down a bottle of alcohol and a few spare rags on one of the boxes, watching as Ellie rocked herself back and forth on another one. She was breathing in and out, slowly but each breath was full of panic, anyone could tell. The blood from the WLF member was splattered across her face and body, completely covering her skin in a red tint. Her mind swarmed with horrible images and thoughts, causing a headache to pound in her ears.
The younger teenager sat on a storage box just across from Ellie, looking over her panicked form. Surely she had gotten answers out of someone violently before, how was that time any different? She shook her head, not wanting to question the girl from Jackson's motives. She knew what she was doing, and all Willow had to do was comfort Ellie to the best of her ability. And clean the blood off of her body to dissipate any suspicion that would come from the WLF.
Ellie looked to Willow, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she attempted to breath evenly. With every few breaths she took, a shudder would run through her body, a small tremor that interrupted the oxygen from filling her lungs. Every time she took a full breath, her body would scream in joy, clear and crisp air was a luxury to her. Her short hair dangled down to her chin, no longer in a half-bun, but fully released against her skin.
With her blonde hair pushed back against her shoulder blades, Willow leaned forward, looking at Ellie with a small frown. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" She asked. Ellie nodded softly, gripping the bottom of her shirt and pulling it above her head. Willow grabbed the garment, placing it down on the ground and looking at Ellie's chest. It was covered in blood, just like her neck, face, and arms. No wonder she was panicking so much.
She grabbed the rag from the top of another storage container, dousing it with a bit of alcohol in case Ellie had any wounds. Willow took the cloth and began dabbing it lightly against Ellie's skin, beginning with her collarbone. Her torso moved with every large breath she took in and out, reminding Willow that she was still in a state of some form of shock. Willow ran the washcloth down the bone of Ellie's collar lightly, still moving softly.
The older girl winced as the alcohol-covered rag moved over a deep cut on her neck. Ellie only then realized that it was even there in the first place. She must have cut herself in the water bank on the way to the stadium. Willow took it slow, softly disinfecting the wound to the best of her ability. She turned her head to the side, placing the rag against the alcohol lid and tipping some of the liquid into the washcloth again. She quickly returned to Ellie's bare torso, beginning her way up to her face.
Slowly, Willow gazed over Ellie's face as she cleaned it. She looked over every freckle, blemish, and beauty mark that was splattered on her nose and cheeks. Willow looked over Ellie's eyes, her nose, and her lips. She didn't want to take advantage of the girl's panic, so she continued to finish the blood splattered on her forehead, not closing the gap between their lips like she wanted to. They needed to find information on the WLF, not find their feelings.
No more blood could be seen on Ellie's face, and Willow scooted the box she was sitting on backwards, placing the rag back down on another container. She picked up Ellie's blood-soaked shirt, standing up and holding it above the girl's head. Ellie lifted her hands up, letting Willow pull the grey garment over her head and onto her torso again. The older girl shakily stood up, holding onto the younger one's arms for some form of stability against her shuddering form.
Willow sat back down across from her, holding her hand out slowly. Ellie opened her palm, letting her hand rest on her knee. Their hands grasped one another's, not squeezing, but just lightly brushing against each other's skin. Willow pulled her index finger up, beginning to trace the lines of Ellie's palm on her skin. The girl's breathing slowed down as her body relaxed, she began focusing on Willow's small patterns, finding some form of solace in the light movements.
They stayed there for what seemed like hours as Ellie calmed down, her heart beginning to beat at a normal pace. Willow's fingers continued to trace the other girl's palm until she noticed Ellie's calmer state. Their eyes darted across each other's faces, both of them trying to memorize what they looked like in the illumination of only a small, dim lightbulb. Ellie, in a calmer state, pushed herself, darting forward and lightly pressing her lips against Willow's.
Although it was a soft, short kiss, Ellie's face sparked with a sense of familiarity and warmth. She wanted to stay there forever, with Willow. Just the two of them, somewhere. The younger girl fought the non-stop urge to smile against Ellie's lips, her cheeks softening as they turned a deep red, almost comparable to the blood on the other girl's face that had been wiped off. Ellie sighed, her mind filled with content as she pulled away from Willow's lips.
Both of them felt an overwhelming chill, the warmth that had erupted through their lips disappearing as they pulled apart. Willow let out a large breath, her cheeks completely red as she regained her surroundings. Ellie shakily stood up, grabbing onto the other girl's hands for stabilization. Willow helped her stand up, the two of them not speaking a word to each other. The older teenager leaned down, wincing in pain as she shrugged on her backpack.
They silently prepared to make their way back up and out of the stadium, having the intel that they needed from the man they killed. Willow pulled on her own bag, slowly and cautiously pushing open the door to the storage room. Ellie trudged towards her, walking by and pushing herself into the sewers, no matter how much she didn't want to go back. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the dead body, slumped into the corner of the large pipe.
Ellie winced, looking away as her breathing began to quicken. Willow grasped onto her hand comfortingly, lightly letting her fingers dance against the other girl's. "You'll be okay." She whispered softly, releasing Ellie's hand and motioning her towards where they had come from. The older teenager nodded, and they walked through the water together, beginning to make their way back to Jackson County.
