A Lovely Mess

Day 10

"That's it! we're here!" Tommy yelled as they drove to the gates of a barricaded town. A group of people stood from the peak of the gates, at the watch-points pointing weapons down at them. Dream took a deep breath and stood, raising his hands, George followed him in doing the same.

"Put all your weapons on the ground now!" One of the guards demanded, a tall man with green hair, an eccentric colour for the midst of an apocalypse.

Dream was hesitant yet threw his axe and g18 down onto the floor, george followed doing the same.

"We have something of yours!" Dream stated
"What would that be" the guard said as he raised his gun, it was blatantly pointed at dreams chest-shoulder area.

"Tommy!" Dream called out, slowly tommy opened up the back door to the car and got out.

The guard brought his gun up higher, "Tom, are these people with you?" The guard kept his eyes firm on tommy
"Yes sam!"
"Hm, what's the passcode?"
"Really sam?"
"I need to be safe!"
"Blue sheep"
"Okay, Hannah, can you get Wilbur please to the front gate urgently" Sam turned to a female guard who lowered her gun, "yes sir" she disappeared out of their sight.

"I'm going to bring you fellas in, you can have your weapons but any funny stuff and i won't hesitate to shoot" Sam said signalling for another guard to open the gate, dream and george nodded showing that they understood the consequences. The large gates opened revealing the thriving town.

The three stepped in and george instantly noticed how vibrant everything was, from bright flowers and allotments filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, even two greenhouses stood between them.

"You grow all your own product?" dream observed
"that we do, we have workers on the farm daily making sure it's all fresh and safe." Sam chuckled as the gate shut behind them.
"i've never seen a community as advance as this" George looked about noticing the water towers and vibrant community buildings, housing was present in the distance.
"Our own water system, we grow and consume our own food, we have our own church, community centres, a library in progress and we're working on getting some form of currency in order" Sam smiled clearly proud of the work they'd all put together.

"Where wil and dad?" Tommy frowned looking about searching for his family
"I don't think it's my place to say kid, i'll let wilbur explain." Sam turned to tommy before turning back to dream and george.

"Tommy!" a voice yelled, tommy turned to see his brother running towards him, his trench coat flowing with every step.

"Wilbur!" Tommy exclaimed as his brother pulled him into a tight hug
"If you ever leave again, i swear i'm gonna kill you!" Wilbur shook his head slapping tommy around the back of the head
"Alright! i'm sorry!"
"Seriously, you could've gotten yourself killed"
"I know wil! Wheres dad?" Tommy looked around half expecting to see his dad following his brother
"Oh tom" Wilbur frowned putting his hand on his brothers shoulder
"Wil, what happened"
"Dad was excused by the reductioners last week"
"Pardon?" Tommy's face dropped
"They had him murdered, infront of us all. The townsfolk are still pretty shaken, some even left in protest with the logic of 'we promised protection yet our own superior was murdered'
"Was he in pain wil, did you let him turn?"
"he turned tom, i took him down"
"fuck!" tommy yelled wiping his eyes
"we've still got eachother tom"
"are the reductioners going to return"
"they have been every week, taking product and weapons, sometimes even people. if we refuse they murder a townsfolk"
"This is so fucked-"
"I know tom"

"Is there anything we can do? neighbouring factions" tommy paced trying to work out a solution.
"They're all remaining neutral throughout"
"What about david?"
"You're on another planet if you think david's going to come back, he's happy in iowa."
"How do you know he's in iowa, i thought you two didn't talk"
"we don't, i just know that's where he headed before everything"
"i need to get him wil, i cant just sit back and watch l'manberg fall"
"maybe it was never meant to be tommy"
"how can you say that! you're the president! it's your city- your home- OUR HOME!" tommy yelled
"Tom, just calm down. We can discuss this in the morning, right now we just need to get you to rest and your friends a home for the night. That reminds me, care to introduce me?"