averno, tlou

twenty seven

chapter twenty-seven: fuck you cookies
december 2023

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

        Alejandra was never alone, as much as she thought she was. 

When Tommy found his seat for breakfast next to her and Maria found hers in front of him, Alejandra found Mateo who was already sitting in front of her. The woman slowly chewed the oatmeal as she finally noticed everyone. "In your own little world?" Tommy teased, making Alejandra make a sarcastic face toward him. "Shut up." She rolled her eyes and looked back to the book, "listen, Maria and I've been talkin' a bit..." Tommy leaned closer to Alejandra, "we think it's a good idea if you keep your past hidden." Mateo heard it clear as day, especially when Alejandra rose her eyes and focused on the man as she thought. 

"What past?" Alejandra shot her head up quickly and looked at Tommy, "good job" he clicked his tongue, thinking she was playing along. "No, seriously. Which past? The one with you before the outbreak, before getting drafted, when I was a FEDRA Agent-" Maria scooted her chair out quickly to keep Mateo's gasp hidden and Tommy thrusts his arm out and grabbed ahold of her bicep gently, "that." He hissed, trying to not show his community that anything was wrong. But some still watched closely and could easily see something was wrong. 

"Right," Alejandra laughed and shut the book, she nodded her head towards Mateo who cleared his throat and rubbed his hand over his beard. Turning to Maria and leaning over to whisper in her ear, "everything alright?" Tommy turned quickly to Lenny, an older gentleman who was raising his grandchildren and asked the small group. Maria gave the man a warm smile, "yes, sir." Tommy spoke loudly and confidently while he scooted his chair out, "just havin' some trouble adjusting, you can understand..." Tommy stood up to follow Alejandra, giving Lenny another smile, this time more uncertain once seeing the reaction he got. "Yes, sir," Lenny repeated, bowing his head while keeping his eyes on the man who walked from the dining hall. 

          No more dreaming of the dead.

Alejandra was on the last page of the novel. She slowly took a bite of a tomato as if it had been an apple. "Shit" cursing under her breath as the juice dribbled down her chin and arm before she could catch it. Cursing under her breath as she quickly moved to stand over the steel sink while grabbing a rag that was hung up and wiping it across her lips and chin to clear off her face. 

For the past few days, Alejandra realized how Tommy isn't much different in respecting one's privacy, so when the front door opened the woman thought nothing much of it. "Tommy?" She shouted with a mouth full, finishing the fruit while quickly running her hands under the cold water to rinse them off. "Yo, Tommy?" It was too quiet. Alejandra eyed the kitchen knives resting tucked into the wall. Taking a slow step and gently pulling one out, she squatted down with a silent hiss.

"Where's she at?" Alejandra furrowed her eyebrows while standing behind the wall, pressing her shoulder tight against it and holding her breath once catching the tall shadow tip-toe into the kitchen. He walked right past her with enough distance for Alejandra to hit the man in the back of his knee with her foot and kick him onto his back, falling to one knee with the knife to his neck. The other shot the gun he had hiding and the sound carried into the home, making everyone's ears rung while slowly looking at him after he missed. "Shoot her!" The one Alejandra had shouted to his friend whose hand was shaking too hard to get a good shot, and he knew that. 

The second Alejandra turned her head to the other, she was thrown backward and gasped for air as her back hit the island harshly. The knife was knocked from her grasp and she caught a glimpse of it before she was thrown to the ground again. "What the fuck is your problem?" Alejandra coughed, holding her arms across her stomach and going to roll onto her side. Her face was contorted in pain as she wrapped her hand around the cool metal of the handle, "Fuckin' FEDRA killed my family-" Alejandra laughed out loud. "I didn't kill your fuckin' family," Alejandra yelled through her teeth when his hands wrapped tight around her throat and she thrust her arms out quickly, the knife piercing deep into his throat and Alejandra pushed at his torso with her feet while pulling the knife towards her. She was sprayed with his blood before he fell dead next to her.