Above Average | TLOU 1

Vienna,

Dina had come downstairs and we were all sitting at the table, Joel was across from my dad, Ellie next to him, and I was across from Ellie, Dina was helping Maria with lunches for the two.

My dad and Joel were talking and I was getting to know Ellie.

"So how'd you two meet?" I asked Ellie.

She paused for a moment before answering. "It's a long story."

I nodded.

"Whose she?" Ellie was looking at Dina, who was cutting up some tomatoes.

"That's Dina, I can go get her if you want." I said, looking at Dina then back at her.

Ellie said it was fine. I overheard some of Joel and my dad's conversation.

"Hey, Tommy, Can I talk to you?" He said, he tried his best to say this in a whisper.

My dad looked around the room. "What? It's just us." He gestured to me and Maria.

Joel rolled his eyes and stood up, "alone, please."

Eventually, they went upstairs and talked.

Ellie leaned over to me "Hey, Where's the bathroom?"

"Upstairs to the left"

She ran upstairs but ran to the right, to the same room my father and Joel were in.

I went into the kitchen and helped Dina and Maria while they were upstairs.

A few moments later I saw Ellie run downstairs and Joel and my dad followed a few minutes after.

Ellie went outside, An alarm went off through Jackson. My dad told me and Dina to get to my room and Joel looked around for Ellie.

"Dad, I can help." I got a gun out of the drawer and he took it out of my hand.

"Now, Claire."

I went upstairs with Dina after I gave up on trying and we looked through the window for a bit, watching what was happening though we couldn't see much. 45 minutes later the noise died down.

Me and Dina hung out for a few more hours until she had to go, then I sat alone for a bit. The window had pressed flowers taped to the glass; me and Dina would go out and pick flowers then press them in some old books to pass time.

I looked out my window as the sunset started falling and got out my camera. I had found a camera a few years back and to my luck it still worked, I'd been taking pictures of anything and everything ever since.

I took a quick photo of the sunset and as the photo slid out of the camera I shook it and waited for it to develop.

I went downstairs and Maria was gone, my dad still hadn't gotten back. I started boiling some water for my tea and sat on the counter while I waited. I looked around the room for something to do. There were two cowboy hats hung on the wall, my fathers and mine from a few years ago. The entry table had three pictures. One of Joel, My dad, And Sarah. One of me and my dad. And one of my dad and Maria. It was the first one that caught my eye, though. My dad had been through so much even before the outbreak. He told me stories, of Sarah, of him and Joel, of his life before the outbreak. I always wonder what it would be like if I had lived then.

A sharp "Tshh" came from the kettle and I jumped off the counter.

I poured the boiling water into a mug and added in tea. After I stirred in milk and sugar I walked to the couch and sipped my tea.

As I looked at the walls I noticed the paintings I painted years ago, hung up on the fridge and flowers my father gave Maria the day he proposed in a vase on the kitchen table.

I never really stopped to look around. Sure, I've seen all of these pictures and paintings dozens of times. But I've never really taken a second to admire them, or ever look at them for more than a few seconds.

I drank my tea and just sat in the silence for a while.

A piano sat in the corner of the room, all dusty waiting for someone to play it.

I got up and set my tea on the coffee table before sitting on the piano bench.

I started playing singular keys, getting the hang of it for a few moments. Maria had taught me piano last year and I haven't played since then. I started playing a song, Vienna by Billy Joel.

I remember, I would play this song as my dad would play the guitar to it. We would sit there while Maria sang the lyrics. Maybe I was too hard on her.

I stopped playing and my hands rested on the keys.

I saw my dad and Joel through the window and I got up, leaving my tea and the piano behind.

I opened the door and walked outside.

"What happened?" I went to my dad and he checked me for injuries.

"You're okay?" He asked me.

"I'm fine." I muttered and with that he ran inside with Maria, they were talking in the kitchen and I sat on the stairs, totally not snooping.

"He wants me to take Ellie to the firefly hospital." He said.

"Why?" She tilted her head a bit.

My dad took a breath before answering. "She's immune."

My eyes widened. I immediately ran back upstairs, I didn't care what the rest of the conversation was anymore. I felt guilty, like I knew something I shouldn't have.

I tried to fall asleep after that but my mind just wouldn't fall asleep.