ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ | ᴇʟʟɪᴇ ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍꜱ

ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ

ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴀʏ

ꜰᴀʟʟ

As I walked through the wet mud in the woods, I could feel the coolness seeping through my shoes. The scent of the season filled the air, reminding me of the beauty of nature.

I glanced at the broad reading of Jackson County, hoping to find Tommy here as Lee had suggested. With each careful step, I navigated the muddy path, wishing for Lee's presence by my side.

The realization that the people who took Lee were part of a group sent a chill down my spine. It had been a while since I had encountered people like them.

As I made my way up the hill, my eyes caught sight of a hydroelectric power plant. The water looked freezing, but determination pushed me forward.

I climbed the stairs and reached for the door handle, only to find it locked. Thinking quickly, I retrieved my nail file from my back pocket and used it in the key holder.

With a sense of triumph, I turned the knob and the door swung open. "Bingo," I whispered, a smile spreading across my face.

Inside the power plant, I searched for anything but found nothing. Frustration washed over me as I realized I had to find a way to cross to the other side.

Making my way down to the ledge, I took a deep breath and jumped into the water. The icy coldness enveloped my body, making me shiver.

As I approached the other side, I began to climb, whispering to myself, "Jeez, this better be worth it."

The adrenaline fueled my determination as I pushed forward, eager to uncover the truth.

✮⋆˙

As I approached the big gate walls that surrounded the entrance, confusion built up inside me. I banged on the gate and tugged at the handle, desperate to find a way in.

Suddenly, a woman's voice yelled out, "Don't reach for your weapon." But I was determined and pulled out my pistol, pointing it at her.

"I'll put mine down when you do!" I shouted back, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You better be lost, or this won't end well" she snapped back.

"I'm just trying to find someone," I added, hoping she would understand. "I'm looking for Tommy Miller" I added.

The woman still demanded that I drop my weapon still, but I stood my ground, my jaw clenched tight, my gun still aimed.

"Why would you be looking for him" She asked.

Just then, I heard the gate creak open, and I quickly turned my head to see who it was. It was the man from the polaroid that Lee had given me.

"Why would you be looking for me?" he questioned, causing me to lower my gun.

I pulled out the Polaroid from my jeans pocket, glaring at the woman before turning my attention back to Tommy.

"Lee's in terrible danger, I just need to talk to you," I pleaded, handing him the Polaroid. His eyes widened as he looked at the photo.

"Lee, what did you get yourself into" he trembled, a mix of surprise and fear in his voice.

Tommy glanced at the woman and gave her a nod, signaling her to lower her gun. "Maria, she's a friend," he called out, introducing her to me.

"This is Maria, she runs things around here," he added, pointing in her direction. I couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "Clearly."

Tommy then invited me in, motioning for me to follow him. As we entered, I could feel the weight of many eyes on me.

Sensing my unease, Tommy reassured everyone, "It's fine, she's a friend!" His words helped ease the tension in the area.

✮⋆˙

As we entered the building, Tommy noticed my disheveled appearance and kindly offered me some spare clothes.

"I've got some extra clothes, looks like you could use them," he said with a friendly smile. I gratefully replied, "Yeah, definitely needed."

We walked over to a duffel bag filled with old clothes, and he handed me a white button-up shirt, a white tank top, a black sweater, and a pair of jeans.

"Thank you, I'm clementine" I said, returning the smile. I carefully packed the clothes into my backpack, ready to change later.

"Well it's nice to meet you, I could tell we're going to get along" He added.

As we made our way to his office, Tommy asked me a question that caught me off guard. "Is Lee your dad, I mean...I knew him before all of this and seen him before but never with you?" he inquired.

I shook my head and explained, "No. Might seem like it but, my parents are gone and he's been watching me since I was 10."

ʜᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ꜰɪɢᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ

Finally, we entered his office, and I took a deep breath before launching into a detailed account of everything that had happened that very day, making sure not to miss a single detail.

Tommy leaned in closer as we sat across from one another, his voice filled with concern. "I could tell you that there are a lot of bandits everywhere over time," he explained.

"But honestly, I don't think he had anyone who wanted to hurt him, Clem," he added, using my name.

"Yeah, maybe you could ask around. I've been searching, but I haven't gotten anywhere," I replied, feeling frustrated with my lack of progress.

"There was this name that I heard one of them use, was Jerry" I said narrowing my eyes.

"The only group of people I could assume or guess ar-" Just as Tommy was about to share information about a certain group, an incoming voice on his walkie-talkie interrupted us.

"Tommy, you might want to get back up here," the voice said urgently.

Tommy glanced up at me, and I nodded in understanding. "I hope it's good news," I said, hoping for a breakthrough in my search.

⋆｡°✩

We made our way back up to the gates, and I overheard Maria's exasperated voice saying, "Please tell me you're lost."

A man with an accent responded, "We didn't know this place was occupied. We're just trying to make our way through."

Curious, the woman asked, "Though to where?"

Tommy quickly reassured everyone, calling out, "They're alright."

Surprised, Maria questioned, "Wait, you know these people?"

"I know him, he's my goddamn brother" Tommy said.

With a mix of astonishment and disbelief, the man looked at him and said, "Tommy."

✮⋆˙