Ellie Williams x F!Reader

One

"Your fingers are trembling.", he whispered with a mild smile on his lips as he turned his head to the side in the darkness to see where the noises were coming from.

Sharply sucking in the air, you froze to ice. The pounding of your heart was in your throat, cold sweat running down your back. He was right. Your fingers trembled as if they were about to shatter into a thousand splinters.

"Go back to sleep, pa.", you whispered to him, glancing over your shoulder.

"They'll crucify you if they notice what you're doing."

"Don't get caught then. Got it.", a smirk tugged at the corner of your lips but quickly faded again.

Taking a deep breath, you forced your hands to stay calm and continue working on the lock of the cage.

Soft snoring filled the tense silence. The room was cramped and stuffy.

For a long time, you and your father had shared the cell with a few who had had the misfortune of being picked up by the human captors. Now there were several dozen of them, huddled close together for warmth.

A few days ago the hunters had brought them all to you, some dirtier than wild animals, others bloody. Two had been half dead, now there was only one left.

Some had tried to escape. None had made it further than the first flight of stairs. They had been punished by being beaten bloody and brought to the beach to leave their bodies there to die in the sun.

You knew that if you were caught, you would suffer the same fate. But up to this point, luck seemed to be on your side. A soft click tugged at the back of your head.

The first part of the lock was done, now you just had to move the last bolt and...

Suddenly, footsteps broke your concentration. Startled, you flinched and jerked away from the door. Voices mingled with screams.

Your father's hands came down on your shoulders, pulling you back into the shadows. Even though he was many years old, he still couldn't stop protecting you whenever he needed to.

It began to worry you. At some point he would have to accept his limits. Every day became harder for him.

Especially days like this one, the darkest of human existence and cruelty.

"Get back.", you whispered to him through clenched teeth and pushed his old body to the back of the cell with all your might.

He struggled, tried to refuse but ultimately wasn't strong enough no more. Weeks of too little food and limited space had malnourished the two of you, him even more so.

His legs have in and you stumbled back, almost falling right into his lap.

"Easy, sweetheart.", his hands grabbed you by the shoulders. "You're going to break your neck one day..."

A tense breath made your lungs contract. Steps came closer. Your grip on the tools tightened, even though it would not make a good weapon in a fight.

Better than with bare hands, you thought to yourself and had to huff about your own foolishness the next second.

Mutters went through the other prisoners. They started to get uneasy, some moves towards the bars while others backed away just the way you had.

The breath of your father echoed inside your ears. You'd protect his life till your dying breath. And if it was the last thing you'd do.

Steps made the hairs in the back of your neck stand up straight. Suddenly the door burst open and a woman jumped into the room, throwing the door shut again right behind her.

Your eyes flinched. She was armed.

How hard would it be to take that gun from her?

You examined her statue, her height, the way she was build. After weeks of almost no food your body was lacking in stamina and strength.

But sometimes willpower could make up for it. Or the disgustingly raw desperation to survive.

Your legs flinched, the balance of your body shifted and you were about to approach the front. But your father pulled you back by the shoulder. It wasn't harsh but enough to notice that he wouldn't allow arguing.

"(Y/N).", his voice was rough from the lack of water.

Traces of salt were visible around his brows and forehead. You were the same shade of his skin, almost down to the exact blemishes, undertone and marks.

Your hair, on the other hand, was the same colour as your mother's. He still had to smile softly to himself whenever he caressed it like he always did ever since you had been a little girl.

"You're just like your mother...", he whispered with a tired expression as he noticed you stare at him with concern in your (E/C) eyes. "I'm glad her good traits rubbed off on you."

Swallowing hard, you grabbed his hand to give it a gentle squeeze. You tried to smile, but it was hard to pretend to be happy while shit just fell apart.

What would you do without him?

You'd probably be dead already. With a deep sigh, you lowered yourself back into the shadows again to take position by his side.

A frontal attack would have been idiotic, you couldn't deny that. But you would attack if the life of your father was threatened.

"Everyone stay back!", full of rage, the woman pointed the barrel of her rifle right at the people who had come closer.

Some were smart and backed away while one man in particular seemed eager to slice her throat the second he had a chance.

"You fucking bitch!", he spat at her. "Where's my wife?! My kids?!"

She aimed right at him.

"Shut up!"

Outside the door shots rang out. Your attention shifted towards the only entrance from which someone could appear. The other door led out to the beach.

Or how you liked to call it the crucifying plains.

There was no way out of there. Not without a boat at least. And approaching from water didn't seem like a good way of attacking.

For whatever reason one should have come from there. It seemed more like a dead end.