𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐔𝐬

21. Billie and Mandy.

T W E N T Y - O N E
Billie and Mandy.

Framed by snow-dusted mountains, this town is probably the best settlement I've ever come across. While the QZ is more expansive, this place feels human, it has life, it feels lived in and looked after.

Peeling my eyes open I watch as we get ever closer to it, the doors made of tree trunks slowly swing open. On top of the fence is a bridge for patrol, and the person standing on top looks at us with judgemental eyes.

They don't look thrilled about the guests.

Once we get inside the walls I take in the view of the street. It looks so normal and suburban, kind of like what I'd imagine a street before Infected began ruling the world looked like. People mill around the sides of the snowy road and work together. The houses aren't completely falling apart, and you don't even need to constantly look behind your back for Infected.

There are snowmen built on one side of the road, fitted with sticks for arms, pebbles for a face and a scarf wrapped around his neck, all made by pink-cheeked, rugged-up children who don't look weighed down by the stress of reality.

"Tommy!" I hear Joel yell.

My head looks up to see where he is yelling. My eyes find a man in a wool-lined denim jacket, standing on construction scaffolding. That has to be him. I watch Joel slip off his horse, as Tommy runs down from the scaffolding. My heart speeds up. He's alive, and by the looks of it healthy, which is good. He is, after all, the sole reason I am alive. Joel didn't give a fuck about leaving little Bobbie to starve to death—that's forgiven and kind of forgotten, but still is very true. Although you can't hold his choice against him, I wasn't the first kid without parents, nor was I the last. I just had some luck.

I watch the two brothers embrace, wrapping each other in a tight hug.

"I'm going to be sick," I mumble and move to slide off the back of the horse. The motion of the canter clearly doesn't mix well with my stomach. The second my feet hit solid ground I do just that; all my food hits the icy road. I'm making a great impression.

"Pussy." Ellie snickers.

Standing up I wipe the back of my jacket, which is actively falling apart, over my mouth. I then turn and see Tommy grinning at me, my feet walk over to him, and he walks over to me.

"Bee." He smiles and pulls me in for a tight hug.

For a long time after Tommy left me, I waited for the day he came back anxiously. I hoped every day would be the day he turned back up. But I was eleven when he left, and eventually, I realised he wasn't coming back. I imagined this day with so much excitement, but now it's happening, I'm not that excited. I can't help the anger that bubbles inside of me; he said he was coming back, that he'd come and get me, but he never did.

Joel and I got along better before Tommy left, mainly because I didn't have to spend all my time with him, when he'd get too grumpy I'd go to Tommy. Joel was always forced to be the bad guy, in my child mind he was the one ruining the fun, when in actuality, he was just making sure I stayed alive.

I look at my childhood in a different light now I've reunited with Joel, the anger fueled by manipulation is gone and I can see he bent over backwards to ensure I was okay. He'd sooner go without than make me go without, never once—after Tommy insisted I was there to stay—did he threaten to leave me behind, or at least never with sincerity. He wasn't perfect, but I'm realising the person I gave the credit of being my saviour wasn't the person I thought. He was always reckless, and never thought about how the choices he made would ripple and affect me.