Welcome To Trench

Chapter Nineteen | The Start Of Something Old

Does anyone want to adopt me because all my parents do is make me cry :(

Anyway this is prolly gonna be just a filler idk :/

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Tyler, Josh, and you would be departing from Trench that afternoon. Others would be tagging along as well, such as Sal and Ben, and some guy named Jason who you haven't really met. He seemed nice, though.

As you packed various items into your backpack, you recalled a point in time where you were in this exact position. Flashbacks of escaping DEMA surpassed your memory in a wave of deja vu. You were leaving a place you called home. It wasn't safe anymore. You were scared.

It was happening all over again.

You lifted two slips of paper into your hands. One as smooth as a bright blue sky, the other crinkled and torn in one of its four corners. The drawings radiated such contrasting energies. The one scribbled in black made your bones feel hollow whereas the other brought a smile to your eyes.

Stuffing the pages into your backpack, you zipped every pouch closed before standing to your feet. Since you were one of the first to finish preparing, you decided to make your way over to Tyler. "Hey Ty." You greeted. He sat on a table, legs dangling at the sides while he twisted a flower in his hands. The stem danced between his fingertips, and his brown eyes gazed upon the exotic yellow petals with admiration.

Beams of sunlight filtered his face. It made his tired skin look porcelain and soft to the touch. You held back the urge to caress his cheek, though. And his eyes- oh his eyes, they glowed like droplets of honey. But it wasn't flecks of gold you witnessed in the sweet pools that belonged to him. It was a coppery kind of shimmer. Yet he himself was golden.

He looked to you, and you met his honey brown stare. "Finished already?" You nodded in response and hoisted yourself up on the table, taking a seat beside him. You watched his delicate hands play with the small sunflower that was just as fragile as his fatigued palms. Its petals made you realize just how dark the world was. Yellow was the only real color that lifted your spirits. Yellow was there to shield you from the shadows that lurked in the immense night. But what even was yellow?

"What about you?" You asked, "Are you ready?"

Tyler shook his head lightly. "No." His hands relaxed in his lap, yet the young flower continued to lay in his grasp. "I doubt I ever will be." He slid off of the table and carefully tucked the frail flower into a bag of his own. You wondered why he did this, as it would eventually die without proper care.

The two of you made your way to the rest of group who hung out by a torn down and ashened vehicle. It was the same place Tyler announced Clancy's disappearance earlier in the morning.

"Sup, Newbie?" Ben grinned at you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable, and it didn't help at all when he swung an arm over your shoulder nonchalantly. Everyone else seemed to notice the cringe that hid behind a forced smile. "It's been awhile since we talked. Fortunately, we'll have this entire trip to hang out together!" Oddly enough, that didn't sound very exciting to you.

"Y/N." Josh called your name and you felt thankful to slip away from the brunette boy who was getting too close for comfort. He greeted you with a friendly grin as you approached.

"See, I told you I wasn't interested in him." You received a small chuckle from Josh, and he reached into his pants pocket for something.

"Yeah, I can see that now. He definitely has eyes for you, though." You looked down at Josh's hand, and presented to you was a bright yellow bandana. It was identical to the one Josh wore around his neck, and the color reminded you of Tyler's sunflower. "You're going to need this." Although you didn't know what he meant by that, you somehow understood in a way. You turned and he helped to tie it around your neck. Josh smiled, admiring how the small cloth enhanced your appearance. "Perfect."

"Alright everyone," Tyler's voice rose above everyone's small conversations. They all directed their attention to him. "We should get going before sunfall. We have a long ways ahea-"

"Wait!" Arya rushed over to the group in a hurried sprint, and came to a stop when she stood in front of Sal. "I wanted to say goodbye first." The two held hands and stared lovingly at one another. You could sense a feeling of deep worry from Arya. "Please be careful out there, okay?"

Sal leaned in and and pressed a gentle kiss to her girlfriend's cheek. "Of course I will. Don't worry about me. I'll come back for you before you know it, my little raven."

"You better, or else I will just have to waste my cuddles on someone else." She smirked playfully, and the two hugged with such strong fondness that it brought a grin to everyone's faces.

After that, other people approached with wide rolls of tape. You listened to the loud sticky sound that pierced your ears as they ripped off yellow strips and placed them all over people's arms, legs, and torsos. It was a strange scene, but it made you feel safe and secure. Unseen by your darkest enemies.

It was time. The six of you began the long journey. Backpacks were filled with spare clothing, snacks and refreshments, first aid kits and of course weaponry. The same exact things you had carried the night you snuck out of your bedroom window. Or at least what used to be your bedroom window. Now it was just a fragment of a building full of empty promises, silent tears, and unforgiving daydreams. 

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Dedicated this chapter to @chaisjumpsuit !! They have a story of their own and I really like their take on the whole trench era. So please check em out!! Their story deserves so much more attention, and I was surprised to find I was the first to read it. So go show them some love and support <33

Also how would you guys feel if I did a q&a thing for the characters of this story? Idk I just want to get yall involved more and I think it would be fun. Tell me what you think.