Lost in Time

Inside Games

Emory

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊
┊ ┊⋆ ┊ .
┊ ┊ ⋆˚         
✧. ┊

She was back at her apartment on her couch. The television buzzed with some kind of news of a family growing in power. The smell of her lover's soap and cologne suddenly waved into the living room from the bathroom. He stepped out in his uniform, and she got up, losing interest in the big problems of the world to be in his arms. She started to button up his shirt for him, "Being called in?"

"Even if it's my first day, they are making this trip seem like it might have to be longer." He says, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. "A man named Joseph Seed seems to be causing some trouble back at my hometown."

Seed must have been the family name on the television, but she pushed those thoughts away, taking his face in her hands.

"Just come back safe okay? We have dinner with the Taylors saturday night for the rent house on Florence Street. I want to sell this... and this will fixate everything. Plus, once the dinner is over... I'll see if I have a span of days where I can maybe fly up north with a certain homesick someone..."

A wholesome laugh erupts from his mouth and nods, kissing her forehead, "Okay, Miss Professional. Sell as many houses as you can while I'm gone."

She smiles and hands his bag to him, as he grabs his hat and heads out the door. That was just another day. He was supposed to come back for the dinner, but she ended up having it alone with the Taylors. She didn't come back. A few days more and she calls the office she works at. A lady tells them that they will be back soon, but her gut said otherwise.

Green pigments grow into the grass, trees, and bushes. Pink flowers are the only thing seen in the forests as she drives along the dusty road. Her mind went to the scavenger clothes under her seat as she watches the greenery of the valley get darker. The trees burn and the ground covered in ash. She passes a worn-down sign that said Hope County Jail and she turns onto the road after it. She parks outside, seeing Highwaymen guarding the front and the walls. She gets out and nods to a few of them.

"Rivet! Frank's waiting for ya up top."

She nods and the large metal doors open, but then her eyes land on Irwin and she narrows her eyes at him as he got into a cage truck, beginning to back out of the prison. What the fuck is he doing here? She watches him drive off and she shakes her head, annoyed that she was kept out of his loop. Maybe it's better that way.

Emory walks along the courtyard, then heading up a ladder to the rooftop. It looked over the courtyard, spotting several prisoners in orange get ups, decorated in white pain. Just as her arms.

"There ya are hot shot!"

She glanced to the armored male, and she crosses her arms, glancing over at the small weapon crates that acted as a table. The air was cold, and the night was dark, only wishing she could get some rest. Especially since she needed to find that group in the north. There is plenty of resources here in the valley, so that is what kept her busy.

"You just don't like losing, do you?" She asks, walking over to him and he laughs, sitting down on a large tractor tire and shuffling the cards in his hands. She takes a bottle off the table and takes a sip, letting out a sigh.

"Well if I keep trying, maybe you'll eventually let me hit."

"Just shut the fuck up and play." She rolls her eyes, playing cards and drinking with him. Even as she drank more, she kept winning. The night just grew colder, occasionally glancing at the prisoners below. She felt sorry for the poor souls, but maybe one day they could escape this place.

"Why won't you just let me win just one time?" The man groans, getting up and shaking his head as he looks down at the courtyard.

"How about you try for once." She laughs, setting her bottle down. She pauses, thinking she heard something. She is about to stand up, putting her hand on her pistol in her holster, but then she watches as Lollipop comes up the steps on the balcony and shoves her knife into Frank's neck. She puts her hands up slowly, her eyes glancing at the walls to the snipers, which don't see the woman dressed in prisoner orange. She was glad the woman recognized her from the bridge, but one gunshot would make this prison a riot.

She watches Frank flop to the ground, choking on his own blood and she lets out a sigh, looking back at Lollipop.

"What the fuck is Irwin having you do?"

Emory whispers and bends down low and follows the woman as she makes her way to the ladder that leads to the roof.

"Getting my way into the Demolition Derby." The woman says and starts heading up the ladder.

She shakes her head, watching the woman disappear over the top of the roof. She grabs her radio, glancing over at Frank's dead body before looking along the oblivious snipers along the wall.

"Irwin, when I say I want intel. That means fucking everything." She says, walking over to the ladder and climbing down it, hearing him answer. She didn't want to be around when the others found Frank's body. Either way would be suspicious really. She goes inside to talk with some other highwaymen before someone calls out that Franks dead. She helps search the whole place, but she knew Lollipop was already gone.

"Listen, how was I supposed to know you were at the prison? But don't worry, I'll let you in next time."

"Little Fucker..." She mutters, leaving the jail.

The next day she drove along the road, patrolling and nothing but patrolling until she spots some people in leather clothes and fur. She parks and quickly changes into her extra scavenger clothing to cover her highwaymen painted skin. She walks over to them, but one of the cougars next to them growls at her. She holds her hands up and she watches them turn to her. She didn't look like a highwayman, but all the pink in her hair made it seem otherwise.

"I have a few questions, I'm more curious actually."

"Yes? What is it Sinner?"

Emory eyed the group weirdly. Sinner?

"I want to know about what happened in this valley, before the bombs." She asks urgently. "As well as do you know the Deputy that came here?"

"Before the collapse, the Father gathered his flock and prepared for it. Many didn't believe in him and refused to be atoned."

Another one chimed in as well, "We don't know of any Deputy."

A dead end. She lets out a sigh and puts her hands on her hips.

"Okay, thank you." She says and walks back to the road, over to her truck. She changed back into her highwaymen uniform, and she punches the wheel. Tears brim her eyes as she hits it a few times, then hunching over the wheel.

"Fuck...!" She grits her teeth, trying her best not to let her emotions get the best of her.

He never should have come here; he should have stayed in their county back home. He was even thinking of moving back here, to his hometown. She supported him, every second. She knew he had the willpower to help others, and to bring those in wrong to justice and behind bars. Her hope dissolves in her chest as she forces herself to stop crying. If he was back home with her when the bombs dropped, things would be different.

-lynnii
┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊
┊ ┊⋆ ┊ .
┊ ┊ ⋆˚         
✧. ┊