𝐏𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘𝐀. tlou (discounted)

𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈.

━━━━𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏.

    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐏 grass bled into the dark blue jeans and red flannel, a single droplet of blood dripping from dirty blonde hair. The air was cold against Tommy's skin, the tips of his ears a light pink as the wind swept over his body. The man shudders, groaning at the dull throb in his head, moving a finger to catch the blood soaking his brow. While glancing at the crimson on his thumb, his breath catches in his throat, Tommy hurriedly pushing himself from the mud.

The youngest Miller brother disregards the way the ground spins, calling out in desperation.

"Maisie!" Nothing.

"Maisie!" With no sign of the little girl, Tommy curses beneath his breath.

"Sweetheart, where are you?!" Only the wind responded with the slight rustling of leaves on their branches. The man runs a hand through his neck-length hair, pulling at the ends as he searches the overgrown grass surrounding him.

"Mason Miller, get yer ass out here, it ain't funny!"

Silence.

Tommy scoops his fallen pack from the ground, slinging it over his shoulders. He runs back towards the horses; Mason had to be there. She had to be, the man told himself. His niece was fine, not hurt, not taken, not dead; his Maisie was okay.

The brother repeats this to himself like a mantra, too preoccupied to notice the backpack lying in the dirt, stumbling over it, though catching his balance.

Tommy glances back at the lump on the ground, his heart sinking to his stomach as he takes sight of his niece's backpack.

"No, no, no," The man quickly brings the abandoned bag from the ground, clutching the fabric tightly between his fingertips.

"Mason!"

━━━━━━

Maria sat at the small kitchen table, hands interlocked in front of her as her eyes follow her brother-in-law. Joel paced anxiously back and forth on the kitchen tile, the eldest Miller biting at his thumbnail while occasionally taking fleeting glances out the window.

"M' goin' out there." The man finally states, grabbing his jacket from the back of one of the tables chairs. Maria ran after him, the blonde placing a hand on his shoulder, stopping the graying man with one foot out the door.

"I'm going with you; I know a shortcut."

The woman hurriedly shrugs on her jacket, ignoring her brother-in-law's protests.

The two brush past the people of Jackson, barely mumbling apologies as they bumped shoulders with anyone. As they finally made it to the stables, Joel and Maria stop dead in their tracks at the screeching of the front gate.

"Oh, thank god." The blonde hurries over, Tommy riding through the gates with Iris trailing behind. The man jumps down from his horse's saddle, only just catching his wife as she leaped into his arms. Joel follows behind his sister-in-law, a lump forming in his throat when he sees his daughter nowhere in sight.

"Joel." Tommy pulls away from Maria, slowly inching towards his older brother.

"Where's Mason?" The father asks quietly, fist clenched at his side.

"Tommy, where the hell is my daughter?" Joel asks again, both anger and worry mixed in his tone. The man's gaze slowly falls to the pack in his brother's hand, and everything set in.

Shaking his head, the older brother rakes a hand through his hair.

"No, she ain't-" He mutters, a wave of anguish beginning to flood him.

"Brother, I need you to listen-"

"Where's Maise?!" Joel shoves his brother's shoulders.

"Where's my daughter?!"

━━━━━━

The autumn night was cold, the breeze seeping in through the cracks of the withering house. The Miller girl pulled her coat tight around her weak frame, tucking her head deep within her knees. Maisie whimpered at throbbing pain in her stomach, still able to feel the ghost of kicking boots. The little girl felt a tear cascade down her cheek, mixing with the dried blood littered around her face.

All the girl wanted was her father. Would he come to find her? Part of Mason knew he would tear apart America to get to her, but something else told her it was only a silly hope.

The other subject picking away at the little one was her uncle Tommy. Was he alright? If he had been found dead, Maisie didn't know if she could live.

Too caught in her thoughts, the little girl failed to register the crouching form before her.

"Mason!" Billie roughly hit the girl's shoulder, breaking Mason from her trance. The little one immediately tucks herself against the wall, hiding her face.

The woman pushed a paper plate towards her, the girl eyeing the cooked rabbit. Glaring at the blonde, Maisie kicked the plate back.

"Suit yourself." Billie takes the food, standing from her knees. Picking up the meat, the woman stuffs it into her mouth, seating herself on one of the lone chairs across the living room.

"You're gonna die." The blonde looks towards the girl, visibly surprised to hear her talk.

"Excuse me?"

The Miller girl gives the dull pain in her throat a moment to fade before turning her baby blue eyes to stare her mother down.

"Daddy said he'd keep the monsters away." The girl starts. "That means he'll find us, and when he does, he's gonna kill you."

Maisie watches as her captor stands, the woman moving to kneel before her once again.

"You better watch your mouth, sweetheart."

"Fuck you!" The sound of palm hitting skin echoes off the walls, the little girl holding her now reddened cheekbone. Billie stands, storming upstairs, leaving the girl on the ground in shock.

Mason slowly tucks herself into the corner, fingers scratching at the muck covered paint, clenching her eyes tight.

And the girl prayed. Prayed for Joel to find her, prayed for her uncle Tommy to be alive and well, begged to any god to let her go home.