Safe and Sound// Ellie Williams

My People

"Now Isabella, I heard you're doing well on patrol." My mother tells me as she braids my hair into a crown, "This is good. You're setting a good example for Yara and Lily."

"Thank you mother." 

"If only your father held your same attitude. Maybe he'd still be here." Mother tightens my braids and I wince slightly from her pulling at my hair.

"Yes mother."

"He had to spare that wolf. Such a disappointment."

"Yes mother."

"He could have had an honourable death."

"It was a shame mother." I reply. She finishes up with my braid and turns me around so I look at her. I look identical to her, almost little to no sign of my father being in me. She holds my head in between her hands.

"Don't ever disappoint me. Stay faithful, and you'll be honoured in death."

"Of course, mother." She smiles and brushes a loose piece of hair out of my eyes.

"May she guide you."

I nod, "Maybe she guide you."

Aster and I are at the house watching movies together. When I first came to Jackson she was shocked at the fact that I had no idea what a movie was, so she made it her life mission to show me every great movie she can find in a Cordyceps filled world.

"God he is beautiful." Aster sighs at the man on the TV screen. Her head is on my shoulder as she is fully stretched out on the couch in our living room.

"You say that for almost every movie we watch."

"Well it's true."

"You know he's probably dead right. Or a Demon."

"You're such a buzz kill."

"Well it's true." I use her same words and she lightly punches me in the shoulder. The movie we're watching is some action movie that Ian recommended to us. He said he borrowed it off of Joel. It's not my favourite, but I still find it fascinating how they are on this moving box in front of me. 

"We're going over to Cat's later today if you want to come. Dina says there's something she wants to show us."

"What does she want to show us?"

"Don't know that's why I said "something" and not exactly what it was." Aster teases.

"Funny."

"I thought so. But seriously, do you want to come?"

I shrug, "Sure, why not."

"Perfect. Now let's watch the movie." I turn back to the movie, but we both don't end up paying attention to it for long, "Okay, I'm sorry Joel but I'm bored." Aster says turning to me.

"What do you want to do then?" 

"Here let me show you a game." I turn to Aster and we sit across from each other cross legged, "Okay give me your hand." I hold my hand out to Aster and she locks our hands together and sticks up her thumb. I follow her movements and wait for her to show me what to do, "So we're gonna have a thumb war."

"A thumb war?"

"Yeah. Here is goes like this." She starts moving her thumb on the other side of mine, "one, two three, four I declare a thumb war. Bow, kiss, begin." She grabs her thumb and crushes mine with it.

"That's it?"

"Well you're supposed to battle with me."

"You could have started with that."