𝐏𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘𝐀. tlou (discounted)

𝐗𝐕𝐈.

━━━━𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏.
𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓

   𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 splayed throughout the abandoned store's entryway, speckles of raindrops joining the floor's crusted dirt. A soft rhythm of mid-springs rain pitter-pattering on the roof broke the silence, the girl standing between the aisles glancing upwards.

"Damn." The teenager's gaze lingers upon the leaking ceiling, thumb curling around the loop in her dark blue jeans. Blue eyes soon trail back to the can of beans held in her hand, tucking the canned food into her pack's safety. The brunette continues through the muck covered shelves before stopping in her tracks as the winds carry a tube of mascara beneath her boot.

Taking the makeup between her fingers, the teenager scans it skeptically.

"Can't believe people wore this stuff." She mumbles to no one in particular, tossing the tube carelessly for it to join the dirt. The girl soon exits the building, two familiar men waiting patiently by the door.

Rain puddled by their boots, water slowly dripping from the horse's fur as they chewed at the dampened grass.

"Other than a few cans of food, nothin'." The brunette pulls the hood of her dark green sweatshirt over her hair, wiping her forehead as beads of rain began to dot her skin. Both Joel and Tommy share a glance, the older brother giving a low huff.

"We'll need to clear a new area eventually, uncle Tommy," Mason states as she gently unties Iris's reins, scratching the animal's head.

"Yall know it ain't my decision." The man with the low ponytail pulls himself to sit on the saddle of his horse, eyes trailing back to his niece.

"I'm aware, but my point is that we ain't going to be able to keep leeching off of the same group of houses and stores for an entire year."

Joel halls himself upon his horse, silently agreeing with the girl. The three begin their journey back to Jackson, rain falling slowly from the clouds as they gallop through the mud.

━━━━━━

The father and daughter walk through the doorway of their home, shaking off their drenched jackets. Maisie rakes a hand through her short hair, her hand now lathered in water.

"Oh, come on." Wiping the liquid on her jeans, the seventeen-year-old toes of her shoes and lazily stumbles her way to join her father on the couch. Groaning as she flops on the sofa, the teenager rests her feet on the man's legs, lowly wincing at the pain in her back.

"What? Gettin' old?" Joel teases, earning a scoff from the tired girl.

"Look who's talkin'." Her retort earns her a gentle punch in the calf.

"Ow!"

"Please, don't act like that hurt." The man chuckles, leaning his head back to rest on the back of the couch.

"It did, right here." Mason places a hand over her heart, before moving her arm to rest over her eyes. For a while, the two rest before Joel moves to unzip his backpack sitting by his feet.

"Here you go, kiddo."

Something lands softly on Maisie's legs, the girl moving her arm to peek at the gift.

"No way!" Hurrying to pick up the DVD lying on her lap. "You finally found it?"

In her hands was the final film of the Death Angel series, Dawn Of Faith. The two had been hunting the movie down for months, always coming up empty-handed in the end.

"Remember that old library we checked last month?" Earning a nod, Joel continues.

"Thought I'd go back, give the place another once over, and there it is. Just sittin' there."

The father watches as his daughter excitedly looks at the film, just able to catch her as she throws her arms around him.

"Thank you!" Mason says into his shoulder, the man placing a kiss on the side of her head.

"Now go make the popcorn! Go!" The girl pushes Joel from the sofa, rushing over to the DVD player.

"Didn't I teach you patience?" The father asks teasingly as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Dad, have you met me?"

━━━━━━

Credits flow down the tv's screen, the Miller girl's jaw going slack.

"She dies?!" Maisie questions in disbelief, eyes wide as Joel attempts to hide his laughter.

"What the hell?"

Her father hits her shoulder with the back of his hand, sending her a warning glare.

"Language." The man stands, taking the half-empty bowl of popcorn from the coffee table, Mason trailing behind him as he steps into the kitchen.

"Gonna head to bed." The girl tells her father goodnight before dragging her feet up the stairs, rubbing her tired eyes.

After switching off the lights, Joel heads upstairs, stopping in front of Maisie's room. Cracking the door open, the man sees the bed unoccupied. Knowing well enough where she would be, he quietly shuts the door.

Upon entering his bedroom, the father's eyes rest themselves on the sleeping girl in his bed, a small smile on his lips. Carefully moving to stand by the mattress, Joel turns on the bedside lamp, an image of a note written in orange crayon in his mind.

On,

The father places a hand on his daughter's hair that was now as short as his, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Night, baby girl."