Alone

Jackson

I looked up at the barrier that surrounded the settlement and took a deep breath it's been about 4 months since I left the firefly base leaving Ellie, Abby, Bella, Karen, and Janet behind. I know I probably should have thought it through but hey no turning back now right? I walked a little closer to the settlement and as I did two people with rifles walked out from the watchtowers.

"Stop right there!" Someone yelled from the towers.

I stopped and put my hands up in the air.

"I'm not here to fight, and or rob anyone here" The people eyes me before speaking again.

"Drop all of your weapons in front of you"

I reached into the back of my pants grabbing my pistol, then my back pocket for my knife. Then I pulled my rifle, Ak, and Bag off of my shoulder setting them on the ground as well. When I was finished I stood back up with my hands still in the air. After a minute the people lowered their guns as the big gate to the community opened up.

"Hello," A man with light brown hair and one eye closed said to me as he walked out with a rifle on his back.

"Hello sir" I smiled a little at the man so he could see I wasn't hostile.

"What's your business here?" He asked,

"Well, I was wondering if I could be a part of the community?" The man raised an eyebrow as his eyes traveled down to my arm.

My arm was still in the cast from when I was in the firefly base, it's been this long but I kept in the cast because I don't want to risk hurting it any further than it already was, I've gotten pretty good at shooting with one hand if I ever need to use my rifle or Ak that's when I take my arm out from the sling.

"That arm looks like it was taken care of quite well may I ask where you got your help before us?"

I contemplated for a minute whether or not I should tell him it was the fireflies who took care of me and for a brief moment I was one, but it doesn't look like these people would raid or hurt other communities/bases.

"On Catalina island, there are around 200 or so firefly's there" The look on the man's face changed to confusion.

"Are you sure? Fireflies disbanded a while ago" He said crossing his arms.

"Yes I'm really sure I was one for a while I even had a pendant," I said trying my hardest to get him to believe me.

"If you show us your pendant I'll believe you"

I froze damn it, I shouldn't have thrown it back at Ellie, what a stupid move.

"Look do to circumstances I don't have it with me anymore but I swear I'm not lying to you is there a way for me to prove it to you?" 

The man looked me up and down before sighing.

"It's alright you don't look like you'd be lying over something like that...Follow me" 

The man turned around and began to walk into the settlement, I reached down to grab my weapons but someone stopped me from the guard tower.

"We'll give you your things back after a proper inspection of them" I nodded and just followed the man.

"So how did you find out about Jackson?" He asked looking at a group of children running around and playing.

"For a while, I was traveling with someone from Jackson" The man stopped and turned around to face me.

"Someone from Jackson?" I nodded my head.

"Were they a woman?" He asked.

"Yea her name was Ellie"