Set Me Free ▪︎ Joel Miller ▪︎

▪︎○ Thirty Six ○▪︎

Fall 2033

The trees rustled around her, swaying in the light breeze whilst the leaves that fell from them crunched beneath her combat boots. She smiled to herself, tucking her hands in her pockets and taking in the nature around her and the peace it offered her tired mind. She walked slowly, trailing behind Joel and Ellie as they stayed a few paces ahead of her.

"Jackson County. That means we're close to Jackson City, right?"

Olivia tilted her head up, studying the sign along the trail that Ellie was pointing to. She nodded simply before lifting her hand to adjust the beanie on her head, attempting to keep warm during the shift in season.

"Shouldn't be more than a few miles," Joel drawled with a firm nod.

"Okay," Ellie sighed gently, kicking at the leaves beneath her feet and tucking her cold hands in her jacket pockets.

"You alright?"

Olivia didn't lift her head at the question she had been asked everyday since the incident. Instead, she offered an honest shrug that communicated her mixed feelings to the smuggler. She wasn't necessarily sad or happy, she just felt distant. Witnessing the death of two people she'd grown to care for had taken its toll on her. It brought back memories and pain from her past that she'd worked hard to block out.

"Talk to me, Liv." Joel pleaded whilst falling into step beside her.

"Are you nervous?"

Joel turned his head, brows raised and his heart leaping momentarily. Not because of the question asked but rather because that was the first thing Olivia had said in their last few hours of hiking. And though it wasn't the response he was looking for, it was one he would gladly take without complaint.

Truth is, he had missed her voice. He missed her smile, her laugh and the way her eyes lit up in times of joy and excitement. He missed his Liv.

So, he shrugs and scratches the back of his neck, "I don't know what I'm feeling," he admits as he tilts his head thoughtfully, "are you?"

"I don't think so," she mumbles, "I just want to get there and trade you in for a younger model." she half heartedly jokes.

Joel chuckles, shaking his head at her with a smile. "I reckon Tommy's gonna have his hands full,"

"Yeah..." again, Olivia felt herself disconnect from the moment, unable to continue joking about something that was secretly eating her up inside.

Joel notices her blank expression and the sadness hiding in her eyes, causing him to frown. He didn't mean to upset her or say the wrong thing. He didn't want to talk about leaving because it brought up doubt in him about the decision and whether it was the right one.

He realised, that the reason she was suddenly sad was because of the topic of their discussion - his soon to come departure.

"Shit, Liv... I'm sor-"

"It's fine." She cuts him off with a stern hand raised, "it's my fault for joking about it."

"Well, so much for this road." Ellie scoffs, earning the pairs attention as she stands ahead of them. She stares down at the river that's taken over the trail, effectively cutting off the path they had previously been following.

Joel sighs and steps towards the edge, surveying the area with hands resting on his hips. "Could just follow the river," Olivia suggests quietly with a shrug, "that would lead us to Tommy's."

"Yeah," Joel nods, "that could work." he steps back, turning to the girls and gesturing with his head to the visible path down to the river. "This way, c'mon."