sunshine // joel miller

EIGHT

While he didn't answer her question outright, the warning was nicer than the previous one. She took his comment literally, looking off into the distance on the right, the hills and the beauty of the sun over the grass.

"Uh... whatever it was, I think it's gone!" Ellie called from ahead, catching both of their attentions. Fran looked to the girl out of instinct, watching as Ellie looked to the left, into a ditch, pausing her steps.

Joel walked over to the younger girl, who stood completely frozen looking down, and Fran quickly followed, now more concerned for Ellie and forgetting Joel's advice.

"You okay, scimmietta?" Fran asked her, hand going to her shoulder. Her eyes fell to where Ellie's eyes were, her hand falling as she looked in horror, "what..."

Joel watched the crestfallen look fall onto Fran's face, and swallowed, looking down for a moment before speaking, "About a week after Outbreak Day, soldiers... went through the countryside, evacuated the small towns. Told you you were goin' to a QZ, and you were... if there was room. If there wasn't..."

Fran shook her head, looking over all the remains, clothes still attached to half. Her eyes fell onto a little skeleton being held by a bigger one, a little shoe that could only fit a new born resting nearby. She felt her heart rip into two.

"These people weren't sick?" Ellie asked Joel.

"No, probably not," He responded, as Fran turned away from the sight, swallowing to keep the feeling of throwing up down in her throat.

"Why kill them? Why not just leave 'em be?" Ellie asked him.

"Dead people can't be infected," Joel said, and at that sentiment, Fran grabbed Ellie's arm, and moved them forward.

"That's enough," She spoke, shaking her head, "come on."

She walked ahead, Ellie and Joel sharing a look as the woman softly pulled Ellie with her.

-

Whatever Fran was expecting of where Bill and Frank lived was blown out of the water at the sight of an actual town, surrounded by a metal fence. She expected a small house, not a literal village, just for the two of them.

Joel was the one to buzz them in, knowing the code to open the gate, and as they walked Fran couldn't help but stare at it all. They had it all, shops that were noticeably less filled, a wine shop, a church, houses. There was also dead flowers, leaves covering the road, and a strange feeling in the air.

They arrived at the house presumed to be Bill and Franks, an American flag in front of it, and Joel was the first to approach, opening the door.

The house had the ambient lights on, decorations everywhere - something Fran hadn't seen in twenty years.

"What the fuck?" Ellie asked quietly, looking around the place in wonder. Fran however was caught on the little details - the candles that had burnt to the point wax now covered the surfaces that were once clean; the empty wine bottle and glasses that sat on the table, the unfinished artwork around the living room.

"Bill?" Joel called out, confused, "Frank?"

Silence followed his call, not that Fran was too focused, already stood in front of all the unfinished artwork. They were beautiful, from portraits of what Fran could only presume to be the two men, to flowers.