sunshine // joel miller

EIGHT

"You two stay here." Joel addressed them, looking from Ellie to Fran who didn't seem to be paying attention, "you hear anything, You see anything... yell."

"What if they're gone?" Ellie asked him, the new plan that Tess had given them going out of the window. Bill and Frank were supposed to take Ellie, that plan now more delayed.

Joel didn't respond to her question. Walking out of the room. Ellie walked to where Fran was, not caring for the paintings like Fran had done and walking over to the piano, hitting a couple notes.

The noise caught the attention of Fran, who turned to the girl, offering a sad smile at Ellie's worried look.

She came next to the girl, her own hand pressing down a couple of keys.

"Do you know how to play?" Ellie asked Fran, the woman shaking her head as she stared at the keys.

"My mother did," she responded softly.

Ellie nodded, moving further through the house. Fran stayed transfixed on the piano, hitting the notes softly as to not annoy Joel - wherever he'd run off to.

"Look," Ellie called to Fran, the woman turning to look at her, and more importantly the keys and letter she held in her hands. The sight of it made Fran's eyes furrow.

"What does it say?" Fran asked as Ellie moved to sit at the table.

"To whomever, but probably Joel." She read out, making Fran nod, "I fall into whomever; right?"

"I think leave it for Joel," Fran said, knowing realistically what the note was, but not wanting to upset Ellie. The girl didn't listen, making Fran hold back her frustration by turning away.

She looked at the painting on a shelf behind her, a gorgeous beach covered in sun making a small smile appear. She ran her hand over it carefully, getting rid of the dust. It reminded her a lot of her childhood, the smell of the sea invading her senses.

The front door slammed from the wind, making her turn quickly to it, Joel, who'd also heard the noise; quickly made a return, calling out for the two girls.

She walked through to where she'd last seen Ellie, Joel appearing at her side. They both saw Ellie with the note, opened, in her hands, looking at the two with a saddened look.

"It's from Bill," Ellie said to Joel specifically, making Fran look to the man to gage a reaction. He didn't give anything away.

"To whomever but probably Joel," Ellie read out again, "figured I fell into the 'whomever.'" She explained, before pushing a key forward, "came with this."

Joel moved forward at that, taking his bag off of his back and setting it on the floor, picking up the key quickly.

"So they're dead?" Joel asked her, Fran's shoulders falling as she moved to stand next to where Ellie sat. Ellie just nodded at his question.

"Do you want to read it?" Fran asked him quietly, knowing the revelation couldn't of been an easy one. Joel shook his head, turning away from them for a second.

"Do you want me to?" She asked now, offering a different option, and Joel took a second, before nodding his head, not looking up.