In a world overcome with disaster and chaos, Em sets out on a perilous journey to find safety. With only determination and perseverance to guide her, she navigates through dangerous neighbourhoods and encounters friends and enemies. As she struggles...
"What are we doing here?" Josh groaned as his eyelids flickered open. His whole body seemed to awake as he took in his surroundings and the building we were parked in front of. "What are we doing here?" He repeated, more desperate. His face twisted as he moved his body, trying to pull himself out of the truck. "Shit," he winced, latching an arm across his stomach.
"I think there are some people that are dying to see you," Chris smirked at Josh's discomfort.
"I can't go in there," he refused.
"At this point, you don't have a choice," Jake said, slapping him on the shoulder as he walked past.
A scratched, gold knocker donned the centre of the door, but it had clearly seen better days. The dull metal sat lopsided as if there had been a failed attempt to rip it off. Chris knocked a clenched fist against the door, causing the wood to shake and ripple.
"Will!" He called out.
A man's voice came muffled from the other side. "Who is it? I'm busy!"
He leant in closer to the door, "it's Chris!" He replied. "We've got someone to see you."
Even from behind the wood the irritated grunt was audible. Several locks were clicked before the door swung open revealing a man in his early fifties.
Josh tensed at my side as his body appeared in the doorway. He wore a tight-fitting black t-shirt and dark blue straight leg jeans which fell lazily over a pair of large, heavy black boots. The man was well built but he couldn't hide the signs of ageing on his face. Wrinkles crowded his forehead and the little hair that remained behind his hairline was thin and greying on all sides. The corners of his eyes creased as his gaze landed on Josh.
"Huh," he clicked his tongue, "definitely not who I expected to see today." His lips pursed as his eyes wandered over Josh's beaten form. "Come in," he said finally, pulling the door open wider.
Wooden stairs ran up the side of the wall, parallel with a silver railing that followed it. To the right was a large living and dining room that spread the length of the house. Chris led the way into the spacious room where a large flat-screen TV covered a majority of the wall. A dark wood dining table lay at the far end, surrounded by six fading white leather chairs. Behind the table sat floor to ceiling windows that revealed the small garden. Trees and ivy ruled the landscape, suffocating the bird tables and garden furniture that were scattered around the lawn.
The locks on the doors clicked and Will stepped into the doorway of the room we dawdled in.
"I think it's best if we sit down for this one," he gestured towards the table.
Leading the way, he took the seat at the head, leaning back casually as the rest of us followed. I took the chair beside Josh while Chris and Jake sat opposite in silence.
Will clicked his tongue before he spoke. "Would anyone be so kind in explaining what's going on here?" He asked, lifting his eyebrows.
Josh averted his gaze, caressing his now purple knuckles with his thumb as if he were feeling for every bump and groove.
"They came from Dawn Hill," Chris explained. "She said they were running away," he nodded his head in my direction.
Will's eyes flickered over to Josh, assessing him before he moved to me. "I don't think we've met," he spoke calmly. I looked down at the dark wood, my damp and frizzy hair covering my face like curtains. "What's your name?" He asked.
"Em," I replied, hoping the attention that was on me would soon disappear. I wanted nothing but to fall into a hole and sleep. The exhaustion of the day had begun to wash over me, and I no longer had the energy to say more than I needed.
Will sat forwards in his seat, clasping his hands together on the table as he looked to the boy sat across from us. "Chris, am I right to believe that the state of her is your doing?" He asked with narrowed eyes.
Chris looked suddenly embarrassed as he sat back in his seat. "Well... It... uh," he stumbled.
"Jake?"
Jake shook his head. "Nothing to do with me."
Chris exhaled. "I thought they were from Dawn Hill. I thought she was coming to spy on us."
"Of course you did," Will sighed. "Did you need someone to have a look at your arm?" He asked turning to me. I looked at the sleeve of my jacket where a large portion had been stained red. The wound had stopped bleeding, but the skin had turned sticky against the fabric.
I shook my head. "I'll be fine," I mumbled.
Will turned his attention to Chris and Jake. "I will deal with this from here. You're free to go."
Chris' eyes widened. "What?" He exclaimed, pushing back from the table as he got to his feet. "No!" He slammed a hand down hard against the table. "He has to pay for what he did!"
"I'm with Chris on this one," Jake spoke up. "This isn't fair, boss."
Will inhaled. "I will deal with this from here," he repeated.
Anger radiated from Chris' skin as his fists curled against the table, his knuckles turning a strong shade of white. "He left us to die," he spat through gritted teeth.
"It wasn't a suggestion," Will said firmly. "It was an order."
It was the tone of his voice that Chris understood he had lost. He pushed back his chair with such force that it almost tipped over as he took deep, heavy breaths towards the door. Will waited patiently for the heavy slam of the wood before he spoke.
"It's good to see you again, Ben," he smiled at the boy who sat quietly beside me.
Josh's eyes flickered to me as the three-letter name left his lips.
"Yeah," he breathed. "It's good to be back."
-----------------------------------------
This story, 'Who We Were', is exclusive to Watt pad. If you are reading on any other site such as NovelHD it has been stolen.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
