⟢ 𝓑𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄    .  ݁₊ ੭
𓏲 ˖ ִ    an ellie williams love story   ៸៸
.  .  . panicked and guilty ⊹ ݁

───── DANIELLE WOKE UP IN AN unfamiliar place. the environment around her was extremely intimidating. the room around her was caught in an eerie stillness that could've drowned her right then and there. she could only assume it was the town people called home, jackson, she fluttered her eyelashes against the groggy state that glazed over her eyes. the same eyes that revealed the battered face of tommy miller.

black and blue bruises were painted across his face, his hair pulled back in a hair tie, giving danielle a clearer view of the broken man. he was hunched over on a chair, his head in his hands as he took a deep breath.

danielle brought a hand up to her cheek, feeling her fingertips graze over the slice that invaded her skin. then feeling up to her head, the throbbing reminding her of the eventful night she had. her throat was scruff, feeling like sandpaper grinding against the skin.

her eyes slowly started to shut again.

as the memories with the darkness flooded back into her head, she shot up. her body trembled as she exclaimed, "no! no, where is she? no! stop!" her breaths were staggered as she felt her chest get heavier.

"i couldn't stop it. why didn't i stop it!" her eyes felt like they couldn't open. as if they were glued shut to make her vision everything she felt even more guilt over.

"woah' hey, hey, hey. calm down, kid." the familiar texan accent rang through the girls head as she heard the voice a few feet away.

her eyes slowly opened right back up, seeing the man now leaning against the desk, his palms gripping against the ledge as he looked at the girl with pure worry.

as danielle looked at him, she only noticed the numbness that say behind his gaze. the hurt written all over his face and the anger bubbling in his body language.

panic and guilt sat inside her like a brewing potion. the panic overtaking her body at this moment in time as she remembered the screams and sobs that left the lips of the girl named ellie.

she wanted nothing more then to speak to her, make sure she was okay. danielle knew what she was feeling, believe it or not, she's gone through some similar shit.

maybe thats why shes so panicked and guilt ridden.

"how is she? is she okay?" her throat burned with each and every syllable that she let out. panic still laced in her voice as she tried catching her breath. "i need to speak to her. she didn't deserve any of this. none of you did."

her gaze watched over tommy as he immediately lifted his head back up, but it wasn't as urgently as she had expected. it was almost calm, as if he expected it.

but he didn't speak another word. instead, he stood up and walked over to the hazel eyed girl with slow and steady steps, a small limp as he walked.

danielle had no recollection of passing out, nor being brought back to the town she would have expected everyone to hate her from. thoughts started to cloud her mind.

why did they bring her back instead of leaving her alone, instead of feeding to infected that had swarmed the world. she wouldn't have blamed them whatsoever.

the guilt bulldozed her down immediately, nothing made sense. all she could hear was the screams and groans of the man she had listened to not even 24 hours before. the feeling of it all being her fault weighed her down. if only she stepped up, defended the man against the girl she once called a friend.

"more importantly, how are you?" she asked with worry.

using the rest of her remaining strength to completely lift her body off of the couch she laid on. "as good as expected." the miller man's accent rang, a small huff left his lips as he lowered himself on the plush cushions beside the girl.

with a slight shake of her head, she looked down at her lap, her fingers interlacing with eachother as she fiddled her middle fingers against her hand.

"i am so sorry, tommy. he didn't deserve what they did to him."

tommy sent a small nod her way, a faint smile climbing on his face as he looked at danielle, who refused to meet eyes with him. "it wasn't your fault," he took a pause between his words

"can i ask you somethin'?" his eyes were filled with confusion and curiosity as danielle lifted her head to meet them.

with a small nod of her head, he took a breath. "you defended me, my brother and ellie without a second thought. why?" tommy couldn't wrap his head around it. amongst other things, that one question ran through his head like a racecourse.

a deep sigh fell from her lips, her nails now digging into her skin. "i know-" she cut herself off, but tommy deserved any explanation he asked for, even if it meant digging up old parts of herself.

"i know what it's like to be vulnerable. at the hands of someone who shows no remorse for the people they think deserves it. but no one, deserves any of that. especially a man like joel who clearly, had a life worth to live."

the words danielle spoke were more than genuine. they were loving and sincere, something behind them was somewhat comforting yet unsettling.

tommy listened to her speak, watched her fiddle with her hands as she grew more and more nervous. he nodded his head slowly as he listened. but they were soon interrupted by a small knock on the wooden door that separated them and the room beside them.

danielle looked up from her hands, and it felt like the world stopped around he, as if time froze when she was met with the pale green eyes that held regret and anger behind them. danielle knew what she wanted to say to ellie, but the words were stuck in her throat.

nothing made sense, nothing felt real, yet this was the realty they lived in now and thats what they had to accept. but somehow, danielle couldn't. she felt like she could throw up, as if the guilt was what she could chuck up and make it go away.

ellie was silent. she came in to talk to tommy yet when she set her gaze on the brunette girl, she became speechless. they shared the same thoughts, or atleast thats what ellie thought. she thought danielle hated her, so all she could do was feel it back.

"what is she still doing here."

🌿    sums speaks

ouuuuuu cliff hanger !!!

ᖭི༏ᖫྀ