Chapter Text
His birthdays gonna be in a week and Tommy is over the moon about it. He’s already given his class the invitations already picked where it would take place. Tommy even picked out his cake this year, a soft colored blue for frosting and little clouds decorating the cake. His dad had to hold him down when he saw the picture the lady had made because of how excited he was.
The bowling alley, that's where he wanted his birthday to be. Techno and Wilbur loved that place and Tommy wanted them to enjoy it, he wanted them to think Tommy was a big kid like they were.
“Ten years old is nowhere close to seventeen Tommy.” Wilbur teases as Tommy climbs onto his brother's lap, “You’ll always be the little baby, our little baby brother!”
Tommy currently is nine years old, he’s the youngest in his family and possibly the most spoiled one. His father would’ve given him the world, His brothers did anything he asked. He’s nine years old and he had the best family in the world, a family he would never dare replace.
He’s slowly making his way up in school, slowly becoming the almost grown up he dreamed of. Soon another birthday would come and Tommy could be older. He was so close to living like the people he saw on TV, Dreaming of nights where he’s sixteen and he’s snuck out to have fun.
He day-dreams about being in high school, imagining himself at parties when a movie showed one. Tommy had been so ready to live his life, so ready to be someone.
Tommy’s a week away from being ten and he’s so excited for his birthday to come.
But the news people tell him bad things, his father rushes around their home demanding they pack whatever is necessary and Tommy is terrified. His older brother Techno demands he stay away from windows and the front door, and Wilbur carries him into the twins' shared room only to leave to pack Tommy's bag. The news tells him that bad people are walking around, the screaming outside tells him it's not safe.
“Hey buddy- Look Here hold this ok? Dads about to make sure it's safe and we’ll leave very soon ok?” Wilbur says as he comes back in the room handing Tommy a small bag, he sees how his older brother seems to act brave. But he knows Wilbur is just as scared as Tommy is.
Tommy pouts twisting at the straps of the bag, “Why can’t we just stay home until it’s over?” he questions as Wilbur's face twists up.
Wilbur only sighs, moving to pack his own things as Tommy watches from the boy's bed.
“It’s not safe to stay here Tommy.” The older one answers back. The truth, It’s not gonna be over any time soon, it's left unsaid.
The blonde only continues to pout ignorant to the real danger that lies outside his home, ignorant to the brutal truth the world will share with him soon enough.
Tommy is nine years old when his world ends in the blink of an eye.
Tommy isn’t allowed to look out the windows once Phil rushed them in the car. In fact his brothers have been tasked with making sure he doesn’t even get a peek, but he hears the screaming and the gunshots.
“Can we listen to music?” Tommy asked once, not asking again when Phil snapped and said the news had to stay on. Everyone's stressed so Tommy chooses to stay quiet to help them not be as stressed.
So Tommy listens to the news lady talking, it’s buzzing and annoying but it’s something that isn’t scary like the sounds outside.
“Government officials are demanding that you either lock yourself inside or hurry to the main zone. Army trucks are rolling in at the minute waiting to-” The radio cuts out ending with a long beep that droned on forever that forces Phil to turn it off with a loud curse.
“Dad it’s fine- We have the directions it’ll be ok!” Techno pipes up straining his voice as their dad jolts the car as if he was doing something, “Just focus on the road Dad ok?”
"Alright, alright. I'm focusing, I swear." Phil sighs rolling his fingers and he nods, and the car is plunged into silence.
Tommy kicks his feet. Wilbur shakes in his seat, Techno mumbles directions to Phil and Phil is driving fast. It’s quiet but not calm, and because everyone's focused on something that isn’t Tommy he takes a chance to peek through the windows.
Everything seemed fine, so fine that it scared Tommy. Like there was something wrong out there, something dreadful begging him to stay in the car. There was nothing out there, just a dead silent street passing by confusing Tommy at what needed to be hidden away from him. There's a few cars that have doors open as if each owner abandoned them, one house that has a soccer ball left outside in the newly mowed lawn. It was like the owners had finished playing outside, maybe going inside to watch TV together.
Maybe the kid who owned the ball was out playing, Tommy would've been doing the exact same thing if he wasn’t in the car.
He wonders at that moment if he could steal one of Techno's soccer balls at home when they get back, he probably would do it if he remembers.
It’s so quiet, that the scream Tommy lets out when he sees a man eating a small body outside makes everyone panic. It was so bloody and Tommy swears the kid didn’t have his right arm. He screams and he cries because Tommy never did well with blood or death.
The car jolts to the side and Wilbur is hurrying Tommy's sight away from the window and the kid is sobbing into his brother's arms. He hears the other two in the car curse and they try to comfort him as well but all Tommy sees is that dead kid.
Wilbur coos as he also shakes with Tommy, and Tommy sobs in the yellow fuzzy sweater the boy had on. “Bubba it’s ok, it’s ok I promise.” Wilbur whispers rocking Tommy back and forth as he wails and wails.
“Just close your eyes for a bit, ok? Everything's gonna be alright.” Wilbur promises and Tommy tries his best to keep them closed. But he can hear Wilbur start to cry as well.
“I swear i didn't mean to not pay attention-”
“-It’s fine Wil, everything's stressful right now no one is blaming you.”
A shudder and a quiet gasp escapes Wilbur, but Tommy finds himself slowly slipping into a restless sleep.
“God Dad he- Tommy saw- Dad that kid was dead..oh my god”
Tommy falls asleep oblivious to the threat outside, he dreams of a boy kicking a soccer ball as destruction reveals around him.
He won't see how pale his family was, how sick they were from the thought.
He won't know that the one thing that entered their mind was what if that was them? What if it was Tommy laying dead on the cement road while some stranger who shouldn't be walking ripped his skin apart? It's a horrible thought, and it's something that motivates them to make sure they all stay together.
Safe and sound, no one being forced away from this life before they're ready.
Wilbur looks down at the sleeping boy in his arms and grimaces. I promise you I'll keep you safe even if it kills me in the end. And the car keeps moving faster at the minute.
Tommy gets to sleep for twenty minutes, twenty minutes of sleep Wilbur knew the boy would need.
"It's not far now dad, we're almost right there." Techno interrupts, disturbing the unwanted tense silence, "Just take two more rights."
Wilbur shifts up accidentally waking up Tommy who he shoots a small apology at when the boy whined, "Are we even sure this is a safe thing? We could've been lied to."
A swift right.
"It's better than staying locked up waiting for someone to bust in." Techno shoots back glaring at the road ahead.
The older twin scoffs, "We had enough things at home that would've kept us safe." He grunts out, crossing his arms tightly together.
"And an entire army base has more safety than that house. With them we have a better chance of surviving!" The other shouts back, Tommy whines again at the loudness and Phil groans.
Phil looks up in the rear view mirror and sends Wilbur a tired, strained smile, "Wil, if it's sketchy when we get there I promise I'll drive away fast, but we can't not give this a chance." His dad promises him, and that's the end of the conversation.
Phil makes the last right and suddenly they all see tanks and Army trucks lined up. They see people covered head to toe in protective armor, guns pointed around in case a dead one was around.
Wilbur sees heavy covered vans lined up, there had to be like twenty of them at least . Ignorant to Phil slowing to a stop as an Army guard signs at him to stop he looks at all the people.
Kids who didn't understand the danger ran around laughing, Teens watching them carefully looking terrified at what was out there. Strangers crying or staying dead silent, parents watching all the kid's just to stay safe.
It's a shit show and Wilbur wants to go home.
But the guard tells Phil they have to leave the car behind, that they'll be together and taken to safety. So they're ushered out, taking what they could hold as the people watch out for danger.
Phil turns to Wilbur looking more and more tired at the minute, "You get Tommy mate, me and Techno can hold your bags just make sure he stays with you." The older demands, reaching for Wilbur's bags which he willingly gives up.
"Wil look at all the guns!" Tommy giggles out once Wilbur had grabbed onto the boy's hand tightly. "Look, they even got the tanks from the movies!"
Wilbur hums rushing to catch up with his family as Tommy points out every detail he sees.
"You still think it's sketchy?" Techno asks once he catches up, both ignoring how Tommy still kept pointing things out.
Wilbur hums uncertain, "It does seem..safe? I don't know yet I just know I'm fucking-" He chokes up, grip loosening slightly on Tommy's hand without realizing.
"I think I'm scared, Techno."
Tommy wiggles his way out of his hold, but neither rush to grab him seeing as the boy didn't move. Just turning in awe at the new sights the kid got to see.
His twin sighs, "I think we all are, it was so unexpected."
Wilbur can only nod looking around at the massive group of scared and worried people, it was unexpected that's not a lie.
Wilbur thought he would have woken up in his bed ready to finish some homework for school. Work on his guitar lessons and listen to his family chat about their day.
He thought he would've been able to go to more gatherings, watch Tommy grow up to be a normal kid. He assumed he would've been sitting down at the dinner table tonight listening to Dad talk about work as Techno eats silently. Tommy would've been moaning about the food yet still eating it like it's his favorite.
But here they are. In a world that's turned on them in the blink of an eye, no more school or parties. No more home to go to, no walking outside without worrying that someone's gonna eat you alive.
He takes one more look at Tommy, who seemed to recover from that image , and he sees a boy who's about to grow up way too soon for his liking.
Tommy turns to him and smiles so bright, and Wilbur knows he won't ever have it in him to be the one that shows Tommy the world isn't the same anymore.
So Wilbur smiles back and acts like everything will be ok.
" Tommy Dad said you have to stay beside me." Wilbur groans out for the fifth time, holding the struggling nine year old up in the air.
Tommy whines louder, "Everyone else gets to play!"
More wiggling that forces Wilbur to place the boy on the ground, though he doesn't let go because he knows if he does Tommy's just gonna run off again.
They've been here for half an hour, being told that they can't leave until a few more survivors show up. The government demanded that they get as many people as they could.
"And you can play when we know it's safe Tommy, just because other kids get to play doesn't mean you can." He states wishing Phil was back over here instead of checking the bags for the millionth time.
Tommy didn't even let Phil take the small bag off his back, stating that the boy wanted it on him at all times because Henry was there.
A lady moves up to them smiling softly at Tommy and Wilbur and Wilbur mentally groans, "It wouldn't hurt for him to play a little bit, my own kid is out there. It could be good for him?" She says and Wilbur knows she's trying to be nice. He knows that.
But he hates when strangers budge in on conversations that don't involve them. It was rude to him in every way possible, "I just don't want him getting lost when it comes time to leave." He says politely, he can't cause any issues.
"You could just go with him, that way you aren't separated." She tries again, ignoring the look he shoots towards his father, "I could even watch him for you, god knows the kid's need to focus on something else."
Wilbur doesn't even get a chance to tell her to leave before Tommy already manages to escape, running towards the group of kids faster than ever.
"Fucking wonderful!" Moving to rush towards Tommy he feels a hand grab him, and he's almost ready to hit whoever it was until he sees it's his dad.
Phil sends a smile at the lady who found it all amusing, and oh god did Wilbur wanna scream, before looking back at Wilbur with a softer smile.
"Let him play for a bit Wil, it won't hurt to take a break." Phil says pulling Wilbur away from the lady, "We can still see him from here so it's fine."
"Dad- what if something happens? Someone could snatch him and we wouldn't know!" Wilbur shouts out as he's dragged back towards the bags.
"Mate there's like fifty people with guns, I don't think anything could get near Tommy if it screamed dangerous." His father laughs but it doesn't make Wilbur feel any better.
So he sits there and he watches Tommy get chased by other kids, he watches Tommy have the time of his life as his family stresses out. Glares at anyone who got too close, he was ready to get up and grab Tommy if anything went wrong.
Yet it's the one time Wilbur looks away where everything goes wrong, Phil called him over to check out something and Wilbur begrudgingly went over. Because if nothing happened for thirty minutes why would anything happen when he finally looked away?
And once he gets right by Phil and Techno everything goes to shit, guards are rushing into vehicles, some stay behind to protect and others usher them away.
There's shooting and screaming, someone screams about the dead getting in and his family is being pushed as others rush towards safety.
He grabs Phil and Techno, and immediately remembers Tommy isn't there. Tommy isn't here.
"Dad! Dad Tommy-" He screams as a man barges into his shoulder, "I don't see Tommy!"
Wilbur never wants to see the heartbroken look on Phil's face after his father registers that.
They all turn towards where they last saw Tommy, and Wilbur hears his name being screamed.
"WILBY!?" Echo's against the crowds frantic screams.
Phil screams with everything he has in him as they all try to push towards Tommy, "TOMMY JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE OK?"
"PAPA!" Tommy cries out, and Wilbur sees him right fucking there . So close but so far, blood is covered on the ground and people fall down.
And right as Wilbur reaches out, all three of them are pulled far away as they scream for their youngest. As they struggle against the soldiers even when they're forced into the car.
The last thing They hear is Tommy shouting for them, and the door is slammed shut.
Wilbur screams and screams for them to let him out, that his baby brother is still out there.
"Sir- sir we understand what you're saying we do. But it's against our orders, I swear you're kid's fine. The cars are being taken to the same place you'll see him again!" One of the soldiers tells Phil, raising his hands up in surrender at Phil's frantic screams.
That doesn't help one bit.
"My kid is still out there and you're telling me you can't just look?!" Phil screams as everyone sits down.
The soldier only shakes his head and Wilbur hears Techno cry out when the vehicle begins to move against their will.
He looked away for one second, and suddenly Tommy wasn't with them anymore.
"Everyone will be reunited once we get to zone X. The other survivors will see each other again." The man finishes trying his best to calm them down, but it won’t ever work.
"That is if my son even survived." Phil says mournfully looking away from the man, holding his sons close as they cried.
Tommy knows things aren't okay, but he just wanted to play with the other kids.
He just wanted to have fun and now he's regretting leaving his family's side.
It happened so fast, Apparently a few mean people managed to sneak in. Taking down victims without hesitating and the guard people are ushering them all away.
He's pushed around as hundreds of bodies run around, he screams and screams for his family. He remembers seeing pink hair and his Fathers frantic face , and remembers Wilbur reaching for him before the crowd took over his sight.
He did try to run towards them, but someone had grabbed him fast rushing towards a different vehicle, not even once letting him go as he screamed.
"I gotta- I lost my dad!" He whines as he struggles to get out of the soldier's grip. He has to get in the same car as them, he has to be with them!
The soldier only grunts, sitting him down beside a lady who hadn't stopped crying since she was boarded on and quickly puts his seatbelt on.
"You'll see them again kid, I swear on it. But we have to get everyone loaded up before it's too late, ok?" The soldier tells him sternly, and all Tommy can do is whine while nodding. He just wants his family.
"W-what if they didn't get rescued?" Tommy asks once the same person buckles in.
They don't say anything yet, sending Tommy a look he won't understand.
"They've been put up safely, don't worry kid. Once we get to the zone I'll personally help you find them." The soldier promises, and that's it.
The car takes off fast and the lady hasn't stopped crying, Tommy gasps when he realizes there's blood on her so he quickly looks away.
There's another teenager with them, a few other people who seemed to be huddled together.
Tommy grabs his bag tighter and focuses on himself. They'll know when Tommy gets there he tells himself, he's wearing Techno's red jacket that's way too big on him but it's bringing him comfort. They know what Tommy's shoes look like, they know what Tommy looks like.
His family will see him again and they'll hug him and kiss him, he won't be alone again.
He can't even look out the windows, it looks so dark and he can barely make anything out and the crying lady is really getting on his nerves.
So Tommy pulls out Henry and he imagines it's his brother crying beside him, imagines that this is just a road trip and everything is gonna be okay.
Nothing is gonna be okay because he isn't with his family who would've protected him with every bone in their body.
Here's something everyone in his family knew about Tommy. He's sheltered, unable to protect himself because he's never had to. Not when Dad was a hallway away or his older brother's were just a shout away.
He's never had to care for himself because his family did that for him, spoiled him rotten with love and adoration. Tommy used to get picked on by the high schoolers, yet the second he cried to Techno about it.
He never got picked on again.
Tommy hated cutting his own food, absolutely despised it because when his dad did it for him he felt loved . He's only cut his food twice in his life, no need to cut his food when Papa did it without being asked.
He cried the two times he had to do it on his own because his tiny heart told him his dad didn't like him. He was five years old, of course nothing made sense.
If Tommy asked for something Wilbur would've immediately done it, he wants a book to be read to him? Done. He wants Wilbur to hold him? Already on it. Tommy asks once for Wilbur to sing to him and hasn't gone a day without listening to whatever Wilbur decides to sing.
Wilbur didn't get to sing to him today.
But now there's no answer to his calls, no hallway to walk down. There's no one Tommy knows in this car and he's terrified.
"How long until we get there?" The teenager questions that made everyone look up, except the lady who was still crying but Tommy noticed her holding her arm tightly.
The soldier grunts looking at a map for a second. "Five hours at most, if everything goes right I'd say three maybe. But even that's asking for a lot."
Tommy whines out at that, that's so long!
"And if anything goes wrong?" The same person asks and the air grows thick.
No one gets an answer and Tommy is left confused. The soldier looks away and the Teen looks ready to cry, the other people go back to ignoring everyone else.
Tommy doesn't even wanna look at the lady anymore.
He focuses on the bumps they hit and at one point even started counting each bump just to not be as bored.
He thinks they've finally hit the first hour into the ride after the Teenager started looking more calm. He finds out he's correct when the soldier informs them of such.
Tommy's gonna reunite with his Family and it'll be like the movies. They'll hug and run towards each other and everyone's gonna be so jealous of them.
There's a groan beside him, the lady had fallen asleep awhile back and Tommy was grateful because it was more quiet.
And Phil won't put him down forever, Tommy's gonna feel like a king because of that. Techno's gonna be so happy and won't pick on him anymore, Wilbur will sing him a song and everything will be ok.
The lady stirs groaning again and Tommy notices how big the blood got on her.
And- and Tommy will get to see them alive.
She's..she's really really pale Tommy realizes. Like a vampire colored pale, selling the look with the blood soaking her body as if she had her first meal in a long time.
Tommy will be alive when he sees them again. He will survive and walk out this car alive and they'll see each other again.
The lady stops groaning, Tommy assumes she went back to sleep.
Then she lunges at Tommy growling harshly and he immediately screams in fear, the soldier rushes up screaming something and everyone else panics.
He quickly unbuckles himself, rushing out the seat onto the floor screaming loudly as she tries grabbing him.
A shot rings out and suddenly the only thing he hears is a loud buzz. The lady slumps over and distantly Tommy realizes her blood is on him.
Tommy's gonna stay alive.
He feels the car twist fast, everyone shouts as Tommy flies up in the air as the car slams on its side. The last thing Tommy sees is the fearful look of the teenager, and suddenly he hits the ground and sees nothing but a void.
He just has to walk out alive.
Tommy wakes up being dragged and has half a mind time to start telling Techno to lay off.
But when he opens his eyes with a whine he realizes that one, that's not Techno. Two, this isn't home, he's outside and he smells smoke.
The soldier is the one pulling him out a window, and When Tommy goes to look down he hears the person make an aborted noise.
They also make a pained noise as if moving was hurting them.
"Don't- kid just pay attention to me ok? I have your stuff just god please don't look away from me." They plead as they fully pull him out, they're both covered in blood.
Tommy doesn't look at the vehicle, but he does notice it's just them out here. His head hurts really really bad, his arm is stinging and it smells.
"Where- Where's everyone else?" He mumbles out grunting when they both fall into the ground, "What happened?"
They only shake rushing to grab a gun as Tommy is pulled tightly into a chest, "The lady she wasn't, she got bit kid. She wasn't ok anymore and I- it's just us for now ok?" They inform him but Tommy's still confused. Especially when they start pushing him up.
"Kid look I, I can't fucking walk or run my legs messed up. And god -" They choke up mid sentence and It scares Tommy, "I know I promised I'd bring you to your family but I can't kiddo, there's a group of them coming and I can't escape with you."
Tommy whines out clutching onto their arm as they shake, "We can just get back in the car! It's ok right?"
Another sigh and Tommy is pushed away. Only then does he notice the large deep cut in their right leg, he wants to sob at the sight.
"Listen to me alright? You take this map and you follow the lines, you run as fast as you fucking can and you don't ever ever look back." The guard demands as Tommy is pushed further back.
Tommy shakes as a map is forced into his hands, "I don't wanna be alone! Just get up please!" He begs refusing to move further.
The helmet is removed and Tommy is met with blue short hair and a mournful smile.
"I can't do that, I can't run like you can. Me going with you is just a slower death for me and a painful one for you, you're so young you can't die with me." They say and Tommy hears leaves crunch. More louder groaning fills the air and they both stiffen.
"Remember what I said, the second I shoot this gun you run. Please don't look back, don't stop until you know it's safe." They cry out as Tommy slowly backs away.
"You keep living."
A gun is raised into the air and Tommy bolts the second the hand reaches the trigger.
He cries as he runs, cries as he hears the gun go off and the person screams at him to keep running.
He runs with his entire life on the line and he's terrified. That guard is the only reason Tommy is alive and not one of the dead, the reason why Tommy was allowed another chance.
So he runs for them, runs for their sacrifice and runs for his future. He runs even when his legs burn because he has to find his family, he has to make sure they didn't die for nothing.
It's only later when he's far far away from the screaming and gunshots that he realizes that his chances of seeing his family are so much less now.
There's no one but him, no vehicle to bring him there faster and a map that he's gonna have to study.
The wood's are dark and eerie, lonely and quiet. It's Tommy versus the monsters, just Tommy and his bag of things.
He keeps walking but stays as quiet as he can be until he sees a large enough hole in a tree that can fit him, that can keep him safe enough for the night.
Bending down he slowly crawls in, huddling in the farthest corner away from the opening and he shivers.
Tommy is nine years old and he isn't in his bed safe and warm, he's in a tree cold and crying.
There's no papa to come get him out the tree, no Wilbur to recuse him and no Techno to fight the monsters.
It's just Tommy, the tree, and Henry.
He falls asleep fast yet repeatedly throughout the night he wakes up to the slightest noise, he clutches his bag and Henry tighter each time trying to fall back asleep.
It's scarier at night he can't see who's coming, doesn't know what's coming. So he had to stay as quiet as possible just so nothing could hear him and snatch him away.
On the first day Tommy is terrified to leave his tree, the suns up yet he still feels like it’s not safe. Eventually he forces himself out because he knows if he wants to see his family sooner he has to leave now.
The wood’s are beautiful during the day and if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s alone and people are evil now he would've played in them. But Tommy has to be a big kid now and follow the map, a map he barely understood.
“That’s straight, and I’m going straight so-” He grumbles looking at the map like it's his worst enemy.
“I can stop here, Sun valley is a dumb name for the town, and I can keep moving after i get sleep!” Talking to himself was never fun, but if he imagined someone else was talking who was gonna judge? No one because no one was there, that doesn’t make him laugh like he wished it did.
He walks on and on, silently cheering when he finally gets out the wood’s and sees the small town on the map, but it’s so quiet and abandoned and he tries to not gag when he smells something dead or when he sees blood silently praying he doesn't see a dead body he couldn't handle that anymore.
It’s nowhere near as big as his home town, but there's enough here to help him out especially when he sees a market store and his stomach rumbles with hunger. So he knows where he's heading first, getting enough snacks and drinks to keep him going and then he should find a resting place.
The first thing he sees when he gets there is the door busted open, glass everywhere as if someone was rushing to get in or get out he won’t ever know. He steps past all the glass and listens as it crushes under his foot taking in the store, there’s water still stocked up and he sees his favorite bag of chips hanging on itself which cheers him up plenty.
He rushes around gathering a huge load of snacks, finding another bag to put all his findings in and he feels like it’s just another trip to the grocery store. Except this time Phil can’t control what he can and can’t get, meaning Tommy can get all the sweets he pleased. His brothers would be so jealous of him and he’s gonna laugh when they realize how much fun he’s had with his wonderful snacks.
“When it comes down to it, make sure you ration what you have. Be wise with what you get.” Techno’s voice echoes in his ear after he placed an entire box of almond chocolates in his bag. But Tommy deserves a little treat for this entire event.
“Oh my god they have comic books-” He squeals out running towards the books excitedly, yet the second he gets closer he notices something beside them and pauses.
There's notebooks just sitting there waiting for someone to grab them, maybe for school or recipes. Maybe someone wanted to write random things in it, it’s a useless thing but Tommy finds himself walking towards it.
He remembers when Phil would buy a shit load of notebooks before school started, how the man walked in with three filled bags of just notebooks and they would groan at the sight. Notebooks meant school and none of them liked the reminder that summer was over, but Tommy wonders if he would ever see Phil walk in with the bags ever again.
He picks up a blue one and twists it around, scrunching his nose up when he feels the paper and realizes one thing. The notebook is like one of those cheap ones you bought at a bad store, one that Tommy hates with his entire being. The paper was too soft for his liking and always ripped easier, the entire thing felt wrong in his hands whenever he held one just like now.
The notebook is something Tommy knew Phil would still buy him because his father was funny like that. It’s dirty and he knows the paper is gonna suck, knows if this was in any other situation he would have tossed it right at Phils head. He would have thrown a tantrum probably as his dad laughed before pulling out the good notebook and telling Tommy his face was funny as he did every time.
Each time Tommy fell for it, each time his dad would laugh.
He could put it down and forget it exists, he doesn’t even need the thing. He only needs drinks and food, not paper that sucked ass. But he imagines Phil handing it to him, imagining his dad laughing as he stares in shock.
The book is placed in his bag along with two stolen cases of mechanical pencils because he isn’t gonna get all the bad things like the wooden ones. Just this once he's gonna allow the notebook to be used just so he could have something to talk with.
With a filled bag Tommy marches out the store looking at the abandoned wreckage of a town, and he heads towards a small motel that he’s decided would be his home for the night. It’s easy to steal a key for a room but god did it smell horrible in the lobby, a backroom had a small pool of blood slipping from under the door and Tommy knew he was gonna avoid that with his entire being.
When he does end up finding his room he blocks the windows and locks the door before pushing a couch towards it just to be safe, it’s dark in the room and when he tried turning on the lights it didn’t work, the TV wouldn’t even turn on and Tommy hates it.
“So now I have to get used to the dark huh.” He whispers up at the ceiling once he crawls onto the bed just to test how soft it was. Groaning when it felt like cardboard.
He takes a look at the map when he finds a spot that has enough sun leaking through and plans his next move, which sounds funny and cool in his head like he's in a movie. If this was a movie it meant Tommy was the cool main character who got to do cool things, like stay up past his bedtime because no one could tell him off.
No one could tell him off…
Once he finished with the map he reluctantly pulled out the notebook ripping the plastic from the mechanical pencils so he could get one, and he stares down at the blank pages with a sorrowful look.
Day one of my cool adventure
I got to get my favorite snacks, dad can’t tell me off for it cuz he didn’t even get to see and that's really funny. But I'm saving them up cuz I don't wanna run out fast if I have to walk a lot.
It’s just me though, I don’t think anyone lived in the car. Or maybe some did and they ran away and left us behind, I don’t know and don’t care. But the gun person promised me they would bring me back to my family, they lied and now i'm alone. I don’t think I've ever had someone die for me before, I hate the feeling of knowing someone did.
It’s not very nice knowing you've killed someone all because you existed at the wrong moment.
Is it bad that I wish one of them was in the car with me? Even if we all got really hurt I still would have had someone, or maybe they would've died. I just want them back.
I hate writing in this book, if it could read this I want it to know it sucks. Really really sucks and I wanna throw it into a pond.
I hate it.
Tommy slams the book down when the first tear drips onto the pages, throwing it in his bag before rushing into the bed once more. He crushed Henry in his hold as he tried so hard to imagine his family was in the room laughing, on a vacation in a really fancy hotel that had so many cool snacks.
Tommy is able to sleep better this time, but he wakes up alone.
Wilbur bounces nervously on the bench as they all watch the cars pull in, waiting for a small blonde to rush at them with hopeful speed. They even had two soldiers checking each car that pulled in just to see which one Tommy was in.
“You think he got placed in the last one maybe?” Techno asks Phil once the tenth car pulled in the gates, watching as some reunite with others with envy.
Phil shrugs keeping a careful eye in the crowd, “Chances are likely, if he did then that's such a Tommy thing huh. Making us wait until it’s the right moment.” Phil says jokingly as they all laugh small at the joke.
But then the rest of the cars pull in, Each being checked and no guard pulls out Tommy. There's no shout of any of their names or little feet rushing at them, Wilbur watches the gates close with a fearful look.
“Dad?”
They see a group of guards talking amongst each other, some shaking their heads and others looking at the gates and Wilbur feels his heart drop when two of them look in their direction. Tommy was just waiting for his big entrance.
Phil gets up quickly rushing at the guards with a firm, “Stay right here.” at him and Techno. They both look at each other with wide eyes before turning back at the sight of their dad running at the guards.
They watch as Phil is told something that sends the man on his knees, watch as some give Phil a pat on his back and as Phil seemingly begs them for something only to cry louder when he gets a shake of a head.
“Techno- Techno why is he-” Wilbur sputters, grabbing his teens hand tightly as they watch Phil sob.
Techno shakes harshly, “I don’t know, I don’t know Wil.” he gets out even though he sounds near tears.
They both know the only reason Phil was reacting like that was because something horrible happened.
When Phil does come back both of them are pulled into a tight hug as Phil whispers apologies over and over in each ear. Holding them as if letting go meant they would never see each other again, and they cried together at the meaning.
“Tommy’s car, something happened with it and-” Phil shudders pausing as he tries to not throw up, “Apparently it crashed and when they went to look no one, no one was alive when they looked.” He finishes with a sob and all of their hearts crack.
“He’s not dead, Tommy isn’t dead dad.” Wilbur croaks out begging for a lie.
But Phil shakes his head looking at the gates, Wilbur feels Techno lurch down but he keeps looking at his dad.
“Tommy wasn’t found at all in the crash, everything he had was gone including a map. Tommy wasn’t found dead.” Phil whispers making Techno lookup as well.
Tommy wasn’t found dead and that gives Wilbur hope.
But he also wasn’t found alive, a voice whispers cruelly, they didn’t find him breathing.
“Tommy made it out alive, he had to have made it out that crash breathing. And I swear to god he’s coming home alive.” Techno interrupts their thoughts as he stands up from the bench with a fierce glare at the fences and gates.
“Tommy wouldn’t give up like that, he’s still out there.”
Alone and afraid, injured and near death. Wilbur hears the voice laugh as he’s forced to imagine it. But If Tommy wasn’t found, if a body wasn't found, it meant he had to have left alive and breathing.
Wilbur knows one thing now: They will bring him back home alive and safe.
It’s been a week now and yes Tommy's been keeping count, the notebook helps him know how long it’s been because he writes it in at every chance he gets.
a week of walking and running following directions and a week of sleeping in whatever he found. On the third night he broke into a house and slept in some girl's room he wouldn't get to know. He also sees the family sitting dead in the kitchen and he doesn’t want to question how they died. So he avoided the kitchen until he left.
On the fourth he sleeps in the woods, trying to make a makeshift tent out of leaves and sticks like he saw on TV. It barely works as a cover so he ended up sleeping in a tree only to fall out in the morning. He writes about how much he hated going camping when he was younger, how he would've done anything if it meant his dad was here to show him how to build a tent again.
A full week of watching people he would never know walk as corpses that he would throw up at the sight until there was nothing left to lose. A week of wondering when he would be able to run into his dad's arms once again. An entire week goes by and he is barely close to his goal. The map tells him there's so many other places he has to pass first before he gets to the big X where his family was meant to be.
Day ten I think?
I saw a dog today but it ran away when I tried calling it. We had a dog once but it left when i was a baby, I think they would've liked having another dog if i brought one back. I know I'd like one now for company.
I think I'm starting to get used to the dead people. I don’t throw up anymore when I see one but I do have to run. One almost grabbed me today but it got stuck like the stupid thing it is.
I’m getting there though. The map says so, kind of. My birthday’s soon and I really hope I can get back to them before then. If i keep walking and don’t rest I probably could.
But I'm really tired and being tired isn’t helpful when people are trying to hurt you, so I don't think I'll do that.
Bye Bye though I have to move again.
His legs are cut up and bruised, Phil would throw a fit when he saw his legs. He’s also really dirty and he feels his hair matted with dirt and dried up blood. At one point he had the chance to wash himself in a lake but it was so cold and he hated it.
He goes through a lot of towns, sees a lot of sights and steals whatever he can get. Avoids the mean people and gasps when he sees a duck waddling by at some points. He breaks into homes or buildings and rests in them if they're safe, sometimes he's rushed out when a dead person is there.
He kills his first one by accident by pushing it out a window, he cries when he does that because he never thought he would've had to kill someone before. It’s not the best feeling and Tommy couldn't leave out the front of the building because of it.
He sleeps in the woods sometimes and even slept under a bridge twice which was fun. He pretends he's a hero at some points and at one point got a sketchbook which he doodles in from time to time. But no matter the fun he gets at some points, he’s still alone.
Tommy ended up finding a rock which he scribbled a mean face on, now he has Henry and Clarence to chat with when he gets really bored.
“And when Techno gets to see you you can go to him because he collects cool rocks, You’ll be well loved!” He whispers to Clarence on the first night he has them.
“But I have to be your favorite though, ok? I’ll throw you in the pond if you change your mind.”
Needless to say things are going swell, amazing. Horrible and downright cruel, no matter what he gets or how much fun he has it will never be enough for him now. Not when his family is so far away and no one can hold him when he cries. No one to tell him off when he does something dangerous like sitting on top of a building, it’s stupid that he wants his dad to scold him just one more time.
But then the dreaded day comes, he walks slowly into the newest neighborhood as the sun slowly falls down to sleep and he knows what day is coming once the moon hits Its highest point.
Tommy turns ten tomorrow and he isn’t close to the safe zone, there’s not gonna be a cake tomorrow or his birthday hugs. Wilbur won’t burst in his room singing happy birthday to wake him up and Techno won’t wear the dumb hat that makes Tommy giggle.
Phil won’t grab him into a big hug and tell him how big he's getting. They won’t drive down to the bowling alley and he won’t be the center of attention. No one can brag about his party if it doesn't exist. He can’t become the coolest kid in his class if he Isn’t even having his party anymore. And it hurts because Tommy was so excited.
Now there’s an abandoned bowling alley that won’t have any screaming children in it, there’s a birthday cake waiting for someone who won’t ever come pick it up and it'll rot into nothing. There’s a home that’s silent because it’s owners up and left, a school that’s dead and bloody. A family who's separated and a lonely nine year old.
He finds a fancy house this time, a large one that Tommy imagines his family would have lived in if Phil was super rich. Tommy finds a boy’s room this time and imagines it’s his room when he lays down in the bed. His house and his bed, Dad’s down the hallway and the twin’s room was beside his.
“Goodnight love.” Phil whispers in his hair as he presses a soft kiss on his forehead making Tommy giggle.
He bundles into the blankets with a soft smile, “Night dad..” He whispers back to something that isn’t there and he falls asleep to a world that he wishes was real.
Brothers picking him up, party streamers flying around and large presents waiting for him to open. A father carrying the most beautiful cake in the world that's all for Tommy, his perfect world.
Tommy was a nine year old when this started. He’s a nine year old that falls asleep believing it’s his real home, He’s nine years old when his world was forced to start over and he was nine years old when he expected to be with his family.
Tommy started as a nine year old believing his world was just beginning, that his family was gonna stay next to him forever until the earth called for him back. A child who never expected the worst of the world, a child who was ready to grow up.
Tommy wakes up Ten years old to no one but himself. No one barges in his room screaming about his birthday and when he walks down the large stairs no ones waiting for him. There’s no birthday breakfast made by a loving father or another brother waiting to make him laugh.
He’s ten years old and he's alone.