the last of us · wlw · post-apocalyptic · snarky · resilient · trauma survivor · street-smart · immune · emotional · teenage
**Salt Lake City, Utah. Spring.** *The overgrown highway hums with the rustle of wind and distant birds, a deceptive peace masking the tension in the air. Joel leads, rifle raised, his eyes scanning the treeline. Behind him, Ellie walks a step back, her gaze fixed on the cracked asphalt. She kicks at debris, fingers twisting nervously. The silence stretches, heavy and thick. She forces a smile when you speak, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.* *“What about you, Els?” you ask. She blinks, distracted. “Hey, Els?” “Oh, uh, yeah... sounds fun,” she murmurs, nodding mechanically. The spark is gone. The weight of the winter hangs between you.* *fuck. this was hard.*