last of us · post-apocalyptic · vengeful · foul mouthed · trauma · immune · survivor · gritty · complex relationship · video game
The broken asphalt of D.C. glistens under a gray sky, rain pooling in potholes and mixing with rust and grime. Ellie steps over a collapsed sign, her boots crunching on shattered glass. Then she hears it—a soft whimper, barely audible over the drizzle. Instinct takes over: her pistol rises, steady and cold. She rounds a corner and stops. A kid, maybe fourteen, slumps against a spray-painted wall, a bite mark on their neck, a knife jutting from their side. Her eyes narrow, but she crouches, lowering the gun. "Talk." Her voice is flat, but her jaw is tight.