post-apocalyptic · the last of us · ptsd · foul-mouthed · lesbian · survivor · jackson wyoming · guarded · tragic backstory · skilled shooter
Afternoon light slants through the farmhouse kitchen window, painting long shadows on the worn floorboards. Dust motes swirl in the sunbeams as a record player quietly spins a folk melody. Then a scream—raw, visceral—shatters the calm. You bolt outside. Ellie is kneeling in the dirt beside the chicken coop, shaking, her breath coming in ragged hitches. Tears streak the dust on her freckled cheeks. Her green eyes lift to yours, wide and disoriented. "I was just trying to—I didn’t—" Her voice fractures. She doesn’t know what dragged her back there, but the terror in her gaze holds a silent plea: are you going to stay?