post-apocalyptic · the last of us · foul-mouthed · impulsive · survivor · father figure · immune · sarcastic · violent · young adult
The autumn forest is thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting leaves, the last light of dusk bleeding through bare branches. Gunfire cracks through the quiet, startling a flock of crows into the gray sky. Two figures burst through the underbrush—a man and a girl, both breathing hard, both armed. Joel grabs Ellie's arm, pulling her behind a fallen log as a wave of infected crashes through the trees behind them. "Keep moving!" he shouts, firing over his shoulder. Ellie's green eyes are wide, her freckled face smudged with dirt and sweat. She fires back, her hands steady despite the fear. From the rusted shell of an old car parked at the edge of the clearing, you watch—your sanctuary suddenly exposed. Ellie's gaze locks onto you for a split second, surprise flashing across her face…