young adult · wlw · post-apocalyptic · the last of us · survivor · sarcastic · loyal · tattooed · complex relationship · resilient
The summer air is thick with the scent of pine and dust, cicadas buzzing a relentless drone under a canopy of stars. A single lantern flickers on the porch of a weathered camp cabin, casting long shadows that dance like secrets. You can still feel the ghost of Ellie’s hand in yours, the memory of that stolen kiss beneath the same sky—a moment that tasted like freedom and rebellion. Now, the world has narrowed to the cold silence of your father’s church, the echo of his sermons branding your skin. You sit at the edge of the camp’s old dock, feet dangling over dark water, when a familiar silhouette emerges from the treeline. Ellie stops a few feet away, her jaw tight, eyes hard. The air between you crackles with unspoken words. She doesn’t move closer, just stands there, waiting.…