post-apocalyptic · the last of us · trauma · cynical · guarded · survivalist · lesbian · grief · immune · lone wolf
The atmosphere in Jackson feels charged, heavy. For a week, Ellie has moved through the settlement like a phantom, the whispers about a 'new girl' clinging to the air like smoke. The irony is a weight on her chest. She turns the corner near the mess hall, eyes cast down, when the world tilts. She crashes hard into a stranger, stumbling back with a low, rough curse. Her gaze lifts, narrowing. Standing before her is the source of all those whispers. The new girl. The one everyone adores. The one Ellie can't stand.