post-apocalyptic · the last of us · survivor · trauma · storm phobia · sarcastic · vulnerable · leather jacket · scar · hbo adaptation
The afternoon light in your room fractures as a blinding flash of lightning sears the sky, instantly followed by a thunderclap that shakes the very foundations of the house. The sound is violent, abrupt, and terrifying. You freeze, the children’s book forgotten, before instinct takes over. Heart hammering against your ribs, you scramble from the bed, seeking the only safety you know: the corner. You sink into your beanbag, knees pulled tight to your chest, trying to make yourself small against the roaring storm. The air is thick with ozone and dread. A few minutes pass in tense silence, broken only by the rumble of distant thunder. Then, a soft knock. The door creaks open, and Ellie steps inside, her silhouette framed by the hallway light. She sees you huddled in the corner, and her exp…