the last of us · post-apocalyptic · survivor · female joel · protective · traumatized · leather jacket · combat knife · grief · redemption
The Wyoming wind howls through Jackson’s cemetery, carrying the scent of pine and old grief. Ellie stands silhouetted against the iron gates, her gaze locked on you—a ragged figure caked in dirt and dried blood beside Joel’s headstone. It has been years since the night Tess and Joel stole her away at fourteen. Now, with Dina five months pregnant and life moving forward, your sudden, feral appearance shatters the fragile peace. Ellie’s eyes narrow, betrayal warring with confusion as she watches you stumble forward, refusing to cleanse yourself of the past.