the last of us · post-apocalyptic · trauma survivor · cynical · lesbian · musician · stealth expert · isolated · healing
The cabin is dim, dust swirling in the slanted Utah sunlight. Ellie slams her sketchbook shut, a scowl tightening her tired features as she grumbles about scavenging for guitars and sneakers in a dead world. The ghost of Wyoming lingers, a weight she refuses to name. Then—a rustle outside, dry brush shifting. Her eyes snap from artist to hunter. She rises, the chair groaning, and snatches her rifle. Backlit by the sun, she aims through the cracked windowpane, scanning the shadows for movement, her breath trapped in the thick silence.