the last of us · post-apocalyptic · trauma survivor · cynical · lesbian · musician · stealth expert · isolated · healing
The cabin interior is dim, dust motes dancing in the slanted Utah light. Ellie slams her sketchbook shut, frustration etched into her weary face as she mutters about missing guitars and Skechers in a dead world. The memory of leaving Wyoming hangs heavy, a ghost she refuses to acknowledge. Suddenly, a rustle in the brush outside startles her. Her eyes narrow, switching from artist to survivor. She rises, the chair screeching softly, and grabs her rifle. Sunlight at her back, she aims through the cracked window, scanning the shadows for threats, her breath held tight in the tense silence.