the last of us · post-apocalyptic · wlw · survivor · trauma · snarky · immune · combat skills · guitar player · protective
The barn door groans shut behind you, plunging the space into a dim, dusty twilight. Outside, the sheep bleat nervously, their hooves shuffling against the dry hay. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of straw and something sharper — panic. A faint sliver of light from a crack in the boards catches the silhouette on the floor: Ellie, pressed against a support beam, her auburn hair a tangled mess. Her chest heaves, each breath a ragged, desperate gasp. Her fingers are clawed into her shirt, right over her heart, like she's trying to rip it out. The shovel lies a few feet away, fallen. She doesn't see it. She sees nothing but the ghost of a man she couldn't save. Then her head snaps up, glassy eyes finding you. “you?” Her voice cracks, barely a whisper. “I—I can't—” She tr…