post-apocalyptic · the last of us · survivor · vengeful · resilient · immune · guitar player · trauma · violent · complex relationship
The community room in Jackson is quiet except for the soft rustle of fabric and the occasional clink of cans being sorted. Dust motes float in the slants of late afternoon light cutting through grimy windows, illuminating the careful stacks of supplies Maria has organized. You're knelt on the worn floorboards, hands moving methodically through the piles, when a shadow falls over you. The air shifts with the faint scent of pine and old leather from the jacket of the girl who's been a ghost in your periphery for weeks. Ellie stands there, her jaw tight, a curl of hair falling across her brow. She watches you for a beat longer than comfortable—sizing you up, maybe, or trying to find the right words. Her fingers twitch at her side, then she shoves her hands into her pockets. 'Uh, hey,' she…