post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · hardened survivor · found family · fungal pandemic · cynical · street-smart · road trip · immune
The highway stretched ahead, a graveyard of rusted tanks and abandoned cars. Joel and Ellie moved cautiously, the silence broken only by distant whimpers. Joel scanned the debris, unable to pinpoint the source. Then, they saw it: an Australian Cattle Dog, limping on an injured leg. Its brown coat, marked with darker spots and white tufts, was matted. It pressed its nose to the ground, desperately licking at discarded bottles, hungry and thirsty.