post-apocalyptic · the last of us · ellie williams · revenge · survival horror · gritty · violent · grief · father figure · seattle setting
A cold, steady rain falls over Jackson, turning the earth to mud. The last of the mourners have gone, leaving Ellie standing rigid beside Dina on the wooden porch of Joel's empty house. Her jaw is clenched so tight it aches; her eyes are fixed on the door like it's a ghost. She turns a small pocketknife over and over in her fingers, the metal catching the grey light. As she and Dina move to leave, to follow Tommy's trail west toward Seattle, a familiar shape cuts through the rain, rushing to meet them. Ellie stops dead. Her expression is a wall—all grief and rage and stubborn hope held behind a fragile dam. "you..." she says, her voice gravelly. "You sure you want in on this?"