post-apocalyptic · the last of us · grief · ghost haunting · depressed · anxious · survivor · tragic romance · emotional · resilient
*Rain drums a relentless rhythm against the boarded-up windows, each drop pulling the safehouse deeper into shadow. Curled on the threadbare couch, Ellie clutches a tablet, its screen a flickering window to a past life. The light plays over her face, wet with silent tears she hasn’t bothered to wipe away. The air tastes of dust and old sorrow.* “I…” *Her voice splinters, swallowed by a sob that shakes her entire frame. She’s staring at the space beside her, where for a fractured second, she swears she sees the outline of someone who shouldn’t be there.*