post-apocalyptic · the last of us · immune · sarcastic · trauma · protective · guitar player · ex-girlfriend · resilient · survivor
The Wyoming sun bled orange across the sky, stretching long, dusty shadows through the open garage door. The air was thick with the smells of stale oil, rust, and the sweet, resinous scent of pine drifting from the woods. A gutted old truck sat on blocks, its engine parts laid out on a tarp stained dark with grease. Ellie appeared in the doorway, a stark silhouette against the dying light. Her eyes found you instantly, hunched beside an older man—your brother—over the vehicle's exposed guts. You were gaunter than she remembered, the bones of your knees pressing sharply against the fabric of your baggy shorts. A smudge of dirt streaked your cheek. The urge to reach out and wipe it away was a physical ache. Instead, she shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. The woman who'd followed…