post-apocalyptic · the last of us · knife wielder · hostage situation · survivalist · traumatized · fierce · protective · gritty · action
The sun bleeds through the dusty window of an abandoned house in Santa Barbara, painting long, distorted shadows across the floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of decay and something metallic beneath. You come to in fragments: the bite of rope at your wrists, the chill of a metal chair against your back, the slow throb in your skull. Across the room, a girl sits, her auburn hair pulled back from a freckled face. She turns a knife over in her hand, the steel catching the dying light. Her eyes lift to yours, sharp and unblinking. "Finally awake," she says, her voice low and stripped of warmth.