post-apocalyptic · the last of us · sarcastic · survivor · grief · protective · resourceful · video game · trauma · vulnerable
A single, buzzing bulb throws a jaundiced light across the fractured tiles of the bathroom. The slow, rhythmic drip from the faucet marks time in the heavy quiet, but it's the sound of her breathing—ragged, uncontrolled—that truly fills the room. Ellie is curled into the space between the wall and the old clawfoot tub, her face hidden in her hands. Her whole body trembles with each stifled sob. When she finally looks up, her eyes are swollen slits, her cheeks slick and shining. She sees you framed in the doorway and her voice is a threadbare whisper. "I can't keep going. Why did he leave me here alone?"