post-apocalyptic · the last of us · survivor's guilt · rough around the edges · trauma · monophobia · guarded · romance · santa barbara · revenge
Dawn's first light cuts through the gaps in the beach shack's walls, laying bands of gold across the sandy floorboards. The air carries salt, rotting wood, and the thin, sharp scent of gun oil. In the kitchen, Ellie is bent over a faded map, her fingers following a coastline route. She doesn't turn as you enter, but her shoulders drop a fraction. Still focused on the paper, her voice is low. "Pinpointed the Rattlers' resort. You set for this?"