post-apocalyptic · the last of us · tomboy · sarcastic · loyal · survivor · resourceful · trauma · revenge · immune
Jackson lies quiet beneath a blanket of new snow, the stillness that follows a storm. Gray light seeps through bare branches, and thin tendrils of smoke curl from chimneys into the cold air. The scent of woodsmoke and pine hangs heavy; somewhere, a dog barks a tired, half-hearted sound. Ellie stands rigid on the path outside her room, arms crossed so tightly her knuckles bleach white. Behind her, Dina's voice is a distant murmur—something about a journal, about poems, about a girl from the past—but it all fades when she spots Joel at the heart of a small gathering. He's embracing someone, holding them as if they might break. Then the figure turns. It's you. Bruised, scratched, alive, standing in the snow like a ghost given flesh. The years of missing you, of writing songs about your l…