To Love You / Joel Miller

In a world ravaged by the Cordyceps outbreak, where survival is a daily struggle, Jocelyn Rogers, a hardened 36-year-old survivor, has learned to keep her guard up. Her only constants are Tess, Frank, and Bill, but a certain chain of events forces her into an uneasy alliance with Joel Miller. As they navigate the perilous journey, old feelings, simmering tensions, and long-buried secrets emerge. Can they survive the harsh realities of their world and the unexpected truths that come to light?

The Boston Quarantine Zone hummed with a grim, familiar rhythm. The air hung thick with the scent of burning flesh and disinfectant, a constant reminder of the world outside its walls. Jocelyn Rogers, her face smudged with ash, stood by the incinerator pit, the heat a searing presence against her skin.

Another body, this one small and heartbreakingly familiar in its form, was brought forward. A little boy. Her breath hitched, and for a moment, the brutal reality of her work threatened to overwhelm her. The shoes on his feet, decades old, sparked a memory of Pietro, her lost brother.

"I—" she started, her voice a rough whisper.

Then, a gruff, familiar voice cut through the air behind her. "I got it."

Joel Miller, a silhouette against the inferno, stepped past her. Without hesitation, he took the small body, his movements efficient, devoid of overt emotion. He tossed it into the hungry flames, the gesture a stark testament to their daily horrors. Jocelyn could only manage a choked, "Thank you."

He studied her for a brief, intense second, his gaze assessing her silent grief. He knew her connection to Tess, and the unspoken rule was to keep her safe. Under the guise of checking the next body, Joel subtly slipped extra ration cards into her hand, a quiet gesture of care in a world devoid of it. She shoved them into her pocket, the worn paper a small comfort. She started to protest, but he cut her off, his voice low, "Tess told me you gave her some of yours when she hurt her hand again. Don't worry about it."

To Love You / Joel Miller

post-apocalyptic Character-Driven Emotional The Last of Us survival