A/N: Alright, it's time to kick off Aftermath: Part III. Don't be alarmed by the short length of chapter 1. This is just a prologue to act as a sort of setup between the end of Part II and the beginning of Part III. So yes, this is short but sweet. It is the beginning of a long journey, one which will prove even more challenging than what we saw in the events of The Last of Us. First, to set people at ease a bit, both Joel and Ellie are returning in Part III. As for whether they'll survive to the end, well... that much I can't say just yet. It's going to be a hell of a ride.

I wanted to get this prologue out there to calm some anxious folks out there who I know have been checking daily for Part III. But beyond that, I wanted to take the opportunity to direct you all to a writer's blog I've set up. The link is thehammerofthor . wordpress . com and I'll be posting stuff there as I write Part III and as I continue working on my novel. I wanted to start that blog to give you all a bit of insight into my writing and thought process, as well as a place for me to discuss some of the themes I was working toward and to get feedback from you on whether or not the themes hit their mark. I'll be posting there with updates between chapters so you won't have to wait for each one in suspense, wondering about the progress of each chapter. Just... eh, I don't want to go so far as say "trust me," but... trust me. Follow that blog. I'll be doing my darndest to make it worth your while to do so. Oh, and as a bonus, it will give you a place to follow the process of the novel that many of you have expressed interest in reading.

Chapter two will be returning to the usual length of chapters, but this is just a morsel to satiate your appetites.

Oh, and I want to give a tip of the hat to Ash-Wood95 for providing an idea that I ended up using in this chapter. I won't say which one, because I don't want to spoil anything, but Ash knows. Thanks, Ash!

EDIT: Thanks for the heads up on the blog link not working. Pretty lame that fanfiction . net does that (even to its own address.)

DISCLAIMER/LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO: I do not own The Last of Us, it is Naughty Dog's property.

AFTERMATH: PART III

CHAPTER 1

PROLOGUE

There was no going back.

With every step, she knew it in her bones. Jackson offered security, food, and warmth, but without Joel, it was cold and desolate. She thought back to that morning, waking up freezing and alone in their room. The memory only served to steel her resolve.

Without Joel, there was nothing for her there. Her immunity had cost her the luxury of friends her age, and one of the only people she had really befriended was now six feet under, just like so many of the rest. Whether she liked it or not, Joel was all she had.

She drew in a deep breath, but the icy chill in the air stung her lungs and forced a cough. Snowflakes continued to fall all around, coming to rest on her hair and eyelashes, but she brushed them aside and pressed on down the path.

An acrid scent wafted past, lifting Ellie's eyes from the dusting of snow on the ground to scan the forest before her. She sniffed again, seeking out the source of the scent. Something above the treeline caught her eye. It was a grey plume of smoke, the smoke of a fire that had almost completely burned out, so faint it would have been easy to miss if she hadn't been looking for something to match the smell. Her brow furrowed in concern and curiosity and she took off toward the plume.

She hadn't gone a quarter of a mile before the realization hit her like a wave. She took a right at the fork in the path, scanning the area for any signs of life and finding none. Before long, the driveway came into view. Beyond it, a black cinder skeleton rose from the ground. The rest of the cabin had burned away hours ago. All that was left were the smoldering heaps of wood and bodies within the charred, crumbling frame of the building.

She approached with caution, scanning the spaces between the trunks of trees surrounding the remains of the cabin, looking for movement. There was nothing. It was quiet, aside from the muted crackling of the few embers that still held some heat. Ellie walked over to a small pile and held her hands over them, trying to soak up every ounce of heat her numb fingers could absorb. For a moment, she wished she hadn't left in such a haste. A pair of gloves would have been nice, and there was a good chance she could track some down in Jackson. But there was no going back.

She began searching the charcoal skeleton and the surrounding area for any signs of Joel's heading. This act of arson was clearly his handiwork. He must have been trying to destroy every memory of this place and what had transpired. She stood amongst the ruin and slowly spun in place, trying to reckon which direction he had gone.

"C'mon, Joel…" she whispered to no one. "Help me out here."

This was a dangerous moment. He could have gone anywhere from here, and a small mistake in judgment now could erase any chances she had of finding him. Joel had tried to teach her a bit about tracking, but she wasn't sure how much had stuck. If there were more snow on the ground, a trail of footprints would make this much easier.

Her mind raced, desperately searching for something. Some scrap of motivation for him leaving. Her eyes danced over the scorched remaining floorboards. He wasn't coming back. He had left for good. It didn't seem likely that he'd head back east to Boston. With Tess gone, there was nothing there for him. North seemed foolish, given the falling temperatures. South was feasible, but she couldn't imagine him heading even remotely towards Texas in light of all the bad memories that dwelt there.

West seemed the most likely choice. If she were to theoretically run away, west felt like the best direction to go. It leaves everything from your past behind you.

A growl from her stomach pulled her out of her mind and back to the present. She stood, shivering and hungry, bracing herself against the wind. She unslung her backpack, unzipped it, and took stock of what she had for food. It wasn't much, just a couple cans, one of which was the cherry pie filling Joel had told her about. An ache sprung from her heart at the sight of the can. She had to find him, and his trail was growing colder by the minute.

Ellie zipped up the backpack, threw it back on, put the rising sun at her back, and took off in search of Joel, hoping she had chosen the right direction.

AFTERMATH: PART III WILL CONTINUE

WITH CHAPTER 2