The Last Of Us: Part I - Darker Days (Male Reader)

Chapter 18 - Inner Demons

A/N: Waring: This is a heavy one!

Running through the woods, Y/N gasped for air and staggered against the overgrown moss and roots littering the woodland grounds. His feet blistering and aching under the pressure of his worn out boots.

Stopping momentarily, he slumped and reached down to cup his knees with the bare fingertips of his hands. Breathing, he tried to reach for the soupy air but only felt smoke. His lungs were aflame, burning all the way up to his throat and causing him to weeze a coughing fit.

"Haha!"

Y/N yerked upwards at the laughter, and revealed his widened, bloodshot eyes. His face covered with dirt and grime and clothes tattered with shreds as if he had a run in with a wild animal.

Again the giggling breached his ears, the only thing that had gotten past was the beating of his pancied heart pumping in his head. Picking himself up, he ran in the direction of the source of amusement and laughter.

Following through the woods, Y/N finally made it to a clearing. This one was visible to the night sky. There were no trees, just the crumbled greasy ground and a small lake right near him.

The burning in his lungs had vanished, and he could finally breathe, and hear his own thoughts. And the noise, there was none. It was blissfully quiet. The laughter he had followed for what he thought had been hours was gone.

Turning his gaze away from the lake, he furrowed his brows when his eyes landed on what he thought was a dark figure in the distance. Standing by the other end of the lake. Carefully moving forward, he trudged along the side of the lake. His frazzled and bloodshot filled pupils were so centered on the looming figure that he couldn't make out who it was.

Finally making it to the other side, he stopped when he was only a few meters away. The figure's back was visible to him, standing just before him hunched over as they peered into the lake. It didn't seem to notice his presence, too concerned or fascinated with the polling of fresh water.

Gulping back the nervousness in his throat, Y/N opened his mouth to speak, "Hello--"

"It's wonderful, isn't it."

Y/N flinched hard, his feet taking him a few steps back as the distorting voice interrupted him. The figure had moved, straightening up their back as they seemed to peer closer at their surroundings, almost obsessed with observing every angle of the clearing.

"What is?" Y/N spoke up hesitantly, not daring to move as he stood his ground. His hands coiled up into fists at his side as he did his best to stop them from shaking.

"The water." The figure exclaimed, almost childlike, "I wonder how far down it goes." The shadowy figure reached out an arm, as if to test their question, and slowly guided a hand down. When the figure's fingertips reached the water, they dipped in. "It's so cold!" They pulled back, a giggle in their voice that almost sounded feminine.

Y/N crossed his arms as he stepped forward one foot, "Well, yeah. It's a lake."

"So sarcastic." The figure cooed, so softly that Y/N had to strain his ears to simply hear it.

Their voice was getting clearer with each word.

"So..." A lint of a giggle in it, even as they began to turn around, sounding more and more feminine that it just had to be female.

"Boring."

That had hurt his pride.

"I'm not bor...ing." Y/N slowed and stopped, taking a small step backwards as the figure fully turned to face him.