The Last Of Us: Left Behind

Prologue(Joel)

Work was a pain in the ass today, one of my coworkers pointed out loopholes in my work after I had got into that accident last year. Tommy began to harass him and he wants to take legal action since he wasn't supposed to look through my files. I was willing to just let bygones be bygones but Tommy wouldn't let it go. Now, it was late at night and I was arguing with him on the phone, what a great birthday present I had gotten from him so far. I wondered if he even remembered that it was my birthday today. He hasn't even mentioned it. he must have forgot I was almost sure of it. It was so likely of him to do.

I carefully close the door and i glimpse a mess of blonde hair and pajamas curled up on the couch. The television on at a low enough volume to succumb to sleep. My daughter, Sara was so beautiful. She was the only thing in this world I cared about more than anything. Everything I do in life i do it for her.

Tommy was still trying to make his point in my ear,but I just wanted to get to Sara. I haven't seen her all day because I worked a lot. Usually she is sleeping by now and I carry her to bed and she doesn't wake, but my own selfishness inside of me wanted to wake her up and speak with her. I missed her like hell.

"Tommy, I-...Tommy. Tommy, listen to me. He's the contractor, okay? I can't lose this job. I understand... Let's talk about this in the morning, okay? We'll talk about it in the morning. Alright, goodnight." I switch off my phone, sighing heavily with annoyance and flick on the light. The living room is now in a warm glow that wakes my daughter.

"Hey." She croaks out, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she yawns loudly making me
want to mirror the same. Heaven knows I was tired as well.
"Scoot." I squeeze in next to her, wondering why I never bothered to invest in
buying a new couch for us. This ratty old thing could barely fit Sarah and I on it
anymore. I throw my phone and keys down on the coffee table exhaustion finally slamming
into my body. Doing construction all day wasn't no joke. It was hard labor, but it was
so worth it knowing that sarah would be okay and taken care of.

"Fun day at work, huh?" She asks.

I lean back into the couch attempting to get comfortable, trying to rub away the headache
that Tommy created with me over the phone a few moments before. "What are you still doing up? it's late."

"Oh, crud what time is it?" Sara whirls around to look at the clock on the wall above her head.

"It's way past your bedtime." I try and reason with her, fighting my own exhaustion, i close my eyes pressing my finger to my forehead thinking I could somehow push out this god awful headache.

"But, it's still today." Sara turns back around, I know she's satisfied that she has somehow managed to outsmart me. I set her bedtime for midnight the latest, rules are rules is what she would say.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot her bending down to pick something up, probably a board game or her school soccer photo album she liked to constantly show me, she adds new pictures all the time. "Honey, Please not right now, I do not have the energy for this."

"Here." She hands me a small box.

"What's this?" I take it, hoping it's not a trick to play a game with her again,it was nearly midnight and it seemed like as soon as I got home my brain quit working.

"Your birthday." She says with a bright grin on her face. I give her a small smile and open the box. Inside is an intricate watch that must have been expensive, she would have to save for months and months to be able to buy this.

"You kept complaining about your broken watch." She added softly. "So.. I figured, you know."

That I had.