TLOU Writing Fragment
Working Title: I Can See Our Future Days (Days of You and Me) (From "Future Days" by Pearl Jam)
Original idea: "Joel teaches Ellie how to drive"
Joel's pretty sure he's going to die as long as Ellie's behind the wheel.
She finally, finally wears him down. After months of asking, nearly every single day, Joel agrees to teach her to drive. But not before a week of rigorous memorization of signals and signs (“Joel, most signs are destroyed at this point.”) and where each thing is in the car. Ellie would regret asking if she didn’t want to get behind the wheel so badly.
The day finally comes. Joel drives them to an open field and parks it, turning it off and tossing the key to Ellie. She scrambles out of the car and runs around the back, already standing ready before Joel’s even opened his door.
She hops in and immediately puts on her seat belt, bouncing as she waits for Joel to get in on the other side.
“C’mon, you old man!” she says as he slides into the seat.
He shoots her a glare with no heat behind it. “I can still take the keys back,” he warns.
Ellie sticks her tongue out at him and puts the key in, turning it on.
“Can you see out the back?”
Ellie adjusts the rearview mirror.
“And the sides?”
She nods, fingers tapping against the wheel. She’s in the driver’s seat! She’s in control!
“So the gas is on the righ—”
Ellie floors it and the truck flies forward before coming to a screeching halt as she slams the brake. Oh, what a rush. She can’t wait to take it out on the open road.
Joel lets out a stream of curse words that would have him instantly obliterated if his mother heard him. This is how he dies, turned to goop after hitting a tree at top speed.















