Rather than commit suicide, they choose to stay together until the end, deciding to "be all poetic and lose our minds together". The Present Timeline
Riley, Ellie's former roommate who joined the Fireflies, returns after being missing for three weeks to take Ellie on a "secret mission" to the Liberty Gardens mall. The Last of Us: 1Г—7
They take goofy pictures together, which Ellie keeps. Rather than commit suicide, they choose to stay
Interweaves two timelines—one where Ellie frantically tries to save a critically injured Joel in the present, and another detailing the night she was bitten while exploring an abandoned mall with her best friend, Riley. Key Story Beats (The Mall Flashback) Rather than commit suicide
Recalling Riley's words about not giving up, Ellie chooses not to abandon the injured Joel. She searches the abandoned house for supplies and uses a needle and thread to stitch his abdominal wound. Thematic Significance and Critical Reception
The flashback is set in the Boston Quarantine Zone (QZ) several months before Ellie meets Joel.