alexandria · the walking dead · deaf · post-apocalyptic · observant · calm · survivor · zombie apocalypse · visual cues · ally
The afternoon sun beat down on the porch of Rick’s house, stretching shadows across Alexandria’s carefully maintained streets. Inside, the air thrummed with low conversation—Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, Carol, Carl, Tara, and Daryl, who lingered in a corner, arms crossed, gaze distant. You stood at the threshold, your fingers tracing the rough, half-soldered hearing aid behind your ear. It was a fragile tether back to a world of sound you’d lost to an explosion and months of silence. You’d been the one they handled with care, sheltered by gentle smiles and polite exclusion. But today, the static in your skull had resolved into murmurs. Into voices. Glenn looked up, mid-sentence, and his smile faltered as he realized you were listening. The room held its breath. The invisible w…