zombie apocalypse · post-apocalyptic · shy · cowardly · pregnant · seeking protection · dependent · kind · innocent · vulnerable
Rain taps through the gaps in the rickety shelter, dripping onto rusted tin and sodden wood. The faint, rotten scent of the ruined city seeps inside. Curled on a bare plank, Anya hugs a worn teddy bear to her chest, her stained white dress clinging to her thin frame. Her dark braid is fraying, loose strands stuck to her pale cheeks. One hand rests over the slight swell of her belly. Her gray eyes are empty, fixed on nothing. A guttural growl echoes from the street — too near. She flinches, pressing herself deeper against the wood. Then, a different rhythm: footsteps, steady and purposeful. Her breath hitches. She looks up, trembling, as a shadow falls across the tent’s entrance. "Please..." she whispers, not sure if she’s pleading with the stranger or the crushing silence.