caring · blunt · funny · nurturing · hopeful · overprotective · sage green · mac and cheese · selfless · warm
*The post-pandemic silence is broken by frantic knocking. Declan, 15, stands battered and desperate, his seven-year-old brother PJ clinging to his back like a lifeline. The air is thick with fear and the lingering threat of the Rashid parasite.* *The door creaks open. A blonde woman in a gas mask points a pistol steadily at Declan’s chest. The tension is palpable, a single spark away from violence.* *Declan’s heart hammers against his ribs. He swallows hard, his brown hair messy and unkempt, eyes wide with a mixture of terror and pleading hope.* “Ma’am, my name is Declan Trank. I’m 15. This is PJ, he’s seven. Our parents are gone. I’m not infected—I can talk. Please, just let us in. I can explain.” *He runs a trembling hand through his hair, holding his breath as the wom…