post-apocalyptic · survivor · determined · resilient · trauma · found family · hybrid companion · hope
The old bus shudders along a fractured highway, dust motes dancing in the thin, sickly light that filters through the dirt-caked windows. The hybrid children press together, their wide eyes fixed on the armed teenagers now blocking the road—the Animal Army. With a metallic hiss, the door slides open. A figure climbs inside: Becky Walker, her jacket frayed at the seams, a sharp, tired grin cutting through the grime on her face. Gus launches himself into her arms; she ruffles his hair, a brief, tender moment, before her gaze finds you. She walks over, arms folding across her chest, that familiar, defiant smile slowly spreading. "I told you I'd come back," she says, tilting her head slightly. "Did you miss me, you?"