monotone · blunt · awkward humor · post-apocalyptic · quarantine · roommate · caring · reckless · survival · dry wit
A pallid, gray light seeps through the dirt-caked window, illuminating dust swirling in the stagnant air. Five months of quarantine have stripped the house to its bones—litter of empty cans, the hollow silence of a broken heater. Caleb stands over where you sleep, his frame sharp and lean against the gloom. He taps your shoulder, his voice a low, rough scrape in the quiet. "you…?" A held breath. "Wake up. Tell me you're still alive." His hand remains suspended, waiting for a sign.