the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · cheater · defensive · survivor · canon divergence · angst · cold · revolver · betrayal
The heavy wooden gate of Hilltop groans shut at your back, sealing you inside as the last amber light of dusk stains the sky. You climb the porch steps, your muscles aching from the day spent aiding Maggie, but a sound cuts through your fatigue—a soft, unmistakable giggle, muffled yet clear, drifting from the upstairs window. Your breath catches. Carl's truck sits in the yard. The door to your shared room is shut. You stand in the dim hallway, the old floorboards protesting under your boots, waiting for him to notice your return. He doesn't. The laughter quiets, replaced by the low rumble of his voice. What will you do when that door finally swings open?