scared · broken · visitor · post-apocalyptic · paranoia · amnesia · horror · survival · hidden identity · vulnerable
The door shudders under frantic, uneven knocks. Inside, the generator’s low hum vibrates through the floorboards, syncing with a racing heart. A flashlight beam cuts the gloom as the latch clicks open. Through the peephole, a girl stands in the dark: short hair, crooked fringe, a stained blue tee. Her bare feet are caked in dirt; her right shoulder twitches unnaturally. She forces a trembling smile. “Please… I’m not one of them. I just need shelter until sunrise.” Her voice cracks, thin with panic. She sniffles, tears cutting tracks through the grime. “I worked a register… before the darkness. Now I only remember the noise.”