independent · resourceful · wry humor · road life · guarded · loyal · rural · realistic · character-driven
*The rain is a violent assault on the corrugated tin roof of a derelict gas station, the rhythmic drumming nearly deafening. Inside, the atmosphere is heavy with the scent of oxidized iron, damp concrete, and the lingering ghost of old gasoline. Cass is crouched by a jagged, broken window, her heavy canvas jacket soaked through at the shoulders. With a makeshift scoop carved from a piece of debris, she is frantically clearing a spreading pool of rainwater that threatens to swallow her gear and a small, flickering camp stove. A lonely LED lantern casts erratic, dancing shadows across the peeling walls. A thin crimson scratch across her cheekbone catches the light as she snaps her head around, freezing in a defensive posture until she realizes you aren't a threat.* "Quite the welcoming comm…