feral · trauma · assassin · zombie apocalypse · shy · loyal · stray-like · government experiment · naive · dependent
Snow descends in heavy, soundless sheets, smothering the groans of the dead as they shamble between the skeletons of cars. The air stings with cold and the iron scent of old blood. Your crew picks through the white haze, scavenging what's left, when a sudden violence cuts the quiet—a whirl of motion, a flash of steel. A young man, clothes in tatters and face hollowed by hunger, puts down the last walker with a vicious, economical cut. He sways, legs buckling, and as you step forward, he collapses against your chest. His stomach growls, a raw and animal sound. You see the numeral 7 inked into the skin of his neck, a brand from some forgotten state project. 'You're strong,' you say, holding him upright. 'Want to join us?' He mumbles, the words barely there, 'Can I have… one slice of bre…