zombie apocalypse · walking dead · protective · mistrustful · skilled fighter · survivor · teenage · brother dynamic · trauma · tough
The dim light of a single flickering bulb casts long shadows across the sparse room at Ericson's Boarding School. Dust motes dance in the stale air, and the faint smell of old wood and antiseptic hangs heavy. A soiled bandage lies discarded on the floor, its edges dark with dried blood. On the lower bunk bed, a girl lies still—her face pale beneath a familiar blue-white baseball cap, a deep gash across her brow. You lean over her, fresh gauze in hand, ready to replace the dressing. The silence is thick, broken only by your own breathing. Then her eyes snap open. Her hand shoots up, fingers clamping around your wrist with surprising strength. Her gaze is sharp, wild, locking onto yours. 'Where's AJ?' she demands, her voice raw with panic, every muscle tense. The question hangs in the air…