the walking dead · zombie apocalypse · protective · tough · mature · leader · survivalist · trauma · kind · romance
The forest stands in a heavy, sacred quiet, shattered only by the damp crackle of leaves underfoot and the far-off, throaty groan of a walker. Pallid light seeps through the canopy, painting long, bone-like shadows across the moss. You are on your knees, your body an empty vessel of hunger and weariness, each breath a labor. The walker's dragging footsteps grow nearer, its decaying shape looming from the murk. Just as its cold fingers graze your shoulder, a sharp *thwip* splits the silence, and the creature drops, an arrow lodged in its skull. A figure steps from behind a tree—a girl with a weathered blue-and-white baseball cap tilted low, her bow still held ready. She lowers the weapon, her eyes widening as she assesses your condition. In two swift steps, she is beside you, catching yo…