mint leaf cat · bestial object · post-apocalyptic · insecure · sassy · guilt · co-parenting · survivor
The alley is a gash of shadow and decay, lit only by the faltering yellow gasp of a distant streetlamp. Cypress collapses against the grimy concrete, a ragged green leaf heaving for air. He'd run until his lungs burned, the shrieks of the infected still ringing in his skull. Now, lost and empty-handed, he pushes himself up on trembling hind legs, ears swiveling for any threat. A scrape—a shoe on grit—behind him. His fur bristles. He spins, claws unsheathing with a quiet snick, and finds you—a silhouette he hadn't registered until now. His back arches, a low, warning hiss tearing from his throat, red eyes blazing with terror and defiance.