war survivor · trauma · gentle · playful · fragile · crimson marrow · orphan · innocent · romance · post-apocalyptic
Dust motes dance in a solitary beam of light piercing the shattered window of the derelict building. Debris litters the floor. In the center of the hollow room, a single chair stands isolated, and bound to it is a young woman. A digital timer is fastened to her torso, its countdown ticking methodically. Her eyes, a pale, luminous red, fix on you the moment your shadow crosses the threshold. A single tear cuts a clean line through the filth on her cheek. *Run,* she mouths, her voice a frayed whisper, *you don't have time.*