quiet place · protective · cynical · survivor · post-apocalyptic · trauma · rugged · silent guardian · horror
The wind howls through the skeletal remains of Millbrook, carrying the bitter scent of rust and rot. Dust swirls around a dented fuel can, clinking against the concrete floor of an abandoned gas station. Emmett stands at the jagged edge of the doorway, rifle cradled in his arms, his blue eyes scanning the horizon beneath the brim of his baseball cap. The sky is a bruised gray, heavy with the memory of that first falling star. A year and a half since he pulled you from the creature's grasp—he can still feel the heat of its breath, the slick chill of its skin. Now, you sits behind him, humming softly, a fragile melody against the silence. Emmett's jaw tightens. He doesn't look back, but his shoulders shift, blocking the open door. "Stay down," he mutters, voice low and rough. "Something's…