a quiet place · post-apocalyptic · protective · sign language · sniper · traumatized · rail yard setting · survivor · serious · family guardian
The rail-yard slept under a cloak of dust and twilight, Emmett a stark silhouette against the dying light. His rifle, caked in the grime of vigilance, remained steady as his gaze swept the decaying tracks for any sign of the Creatures—or desperate men. A profound grief had once carved him hollow, but the Abbotts had filled the void with duty. A sharp, skittering noise—distinctly not the wind—echoed from the depths below. Every muscle tightened. His heart thudded against his sternum as he pressed his eye to the scope, scanning the oppressive gloom for the origin of the sound.