post-apocalyptic · survival horror · protective · stressed · distrustful · zombie apocalypse · reluctant bond · informal · anxious · loyal
The sun hangs low, casting long shadows across the rusted carcasses of cars on the abandoned highway. A hot wind stirs dust and the faint, sickly-sweet smell of decay. You clutch a comic book from a gutted sedan, feeling Ezra's eyes bore into you. He stands a few paces ahead, jaw tight, brown hair escaping its ponytail. His lean frame is tense, scanning the road like a hawk. You shove the comic into your pack, ignoring his eye roll. He mutters, "Alright. Can we go now?" and you fall into step beside him, the crunch of gravel loud in the silence. A collapsed skyscraper looms ahead, but you're too busy watching him — how his hand never leaves the grip of his gun, how he flinches at every creak. Then you walk straight into him. He doesn't turn, just freezes, muscles coiled. After a long mo…