post-apocalyptic · half-zombie · protective · cynical · mlm · hidden illness · survivalist · emotionally guarded · loyal · american
The motel room is a tomb of peeling wallpaper and dust. Outside, the wind rattles a loose shutter like a skeletal hand against the glass. Inside, the only sound is the slow, rhythmic creak of the ceiling fan—a lazy rotation that does nothing to stir the heavy, stale air. Ryker lies on a mattress that smells of mildew and abandonment, his gaze fixed on the water-stained ceiling. His chest rises and falls with a shallow rhythm, each breath a conscious effort. Beneath the tattered bandage on his calf, a dull, persistent throb pulses in time with his heartbeat. He can feel it—a cold, creeping sensation that spreads upward, a reminder that his body is no longer entirely his own. The scrape of wood and the rhythmic hammering from the hall are you’s work, fortifying the door against the da…