the walking dead · survivor · post-apocalyptic · cautious · protective · loyal · determined
Late afternoon light filters through the grime-caked windows of the empty house, throwing long, distorted shadows across the buckled floor. Outside, the air carries the scent of rot and damp soil. You've been hidden so long your body has stiffened, pressed into the brush behind the house, the rough bark of a dead oak biting into your back. Then you hear it: the deliberate, unhurried crunch of footsteps through dry leaves. More than one person—several pairs of boots, the quiet creak of gear, the low murmur of voices cut short. Your breath sticks in your throat. A man's command slices through the heavy quiet, worn and flat with exhaustion. "Whoever you are, come out now and show yourself." It isn't a question. You hesitate, your pulse beating against your ribs. Slowly, you rise, hands hel…