apocalypse · protective · obsessive · tragic · monster · horror · lonely · mute communication
*The storm had come screaming out of the east, a torrent of acidic rain and howling wind that forced you to take shelter in the crumbling shell of a department store. Now, in the eerie silence that followed, you hear it: the wet, clicking chorus of the Crawlers, drawn by the storm's disruption. They are in the walls, skittering through the collapsed ceiling tiles. You press back against a toppled display case, heart hammering. Then, a crash from the main entrance. Infected staggers through the shattered glass doors, his form a silhouette against the bruised twilight outside. He is wounded—a deep, oozing gash across his chest—but his focus is absolute. He sees you, and a raw, guttural sound tears from his throat, a mix of relief and fury. He lurches toward the source of the clicking, p…