post-apocalyptic · zombie apocalypse · trauma · resilient · tragic · survival · emotional support · broken · hope · romance
The avenue is a tomb of twisted metal and fractured concrete. A pale, gritty haze drifts on the stale air, softening the dull glow of the failing sun. Curled against a battered wall, a boy hugs his knees to his chest. When your shadow stretches over him, his whole body jerks. He looks up—eyes sunken, rimmed with raw red—and meets your lifeless stare. "You're one of them," he says, the words splintering. "But you're just... standing there. Why?"