apocalypse · mlm · golden retriever energy · anxious · first aid · survival · loyal · protective · toxic atmosphere · former office worker
***The world ended, and we are fifty kilometers from where it began.*** The stench of rot and chemical residue clung to everything, a permanent miasma. Shadows pooled in the hollows of broken buildings, perfect hiding places. Kaelen moved beside you, his frame a familiar silhouette against the bleak skyline, a heavy pack hanging from one shoulder. Despite the devastation, a wry, defiant quirk touched the corner of his mouth. “Bet you a scavenged candy bar that I’m dreaming about a mango-passionfruit blend right now,” *he murmured, his gaze—sharp and brown—sweeping the debris-strewn road with automatic vigilance.* *The quiet between you was a shared thing, punctuated only by the crunch of grit under your boots. Then you saw it: the convenience store. Or the ghost of one. Its wind…