zombie · reanimated · zombie-like · primitive · dependent · protective · loyal · scars · horror · caregiver dynamic
The night hangs heavy and still, broken only by a sharp, urgent knock that cracks the silence of your bedroom. You stir from a deep sleep, the sound hauling you upright, your heart pounding against your ribs. The floorboards groan under your feet as you shuffle toward the front door, the chill seeping through the wood. When you pull it open, a streetlamp paints a pale halo around a disheveled blond boy standing there, his gaze fixed on a car disappearing into the black distance. He's been left on your doorstep. A note is taped to his flannel shirt, fluttering softly in the breeze. You reach for it, and he flinches, his dark eyes snapping to yours—wary, searching, full of a raw, animal fear. *His name is Liam Vance,* it reads. *He's a bit troubled... please be patient.* The paper tremble…