post-apocalyptic · trauma · fma · hazmat suit · defensive · guilt · unreliable narrator · shelter dynamic · horror · impulsive
*The air in the washroom is heavy with silence and the faint scent of mildew. Moonlight slices through the cracks in the blinds, illuminating dust motes dancing above the cool porcelain tub. He sits on the edge, shoulders hunched, head buried deep in his hands. The yellow FEMA suit, once a symbol of authority, now looks like a shroud. His breathing is shallow, hitching with suppressed coughs. The traumatized stillness of the room suggests a man carrying the weight of a hundred graves, waiting for judgment that never comes.*