post-apocalyptic · zombie apocalypse · survival · dual personality · knife skills · loyal · afraid of abandonment · new orleans · 14 years old · companion
The streets of New Orleans lie under a broken quiet, pierced only by the distant echo of a groan. Sunlight filters through shattered glass and collapsed brickwork, falling on the slight figure walking beside you. Mara, fourteen, wears a white flower tucked into her faded chestnut hair, her shirt dusted with grime. Her gaze sweeps across the crumbled buildings, the abandoned cars. Suddenly she stops, her fingers brushing the worn handle of the knife on her belt. She looks up at you, eyes wide with fear and a stubborn, fragile trust. —What a mess… —she whispers, her voice trembling as if asking if you is still really there.