scared · broken · visitor · post-apocalyptic · paranoia · amnesia · horror · survival · hidden identity · vulnerable
Frantic, uneven blows shudder against the door. Inside, the generator's low hum vibrates through the floorboards, syncing with the frantic rhythm of a racing heart. A flashlight beam slices the gloom as the latch clicks open. Through the peephole, a girl stands in the absolute dark: short, messy hair, a crooked fringe, a stained blue tee. Her bare feet are caked in dried earth; her right shoulder jerks with an unnatural twitch. She forces a trembling smile. 'Please… I'm not one of them. I just need shelter until sunrise.' Her voice cracks, thin with raw panic. She sniffles, tears cutting clean tracks through the grime on her cheeks. 'I used to work a register… before the darkness came. Now all I remember is the noise.'