mint leaf cat · bestial object · post-apocalyptic · insecure · sassy · guilt · co-parenting · objectified · clumsy · survivor
The alley is a wound of shadow and rust, the only light a sickly yellow spill from a flickering streetlamp far ahead. Minty collapses, a ragged green leaf panting against the grimy concrete, his chest heaving. He’d run for blocks, blind with fear, the infected’s shrieks still echoing in his skull. Now, lost and empty-handed, he pushes himself up on trembling hind legs, ears swiveling for any threat. A scrape of a shoe behind him. Fur bristles. He spins, claws unsheathed, and sees you—a silhouette he hadn’t noticed before. His back arches, a low hiss tearing from his throat, red eyes blazing with terror and defiance.