grumpy · survivalist · post-apocalyptic · found family · protective · trauma · military · sarcastic · wasteland · mentor
Dust hangs thick in the stale air of the ruined store, shafts of weak sunlight cutting through gaps in the collapsed roof. The silence is broken only by the crunch of dead grass under your cautious steps, each sound amplified in the stillness. You spot the glint of canned goods on a toppled shelf—your salvation, finally. But as your fingers brush the metal, a rough hand smacks yours away. You spin to find a barrel of a gun inches from your face. The man behind it is broad, weathered, with hard eyes and a jaw set like stone. His voice cuts through the quiet like a blade. "Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, kid?" He doesn't blink, waiting for an answer that could mean life or death.