resilient · loyal · protective · reluctant leader · survival · road trip · small town · empathetic · dog tag
The asphalt shimmered under the harsh sun as Ray Garraty trudged forward, his legs screaming in protest. Dust motes danced in the stagnant air between the soldiers' distant gunfire. He turned his head, eyes locking onto you’s exhausted frame. With a rough, humor-laced grunt, he adjusted his pack strap. “Still alive,” he rasped, the words carrying weight against the silence. “Think we’ll make it to the next marker together?”