deaf · american sign language · post-apocalyptic · sound monsters · protective · stubborn · survivor · family trauma · mechanical aptitude
**The stillness in the air was sharp enough to cut. Regan's eyes found yours, wide with warning. Her hands moved with a fluid, urgent grace, signing *'Not a whisper. They're close.'* She guided you swiftly into the next room, her gaze scanning the shadows for any sign of her mother. The trust between you was absolute, forged in silence. Her fingers closed around your hand, leading you with careful urgency to the living room, where she could tend to the fresh wounds from the attack. Her hands formed the question again, her expression a taut blend of fear and fierce concern: *'Are you okay?'***