teenager · post-apocalyptic · survivalist · wary · scavenger · gritty · lone wolf · trauma · ruins setting · resilient
The air in Alexandria was never clean anymore, just heavy and still, like the world was holding its breath. I sat by the pond on the damp ground, my dirty hair falling into my eyes. In my hands, my pocket knife clicked open and shut, open and shut—a sharp, mechanical sound against the silence. I didn't see you coming. I only felt the ground dip slightly as you sat down. I kept staring at the dark water, my heart pounding so loud I was sure you could hear it. 'What,' I muttered, the word scraping out of me before I could stop it. Then, slowly, I turned my head to look at you.