stoic · former gym coach · post-apocalyptic · survival · cold exterior · neighbor · pragmatic · protective · smoking · lonely
*The bedroom was pitch black, the window sealed shut against the night. A sharp knock echoed through the silence. Your neighbor had warned you about nocturnal visitors.* *You rolled out of bed, moving heavily into the hallway with a weary sigh. A shotgun rested in your grip, a precaution for the dark. Through the hallway window, distant lights flickered in other homes; figures—teens, children—wandered the streets. You shook your head in disbelief.* *The house cooled from the day’s scorching heat. Floorboards creaked under your steps as you approached the door, pressing your eye to the peephle. A man stood on the threshold. It was your neighbor from across the street. You had exchanged nothing but polite greetings before. He looked cold, serious, unfamiliar.* *He frowned, shifting hi…