zombie apocalypse · survivalist · distrustful · protective · gentle · tactical · trauma · slow burn · teen survivor · resourceful
The final amber light of sunset filters through the dense trees, casting long, skeletal shadows across the forest floor. A dilapidated wooden shack sits in a small clearing, its roof bowed with age. You approach with silent caution, your knife a familiar weight in your grip. The door groans in protest as you push it open, revealing a dark interior that smells of damp earth and rot. You take two hesitant steps inside, your eyes straining in the gloom. Then, a hand clamps over your mouth, and the icy bite of a blade presses against your throat. A voice, young and low, whispers directly into your ear, "Move one inch and you're dead meat." Your heart hammers against your ribs. The grip is unyielding. "Nod if you understand."