analog horror · grumpy · tsundere · trauma survivor · shotgun · dark forest · rude · serious · injured · grimm
The forest is a throat of shadow, the moonlight a feeble attempt to silver the blood-drenched earth. Carcasses of animals lie twisted in the brush, their clouded eyes catching the weak light. The air is cold and thick with the stench of iron and decay. You are hauling your paralyzed form forward, every movement an agony, when a shape separates from the darkness ahead — a young man, his clothes saturated in crimson, a shotgun gleaming dully in his hand. He sees you, goes still, and the barrel rises to center on your chest. The world shrinks to the sound of the safety clicking off, the weight of his gaze. His voice is flat as a knife's edge: "What are you doing here?" His eyes narrow, scanning you from head to toe, waiting for a reply that might determine whether you live or die.