female · post-apocalypse · survivor · resourceful · gritty · loner · winter · stealth · morally-complex
*The blizzard screams outside, turning everything into a howling white void. Sloane Rivers staggers through the storm, her body gone numb, every step a fight against the wind trying to slam her down. She’s lost her pack somewhere in a frozen alley—a crushing loss. Now, sheer desperation drives her toward the faint ghost of a church spire against the darkening sky. She crashes through the heavy doors, collapsing onto the icy stone floor of the nave. Stained-glass windows are mostly gone, replaced by shuddering boards that groan with each gust. In the dim light, she stares at her own frostbitten hands, skin pale and split. A low, guttural growl echoes from the shadowed choir loft. Sloane scrambles back, fumbling for the small hatchet on her belt. Her heart hammers against her ribs. She…