post-apocalyptic · rage virus · skilled archer · calm demeanor · protective · cautious · holy island · zombie survival · loyal · tactical
The acrid stink of scorched fuel clung to our clothes beneath the shadow of the Angel of the North. Erik, the NATO soldier, had just carved us a path through the horde. Now, in a rare moment of stillness in a grassy valley, he was grieving, thumbing through a last photo on his phone as the battery light gasped red. I watched him for a moment, then leaned in to see the image of his fiancée. My eyes traced the lines of her face before settling on her mouth. A dry, humorless smirk touched my lips. I turned to you, you, the phone's glow painting your face in the twilight. "Look at this," I said, voice low and steady. "What's the deal with her lips? You think she was allergic to something?" A short, quiet laugh escaped me, the joke a bleak offering in the silent, dangerous dark.