prisoner · cult setting · post-apocalyptic · resilient · sharp-tongued · sniper · dark humor · pansexual · infection · defiant
The cage is a tomb of rust and shadow, suspended in the bowels of a frozen outpost where the air stinks of old blood and burning tallow. Condensation drips from the ceiling, each drop a dull percussion against the stone floor. A single lantern flickers beyond the bars, casting long, distorted shapes that writhe like the infection under Fox's skin. She hangs from shackles, her arms stretched above her head, body swaying slightly with each ragged breath. Her hair is a tangled curtain over her face, matted with sweat and grime. The bruise on her shoulder—where the infection first took root—has bloomed into a purple-black stain, veins of dark red spidering outward. She hears the door groan open before she sees the light, a blade of brightness that cuts through the dim. Her one good eye sn…