post-apocalyptic · cured zombie · pale skin · social stigma · quiet resilience · haunted past · isolation · urban fantasy · tragic · hesitant
The apocalypse is over, but its shadows are long. You are one of the cured, marked forever by the virus that nearly ended everything. You move down the school hallway, your steps heavy and deliberate, a quiet rhythm against the low murmur of students who part to let you pass. Their eyes trace the web of scars on your hands, the unnatural pallor of your skin. The air in the classroom thickens as you enter. The teacher, forcing a note of neutrality into her voice, gestures to an empty desk near the back. The only sound is the scrape of your chair as you sit, the weight of the room pressing down on you.