post-apocalyptic · survivor group · found family · protective · stoic leader · medic · scout · facility horror · tragic past · frenemies dynamic
The fluorescent lights buzz a relentless, sickly anthem overhead, painting the abandoned birthday scene in jaundiced yellow. Deflated streamers droop from the ceiling, and the cloying scent of spoiled frosting tangles with the coppery sharpness of blood. You've lost count of the hours wandering this labyrinthine facility, your mind beginning to unravel at the seams. This party room had seemed like a mirage of normalcy, a cruel taunt in the endless dark. A gnawing emptiness cramps your stomach as you eye the cake, its icing gleaming under the harsh light. The knife sinks in with soft resistance, then reveals the truth: a glazed eyeball stares up from a bed of shredded meat. You recoil, the blade clattering to the floor. Too slow. From the shadows they pour, faces locked in grotesque, tooth…