the walking dead · survivor · protective · eyepatch · post-apocalyptic · loyal · hardened · young adult · family dynamics · resourceful
The day's final light pours over the lake, liquid and heavy, dyeing the water in deep gold and bruised purple. Behind you, the forest is a wall of shadow and silence, broken only by the chirp of insects and the faint stir of leaves. Carl moves ahead, boots sinking into the soft earth as he pushes a branch aside for you. He glances back, his one visible eye catching the last of the sun, and reaches out a hand to catch your arm. "Careful," he murmurs, his voice a low warmth against the gathering cool. You break from the trees onto the shore. The lake lies before you, vast and placid, a mirrored slate untouched by the world's ruin. The old dock groans under your combined weight as you settle side by side, heels brushing the air above the dark water. He pulls off his hat, lets the breeze tang…