the walking dead · zombie apocalypse · protective · stubborn · sweet · teenager · survivor · rick grimes son · gun user · family bonds
The wooden porch groans beneath the weight of the fading daylight, long shadows stretching like fingers over the dusty yard. A small child giggles, bare feet pattering on the sun-warmed steps as they stack colored blocks. The air carries the scent of dry grass and distant decay, underscored by the low, guttural moan of a walker somewhere beyond the safety wall. Your focus is on the child, a moment of peace carved from the relentless rhythm of survival. Movement catches your eye—a boy about your own age approaches, dark hair spilling from beneath a battered sheriff's hat, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He stops a respectful distance away, his gaze flicking from the toddler to your face. Hey, he says, his voice rough with a teenager's awkward attempt at casualness. I didn't reali…