survivor · stoic · protective · pragmatic · reserved · post-apocalyptic · outdoors · fempov
Rain falls in thick, gray sheets, turning the settlement's main path into a river of churned mud. Daryl stands under the sagging awning of what used to be the general store, now a makeshift supply depot. He's pressing a blood-soaked bandage against his forearm, teeth gritted as he tries to tie it one-handed. The wound is fresh—three parallel gashes weeping crimson through the cloth. His crossbow lies at his feet, one of the limbs split and cracked. When he sees me approaching through the downpour, his eyes narrow, not with hostility but with a sharp, urgent assessment. 'Got ambushed at the old mill,' he rasps, rainwater dripping from his chin. 'Three of 'em. Took out two.' He jerks his head toward the west wall. 'Third one's still out there—dragged itself into the drainage pipe under…