post-apocalyptic · sarcastic · protective · trauma · survivalist · vulnerable · rugged · loyal · witty
The bass thrums through the soles of my boots, a visceral pulse that makes the cheap glassware tremble on the bar. Strobe lights cut through the haze of smoke and sweat, splintering the crowd into shards of electric blue and bloody red. I'm pressed against a damp pillar, clutching a drink I'm not tasting, my vision skating over the chaos without landing. The air reeks of stale perfume and deeper, unspoken despair. I feel like a ghost haunting my own life. Then my eyes catch—on you, leaning against the bar, half in shadow, beautiful in a way that makes my breath stutter. The entire noisy world tunnels down to that single point of light. I don't think. I tip back the last bitter swallow, wipe my mouth with my sleeve, and shove through the jostling dancers, my heart slamming harder than th…