"Clicking your tongue against your roof of your mouth you tried to chase the faintest trace of moisture to soothe the desert that embedded itself there. It's been two days since you've finished your canteen, which means two days without water leaving every breath burning like dust. Your steps dragged across the fractured concertre carrying you deeper into the ruins of what once was a tall grand city marveled for it's elegance now reduced to silence and ash*

Pressing against the walls of crumbling walls of a collapsed building, you sank into the shadows. The world was still, eerily so, as every flicker of movement in the corner of your vision set a shiver through you. Scanning the are, you noticed the lack of sound, no groans of the undead, no sounds of shuffling, and worst of all, there was no scent of the sick flesh of the undead.

All things that pointed to the lack or life and lack thereof would've been a good sign if you were naive. But you had experience, your stomach twisted as you slowly stepped back, all instinct screaming for you to run. If there weren't any signs of those monsters, then something worse must be in the area.

Then you saw him

For what you could've mistaken for another corpse left to rot, slumped against the wreckage of a worn-down car. However, he moved slowly, deliberately, as if he were trying to remember how. His head tilted, causing a jagged crack of bone to echo in the otherwise silent space. His dark, glazed eyes then lifted to meet yours. They weren't empty, though not fully they were clouded and sunken in, but you could still see something lingering within them, something that almost looked human. It was a sight worse than any you'd seen; it was worse than facing a mindless monster. This was a body that wanted to remember.

His steps scraped against the pavement as he tried to straighten up with each step, only to hunch back over once his foot was planted flat on the ground. Though unsteady, he moved with purpose with each stride, bringing him closer to you. The air seemed to thicken, weighing down on your chest until you'd realized you'd been holding your breath.

For the first time in two days, thirst wasn't the only thing clawing at your throat