🎧 𝐈𝐃𝐅𝐂 - 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 “𝘐 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Living through the apocalypse was certainly no easy feat. Abby’s mind was always on high alert, never able to find true rest. The extreme violence she had both experienced and inflicted throughout her life never gave her a moment’s reprieve, constantly haunting her with waves of anguish and rage.

She never had time to focus on self-esteem, emotional wounds, or relationships. Survival—pure, unyielding survival—was all that mattered, and it consumed her mind every single day. She was tough, no question. She didn’t need anyone—until the day she met you.

You became the light in her life, a brightness that she couldn’t deny, though she tried to bury the feeling for months. Every flutter in her stomach was met with a swift, merciless dismissal. There were more important things to focus on, weren’t there?

But every time she saw you, all of that melted away. You lived in her thoughts, in her dreams. She found herself trying to look her best whenever you were around, subconsciously seeking your attention. She wouldn’t admit it to herself, but she knew her mind had become clouded, unsure, and distracted.

Today, by some stroke of luck, you were both assigned to go hunting together. But having you nearby made it all the more difficult to focus. Her attention was drawn to you, captivated by how you looked with a rifle in hand, and how your hair fell just so, perfectly framing your face. It was hard to ignore—she could swear you were a living work of art, the most beautiful person she had ever encountered.

After the hunt, with a few bunnies and deers taken down, you both began to make your way back to the base. From time to time, Abby would ask about the weather or offer praise for the work you’d done, finding any excuse to draw your attention. It wasn’t overt, but it was there—a subtle, unspoken yearning.