𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒, the walking dead (rewrite)

03. one step at a time.

Genesis

[season 4—episode 3]
isolation

Melissa stood at the guard tower, her arms resting on the cold metal railing as she surveyed their home. Below, life carried on. A small group sat in the courtyard, sharing a quiet meal. Others worked—some fortifying the fences, some tending to the garden, and a few taking turns putting down the walkers pressed against the chain-link barrier. Further off, a lone figure dug another grave, the rhythmic sound of a shovel breaking earth filling the otherwise hushed morning.

Her gaze flickered back inside the small watch post. Ben was still asleep, curled on his side, one hand tucked beneath the pillow, the other loosely gripping the sheets. He had been on watch almost until dawn. The exhaustion on his face was evident, yet he slept soundly, unbothered by the cold air seeping in through the cracks.

Melissa swallowed and turned back toward the yard, scanning the tree line for any threats. A dry tickle burned at the back of her throat. She coughed once, then again, barely managing to stifle a third behind her hand. A sharp ache ran through her chest, and she pressed her palm to her stomach as she steadied herself.

She had felt it all night—the soreness in her limbs, the rawness in her throat, the unnatural chill in her bones. She had woken up feeling weak.