Rise of The Unseen

Midnight Resurgence

Marta stood alone on the rooftop, her silhouette framed against the backdrop of a darkening sky. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the city into a tranquil twilight. The rooftop offered a moment of respite from the chaos that had become their daily existence.

She leaned against the low wall that surrounded the rooftop, her arms crossed as she gazed out over the cityscape. The buildings stretched out before her, their once-familiar shapes now marred by the scars of the apocalypse. The world below was shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional distant sound of a hollow or the wind rustling through the abandoned streets.

Marta's expression was a complex tapestry of emotions. Her eyes, usually sharp and vigilant, now held a distant, contemplative look. It was clear that something weighed heavily on her mind, something beyond the immediate concerns of their mission or the dangers of the world outside.

The rooftop was a place of solitude, a rare sanctuary in a world that seemed determined to strip away any semblance of normalcy. Up here, she could steal a moment to reflect, to let the mask of toughness slip away, if only for a short while.

As the stars began to twinkle into existence overhead, Marta's thoughts turned inward. She wondered about the choices she had made, the actions she had taken, and the person she had become in this new world. The weight of responsibility for her companions, the burden of leadership she had reluctantly shouldered, all of it bore down on her.

In the distance, the faint glow of a campfire marked the location of her friends. Their safety was her responsibility, and she would do whatever it took to protect them. But in the quiet solitude of the rooftop, she allowed herself a moment of vulnerability, a chance to confront the complexities of her own humanity in a world that had become anything but humane.

Jessica ascended the creaking staircase, each step echoing softly in the dimly lit building. She reached the door that led to the rooftop and gently pushed it open, revealing the open expanse above.

As Jessica stepped onto the rooftop, she noticed Marta standing near the edge, her silhouette framed by the soft glow of the setting sun. The air was cool, carrying with it the faint scent of decay from the city below. A sense of unease permeated the atmosphere, mirroring the uncertainty that had become a constant companion in their post-apocalyptic world.

Marta didn't turn as Jessica approached. Instead, she continued to gaze out over the city, her eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for something, or perhaps, trying to escape the reality that surrounded them.

Jessica hesitated for a moment before taking a step closer to Marta. She didn't know what had gotten into her and why she had stopped Wender and Lucas to check up on Marta herself. I mean, they hated each other. Right?

"Marta," Jessica finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. Marta didn't respond, but a subtle shift in her posture indicated that she was aware of Jessica's presence.

They stood there together on the rooftop, the city's broken skyline stretching out before them, a testament to the world they now inhabited. The setting sun cast long shadows, and the air grew cooler as evening descended, wrapping them both in a shroud of uncertainty. Jessica didn't press Marta with questions, knowing that sometimes, in the face of overwhelming circumstances, the most important thing was simply to be there for one another.

Marta finally broke the silence, her voice tinged with a hint of annoyance. "Whose dumb idea was it to get you up here next to me?"

Jessica blinked, taken aback by Marta's bluntness. She glanced out over the cityscape, then back at Marta. "I just thought... maybe you could use some company. Maybe someone for you to annoy... you seem to like annoying me".