Dead hopes (ghost x female reader)

Lying low (chapter 1)

Tw- mentions of emotionl abuse

It has been two years since the breakout.

You were 24 years old , living in the woods out in Nebraska with your companion as infection had taken over most parts of the world. It all started with the water. There had been a contaminant that had spread from waste into the sewer lines and into clean water streams. People got sick from drinking it and soon it was all lost hope. The infection caused the host to deteriorate from the inside out, practically making a walk of decay. once infected first in week, one if you were infected, you would feel nauseous and very weak. Practically in the second stage, you would lose all appetite and be very dehydrated as well as your skin would start to blister and rot, as well as skin turning black and dying. In the third stage of the infection you will go blind. Your eyes turning that milky color leaving no life to lurk. Once in the final stage your organs will shut down and soon you would be a slave to your own body , a slave to the virus.

Not many people made it out alive and all sorts of atrocities happened between survivors. Trust the wrong person and you'd either be looted , ambushed , assaulted or worse. Considering if you were in the second stage of infection murder would be considered mercy but some people kill just to kill. In the normal world people can be cruel and Ruthless so image how things would be in this apocalypse. People are desperate and willing to cross measures that are beyond apprehensive. It's been awhile since you've both heard from people but When the infection had first started you were alone but along the way met ghost. 

Ghost was a different type of person. Age was 32 , British with a deep voice as well as He was 6,4 having a tall and muscular stature as well as having light skin , dark brown eyes and dirty blonde hair. He had some light scars scattered across his arms as well as more darker ones on his torso and chest. He had a tattoo sleeve with dark skull patterns but He wasn't your average person being that he'd mostly keep to himself , didn't talk much and had some pretty shitty dad jokes. When he first met you, One thing he never told you was his real name. Always sticking to you to call him "ghost". After a few months of traveling with him from Iowa , Missouri and North Dakota as well as the south you made it to Nebraska. You always wondered why ghost was always so good at survival until he told you he was past military , he never told you why he wore the mask but you didn't dare questioned it.

He's kept you safe along the way , showing you different techniques of hand in hand combat as well as medical advice. Regardless of his stalking and dark aura he was always alert and very vigilant as many would say. Sometimes he could be a bit paranoid but you managed trying to assure him. As for you , you were a young woman, 25 and trying to strive. You were witty and had a sense of humor as well as trying to keep things light and interesting, trying to make it through and keep sane. You were one to back down but sometimes your stubbornness caused issues. You sometimes tended to be distant when you had something on your mind or if you were thinking about your past.

You've seen the bodies and what they looked like before and after. It was gruesome. The blood , burns of flesh , blistering skin and decaying matter. Not to mention how you were practically left for dead. Your family found out about the whole infection and they hopped up leaving you to fend for yourself. Even if you were 24 you were still trying to figure out life. Not everything comes all at once as you were still in school and trying to get a good job , you were always kinda the black sheep of your family often left out of family gatherings , shunned like garbage and no one ever made time for you. You were made felt unwanted. You felt unloved and felt alone. You didn't have many to go to as well as your mother was a manipulative narcissist and your dad was a buisness man who was always on a trip. Your mother tended to be emotionally abusive towards you as well , even if you smiled there was always that underlying feeling of resentment and sadness towards her but you found your place with someone who cares.

You never brought up your past but instead kept quiet about it as the same went for ghost. He never explained much but in a way he was growing closer to you day by day. He won't admit that though. You and ghost were currently living in a small cabin out in the middle of the Nebraskan forest, the fresh scent of pine mingling with the earthy aroma of the ground beneath your feet. You glance up as you have been outside looking for thin long branches , taking in the towering evergreens that stretch high into the sky, their branches forming a thick canopy above your head. The forest seems to hum with life as you hear the birds chirping and tress brushing about in the wind.

You wore a dark green windbreaker with a dark gray and black shirt with black cargos and scuffed up black boots as well as having a small utility belt on you with a knife and a few other things and having a strap on your back to hold the spear you had made. As you went down fining another thing branch suitable to your liking you heard a branch break behind you causing you stiffen and stop in your tracks but before anything else could be heard you drawn your spear that you kept on your back and you wasted not time a swung. As you tried to get a hit something had caught your spear by the stick end quickly stopping it from hitting their chest.

It was ghost.

"What did i tell you about being more aware?"
Ghost started calmly as he pushed your spear away from him , fixing the rifle strap that held his weapon.
"You snuck up one me dammit how the fuck was i supposed to notice you big brute?"
You countered as you pulled your spear away and slipped it back onto your back sling holder.
"That's the point , it's the lesson. It's called being aware. Your not going to survive long if you keep up like this. You need to pull your blood weight y/n"
He sighed , watching as you picked up the thin sticks you had scrounged around for.
"I have pulled my weight , two years with yours added."
You joked a bit as you nudged him and he kept quiet as he looked down at you.
"What ? Can't take a joke ? It's better then your dad jokes for sure."
You let off a small chuckle.
"My jokes aren't as nearly bad as your cooking."
He retorted and held a small smirk and flipped him off.
"Oh piss off , as if yours is any better."
You replied and he sighed as he turned on foot and not looking behind him as he expected you to follow which in your case you did.

You followed behind him, your boots leaving slight marks as you kept up with a close pace.
"Your more talkative today. Seems being with me isn't so bad huh?"
You referenced to most of the times where he practically loathed being around you but loosened up after awhile talking a bit more. He actually grew a bit protective over you as well over time.
"When you're sleeping and quiet."
He says bluntly as if he really didn't want to be around you.
"Y'know..you think infected will ever reach here?"
You asked and he glanced down at you.
"It's a possibility, but it will be fine. Any of those rotten bastards come and will be fine."
He says quietly yet it was oddly reassuring to you regardless of his blunt tone. Ghost could tell when you were a bit worried about something. You'd ask questions suddenly about the infected hoping for some reassurance about it being safe and ghost wild deliver in his own way. That's just how he was.

As you both walked back to the small wooden cabin that you've both accompanied for the last few months you saw how there was the small workbench that lay outside of it , with tools and other things on it and such. There was clothes line as well holding all different sorts of animal pelts. Rabbit , coyote , rabbit , fox and even cougar. Whether you guys hunted you skinned and ate you never wasted a good kill. It was hard to find food but hunting grew easier the more you did it. Ghost was the one who skinned and set out the animal pelts , you on the other hand whittled down sticks into arrows as if that was what you were collecting the sticks for. You all did each other's part and kept each other alive.

Both were alive yet soon would be at stake for dying hopes were on the plate.