---
The Jolene's engine fell silent, and the abrupt stillness was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the relentless chugging that had been their constant companion for sixteen months. In that instant, the world transformed into an unnerving realm of quiet. They had anchored in a small, secluded cove, enveloped in a thick morning mist that draped over the water's surface like a delicate veil.
Through the swirling fog, the silhouette of the town of Parker's Run emerged—a ghostly assemblage of grey forms. The rotting docks leaned precariously into the murky depths, while the skeletal masts of half-sunken fishing boats jutted upwards like forlorn fingers, accusing the heavens. The air was saturated with the pungent aroma of salt and rot, thick enough to taste, and the oppressive silence felt tangible—no birdsong, no whisper of the wind, and most chillingly, no distant groans. The quiet was a coiled serpent, poised to strike without warning.
"This is it," Lee murmured, his voice barely rising above the haunting tranquility, feeling almost sacrilegious in its volume. He stood on the deck, peering intently at the shore, a shotgun resting loosely in his grip, a protective instinct battling against the fear tightening in his chest.
Kenny sidled up beside him, his gaze roaming over the derelict town with an insatiable desire mixed with dread. "Looks dead," he remarked, the statement intended to provide solace, yet it hung heavy in the air, steeped in grim irony.
"Let's hope it stays that way," Carley interjected, joining them with purpose. With practiced precision, she chambered a round into her rifle, the sharp click of metal echoing defiantly in the heavy silence. "Lee, Kenny, and I will go ashore. The three of us. We move fast, grab what we can, and we're back before midday."
The decision was made, yet the farewells were laden with an unspoken weight of anxiety. Katjaa grasped Lee's arm, her eyes shimmering with unvoiced fears. "Watch him, Lee. Please. His temper... he doesn't think."
"I will," Lee assured her, his voice carrying the gravity of a promise that would resonate deeply within her heart. "I'll bring him back."
Kenny knelt before Duck, enveloping his son's small shoulders in his large, calloused hands. "Alright, little man. You listen to your mama, okay? Be brave for her. I'll be back soon with a boatload of candy and comic books, just you wait." He pulled the boy into a fierce embrace, burying his face in the soft strands of Duck's hair for a brief moment before standing once more, his expression hardened into a mask of determination.
They lowered a small inflatable dinghy into the water, the splash breaking the tranquil surface with a sound that reverberated through the fog. As the three of them paddled towards the shore, the Jolene and the two figures waving farewell from its deck gradually faded into the mist, consumed until they were but shadows in the murky haze.
---
The town loomed before them like a desolate graveyard, its once-bustling streets now shrouded in an eerie stillness. They moved cautiously down the main thoroughfare, their boots crunching on shards of broken glass that glinted like shards of ice in the fading light. Each shadowed alleyway and broken storefront seemed to whisper threats, a sense of foreboding hanging heavily in the air, turning the silence into a suffocating tide pressing against their ears.
"I don't like this," Carley murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as her rifle scanned their surroundings, the barrel swinging restlessly from side to side. "It's too clean. No bodies, no blood."
"Maybe they all just... wandered off," Kenny suggested, attempting to inject a note of optimism, but even he knew his words sounded hollow against the oppressive quiet.
YOU ARE READING
Walker? or Zombies? (Walking Dead Game x Strong OC)
FanfictionA legend just died and was reborn into the real world that was full of Walker? And he once said, "What the heck, I just reborn to the normal world!? Where is my fantasy Isekai?!" Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead game or series and Left for D...
