Exit Wounds // Francis

Sadie Taylor is a cop who always believed she could keep the world from falling apart-until the outbreak proved her wrong. When the outbreak shattered everything she once believed in, she became a survivor out of instinct, a leader out of necessity, and a fighter because there was no one else left to be. As law and order crumbled, she clung to her instinct to protect, even as everything she loved slipped through her fingers. The fallout left her and her sister, Zoey, on opposite sides of old wounds and unspoken blame, their bond strained by the impossible choices survival demanded. Cut off from the life she once knew, Sadie found unexpected solace in a fellow survivor who understood her silences, a man whose rough humor and loyalty reminded her that connection could still exist in the ruins. Haunted by the people she couldn't save and driven by the ones who still need her, she discovers that survival isn't just about staying alive-it's about remembering who you are when the world tries to make you forget.

[This story contains dark and mature subject matter. This story contains themes of grief and death, graphic depictions of violence, strong language and sexual content. Reader discretion is strongly advised.]