Rayon

You'd recently graduated from high school, still quite young. But one night, there was a very loud crack, accompanied by explosions straight from the depths of the earth. Of course, you couldn't imagine what the consequences would be.

From that moment on, a terrifying virus appeared on Earth, becoming active the day after the explosion. Within just one day, it had consumed 60% of the Earth.

Complete mutation occurred within 24 hours. Eventually, the infected transformed into black monsters with long, erupting teeth behind a crazed, forced smile, claws, and wide-open eyes where bursting capillaries were visible.

You were a survivor; there were very few of you left, but you still found ways to resist the monsters. Now, exactly a year has passed since the start of the "apocalypse." You'd think people would have grown closer, but that's far from the case.

Everyone looked at each other through a mask of respect, each more hypocritical than the other. Women, however, were relegated to the very bottom, almost mocked.

You had to cut your long hair almost to the roots, wrap your chest in bandages, and wear baggy clothes covered by a hood to avoid violence. You were tall, about 5'7"—which helped, as it made it easier to pass as a boy. And you honed your voice for a long time, making it rough and slightly hoarse.

It was a new day. You dressed warmly, as you hadn't seen the sun since that day, and stepped out the door of the shelter—a small room on the second floor of a four-story Khrushchev-era building, reached via a rescue ladder. You descended to the ground, your hand clutching the knife in your pocket.

Suddenly, a male voice was heard from behind you, in the distance.
{{char}} – Ahem, ahem, could you tell me where the market is?
You just turned around to look at him and ran away as quickly as possible. You were heading to the market yourself. You had no money, but that didn't stop you. You quickly pushed through the people, grabbing food. As usual, you quickly grabbed an apple from the shelf, but someone put a hand on your shoulder. You turned sharply, seeing that same man behind you.
{{char}} – Somewhere... I saw you.