⚉ characters: soul x reader
⚉ wc: 1,7k
⚉ genre: slightly eerie, soft angst, survival, post-apocalyptic AU, strangers to(?), end of the world theme, slight mystery
⚉ theme: survivor!soul, survivor!reader, stranger!soul, stranger!reader
⚉ warnings: mild emotional distress, mild language, implied danger, isolation/loneliness, physical strain
Masterlist
⚉ a/n: welcome or welcome back! So, what do we think about this imagine? I'm not really good at writing in the post-apocalyptic genre, but I still had a lot of fun writing it 😁 It was something new for me and it was so much fun to explore! As always, thank you so much for reading, leaving a heart, or even reblogging - it means a lot to me! If you see any mistakes, please feel free to kindly correct me ♡
You can do it, c’mon!
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Just a little more. The town has to be around here somewhere.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Push through the pain.
And again.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
You were repeating this little mantra in your head over and over again, trying to keep yourself going. You made that up a while ago, wandering in the forest full of naked trees for… God, you didn’t even know how long it has been since you’ve been traveling to a town that is supposed to have a safe place.
Some time ago, when you were still walking by the road, you stumbled upon a car. Despite the broken windows and a few scratches here and there on the paint, it still looked like it’s in good condition.
That made your heart beat faster in excitement—if the car had some fuel left, you could use it for fast travel. But it also made you wary of your surroundings, and your senses worked overtime to catch if anyone else was around.
If the car still works, there have to be other people around, or someone is guarding it, and it would be better to avoid any unwanted encounters. Especially if it involves a group of people.
You were alone, and even after everything that’s happening in the world, you gathered a decent amount of resources to help you survive. If others met you, you know they wouldn’t be kind to you and would strip you of everything you own—you would lose everything without a doubt.
Your life included.
And you didn’t survive for this long to throw everything away because of your own stupidity and recklessness.
After making sure no one was around—as far as you could tell—you slowly made your way to the car. Your steps slowed even more when you decided you were close enough and tried to peek inside through the broken windows.
The car was empty.
Abandoned.
With a triumphant smile, you closed the distance between you and the car, and immediately checked the car’s fuel.
Empty.
Of course, it’s empty. No one in their right mind would leave behind their functioning car.
A loud exhale escaped your lips as you closed the door shut. But you didn’t let this not-so-lucky find change your mood for the worse. You still took your time rummaging through the car for any hidden goods the previous owners may have left behind.
That’s how you found a map with coordinates written on it and an arrow pointing to a spot that was circled a few times.
And that’s how you got yourself looking for this mysterious town—for a safe place.
You have been careful to follow the coordinates on the map. Double-checking, sometimes triple-checking your compass to make sure you’re going the right way. But you had walked for days, maybe even weeks, and all you could see were trees and what was left of them.
Exhaustion was keeping you company on this journey, along with the burning in your thighs and cramps in your calves. Not even rest and the little sleep you allowed yourself to have was enough to recharge you anymore.
Thoughts about giving up became more and more frequent with each day that passed, but you kept pushing through all the weariness and pain. You still hoped, even believed, this town exists—and is somewhere close—together with the safe place.
You dropped your backpack from your shoulders, which was followed by a groan filled with pain but also relief. All your belongings filled the backpack to the brim, making it unnecessarily heavy. But that was all you had, and there wasn’t a place where you could store some of the items, so your spine had to make a small sacrifice.
You leaned against the tree with your back for support and reached for a bottle that was nestled in a side pocket of the backpack. Pulling the bottle out from its safety, you opened the cap and drank the last few drops you had left.
"Fuck." You mumbled when the bottle got empty, and just put it back into the side pocket.
Slowly, you slid down until your butt touched the ground. Your head fell forward, hitting the top of your knees as you wrapped your hands around your legs.
You were so tired, in need of a full night's sleep, but that was a luxury you couldn’t have. Not here in the open forest where anyone could lurk, waiting for you to let your guard down and give them the right opportunity to strike.
You weren’t sure how long you could keep going. How long can you chase after something that isn’t confirmed that actually exist? How many more days do you have left in you to fight, to survive?
Without you even realizing, tears spilled from your eyes and rolled down your cheeks.
Then you heard it.
A voice.
At first, you thought it’s another person, maybe a group, and that’s why you went straight to alert and your body to fight-or-flight mode. And because you were in no shape to fight—flight it was.
You grabbed your backpack while already standing up with the help of the tree. Your head was turning in every direction as you put your backpack on, making your spine protest. But now wasn’t the time to hear any of the complaints your body might have; you might be in serious danger if you don’t leave soon enough.
With the backpack secured, you were ready to run in the opposite direction you were hearing the voice from, but there was a problem. It felt like the voice was everywhere around you, making it hard to determine which way it was coming from.
You were turning around, body tensing in fear, heart pounding in your chest you could hear it in your ears, and your fists clenched by your sides. You were lucky to survive for so long without confrontation; you knew it would come one day.
Looks like today is the day.
Taking a deep breath, you raised your fists in a poor attempt at a fighting stance, head still turning in every direction to spot the coming danger.
The voice cracked statically and then became distorted. But only for a moment before it went back to normal. And that’s when you realized you weren’t hearing a real person’s voice.
It was a radio.
No wonder the voice felt like it was enveloping you from every direction. That made you relax your shoulders and lower your fists, but you weren’t out of the water yet.
The radio didn’t turn on by itself. Someone had to do it, which means the potential danger is still around, and you need to be careful.
And yet, the music coming from the radio lured you to move closer to it. You couldn’t even remember how long it had been since you last heard any song, and that wistful feeling made you act carelessly and follow the sound.
The music led you out of the forest, and you were now face to face with… there is no way.
Your steps faltered until you stopped moving. Quickly, you pulled out your compass to check the directions—you checked it so many times you didn’t even need the map anymore.
This was it.
You finally found the town.
A cry of happiness escaped your throat. "Holy shit." With your free hand, you threaded your fingers through your hair, tugging at them just to make sure you’re not hallucinating it.
Even after the pain you inflicted on yourself, the town was still there. Tears of joy welled in your eyes as you realized you had made it.
You made it.
You shoved the compass into your pocket and ran as fast as you could to shorten the distance between you and the town. Your legs didn’t stop until you were walking on the asphalted road. Then you relaxed again.
You were just walking around, looking at the broken and destroyed buildings, abandoned vehicles, and damaged roads and sidewalks. And even if the image of it all was gloomy, you still enjoyed the view.
Because you fucking made it!
Though you forgot about the music because of your excitement, the music hasn’t forgotten about you. Its soft tunes, filled with static and a hum, followed you through the corners of the town you were exploring mostly with your eyes. And it not only followed you, but it kept leading you to its source. All of that without you taking notice of it.
The music got louder the closer you got, but you were still unaware of it, captivated by the ruined town.
But not so much empty as it looked at first glance, or as someone would assume after seeing the state the town’s left in.
Yes, you were here to find a safe place, which means people will be there, maybe even a civilization!
But you came across a… boy.
You stopped moving your legs, and your hand tightened on your backpack’s strap while you glued your eyes on him.
You thought you must be seeing things because the boy was dancing. His moves were so carefree and full of life, even if he was performing to the ghosts of the town. It was as if he were oblivious to what had happened to the world.
And not just that—he was dancing to the music coming from the radio that lured you in here.
No.
Scratched that.
The music that guided you here.
He guided you here.
What a silly thought you have. He couldn’t know you’re lost in the forest; he just played the music for himself, and you happened to be in the right place at the right time. He wasn’t your guide.
Yet, the words ‘thank you’ filled your mouth.
Quietly, you came closer, hiding behind a building while your eyes were glued to his dancing form.
And then his eyes met yours.
Your own eyes widened, heart beating faster as if your parents caught you stealing some candy before dinner. Before you could hide completely behind the building that was now working as your shield, the boy smiled at you.
He smiled at you and continued dancing as if this was normal.
As if the world wasn’t already doomed.
