In a world taken over by walkers, ten-year-old Elodie fights to survive each day. But she's not just any survivor-she's a girl who happens to be hard of hearing. Her older brother Jamie isn't exactly supportive. In fact, he's downright cold, leaving...
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Elodie sat in her cozy living room, playing with her dolls while her mother was busy in the kitchen. The morning sun streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow over the small space. Her brother—Jamie—sat behind his computer, slamming the desk every once in a while when he'd lose the game he was playing. The TV murmured in the background, but Elodie paid little attention to it. Her dolls were way more interesting than the boring things that were on the news that morning anyway.
Elodie had always been a quiet kid, partly because of her hearing loss. She never really had any friends because most of the kids at school thought she was strange. They'd whisper things during class, not realizing that Elodie could hear them just fine. Elodie often asked to play with the girls in her class, but they'd always make faces, shake their heads, and dramatically mouth 'no' as if she was stupid. As if she were a baby. They talked to her as if she was a baby, too.
You might think Jamie would help her, stand up for his little sister at school. But you'd be wrong. He'd just watch from the sidelines. He'd watch as his little sister got pushed around for no reason. They'd shove her aside, even when she wasn't in their way. They just wanted an excuse to pick on her. He'd watch the girls laugh when she walked by, mouthing words and making fun of her.
Sometimes, she felt like an outsider in her own world, like she was living in a bubble where no one truly understood her. Nobody understood Elodie. And she had already accepted that nobody ever would. To escape, she'd play with her dolls, imagining a world that seemed far better than reality. It helped, mostly. When she was alone in her room, lost in her make-believe, she felt safe. But deep down, she knew she didn't fit in. How could she when she couldn't even hear properly like the other girls her age?
At home, things weren't much better. While her mom meant well, Elodie hoped, she didn't fully grasp what Elodie was going through. She'd encourage her to be more outgoing, to make friends, but it wasn't that simple for Elodie. And Jamie, well, he had his own problems to deal with, or at least that's what Elodie told herself to justify his behaviour. They didn't understand what Elodie was going through, and she often felt invisible, like her struggles didn't matter to them.
Suddenly, the noise from the TV grew louder, and the ten-year-old looked up to see images of chaos and panic flashing across the screen. She lowered the doll she was playing with, squinting at the TV as a whistling noise sounded in her ear, her hearing aids obviously not liking the loud noises of the TV.
"Momma, what's happenin'?" Elodie asked, her voice trembling with fear.
"We're receiving reports from all over the city of violent attacks," the reporter shouted over the chaos in the background. "People are turning into—into something else. It's like they're not human anymore."
Elodie's jaw dropped slowly as her gaze was glued to the screen, her heart pumping in her chest.
"We urge everyone to stay indoors and avoid contact with anyone showing signs of aggression," the reporter continued, his voice trembling. "Authorities are advising citizens to evacuate the city immediately, but please remain calm and follow instructions."
