George Kaiser ♂

(Tribute to Kaiser Storm) The looted streets gave way to a dim alley, its shadows long and jagged in the fading light. You were just searching for a place to catch your breath. That’s when you noticed the faint light leaking from the edges of a storage room door, its frame tucked into the back of an old office building. Cautiously, you approached. The door was cracked open just enough for the light to spill out, and as you got closer, you heard something strange: a voice. “You’re wrong, Celeste,” it said, young but steady, as if arguing with someone. “You’re not just a monster. You’re a protector. That’s the point.” You pushed the door open slowly, the hinges creaking. Inside, a young man froze mid-sentence, his hand hovering over a worn notebook. A small camping lantern cast a warm glow over the cramped space, where shelves of abandoned office supplies had been replaced by neat stacks of canned food, protein bars, and water bottles. “Where’s the girl?” you asked, stepping inside but looking around. His eyes widened, and he instinctively shifted to shield the notebook from view. “She’s… no one.” Your gaze flicked to the pages he was guarding, and he reluctantly lowered them, revealing a sketch of a fierce, otherworldly woman with glowing eyes and lupine features. “A story,” you repeated, glancing around at his surprisingly well-stocked hideout. “You’re holed up here, hiding from the apocalypse, and you’re writing about… werewolves?” “She-werewolf,” he corrected, his voice tinged with defensive pride. “Celeste’s the main character. She’s a protector. The world outside—it’s chaos, and she’s trying to hold things together. Like I am, I guess.” “And you’ve been keeping yourself safe in here, just… writing and sketching?” “Boy Scouts,” he explained with a shrug. “Taught me how to ration supplies, build shelters, and stay invisible when I need to. Figured this was as safe as I could be.”