Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 4 Content Sneak Peek

I am currently going through Part 4 and adding content for challenges. I made this for kleptomaniac and thought it was a really engaging scenario. This happens when you are visiting the Southern Ute when going to save Kevin in chapter 13. Jimmy is the name of an elder of the tribe.

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Your eyes wander the room and land on a small display tucked on a wooden shelf near the fireplace. It’s a hand-carved kachina doll, painted with bright bands of turquoise and deep red. The details stand out: the tiny feathers tied to its arms and the delicate beadwork forming a sash across its middle. It’s clearly more than decoration. It’s set slightly apart, resting on a woven mat. You notice Jimmy’s gaze land on it now and then.

Without thinking, you slide a hand out, curling your fingers around the carved wood. It’s lighter than you expected, beads rough against your palm. In one smooth motion, it slips into your backpack. Your heart pounds in your throat as the doors slam shut and quiet settles over the hall.

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Later…

A murmuring of whispers spreads through the Southern Ute, and you soon understand why. You catch a few glances sweeping the shelf where the kachina doll once sat. Two older women look there, then at each other, whispers between them. One man drags his eyes slowly across the floorboards as if searching for something. The itch under your skin returns, that same greedy pulse that made your hand close around the doll in the first place.

Jimmy steps closer, lowering his voice so only you can hear him.

“I know you took the kachina doll. It’s been with my family for generations. It holds meaning for us beyond what most would see.” He pauses, meeting your eyes. “If you give it back now, there’ll be no judgment from me. No need for explanations. I’d simply like it returned where it belongs.”

The pull inside you is sharp, an itch that makes your hand want to curl around the hidden shape all over again.

You…