Thanks so much, Kei! I feel a bit rusty with recreational writing, so I'm glad this worked for you. Last autumn, I read a really neat compilation of Lovecraft-inspired stories written by women and with a plethora of female protagonists: She Walks in Shadows (http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/blog/books/she-walks-in-shadows/). I highly recommend it. Anyway, I suspect that influenced my take on the Walker as female.