Wither With Me

CHAPTER 12 - FALSE SECURITY

The sights from the rooftop were strangely scenic. Since all the surrounding buildings were at most three or four-story high, the apartments towered above all of them, offering an all-around view of the area. Nora's previous shelter was a skyscraper downtown, but back then she didn't have any chances of admiring the views. She had other things in mind.

During the last six months, not even once did she feel safe. And yet, even after the crazy chain of events that had unfolded a couple of days ago, she now felt a glimpse of peace. Were things really going to be okay from that moment on? She knew it wasn't going to be that simple. Truth be told, not a lot had changed since they escaped the city center and arrived at the apartments. They might have found a new ally, they might have a new shelter; but the stakes were as high as they were at the starting point. Perhaps even higher.

They weren't safe. If anything, she felt like the world was giving them a false sense of security. It slumbered, waiting for a chance to crumble apart. It was only a matter of time. She couldn't allow herself to lower her guard.

She looked out to the horizon. The entire city stood still, like frozen in time. No movement dared break its lethargy, no sound shattered the silence.

'Ever since this entire mess began, I never noticed... Has the city always looked so... sad...?'

Nora didn't like the old world, but the new one was depressing in an entirely different way. She let out a deep sigh, and walked away from the handrail.

...

William had attempted to keep the shelter as functional as it was before the original community got disbanded, although they were obviously understaffed. Still, less people had less necessities. Survival should still be possible with proper task management.

He was the one in charge of keeping the building in good shape, performing maintenance just like he used to do before. Nora didn't truly understand why maintenance was such a big deal until the previous night. A rampant horde had passed through the area, although William said it wasn't a common occurrence in that district. It took a lot reassuring from him to be able to stay calm, and the same thing could be said regarding Claire, who by then had already been moved to the top floor. She had never encountered one of those hordes before, so it was only natural for her to freak out. Ironically, Lilian was the only one who remained calm through the entire event.

The building's overhangs had prevented the shamblers from climbing up to the higher floors, but the barricades all around the ground level had suffered noticeable damage. Wood was dislodged, metal was bent; the horde had crashed itself against the structure, and would have flooded the lower levels had they managed to break inside. And apparently, if they get too close to you, it's over. She knew that very well.

The defensive barricades were the only obstacle causing the nocturnal hordes to diverge away from the building's interior, and those were something only William had experience fixing.

On the other hand, he wanted Claire to help with the crops on the courtyard once she recovered from her injuries. Her condition had improved enormously, but her left leg still looked like it needed proper rest and care.

And finally, there she was. Stranded on the rooftop, walking around all day, keeping watch. And it was no wonder William wanted her to stay up there. They had every reason to be paranoid of incoming danger.

Nora recalled the conversation they had the day before, when everyone met on Claire's room to distribute food and water.

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"This is all we can spare for now." said William, after placing three cans of food and two bottles of water on the small table by the bedroom's entrance. "Tomorrow we'll be a bit hungry, but we need to hold on to what we have for as long as possible. We should minimize looting trips as much as we can."