Salvage Station 23

Chapter 1, Part 3

~~~

Olivia stood atop the watchtower, her eyes scanning the darkening horizon. It had been three days since David and Mia's arrival, and while things had been quiet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Hey, fearless leader," a voice called from below. Olivia looked down to see Max grinning up at her, his unruly red hair glowing in the sunset. "My shift. You can go get some rest."

Olivia climbed down, grateful for the break but hesitant to leave her post. "Any sign of Aiden and Liam?"

Max's grin faded. "Not yet. They should've been back hours ago."

The Menzie brothers had left that morning on a supply run to a nearby town. It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out job.

"I don't like this," Olivia muttered. "We should send a search party."

"I'll go," Max volunteered immediately.

Olivia nodded. "Take Eli with you. And Max? Be careful."

As Max jogged off to find Eli, Olivia headed towards the main living area. She found Zoe tinkering with their solar panel setup, while Mia sat nearby, watching with interest.

"Any luck boosting the power?" Olivia asked.

Zoe shook her head, frustrated. "We need more panels. Or a miracle."

"Or both," Mia added with a wry smile.

A commotion at the gate drew their attention. Olivia's heart leapt – had the Menzie brothers returned? But as she ran towards the sound, she realized it was something much worse.

Aiden Menzie stumbled through the gate, half-carrying, half-dragging his younger brother Liam. Both were covered in blood.

"Help!" Aiden croaked. "Something... something attacked us!"

Olivia and David rushed forward, taking Liam's weight. The younger boy was barely conscious, deep gashes running across his chest and arms.

"What happened?" Olivia demanded as they carried Liam to the infirmary car.

Aiden's eyes were wide with terror. "We were on our way back when we heard this... sound. Like laughter, but wrong. Then these things came out of nowhere. They were... they were human, but not. Black as night, with these glowing eyes and horrible smiles. They moved so fast..."

Olivia felt a chill run down her spine. She'd heard rumors of creatures like this, but had dismissed them as apocalypse folklore.

"How did you escape?" David asked, already working on cleaning Liam's wounds.

"Light," Aiden gasped. "They didn't like our flashlights. We managed to get to the truck, but Liam..." He broke off, choking back a sob.

Just then, Max and Eli burst into the infirmary. "We heard shouting," Eli explained, then froze at the sight of Liam. "Oh, God."

"Max, Eli, I need you to reinforce our lighting around the perimeter," Olivia ordered. "Zoe, see if you can rig up some high-powered floodlights. Mia, help David with Liam."

As everyone scrambled to their tasks, Olivia pulled Aiden aside. "How many were there?"

"Three, maybe four," Aiden said, his voice shaking. "But Olivia, the way they moved... It was like they were toying with us. They didn't try to eat us or anything. They just... wanted to hurt us."

Olivia nodded grimly. "We'll double the watch tonight. And tomorrow, we plan."

As night fell, an eerie silence settled over Salvage Station 23. The newly rigged lights cast long shadows across the train yard, and every flicker made them jump.

Olivia stood at the gate, staring into the darkness beyond their sanctuary. She couldn't shake the feeling that those inhuman eyes were out there, watching, waiting.

A hand on her shoulder made her start. It was David.

"Liam's stable," he said softly. "But he's going to need time to heal."

Olivia nodded, grateful for the good news. "David, in all your travels... have you ever seen anything like what Aiden described?"

The older man's face grew somber. "Once. About a year ago. We lost half our group in one night."

Olivia felt her stomach drop. "How did you survive?"

"We got lucky," David said. "Found an old lighthouse. The beacon seemed to drive them away." He paused, his eyes distant. "Olivia, if these are the same creatures... we're in for one hell of a fight."

As if in response, a chilling sound drifted from the darkness beyond the gate – something between a laugh and a scream. Olivia and David exchanged alarmed glances.

"Everyone inside!" Olivia shouted. "Now!"

As they retreated to the safety of their makeshift fortress, Olivia couldn't shake the feeling that their world was about to change once again. The real test of Salvage Station 23 was just beginning.

~~~