Salvage Station 23

Chapter 1, Part 6

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Olivia's POV
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I squinted against the harsh midday sun, wiping sweat from my brow as I surveyed Salvage Station 23. The train yard buzzed with activity, everyone working tirelessly to prepare for the night ahead. My muscles ached from the previous night's battle, but there was no time to rest.

"Olivia!" Eli's voice called out. I turned to see him jogging towards me, his messy hair bouncing with each step. "I think I've got an idea for improving our light defenses."

I couldn't help but smile. Eli's mind never stopped working, always coming up with new inventions. "Let's hear it," I said, gesturing for him to walk with me as I continued my rounds.

As Eli excitedly explained his plan for a network of motion-activated lights, I watched the others at work. Zoe was perched atop one of the train cars, her curly hair tied back as she fiddled with a solar panel. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, reminding me how much we relied on her technical skills.

"...and if we can salvage more batteries from the abandoned cars in the lot next door, we might be able to-" Eli's voice faded as I spotted Max and Aiden arguing near the gate.

"Hold that thought," I said to Eli, making my way over to the two boys. As I got closer, I could hear their heated discussion.

"We need to reinforce the gate," Aiden insisted, his protective nature showing through. "It's our weakest point."

Max shook his head, his red hair glinting in the sunlight. "The gate held fine last night. We should focus on creating more weapons."

"Hey," I interjected, causing both to turn. "We don't have time for arguments. Aiden, start on the gate. Max, gather any materials you can find for weapons. We'll need both."

They nodded, the tension dissipating. As they moved off to their tasks, I caught sight of Liam emerging from one of the train cars we used for sleeping quarters. He walked with a slight limp, but the fact that he was up and moving was a relief.

"How are you feeling?" I asked as he approached.

Liam managed a small smile. "Better. Still sore, but I want to help. What can I do?"

I considered for a moment. "Why don't you help Zoe with the solar panels? Just take it easy, okay?"

As Liam made his way to Zoe, I noticed David and Mia working together near the old locomotive that had saved us last night. David was showing Mia how to create a more stable mounting for the headlight, their heads bent together in concentration. It was good to see them integrating with our group, their initial reservations fading.

I made my way over, curious about their progress. "How's it going?" I asked.

David looked up, wiping his hands on a rag. "Slow but steady. We're trying to rig up a way to rotate the light more efficiently. Mia here had a clever idea about using an old bike chain."

Mia ducked her head, seemingly embarrassed by the praise. "It's not much," she murmured.

"Every idea counts," I assured her. "That's how we've survived this long."

As I continued my rounds, checking on everyone's progress, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. We were a mismatched group, thrown together by circumstance, but we were working together, fighting to survive. The looming threat of night hung over us, but in that moment, watching my makeshift family work under the harsh sun, I felt a glimmer of hope.

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Max's POV
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I wiped the sweat from my brow, my red hair sticking to my forehead as I rummaged through a pile of scrap metal. The sun beat down mercilessly, but I couldn't afford to take a break. Not with night approaching and those... things waiting in the darkness.

"Hey, Max! Found anything useful?" Eli's voice called out. I looked up to see him approaching, his arms full of wires and what looked like old flashlight parts.

"Maybe," I grunted, holding up a length of pipe. "Thinking of making some spears. You know, something with a bit more reach than our usual weapons."

Eli's eyes lit up. "Ooh, good idea! Hey, if we attach some of these flashlights to the ends, we could have light-up spears. Those creatures hate light, right?"

I couldn't help but grin. Eli's enthusiasm was infectious, even in the grimmest situations. "Now you're talking. Let's see what we can rig up."

As we worked, I kept an eye on the others around Salvage Station 23. Olivia was making her rounds, checking on everyone. She caught my eye and gave a nod of approval at our makeshift weapon forge. I felt a surge of pride; Olivia's approval meant a lot, even if I'd never admit it out loud.

Nearby, I spotted Aiden reinforcing the gate. His muscles strained as he lifted a heavy piece of metal into place. I felt a twinge of guilt, remembering our argument earlier. Maybe I should've helped him instead of insisting on making weapons. But then again, we needed both.

"Hey, Aiden!" I called out. "When you're done there, want to test out these spears? Could use your strength."

He looked over, surprise flickering across his face before he nodded. "Yeah, sounds good. Give me a few minutes."

As I turned back to my work, I noticed Liam limping towards Zoe, who was still perched atop a train car. Poor kid had been through hell, but he was tougher than he looked.

"Zoe!" I shouted up at her. "Don't let Liam do anything too crazy up there, alright?"

Zoe gave me a thumbs up, her curly hair bobbing as she nodded. "Don't worry, I've got him on light duty. Just holding tools for now."

I chuckled, turning my attention back to the spear I was crafting. As I worked, I found my mind wandering to the night ahead. The memory of those black figures, their eerie white eyes and grotesque smiles, sent a shiver down my spine despite the heat.

"You okay?" Eli asked, noticing my pause.

I plastered on a grin. "Yeah, just thinking. Hey, you think we could rig up some kind of alarm system? You know, in case those things try to sneak up on us again."

Eli's eyes widened. "Oh man, that's a great idea! We could use some of these wires, maybe some of the scrap metal to make noise... I'll go talk to Zoe about it!"

As Eli scampered off, his excitement palpable, I couldn't help but feel a swell of affection for this mismatched group we'd cobbled together. My eyes drifted to where David and Mia were working on the locomotive. They were still a bit of a mystery, but they'd proved their worth last night.

"Hey, David!" I called out. "If you've got a minute, could use your input on these weapons!"

David looked up, nodding. He said something to Mia before making his way over to me. As he approached, I realized how much I appreciated having an adult around. Not that Olivia wasn't a great leader, but sometimes... well, sometimes it was nice to have someone who'd seen more of the world.

As the day wore on, I found myself marveling at how we all worked together. Each of us had our strengths, our roles to play. And as the sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows across Salvage Station 23, I felt a fierce determination take hold.

We'd survived last night. We'd survive tonight too. And every night after that. Because that's what we did. We survived. Together.

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