This War of Mine: Strength in Numbers

Outside

Mark continues wandering around the house, double checking weak spot in the handmade barriers that had been put up on the windows and doors.

"Well," He mutters, giving one a good pull to make sure that it would not break easily. "Looks alright,"

Wandering back towards the kitchen, Mark finds a bag of electronics set beside the stairs. "Thanks," He says to no one in particular.

"You're welcome," Stacey says coming out of the kitchen and walking towards the stairs.

Mark nods to her. "Have a nice sleep."

Stacey sighs, running a hand through her hair. "Thanks."

She continues up the stairs to her room.

Mark grabs the bag and continues on to his workshop in the basement. In the short time they had been living in this house Mark had built a full workshop, an area for metal work, two rainwater collectors place strategically in the house with a small spout to collect outside water. He had upgraded the stove, and built Cupid a vegetable garden in the conservatory. And the other day he had found a used generator in the garage that he had gotten running.

Now Mark sat down at the workshop bench, looking over the parts that Stacey had brought. Getting down to work he started to piece together the radio.

———————-

"Well nothing on the needed list from yesterday changes today for me," Cupid says standing behind Mark as Mark works on the radio.

Short bursts of static jumping from it every couple of seconds.

"Mark,"

"Mark!"

"I have everything I need for the Radio, I'm planning on tearing down and rebuilding the metal workshop again, I should have everything I need for that. Someone keeps bothering me about the piano on the main floor, and some guitar, but I would need to look at them first. I am hoping to make a few more filters for the rain collectors, and fuel for the stove. The generator looks a little hinky, but I should have that sorted out by the end of today." The table Mark is currently working at wobbles for a moment. "Darn, I need to take this workshop apart to...."

"Do you need anything else Mark?" Cupid asks with a sigh, holding the list in one hand and putting the other on his hip.

"Um, what do I have on the list right now?" Mark asks.

"Copper wire, proper electricians tools, any metal..." Cupid pauses reading further down the list. "Mark honey, honestly how do you expect Stacey to find this stuff? I don't even know what you're asking for."

"She knows, I asked, She knows," Mark says still totally focused on the radio.

Cupid gives him a look, and Mark finally looks up at him. Grinning sheepishly he gestures to Cupid for the paper.

"You just better have it back upstairs before Stacey leaves or she'll go without it," Cupid warns wagging a finger at Mark while handing him the list.

"I know, I know," Mark says taking the paper and putting it down the table, causing it to wobble again. "I'll be done in a minute,"

Mark grabs a pen from an old tin with various writing utensils in it and gets to work writing out what he needs.

"That's what you always say," Cupid says with a small smile, walking to the stairs.

The radio still bursting with static and a few words.

"Welcome...Pogoren....Radio..."

————————

Cupid found himself puttering around in the Conservatory, checking the produce, watering the plants, and getting his hands dirty. Because he could not go out scavenging, and could only do so much around the house before he lost his sanity, Cupid spent more and more time tending to the fruits and vegetables.

The luscious greens, and blues of the plants contrasted greatly with the wires holding the plant lights, and dark boards that cover the large windows. It had taken a week to board up the Conservatory, and then another week to make it into a fruit and vegetable producing space.

A sigh escapes from Cupid's lips as he takes a moment. Standing up, he takes a deep breath in and goes back into the house, and into the kitchen.

Looking through the cupboards reveals that they are running low on everything.

Pulling out some oats to make porridge and the fixings for a light dinner for him and Mark.

———————

Cupid had just finished making the porridge for Stacey and Roman when Stacey wandered into the kitchen, and scared him by making it right beside him before he noticed.

"My god girl, did you sleep at all?" Cupid exclaims almost dropping his stir stick. "You almost scared me to death."

"Sorry Cupid," Stacey says with a smile and a shrug. "I've always been able to sneak up on people, now it's just reflexive."

Her smile slips away, and Cupid frowns as well.

"You sure you don't want to sleep for a while longer?" Cupid asks, taking the pot off of the stove and portioning out the porridge into some bowls he had pulled out.

"You know, I remember when I needed at least 12 hours of sleep to feel fully refreshed when I was younger, and I could never understand why. I mean we were always told you need only 8 hours." Stacey sighs with a slight smile on her face. "Now I know why. I don't think that I could sleep for 8 hours straight now."

She leans into the counter and watches Cupid work.

——————-

Roman wakes up to the world going dark, groaning he rolls out of bed and heads into the bathroom.

After washing up he heads downstairs into the main floor, and into the kitchen.

"Hey Roman, you're just in time," Stacey says caring the food into the dining room.

"Hey, how much sleep did you get?" Roman asks, running a hand through his hair.

"Enough," Stacey says from the other room.

"Not enough," Cupid says from the kitchen.

Roman just shakes his head.

——————

"Good luck," Roman says to Stacey as they exit the house.

Stacey nods to him and starts off.

Roman marches to the garage and then up to his perch, a well barricaded and hidden area from where he can see most people coming and they cannot see him.

Stacey makes it through the yard.

BOOM!

An explosion nearby.

"It used to be so quiet here," Stacey mutters under her breath and then slips into the shadows of the next yard.