登入Chapter 20: TriagePOV: ChloeThe first thing I noticed when I entered Whitlow's infirmary was the number of people waiting for help.Some lay on thin mattresses along the walls, while others sat on the floor with their backs against the windows. A woman held a damp cloth to her son's forehead, and an old man coughed into a handkerchief that was already stained with blood. The nurses moved from one patient to another, but there were too many people and not enough medicine.I tightened my grip on the bag I had brought.Inside were tomatoes and a few other vegetables from the spring in my space. I had picked them that morning, hoping Whitlow would accept them in exchange for the antibiotics Dad needed.He was behind a wooden desk near the entrance, checking a list of supplies. When I placed the bag in front of him, he looked inside and picked up a tomato.“Where did you get these?”“My family had some stored away.”He turned the tomato in his hand, examining its smooth skin. “People wou
Chapter 19: The DeserterPOV: ChloeNoah waited until we were safely away from the old house before telling me what he had discovered.“The toll collector is Daniel.”I turned to him, hoping I had misunderstood. “Are you sure?”“I recognised his face as soon as I saw him. He's using another name, but it's definitely him.”I looked ahead without saying anything. After everything that had happened between Daniel and me, I hadn't expected to hear his name again so soon.In my previous life, he had refused to open his door when I begged him for shelter. I had been desperate, hungry and frightened, while he had stood behind that door and left me to face the cold and the infected outside.Yet Noah had seen him collecting tolls from survivors as if nothing had happened.“Did he ask about me?” I eventually asked.“He did, but I didn't tell him where you were. I also warned him to stay away from you.”I nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself. Daniel had made his choice once, and I had no intent
Chapter 18: Mum's KeyPOV: ChloeNoah kept watching me, waiting for an explanation.I glanced at the bloodstain on my sleeve before meeting his eyes. “I can keep certain supplies somewhere safe, away from other people. But using it comes at a price.”His gaze dropped to my sleeve again. “Is that why you've been getting headaches?”I nodded, relieved that he hadn't asked me to explain further. “I need you to keep this between us. Don't tell anyone, not even your wife.”Noah studied my face for a moment before agreeing. “I won't.”He reached into his pocket and brought out a small brass key. Mum had given it to him before we left the old house, telling him that Dad had left something behind that we might need.“We should go before it gets dark,” he said.I agreed, and after telling Mum we were checking the nearby road, we left the store. Noah's wife stayed behind with our parents while we made our way through the quiet streets.The closer we got to our old neighbourhood, the more carefu
Chapter 17: The Living GroundChloe's POVI entered my space with a few things on my mind, but I wasn't prepared for what I found.Something had changed.Beyond the shelves where I kept my supplies, a narrow strip of dark soil stretched across the ground. Beside it was a small pool of clear water. A thin mist hovered above its surface, and when I crouched to touch it, the water felt cold against my fingers.I stared at it.A spring?I dipped my hand into the pool and tasted a little water. It was fresh, with no strange smell or unpleasant taste.But where had it come from?I had entered this space countless times since discovering it. There had never been a pool or soil here.I stood and looked around. Everything else remained where I had left it, but this new patch of ground seemed to have appeared overnight.Then I remembered the tunnel.The infected had been closing in on us. I had used my phone to draw them away, and somehow, after that, my space had changed.Could the two things
Chapter 16: The Toll BridgeDaniel's POVRain beat against the metal roof of Whitlow's toll station, and the wind pushed water through the gaps in the wooden barriers.I pulled my jacket tighter and watched the road.The bridge had become one of the few usable crossings in the district. Floodwater covered the roads on either side, leaving the raised bridge as the only way through for people heading towards the eastern settlements.Anyone who wanted to cross had to pay.I worked the toll under the name Dan Reed.It was a simple arrangement. I collected supplies, checked travellers and helped Whitlow's guards keep order. In return, I had a place to sleep and enough food to survive.Nobody here knew I had once recruited survivors for Harbor.That was how I wanted it.I kept my head down, spoke only when necessary and avoided questions about my past. Still, every time an engine approached, my body reacted before I could stop it. I would glance towards the road, wondering whether someone h
Chapter 15: Batch 7Chloe's POV"Tell me what you know about my father."Imogen glanced at Dad, who was lying on the narrow bed we had prepared for him."I need to examine his blood before I can be certain. The clinic doesn't have enough power to run the equipment properly, but I can do it here if you have a field analyzer.""Then let's get one."She packed her remaining supplies, and we returned to the agricultural store.Noah helped Dad inside while Mum brought him water. He looked worse than he had that morning. His skin was hot, and the rash on his arm had spread towards his elbow.Imogen opened her medical bag."I need an analyzer. I left mine at the clinic.""I'll check our supplies," I said.I went into the storage room and retrieved the compact field analyzer from my space. I had bought it while preparing for the outbreak, along with other medical equipment.When I returned, I placed it on the table."Will this work?"Imogen examined it and nodded."Yes. This is exactly what I







