{"id":488,"date":"2011-08-08T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2011-08-08T04:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=488"},"modified":"2011-08-08T00:00:05","modified_gmt":"2011-08-08T04:00:05","slug":"day-10-chapter-9-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=488","title":{"rendered":"Day 10 – Chapter 9 – 03"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom leaned against his crutch, keeping weight off his injured ankle and ignoring the soreness of his ribs.\u00a0 They were getting better, but it was slow going\u2014they\u2019d probably been broken when the ceiling came down, something that he\u2019d been in a little bit of denial about, trying to convince himself they\u2019d only been bruised.\u00a0 At least they were healing now, getting better slowly.\u00a0 They\u2019d keep getting better, as long as he didn\u2019t do anything stupid.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Easier said than done.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His gaze swept across the expanse of grass and broken concrete where they were going to plant their village, between the rubble of Mackinac Hall and the collapsed dormitories, their backs to the ravines and the river.\u00a0 The flat lawns between the student union and services and beneath the clock tower might have been better, but there was too much danger of the tower coming down, the others had said, and he\u2019d elected to believe them.\u00a0 For the moment, that option was out.\u00a0 Maybe later, when they expanded.\u00a0 They\u2019d have to, if they survived and more people came.\u00a0 Maybe sooner, maybe later.\u00a0 Maybe a lot of things.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He scrubbed a hand across his eyes, looking back toward the tents.\u00a0 Rory was supposed to be getting stakes and string to mark out the grids.\u00a0 Hopefully, the weather would hold, at least until they got this done.\u00a0 With the help, it shouldn\u2019t take too long.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom coughed and winced, touching his taped ribs lightly.\u00a0 Maybe I should\u2019ve taken something.\u00a0 I feel like crap.<\/em>\u00a0 Breathing didn\u2019t hurt anymore, but everything else still did.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhere are we starting?\u201d\u00a0 Rory\u2019s voice was accompanied by the sound of thin wooden stakes clacking against each other as he dropped an armload on the ground.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom glanced back over his shoulder and gestured.\u00a0 \u201cOver this way.\u00a0 You have the line?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory held up a ten-pound spool of heavy string looped around a dowel rod.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 How much concrete\u2019s still intact out here?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEarthquakes cracked a lot of it.\u00a0 It\u2019ll just be heavy to move when we start moving it, if we don\u2019t break up the slabs.\u201d\u00a0 Thom started to limp toward the perimeter where he\u2019d been thinking about setting the walls.\u00a0 He\u2019d had Tala and Deirdre pace out the distances, the stake they\u2019d left with a scrap of yellow tape tied around it waved lazily in the midmorning breeze.\u00a0 He hobbled to it, then turned slowly, coughing again into the crook of his arm as he looked back toward the broken dorms and the rim of the ravine, toward where the tents stood forward of the rubble.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory crouched and tied an end of the string to the stake, following Thom\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of space, Thom.\u00a0 Think we\u2019ll need all of it?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIf we survive?\u201d\u00a0 Thom murmured.\u00a0 \u201cAll of it and more, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe really don\u2019t have anywhere else to go,\u201d the man said, expression grim as he glanced toward the small knot of people at his back.\u00a0 \u201cThey took everything of any value when they came through and burned everything that was left after that.\u00a0 All we\u2019ve got is what little we were able to save or scavenge on the way here.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom looked at Marin, then at Kellin.\u00a0 Kellin was the one to smile at them and spread her hands.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThen welcome home.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom shivered, then winced.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou okay?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0 The words almost stuck in his throat.\u00a0 I used to be <\/em>good at covering up.\u00a0 What happened?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, we\u2019ll pace it out to the north corner first.\u201d\u00a0 He started out along a line heading due north, toward the remnants of M-45.\u00a0 They were a couple dozen meters out before either of them spoke again.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSo what\u2019re you going to do with those sheds we brought back from the home improvement place?\u00a0 You said that you could use them.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnd I will.\u00a0 After we get the heating trenches done, we\u2019ll get the sheds lined up and anchored down\u2026and roll from there.\u00a0 Not as cozy as the dorms, but it\u2019ll do until we can start working on something better, right?\u201d\u00a0 He scratched the back of his neck.\u00a0 \u201cActually makes life a little easier when it comes to building.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got something we can work around rather than starting completely from scratch, and it\u2019ll get us out of those damn tents that much faster.\u201d\u00a0 And we stay in those tents much longer, I might go a little crazy.<\/em>\u00a0 He just kept seeing what happened to Marin over and over again, the tent coming down, her beneath it.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was crazy, because he hadn\u2019t actually seen<\/em> it, only had it described to him.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t quite sure which could\u2019ve been worse.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory nodded, planting a stake and looping the string twice around it to secure it before they kept moving northward.\u00a0 \u201cWhen\u2019re we going to start trenching?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cProbably in the next day or two.\u00a0 Maybe tomorrow, if the weather holds, but it\u2019s going to depend on what they find down at that sheep farm or whatever.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell are we going to do with sheep<\/em>, Thom?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom shook his head, coughing again.\u00a0 Damn, it hurt<\/em>.\u00a0 All the wet and cold was settling into his bones and his upper chest.\u00a0 He spat to the side and grimaced, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cPlaying the long game.\u00a0 Sheep means wool, which means a trade good or at the very least something we can use<\/em>.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re banking on there being other people out there.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCall it a hunch.\u201d\u00a0 Or me believing what Mar and Kel and the others keep saying about the fact that we can\u2019t possibly be the last people alive, that people will find us, but not all of them will find us.\u00a0 I\u2019m bloody cracked just like everyone else.<\/em>\u00a0 Thom scrubbed a hand over his face.\u00a0 \u201cLogic says that we can\u2019t possibly be alone.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory shook his head, planting another stake.\u00a0 \u201cHow much further?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNot too much.\u201d\u00a0 They crossed out of the parking lots a stake later.\u00a0 Thom nearly tripped over the pile of rocks in a circle, the skin on the back of his neck prickling as his hair stood on end.\u00a0 The hell?<\/em>\u00a0 He dropped his crutch, almost falling as he struggled to avoid knocking the rocks out of position, or scuffing the edges of the circle.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d\u00a0 He hopped sideways on one foot, trying to regain his balance.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory retrieved the crutch and shoved it under his arm.\u00a0 Thom cursed, ribs screaming at him again, then coughed, sending more ribbons of white-hot pain through his chest.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDamn, Rory,\u201d he said, voice straining.\u00a0 \u201cYou could\u2019ve been more gentle about that.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned into the crutch, finding his balance again and looking back down toward the pile of rocks.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is<\/em> that?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory seemed almost ashamed to answer, but finally dredged up the words, as if he\u2019d dug them out from somewhere dark and locked away.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a ward.\u00a0 Kellin set it.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cA ward.\u00a0 Against what?\u201d\u00a0 Thom hid the fact that his stomach dropped right down to his ankles fairly well, all things considered, plastering a disgusted look on his face that wasn\u2019t far from truth. \u00a0Wards.\u00a0 To keep away the things I keep saying I can\u2019t see.\u00a0 The things that attacked Marin down there in the ravine.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAgainst shit that goes bump in the night, Thom.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom exhaled and forced a little venom into his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever helps people sleep at night, I guess.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cExactly,\u201d Rory said.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom shook his head and hobbled another few feet away from the ward.\u00a0 He tapped his crutch against a spot in the grass.\u00a0 \u201cPlant it here and let\u2019s do the other side.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory planted the stake, encasing the ward within the future walls, and the pair headed off to finish the perimeter.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom leaned against his crutch, keeping weight off his injured ankle and ignoring the soreness of his ribs.\u00a0 They were getting better, but it was slow going\u2014they\u2019d probably been broken when the ceiling came down, something that he\u2019d been … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-9","category-day-10"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-7S","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}