Chronicles of the Fall- #1- Empty Night

Chapter 11: Strange Days

The next morning is cold and wet, with fog hanging in a thick shroud over the valley where the group now resides. Grant Mountain rises like a behemoth from the ground, more clouds engulfing it's peak. Though it isn't raining, the sun isn't visible, and pale grey light filters through all the cloud cover.

DJ and Laken are up early, awake before all the other members of the group. They sit together, each of them taking a granola bar and a small bottle of water for their breakfast.

DJ sighs, her breath spiraling in frozen clouds around her face. It is cold today, and it won't be much warmer, even into the day. She pulls her black canvas jacket tighter around her frame, and reflects on how glad she is that she brought pairs of thicker socks, some of which she wears underneath her well-worn sneakers.

"We have to get working again today," she tells Laken. "Earlier than yesterday. The faster we secure this place and make it habitable, the better."

Laken toys with the zipper on her leather jacket, nodding. "It's already pretty secure, I mean, those outer walls surround the entire north and east sides of the place," she replies.

DJ grimaces. "Yeah, but that still leaves the west and south sides. There's a highway to the south, and if the lurkers are drawn by sound, they could come this way, and that chain link fence on the backside isn't strong enough to hold a huge crowd of 'em."

Laken inclines her head. "You're right. You wanna make a game plan before we wake the others?" she asks.

DJ reaches into the inner right pocket of her jacket, pulling out a notepad and a pencil, "Yep, help me with ideas."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, until they figure out somewhere to start.

"You can take a patrol out, search the perimeter and the zoo for any stray lurkers," Laken suggests, giving DJ a sidelong glance. DJ taps her pencil to the notepad, still in thought.

"Tripp will want to go; I don't want to take him," she says, lowering her voice.

"Why the whispering?" asks Laken. "We're far enough away; we won't wake anybody."

"Tripp's still awake... I don't think he's slept at all while he's been with us," DJ explains. "I've see his eyes open when I wake up to take watch, and the bags under his eyes are really pronounced. He'll be way too aggressive, and-"

"Wait a second," Laken interrupts. "Why wouldn't he be sleeping?"

DJ shrugs helplessly. "I have no idea, but I need you to find out... Anyway, what do you think about Jackson and Talon on the patrol?"

Laken furrows her brows, trying to figure out how she would get Tripp to talk. 'I could talk to Lucas; he seems to like me more than Tripp does. If I can get him to talk to Tripp, and give the information back to me, it would be easier than me asking the guy himself,' she thinks. She nods to herself; it's a good plan, and she'll be sure to follow through with it later into the day.

"Yeah, good choice. You can get to know Talon and Jackson a bit more," responds Laken. Her dark-haired counterpart scribbles the words 'Patrol: Me, Talon, Jackson" on the notepad.

"You know anything about construction? You could build walls like the ones on the north and west ends," DJ suggested. She twirls the pencil around in her fingers.

"I guess I know a thing or two. I would help my... Dad..." She winces at the still raw wound of her not knowing the whereabouts of her parents. "We would do renovations; a new picnic table, an awning.... That kind of things. But we need tools to do it."