post_apocalypse_story/jc-night_watch.html

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<h1>
Night Watch
</h1>
<p>
There&apos;s the station. Michelle looks up. The morning twilight gives
the sky a pink hue. The station&apos;s clock shows&nbsp;06:41.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Shit! Two minutes.</span><br />
She begins running for the platform. Warm air hits her face as she enters
the station &ndash; and the all too familiar stench of piss. She looks at
the signs. Something is off but she can&apos;t quite tell what.
She runs along, looking for her platform, until she reaches the other
end of the tunnel.<br />
It hits her: <span class="quote non-speech">Wait...
Where the fuck is platform 6?</span><br />
She runs back. Platform 6 is nowhere to be seen. Someone grabs her by
the shoulder.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Michelle?</span><br />
She opens her eyes and lifts her head, looking around in confusion.
It&apos;s dark. A tiny bit of flickering light illuminates the room
around her. Jack leans forward and sets a lantern with a candle on the
table.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Don&apos;t you wanna sleep in your bed?
Your body would appreciate it.</span><br />
She remembers. She was supposed to be on night watch until two.
<br />
<span class="quote speech">What time is it?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Three AM.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Sorry.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">All good, nothing happened.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">What about the fire?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Still embers.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Phew.</span><br />
She stands up, holding on to the table with one hand and moving her hair
out of her face with the other. She thinks
<span class="quote non-speech">When did I fall asleep?</span>
Last thing she remembers, it was still bright outside.
<span class="quote non-speech">8 PM? No, it's June. 9 PM?</span>
She yawns.
</p>
<p>
Wolves howling. Michelle suddenly feels very awake. Jack grabs a gun
and checks that it is loaded. Michelle grabs her bow and quiver with
arrows. They walk over to the entrance and look around. It&apos;s still
dark outside, but barely bright enough to see. The sky over the mountain
ridge to the north-east is a faint green, the rest is deep blue with
stars. A pack of wolves is down by the river, minding their own business.
The two watch them for a while before concluding they probably
aren&apos;t a concern for now. Jack puts the gun into the
<span class="comment">holster?</span> on his belt and Michelle lays
bow and quiver down and sits by the embers.
</p>
<p>
She grabs a few sticks of dry fir, needles still attached, and pushes
them into the embers. After a bit of blowing on them, they go up in
flames. Jack dumps another pile of fir and other sticks onto it and they
both blow on the flames.
</p>
<p>
Soon enough, the fire is back in its full form. Jack goes inside and
reemerges with two seat cushions <span class="comment">translate:
Sitzkissen</span>, blankets, and some snacks. They sit down next to
each other on the cushions on the ground, facing the fire.
Michelle feels her back getting cold and puts one of the blankets over
her shoulders. Jack seems to have other priorities &ndash; he opens
a preserved can of cashews and starts munching. She grabs a handful
and starts eating as well, staring into the warm glow of the flames.
The heat radiating from the fire fills her body with a fuzzy warmth.
</p>
<p>
<!--
She wakes up to discover herself laying on her side, head on his lap,
and him twirling her hair through his fingers.
"I didn&apos;t know we were close like that."
"Sorry."
He stops.
"I don&apos;t think we are. You were tired enough to let your guard down."
She moves the arm she is laing on to a more comfortable pose.
"Well, let&apos;s cringe about that when it&apos;s daytime."
//TODO: find exact Pineapple quote and lift it if it fits here. :)
-->
</p>
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