post_apocalypse_story/jc-night_watch.html

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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> Night Watch </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><div class="back"><a href="index.html">&lt;</a></div>
<h1>
Night Watch
</h1>
<p>
There&apos;s the station. Michelle looks up at the clock. 06:41.
The morning twilight gives the sky a pink hue.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Shit! Two minutes.</span><br />
She runs for the platform. Warm air hits her face as she enters the
station &ndash; and the all too familiar stench of piss. She looks up 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 thank you.</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 />
She stands up, holding onto 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>
</p>
<p>
Wolves howling outside get their attention. 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, but bright enough to see. The sky over the
mountain ridge to the north-east is a faint green, the rest is deep blue
and some stars are visible. A pack of wolves is down by the river,
minding their own business. The two watch the wolves 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 next to 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 a pile of dry fir and other sticks on it and they
both blow on the flames.
</p>
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