Chapter 51 Silence Between Storms

• The storm outside had calmed to a steady drift of snow, fine white flakes floating over a dead and colorless world. Lucy sat by the window, her breath fogging the cracked glass as she watched the empty street below. No footprints marred the fresh snow, no figures moved beyond the skeletal remains of cars and ruined market stalls.
• Inside the house, the heater hummed softly. The quiet was oppressive, wrapping itself around the rooms like a heavy shroud. Daren was upstairs, tending to some of the tools they’d brought in before the last blizzard. Ash and Lira lay curled together by the hearth, their snow-pale fur nearly indistinguishable from the fading light filtering through the curtains.
• Lucy reached for the battered old radio perched on the kitchen counter. It was one of the few reliable links to what was left of the outside world. She turned the knob gently, the static giving way to a gruff voice mid-broadcast.