the usual screams the swarms made. Another victim found, one less survivor, one more freak to contend with.

Shaking off his daydream he runs to the gas stove pulling the ration packs out by the corner trying not to burn his fingers. Then switches off the stove to save gas and crawls into the tent closing it behind him. The closed zipper at least some kind of thin barrier between them and the horrors of the world. For a few hours the soothing sounds of rain on the tent will be their only disturbance, their stomachs will be full with a warm meal for the first time in days and a soft surface will help them to at least pretend things were not so bad.