← Day 97

Night at the cottage

Rain hammers the roof of the keeper's cottage. The generator runs steady in the shed. Kevin sits slumped on the bench by the wood stove, eyes closed, one hand pressed to his ribs. Jenny moves between the stove and the kitchen table, steam rising from a pot of tea. The shortwave radio sits silent on the shelf, its cracked insulator a dark shape against the porch light. The barometer reads 982 hPa and steady. The supply boat is due in 7 days.

The rain continues as a steady, rhythmic drumming against the roof of the cottage, keeping the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and salt. Kevin is barely fighting off exhaustion, his ribs aching with every breath, as he watches the water tank climb toward its limit. Jenny works with a quiet intensity, focusing on the delicate task of the heirloom seeds while the stove's warmth battles the morning chill.