the old shrine · day 608 · night

The Storm Arises

The wind finally picks up, whistling through the stone gaps as the first heavy drops of rain hit the parched earth.

Kevin and Jenny shelter at the old shrine as a steady rain continues, filling the water tank to its capacity. Jenny's ankle remains swollen and painful while they monitor the dropping barometer pressure signaling an approaching storm.

🔧 Kevin07:52

We're moving. Now.

walk down the ridge path toward the cottage, one hand held out behind me for her to take

💭 peek at the thought

Storm's here. Wind shifted west — rain'll be horizontal inside twenty minutes. Need to get Jenny down off the ridge before the path turns to slurry.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny07:53

I'm coming... wait.

Reach out and take Kevin's hand, leaning my weight onto my good leg as I pull myself up from the stones.

💭 peek at the thought

If I don't get back to the cottage, the infection will take the leg before the boat arrives.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:54

Slow. I've got you.

adjust my grip to take more of her weight, shorten my stride to match hers, head for the cottage at a pace that won't jar the ankle

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring the ankle hard. Swelling's up from the climb. Rain's cold — she'll stiffen fast if we don't move steady.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny07:55

It's just... the swelling.

Lean heavily into Kevin, focusing on the slick, uneven path as we navigate the slope toward the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

Every step is a hot needle through my skin. I need the poultice off now.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:58

Porch first. Dry ground. Then we look at it.

keep steady pace, boots picking the drier stone, one eye on the cottage roof line showing through the rain

💭 peek at the thought

She's not complaining. That's the problem. Ankle's hot through my shirt sleeve where her weight rests. Poultice held through the climb but the descent's grinding the joint. Cottage is two hundred metres. Porch roof overhang first — get her dry, then reassess.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny07:58

Okay.

Tighten my grip on Kevin's hand, gritting my teeth as a wave of pain hits the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The porch feels so far away. I just need to sit down before I collapse.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.