Chapter 6: The shelter

We took our time selecting the car to use. Our selection preference was based on speed, space and fuel consumption of the car. After walking round the neighborhood, we stumbled upon a fairly used Mazda, which was perfect for us.

Half an hour later we were driving across the streets of Canada (or what used to be Canada), not knowing where we were headed or what awaited us. Our priority was to find other breathing humans who might know the current situation of things, and if possible, trade information.

We drove for about an hour in every direction without seeing any sign of life when we heard a radio broadcast. It said that there were human shelters at various subway stations and defense academies.

I checked the map for the nearest subway, to which we drove to at full speed. I was surprised at how good I was at driving even though I didn't have a drivers license.

As we drove through the desolate streets, the silence between us was domineering. We didn't want to be silent but none of us knew what exactly to say to the other. The only sound was the hum of the engine and the occasional squeak of the cars tires whenever I drifted or decelerated suddenly.

It was obvious that I was inexperienced at driving. We had been driving for hours, and the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the ruins and corpses.

We finally arrived at the human shelter, a large, makeshift structure built from scavenged materials. The shelter was surrounded by a high wall, topped with barbed wire and guarded by heavily armed men and women.

As we pulled up to the entrance, the guards eyed us warily, their guns at the ready. One of them, a well built old man with a thick beard, stepped forward.

"Who are you?" he growled. "What brings you here?"

I explained our situation, and the old man eyed us skeptically. "We don't get many survivors coming through here," he said. "What makes you think you're worthy of our help?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But before I could say anything, the old man's expression softened.

"Wait a minute," he said, his eyes narrowing. "You're driving a car. A working car. How is that possible?"

I explained how we had managed to scavenge the car and get it running, and the old man's eyes widened in amazement.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said. "You two are definitely worthy of our help. Come on in."

As we entered the shelter, we were greeted by a sea of faces, all of them distraught and weary. The shelter was crowded, with people packed tightly into every available space. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and smoke and blood. There was at least a couple of injured people here.

We were led to a small room in the back of the shelter, where a middle aged woman with a kind face greeted us.

"My name is Marlise, " she said, smiling. "I'm one of the leaders here at the shelter. We don't get many new faces around here, so it's nice to meet you."

As we talked, I realized that the older woman before me looked somewhat familiar. I know I had never seen her before but she reminded me of someone.

"It's so good to see you, Leon," she said, hugging me tightly. "I was worried sick about you."

I was still shocked by her level of familiarity. She was so kind to us it made me suspicious. I decided to play along, convincing myself that she didn't have any ill intent because angering her might get us kicked out of the shelter.

As we narrated how we got here,, I noticed that Marlise seemed to be studying me intently, her eyes narrowed as if she was trying to figure something out.

"What is it?" I asked her, feeling a sense of unease.

"It's just that...you seem different," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You seem...stronger."

I frowned, unsure of what she meant. How would she know if I was stronger? Had she known me before. "What do you mean?" I asked her.

But before she could respond, a loud commotion erupted outside the room. People were shouting and screaming, and the sound of gunfire echoed through the air.

"What's going on?" I asked her, feeling a sense of alarm.

"It's the scavengers," she said, her face pale. "They're attacking the shelter."

As we rushed outside to see what was happening, I realized that our arrival had attracted a lot of attention. People were staring at us, their eyes wide with wonder.

A group of armed people were approaching the shelter. I assumed that they were kicked out of the shelter because they were too violent or they couldn't abide by the rules. Now was a really terrible time for revenge.

"What's going on?" I asked one of the guards.

"It's your car," he said, nodding towards the vehicle. "It's a beauty. Many people are in need of one right now."

As I looked around, I realized that we had brought something rare and valuable to the shelter - hope. And with that hope came attention, attention that we didn't want.

As the scavengers continued to attack the shelter, I knew that we had to do something to protect ourselves and the people here. We had to find a way to defend ourselves, and fast.

But as I looked around at the desperate faces, I knew that it wouldn't be easy. We were in a fight for survival, and it was a fight that we might not win.

As the scavengers continued to attack the shelter, I knew that we had to act fast. I looked around and saw that the guards were trying to hold off the attackers, but they were outnumbered.

"Leon, we need to do something," Dave said, as he grabbed my arm.

"I know," I replied, my eyes scanning the area. "But what?"

I looked around and saw that the shelter was surrounded by a high wall, but there were no gates or doors to block the attackers.

"We need to barricade the entrance," I said, pointing to the opening.

Marlise nodded and we rushed over to the entrance, where we found a group of people frantically trying to block the way with furniture and debris.

We joined in, using our strength to lift and move heavy objects to block the entrance. The scavengers were relentless, but we managed to hold them off. At least for the moment.

As we caught our breath, I looked around and saw that the shelter was in chaos. People were running around, screaming and crying. The guards were trying to restore order, but it was clear that the shelter was on the brink of collapse.

Marlise appeared beside me, her face pale with worry. "What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice trembling.

I shook my head. "I don't know," I replied. "But we need to come up with a plan, and fast."

Dave nodded in agreement. "We need to get the people to safety," he said. "And then we need to figure out how to defend ourselves."

I nodded, my mind racing with ideas. We needed to act fast, before the scavengers broke through our makeshift barricade.

As I looked around, I saw a glimmer of hope. The people of the shelter were scared, but they were also determined to survive. And with Dave and Marlise by my side, I knew that we could come up with a plan to keep them safe.

But as we turned to face the entrance, I saw something that made my blood run cold. The scavengers had brought in reinforcements, and they were now armed with heavy machinery.

"We're in trouble," Dave whispered.

We nodded in agreement, our faces grim. We knew that we had to act fast, or risk losing everything. But as we stood there, frozen in fear, I couldn't help but wonder if we were already too late. How was I going to get out of this situation alive?