Winter Has Come | ✔ #1 Winter Series

Chapter 57

The next day more and more trucks come. They load people and tell the others to wait behind the line, not to cross it, not to climb onto the vehicle that will take them elsewhere. I don't know where the truck goes and it intrigues me.

It's gone past lunch, about three in the afternoon. A third truck of the day is loading, the same one that always comes back, empty of people. I haven't seen the girl who first went since yesterday evening. Maybe whatever they're doing, they want to make it a permanent fixture.

Where could they be carting people off to?

The others have moved their tents right next to my tent on the outside so I'm less alone than I first thought. Most of them have gone to help do jobs around the Camp. Apparently there's a rota but how should I know—since I'm not meant to mix with them?

Only Josh remains outside the tent on a folding chair, reading, turning the pages over slowly as he seems to analyse each one. I don't catch the title but I know it's the same book he was reading when I was recovering at his house. T.S Elliot. It still strikes me as strange that he's so fond of poetry.

I call his name. He looks up, eyebrows raised, sees me and his face softens. Then, he rises from his chair and places the book delicately on it, like it's a piece of treasure.

"What did Sarah say?" I call out. "You know? About the trucks and the people?"

He nods, as though remembering. "Oh, yeah. She said people were being transported. They want to extend the Camp and they found some fields and started some work up there. Now they want to transport people over there. You know. To see if it's worth building on or something like that."

I nod slowly, taking the information in. Josh smiles and returns to his chair. He doesn't delve back into his book again because I'm ready with another question.

"Why aren't you doing jobs like the others?"

He focuses on his book and doesn't look up. "There's a rota. I thought you knew that."

"Yeah and you're not on it?"

"No." Now he looks up. "I start jobs tomorrow."

Then he flashes me one more smile before returning his hard eyes to the words flowing from his book and, no matter how hard I try, I can't strike up another conversation again.

***

The day goes on. By the time the sixth truck has left, loaded with people, darkness is falling again and this is something I remember all too well. Last time I was in this position, sitting under a million stars, sitting in front of one single fence, I felt like I was the only person alive. No, to be more accurate, the only person without the power alive.

Josh stopped reading a while ago and he retreated back to his tent when darkness began to fall. For all I know, he could still be reading in that shared tent. I can imagine him there, snuggled into his duvet, eyes skimming the words relentlessly.

Then something Angie said last night comes to mind. There's going to be a campfire over there tonight. A big one apparently, with a huge roaring flame and dancing light. From here, I can see people hard at work lugging logs in.

I want to pass the time. I don't want to see their fun. So, I crawl back into my tent and try to get some sleep.

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