They explore the house

They moved through the house together, Noah taking stock of what they had. It wasn’t much. There were no modern conveniences left in the place—no electricity, no running water, no food. But the structure was sound. The foundation was solid. The garage, tucked away behind the house, was a goldmine for someone like him, someone who knew how to fix things. There were tools, old wood, metal parts—a wealth of materials that, with some effort, could be turned into something useful.

Olivia helped him collect anything she could carry. They made their way through the house, gathering anything that could be of use: leftover canned goods from the pantry, blankets, anything that could provide comfort, though they could not locate any first aid kits. They didn’t linger too long—Noah knew they had to work quickly. They needed to secure the house, and fast.

He moved to the front door, taking one last look around. The living room, with its cracked walls and tattered curtains, felt strangely comforting. It was their home now. The world outside was a wasteland, but this place—this house—was theirs. For the moment.

"We’ll need to block the front and back doors," Noah said, eyeing the old furniture in the living room. "We can use the bookshelves for the windows, and we’ll need to start thinking about food and water."

Noah set to work immediately, dragging a heavy cabinet over to the front door, doing the same for other points of vulnerability, while Olivia sorted through the supplies, calculating how long they may last.

It wasn’t a permanent fix, but it was something—a fragile sanctuary in a world gone mad.

Noah wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands smeared with dirt and oil. He stepped back, surveying their work. The house was fortified. For now, they were safe.

“Tomorrow,” Noah said softly, more to himself than to Olivia. “Tomorrow, we keep moving. Find help, or at least more supplies.”

Olivia didn’t respond, but he knew she heard him. He could feel the weight of her presence beside him, the quiet understanding between them that, no matter what happened next, they were in this together. They would survive.

Because they had to.

[+2 Food, +10 Materials]