The morning air was sharp and crisp, with the first hints of sunlight casting a pale glow over the mansion as George and the others prepared for the journey. Snow from the previous days still blanketed the ground, crunching beneath their boots as they loaded the vehicles. Marcy stood nearby, organizing the supplies that she had packed: enough food, water, and basic medical kits to last them for the trip.
"I packed extra, just in case things get dicey out there," Marcy said, her voice steady but her eyes filled with concern.
George nodded, his mind elsewhere, already running through the scenarios of what they might find at Hudson Falls. The radio transmission had been frantic, desperate, a cry for help from a place that could easily have already been overrun. But he couldn't ignore it. Not after all they had done to survive and build something here.
