After dinner, the group discussed the night watch schedule and began to rest in shifts.
Keeping watch alone made it easy to get distracted, so they did it in pairs.
Sierra Sullivan and Jayce were the first to stand watch, for a two-hour shift.
It was actually a bit cold at night.
An iron barrel sat in front of them, with firewood burning inside.
The firelight wasn't particularly bright, but it cast a ruddy glow on their faces.
The two of them sat side by side, neither speaking a word.
The others had already closed their eyes. They didn't need sleep masks or earplugs; everyone slept with one ear open.
In the apocalypse, even inside a safe zone, nothing was ever completely safe.
You always had to sleep with one ear open to ensure you could react in time if an accident occurred.
At times like these, whether or not one slept soundly was no longer important.
As time ticked by, the room grew quieter and quieter.
Everyone had fallen asleep, and their breathing had become steady.
