Evelyn Ford sprayed insecticide as she walked. Her protective suit reeked of the potent poison, and the insects didn’t dare get near her. She kicked a toppled display rack on the ground. It looked like it was from a cosmetics store and was very heavy. Seeing it was undamaged, Evelyn stored it directly in her space.

A few pairs of shoes were pinned under the display rack. There seemed to be a children’s clothing store next to it. Evelyn put the shoes into a burlap sack, then started digging through the collapsed debris inside, hoping to find some children’s clothes.

"Evelyn?"

"I’m over here. I found some children’s clothes. I’ll take them back for Wendy and Annie."

Hearing her voice, Ronan Kendrick walked over in her direction.

"There are some cabinets over here we can take."

Evelyn nodded. "Okay, I’ll be right there."

Evelyn stored anything she couldn’t physically move directly into her space; she could just toss it out later.

While searching, however, Evelyn also came across a few skeletons. Two more were crushed under a pile of concrete blocks.

To Evelyn’s pleasant surprise, she found a shop that sold all kinds of water bottles and water cups. She found several huge water jugs on the floor. Disregarding the insects and black soot covering them, Evelyn shoved them straight into her burlap sack.

In a forgotten corner of the cosmetics store, she found three unopened bottles of body wash. She took them. ’I’ll worry about whether they’re expired later.’

Ronan Kendrick came to Evelyn’s side and was stunned by her bulging burlap sack. "You’re a real master at finding things."

Evelyn chuckled. "That’s right. Nothing escapes my notice. Where are those cabinets you mentioned?"

"Deeper inside."

Evelyn temporarily stored the burlap sack in her space and went with Ronan to get the cabinets first.

"I think there used to be a supermarket here. We might be able to find something others missed. Ronan, do you need a flashlight?" It was incredibly dark inside, and the swarms of mosquitoes were closing in again.

"No need. Just watch your step. I stepped on a nail earlier."

Evelyn frowned. "Let me take a look."

"It’s already healed, and I pulled the nail out. Just be careful."

"Okay. You be careful, too."

Evelyn went into full-on search mode, meticulously scanning every single inch of the area.

After one full sweep, it was clear the supermarket had been picked clean. The scavenging attempt was a bust. However, as Evelyn was turning back, she found two aprons, over a dozen mops, and a few plastic cups in a corner.

Ronan, for his part, found a pile of unopened women’s stockings.

Evelyn stifled a laugh as she stored the stockings in her space.

"Ronan, these are incredibly useful! You can wear them over your head to keep the mosquitoes out of your eyes, nose, and mouth. Keep looking, there might be more. Stockings are a godsend right now."

"Alright, I’ll go look around some more."

There was nothing else in the supermarket except for a ton of shelving. With a flick of her wrist, Evelyn collected it all. However, the supermarket also held its share of skeletons, buried beneath collapsed concrete.

"Evelyn, I found another box! It has both short and long ones."

Evelyn couldn’t help but admire Ronan’s good luck. "Amazing. Let’s go, there’s nothing left in the supermarket. Let’s head up to the next floor."

The next floor up was the food court. Evelyn had seen a directory downstairs that listed fifty or sixty eateries. It would be great if they could scavenge some pots, bowls, and pans.

"Ronan, where did you put the stuff you gathered?"

"At the entrance. We can grab it on our way out."

Evelyn grabbed onto his arm. "You’re always so thoughtful. Help me out, I’m exhausted. It’s so stuffy and hot."

Evelyn gave a spray in front of them, and the mosquitoes quickly dispersed.

Ronan led her upstairs. They were immediately startled by the horrific scene upon entering. The entrance had collapsed, crushing a skeleton underneath. Its skull was facing right at them.

"We’ll have to climb in."

"I’ll go first." Ronan stepped onto the concrete blocks to test his footing. Once he was sure they were stable, he pulled Evelyn along behind him.

Once inside, the dust choked them, sending them into fits of coughing and sneezing.

There were quite a few things inside, though it was mostly just tables, chairs, and benches. Evelyn collected it all.

"Now, let’s see if we can find any pots, bowls, or pans. We can bring some back for Quincy and the others."

Evelyn was so focused on gathering items that she also stepped on a nail. She pulled it out and, without even flinching, continued collecting supplies. Broken tables with missing legs went into her space. A stainless steel spoon on the ground? Taken.

When they reached a kitchen, Evelyn spotted some gas canisters in the corner. ’What incredible luck,’ she thought, ’that these didn’t explode.’

The kitchen was mostly empty, though there were some rusty iron pots. Evelyn took them anyway; rust was easy to deal with.

Evelyn even twisted the faucet off the sink. Every little bit helped. By the time they finished scouring the floor, they had amassed a decent haul.

"Ronan, let’s head back. We can leave the upper floors for the others."

The two returned downstairs and found the wooden planks Evelyn had bundled up. She stored them directly in her space.

"And a big sledgehammer? Where did you find that?"

"In a tool room. It was the only thing left."

Evelyn nodded. "This will be very useful. Let’s go. If we don’t head back soon, the others will start to worry."

They headed back the way they came. The sole of Evelyn’s foot was throbbing with pain, but she didn’t let it show.

"You’re hurt?"

"I’m not."

Ronan’s expression darkened. "I can smell blood."

Evelyn patted his arm. "It’s nothing, I just stepped on a nail. I’ll take care of it when we get back."

When they were almost back at the hotel, they found a secluded spot. Evelyn took out the wooden planks and the burlap sack of clothes and shoes, then stored the flashlight she’d been using in her space.

"Let’s take out a few of those big water jugs for them. I noticed they’re all using small plastic bottles for water."

Laden with their spoils, the two returned to the hotel. Evelyn first sprayed the insecticide to drive away the swarming mosquitoes, then kicked the door.

"Open up, it’s Evelyn!"

The door opened quickly. Taylor Vance stepped aside, letting Evelyn and Ronan hurry inside before he shut it immediately.

"My god, you found so much stuff!"

"We went to a mall in the South District. The fires didn’t reach that area."

Evelyn set down the burlap sack. "It’s full of clothes and shoes. You can all sort through them. There are stockings, too. Wear them over your head when you go out; you won’t need to wrap your heads up anymore."

Evelyn handed out the large water jugs, one to each family. "These are for water. They should be clean." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ronan unloaded the planks and used a Magnesium Rod to light a small fire, instantly brightening the room.

"Looks like there’s still plenty to find in Danver. Now that we have these stockings, let’s go scavenge for supplies in a little while, too."

"Alright. Take torches with you. The roads are a mess, so be careful. And don’t get lost."

Evelyn took off her shoes. They smelled a little, but thankfully, it wasn’t overpowering.

The nail had pierced straight through the sole of her hiking boot and deep into her flesh. Evelyn cleaned the wound with water, applied some ointment, and wrapped it with gauze.

Ronan stared at her the entire time, his gaze somewhat terrifying.

"I’m fine, don’t worry."

"Evelyn, you’re human, not made of iron."