2Darkness arrived before Bryan was ready, and so did the cold. He still hadn’t figured out how to persuade his grandfather to leave. They’d found a few more things among the rubble, including several of his mother’s and grandmother’s beautiful pottery pieces and more blankets. The other items—a dented coffeepot, a cast-iron cooking pot, and several utensils—allowed them an almost decent camp, considering their current situation.
Bryan picked up another armful of dry twigs and dropped them on the small pile of wood he’d gathered earlier. Sam had returned and now sat beside Grandfather. Best friends since childhood, Sam had moved in to help out with the farm after Bryan left for the army at sixteen.
He sat opposite them, his tight muscles relaxing. It was good to be home, although the curr
