Ice & Blood - 3) Bitter Shelter - Three weeks later

"Our survival depends on this work!" Jenkins shouted over the howling wind, though his voice had lost its earlier enthusiasm. The abandoned city offered shelter, but only if they could make it habitable before the next blizzard struck. Roofs gaped open to the merciless sky, windows were black wounds in the ice-covered walls. At the city's heart, the generator stood silent. Mine shafts at the edge marked old coal excavations. "Work in shifts - no rest until we have heat and dry shelter!" she commanded. Several men nursed burns from the steam pipes, others bled from falling debris. Jenkins still organized the teams with determination, but exhaustion carved deeper lines in his weathered face each day. "If we can restart this generator, we'll have warmth for the entire winter," he said, staring up at the massive column. Winter showed no mercy, but they had a chance to survive.