Refuge

Posted on Tue May 26th, 2026 @ 9:25am by New York Survivor Amythyst & New York Survivor Briar Maddox & New York Survivor John ("Dodger") Smith & New York Survivor George Brooks & New York Survivor Jordana Venturi

1,372 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Safe Harbor
Timeline: 1st October 2010 Time: Midday approx

They left in the dark.

Not the soft kind that comes before sunrise — the real dark, heavy and complete, where the shoreline vanished the moment they pushed off and the world narrowed to the low thrum of engines and the shape of the boat ahead. Breath hung white in the air. No one spoke louder than they had to.

For the first hour, there was nothing but cold and direction.

The sea was calm, but it wasn’t kind. It rolled slow and steady under them, a constant reminder of distance. Spray gathered on sleeves. Hands stiffened around ropes and rails. The younger ones dozed where they could, tucked into blankets or against crates, while the older ones stayed awake by necessity more than choice.

Dawn came gradually — a thin greying of the horizon that never quite committed to warmth. It showed them how far they still had to go.

Time stretched.

The coastline came and went in broken glimpses, sometimes just a darker line against the water, sometimes rising into unfamiliar shapes that meant nothing to them. They stayed wide where they could, cautious, watching. Every hour felt longer than the last.

By the fourth, fatigue had settled in properly. Shoulders ached. Eyes burned. Even the animals had gone quiet, subdued by the motion and the cold.

By the fifth, people had stopped talking altogether.

It was the sixth hour when someone finally noticed it.

“There.”

It wasn’t obvious at first — just a change in the coastline. The rocks ahead weren’t jagged in the same way. They curved inward slightly, like the land was folding in on itself.

As they drew closer, the shape of the cove revealed itself.

Dark rock shoulders rose on either side, forming a narrow, protective mouth. Beyond them, the water stilled — not flat, but calmer, held. The cliffs stood at the back, tall and unbroken, their faces streaked with age. Pines clung to their edges, bending slightly inland.

Hidden.

You wouldn’t see it unless you were looking for it.

Engines eased down as they entered.

The beach came into view slowly — wide, pale, and empty. Not a strip, but a proper landing ground. Enough space to bring everything ashore. Enough space to breathe.

And then the stream.

It wound down from the base of the cliffs, cutting through the center of the hamlet before spilling onto the sand and into the cove. Fresh water, clear even at a distance.

That was when the buildings appeared.

Low shapes at first, half-lost in scrub and trees. Then clearer — cabins, scattered in two loose groups on either side of the stream. Small, weathered, but standing.

On the right, closer to the beach, a larger structure — the fish shed. Doors wide enough for work. Walls that had held against seasons.

And just off the stream’s mouth — the old wharf. Crooked, worn… but still there.

Still usable. No smoke. No movement. Only the quiet sound of water, and the distant cry of gulls. After six hours on the water, it didn’t feel like they had found a place. It felt like the place had been waiting.

Dodger eased back on the engines as the cove slowly came into view. Then he saw the buildings, houses, the fish shed, the wharf. A small smile came to his face. "She was right." He muttered to himself. "She was right." He repeated before he moved to Elliot who was asleep propped up against a wheelhouse wall. "Elliot." He said softly. "Wake up We're here."

Elliot woke up and looked around. "Nice" he got out between yawns. "Lets dock"

At the rear of the small armada, George was piloting their original boat: the one they has escaped the City in. He had spent the last six hours splitting his attention between forward: to ensure he kept sight of the other boats, as they dared not use any of their navigation lights... and aft, ensuring they were not being followed.

Once they finally reached the place that Amythyst has told them was their destination, he allowed himself a brief breath of relief. Looking down at his fuel gauge, he saw that his craft was almost dry of fuel. He has just enough left to maneuver to the pier and tie up.

Amy ran the barge up onto the beach and she and Austin unhooked the Lucky break and used the slight swell's momentum to beach it beside the barge.

The small fishing boat slipped in beside the Yacht and Briar climbed off as she tied it up. She looked at the small cove. Then she looked to the rest. "Animals first?" She called out.

With Elliot's help Dodger docked the crew boat making sure the lines were tight and secure. " Alright." He said hopping off the boat, "Time to unpack. Let's see how Amy wants it done."

Amy looked around the cabins and storage sheds in the cove. "Behind that cabin there. Put the cows and goats there" she pointed. "We can then store everything else in the big shed. And get some food into us before its fully dark,"

Dodger just looked the place over, taking it all in. The set up appeared better than what they left and that was a plus. More buildings so they could all have more space even a little bit. A more thorough inspection would come later.

It took them a while, but they got the animals off of the work boat, and settled in a makeshift pen behind one of the huts.

They then formed chains and carried boxes into the large storage barn. Once the Lucky break was empty, Amy pushed it back into the bay and then she towed it towards the rocks with Austin and Andrew, they 'wreaked' it as the first part of their subterfuge.

As they finished the unloading and gathered around a well dug firepit in the dying light, Amy looked at the gathered children and Elena who hovered at the back. "We stay here for a few days. We need to find things to help us move to our next place. But for now we take some time to breathe."

Dodger was all for taking time to breathe and the group as a whole to collect themselves as well as get ready for the next step in their journey.

Once the boats had been unloaded, then stripped of everything usable he used the last remaining drops of fuel to drive the remaining boats out into the deep water, anchor them, then destroyed the bilge pumps, which would keep the automatic systems from pumping water out of the boats. Once that was done, he opened the drains on the pumps, and water quickly started flowing in.

Hurrying back to the deck, he deployed the small inflatable zodiac that had come with their initial boat, fired up is small two stroke engine, and headed back to shore. By the time he got there, the craft he had left behind were starting to slip beneath the waves.

It'd had been a journey for her, a long one. It felt like it. At least to Jordanna. She helped them unload and transport supplies but slowly grew mentally and physically exhausted. Even as a teenager, she wasn't meant for this task. Returning to the boat, she noticed the craft slipping behind also. Quickly grabbing the rope, she pulled the craft closer and tied it to a nearby pole to moor it securely.

==

As dusk turned to night, Amy send the younger children to the two cabins they were using for sleeping and then stood watch without discussion. She had pushed for this, and now it was happening, she was responsible.

Elena watched her from beside the firepit then went to her own sleeping bag.

Dodger couldn't or perhaps wouldn't sleep. He was restless. He felt a sense of protectiveness (like Amy) for the group especially the younger ones who had been members of the Infernals like himself. He had gotten up and taken a informal sentry position outside a cabin, leaning against a wall to watch for any potential danger to the group.

OFF

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZzgXsPNdx2bhywNz5EsaICL2SwD4rdh1J7FNj9_JDZU/edit?usp=sharing

 

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