Surviving Armageddon

32. To Be Humane

The sun was low in the sky. It casted long shadows across the settlement. The busy life within the gates paused momentarily. The settlers stationed at the entrance focused their attention on the frail boy standing just outside the gates.

The boy's eyes were filled with sadness. A desperation showed through his weary expression. His arms were raised, a sign of surrender. An attempt to convey his lack of threat to the settlement.

"I'm unarmed, please help me," the boy's voice hesitated, carrying the weight of countless hardships. His words hung in the air, an appeal for compassion in a world filled with distrust and fear.

One of the guards at the gate held his gun steady, his voice stern as he questioned the boy's presence. "What's your business here?" The tension in the air was apparent, a reflection of the settlers' weariness toward strangers.

"We've been through quite enough already - we can't allow a stranger inside our sanctuary," one of the settlers inside the gate voiced the coll