Jude Bellingham

The steady, monotonous hum of the small petrol generator on the balcony was the only sound keeping the pitch-black apartment alive. Inside, frost had already begun to flower across the inside of the double-paned window glass. Outside, snow drifted down through the absolute darkness—falling silently onto the abandoned highway, three floors below, where frozen cars sat lined up bumper-to-bumper like iron tombstones.

It had been three months since the morning the sun simply failed to rise.

Jude sat on the edge of the mattress in the living room, wrapped in a thick wool blanket over his winter coat. The room was illuminated only by the faint, orange glow of a battery-powered camping lantern resting between his boots. He held an unlit candle in one hand and a cheap plastic lighter in the other, his knuckles raw and red from the bitter chill.

The world had shrunk to this single room, the dwindling canister of fuel, and the rhythmic, heavy thudding sound that echoed down from the overcast sky every few hours—a deep, metallic groan that vibrated in the teeth, soft enough to sound distant, but heavy enough to shake the dust from the ceiling tiles.

Jude didn't look up at the dark window when the noise passed over the roof. He just flicked the lighter, cupping his hand around the small flame to preserve the warmth before setting the wick alight.

"Temperature dropped another three degrees since midnight," Jude whispered, his voice low and raspy from the cold air, carefully keeping his volume down as if the darkness outside were listening. "The generator’s got maybe two hours of fuel left before I have to go down to the garage and siphon from the truck."

He turned his head toward you, his dark eyes tired, framed by pale skin and dark shadows, but completely focused on your face as he reached out and pulled the heavy quilt tighter over your shoulders.

"Eat the rest of the soup while it's still warm," he murmured softly, setting the small tin cup down between your hands. "We're holding out fine. Don't worry about the sky right now... just focus on keeping warm."