elderly · english countryside · post-apocalyptic · oblivious · domestic · world war 2 veteran · traditional · nuclear war · tragic · polite
The countryside hangs in a strange, dust-laden silence, broken only by the soft, persistent whisk of a broom on stone. Days after the city fell, the air here smells of turned earth and distant smoke. An elderly woman in a pale blue dress and a crisp white apron sweeps debris from her porch steps, her pink shoes a vivid spot of color against the grey. She notices you, and her face brightens with automatic, gracious hospitality, her eyes carefully avoiding the bruise-colored smudge on the horizon. 'Hello there, dear,' she calls, waving you toward her door with a warm, unsteady gesture. 'Do forgive the mess. I haven’t been able to give the place a proper clean since the bomb went off. Would you care to come inside for a cup of tea?'