Year One

In late winter, Lana’s group focuses on training and prepares for departure. Lana forces herself to practice with firearms despite her dislike of the recoil and the destruction. She finds more joy in teaching and cooking. Although she fails at archery, she learns practical skills like changing a tire and siphoning gas. Her favorite lessons occur during daily driving practice with Max, when they discuss their unborn child. One day, a thaw leaves the land muddy and icy, and while everyone longs for spring, they also fear its challenges. While Max and Poe search for a suitable truck or SUV, Lana organizes supplies, prioritizing cookware, tools, and medical items.

Kim invites Lana for a walk and confesses that she struggles with a “black cloud.” She reveals that a dormmate named Anna died by suicide during their first night fleeing the city. The two women discuss the group dynamics, reflecting that Eric resents Max’s leadership role and that Shaun is now beginning to prove himself. Their talk ends abruptly when Eddie and Shaun report ominous signs in the woods. The group finds inverted pentagrams and seven twig dolls (six that resemble people and one that is shaped like a dog). They also find bloody snow, entrails, and a stone altar, and the site pulses with dark power.