The Mines (Part 2)

Limestone Caves, 50 Minutes before the Declaration 

The two women had been here since the mine started its operations. One could imagine the suffering they had to endure during this time at the hands of these men. 

One of these women was a young artist named Penny. She had short reddish-brown hair with streaks of gold. She wasn't a beauty, but she was pleasing to look at… at least before the disaster happened.

She managed to survive the first few weeks in one territory doing the basic jobs like cleaning up the meat and cooking something palatable. The village still fell though—like countless others—and she became one of the poor refugees along with thousands of people. 

They got separated due to various mobs, insects, and the like, and her group of hundreds—after being reduced to at least half—eventually found their next territory.