Apocalypsis 04 - Haven

“It’s not even lunch time yet. We need to get that done before we run out of energy. Maybe some of the others can help, too.”
    All I wanted to do was throw my suit into the fire and never come back to this place again. Gretchen was right; this was depressing. Somebody would have to be the funeral director of our new world, but it sure wasn’t going to be me. At least, I hoped it wouldn’t be. I didn’t think I’d have the stomach for it. I’d come close to losing my guts about five times so far, and that was with the smell removed from the equation.
    “Let’s go eat some lunch and then do the digging. I’m too tired to do it right now. I need calories big time.” I was light-headed, and even though my appetite wasn’t much right now, I knew I needed to do something to keep my energy up.
    “Goodt idea,” said Bodo, rubbing his stomach. “I’m starvingk.” He pushed his mask up over his face. After taking a couple of experimental sniffs, he grimaced.
    “What?” I asked, my hand hesitating at the edge of my mask. I’d been about to lift it up and give myself some much needed relief from my personal sauna. I was pretty sure at this point my armpit stink was bad enough to curl nose hairs.
    “Chemicalss. Not goodt.” He pulled his mask back over his face.
    I smiled at his hair. It was standing out all over the place, wherever it had escaped the elastic bands holding the mask on.
    “Take it off in da hallway, not here.” He motioned for me to walk in front of him.
    “Should someone stay and watch this?” asked Flick, motioning to the fridge. He was mesmerized or something, his gaze never leaving the interior.
    “Just shut the door,” I said. “Fires need oxygen, right?”
    “Ha, ha. Yeah, right.” Flick shut the door almost reluctantly and followed behind the others already on their way down the hallway. He looked back just as he was about the leave the room, staring at the fridge. “I really feel like we should watch this thing.”
    “Just go,” I said, pushing on him gently. “If it catches on fire again, we’ll smell it and come with extinguishers.”
    Flick finally gave up and left, jogging to catch up to Derek as he pulled his mask and gloves off.
    I was the last to leave the room. Looking back at the space with its stainless steel tables, sinks, and equipment, I wondered if it could ever be used as a place to prepare meals again - or if I’d ever want to eat anything that came out of here.
    I’d probably never lose the vision of all those bodies stacked up in there so carelessly. Life had to mean more than that to us in the future. I swore then that no matter what, I’d never let one of my family members die and be left to rot in a pile with strangers.
    I walked down the hallway, pushing my hood back and pulling off my mask. I breathed in the smell of smoke and the last vestiges of death that still hung in the air.

CHAPTER TWO

    PETER HAD READ OUR MINDS. A pretty decent lunch, all things considered, was waiting for us when we arrived.
    Bodo was first in line for the food that was spread out on the table that used to be the reception desk. Winky went for the table with water on it, downing a small bottle in about three seconds.
    I paused at the entrance to the main lobby, waiting for everyone else to come out of the hallway.
    “Wow, Peter doesn’t waste any time, does he?” asked Derek, hanging back to walk with me out into the room.
    “Boy’s got it goin’ on,” said Jamal, leaving with Gretchen to walk across the room towards Bianca. Ronald followed behind them.
    “No, Peter doesn’t waste any time at all. Organization is his special talent.”
    “We all have one of those, don’t we?” he asked, winking. “A special talent. I hear yours is kicking ass.”
    I laughed. “I guess. What’s yours?”
    He reached up and scratched at his sweat-matted hair. “Honestly, I have no idea. I can shoot a mean set of hoops, but that’s not going to help anyone anymore.”
    “I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Maybe you’ll be a good cowboy.”
    He frowned. “Cowboy? What’s that all about? We going to do a rodeo?”
    “I hope to get some cattle over here somehow. We’ll see.”
    “Huh. Interesting. I’ve never ridden a horse before, but I’m willing to try.” He moved away from me to join Bodo and the others from our cleanup team who’d stepped up to the buffet.
    I walked over to be with Peter. He was standing in the corner of the room that had been set up as