Page 34 of Once Upon an Apocalypse

Chapter 24

Iwakeupinthe middle of the night. Alone. Part of me thinks Amos was a figment of my imagination. How can he be so caring, so considerate, when all he wants to do is test my body to find the miraculous mutation that makes me immune to zombie bites? But he does care. He helped me through an uncontrollable bout of depression, anxiety, and fear. Why?

My dry mouth interrupts my thoughts, rolling me out of bed in search of water. When I enter the living area of my shared dorm room, Cal and Mina look at me with all-knowing eyes from their designated spots on the couch.

Cal speaks first, saying, “There she is. How did you sleep?”

“Pretty good…considering.”

Cal nods their head as if they know exactly what I have been through, am still going through. “Come sit. Amos told us to keep an eye on you and make sure you’re okay.” Cal pats the cushion next to them. “Are you okay, Lori?”

“I’m thirsty.”

Mina hops up and scurries over to the corner of the room where we have a rationed supply of water. She pours the water from a jug into a small cup as I sit next to Cal. As soon as Mina places the cup of water in my hands, I chug every drop. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Mina says with a smile. “Better?”

I nod. “Better. What time is it?”

“Oh, well past midnight. Mina and I are night owls, so we take the late night shifts. But Amos relieved us of our usual duties at the perimeter so we could keep watch here.” Cal’s thorough answer makes me feel vulnerable again.

“Why?” I cross my arms, gently rubbing my elbows.

Mina and Cal exchange a look I don’t quite understand. When Mina looks back at me, she says, “Because he was worried about you. So was your mom. She came by to check your vitals and make sure you weren’t catatonic.”

So Amos being worried about me is normal. I mean, I guess I am his responsibility since he’s the one who brought me here. His presence felt more than an obligation though. Like he was truly, deeply concerned. I could feel it as he held me in his arms. And I didn’t want to let go of it.

Taking a breath, I move my mind onto a different subject. “So you guys obviously know where I’m from and how I got here. What about you?”

Cal answers first. “I’m from Colorado originally. Came here as a student. Computer science. Load of good that will do in this new world.”

“My family immigrated to The States from Columbia when I was ten. We’ve moved all over, but settled down in Pennsylvania when I was a senior in high school. I’ve only been at The Valley for a year,” Mina explains. “I came here with a few others. We were all strangers, picking each other up along the way. I can introduce you sometime if you like. It’s nice to have friends after being alone for so long.”

Mina’s words were laced with so much sympathy I had to look away. From the corner of my eye, I see Cal elbow Mina in the side. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Obviously it’s a sore subject for Lori.” Cal grabs my hand to pull my attention back to them. “Don’t let those memories become who you are, Lori. That’s all I’ll say until you are ready to talk more about it.”

Their words pull me back into the okay mood I was in when I woke up. I offer them a smile as I say, “Thanks. And it’s okay to say these things in front of me. It would be selfish of me not to hear your own stories and losses. I’m sure you both know what it’s like to feel…alone.”

Mina and Cal are silent for a moment, then Mina asks, “Can I hug you?”

“Me too,” Cal chokes out.

I nod and both of them immediately tackle me into the most comforting group hug I’ve ever been part of.

“It’s nothing against you guys, but I’m still feeling tired, so I think I’m going to go back to bed.” When they pull away from me, I add, “Thank you. Even if you were ordered to be here, I can tell you both care for me. You are strangers to me, and yet you’ve shown me more kindness than anyone in that bunker.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Mina says with a smile.

Friends. I have friends.

“We’ll be here, keeping watch. You have nothing to worry about.” Cal’s kindness is a radiant beam of light that hits me in all the cold places of my soul. I can’t help but jump at Cal, wrapping my arms around them. And I’m not surprised when I feel Cal’s arms around me, reciprocating my hug.

When I pull out of the embrace, Mina says, “I’m a good solo hugger too, if you’d like to know.”

I open my arms out for her, and she immediately pulls me in for another great hug. I smile at the thought that I won’t starve for love and hugs in this place.

“Thanks, guys. It’s really nice to have…friends.”

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