The Last Plague

Chapter Eight: Jobs

We went to bed that night in the same room. We had spent the entire day looking around the area. Nothing stood out about any of the houses. Every house had the same wood, was the same size, looked out into the same area. There were four buildings in the corners of the area that had some differences. They were each the same wood, but they were all larger. They were also all locked.

The next morning I woke up calm. I was slightly anxious about getting a job, but I was mostly excited. I felt like I owed the people here work. I hated the feeling of owing people, but I knew it would soon go away. Nick grabbed Bethany down and we all walked out. I expected John to be standing there, but Derek was there instead. He looked at us as we walked out.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, completely surprising me; I expected him to get straight to what he was doing.

"Not bad," Nick stated. He sounded like he was reporting a fact, not answering a question.

Derek just nodded in response. "Alright, John isn't here as you may have noticed. He had, well, a meeting." He seemed to be a really bad liar; I immediately knew something was wrong. "Anyway, I'll show you to your jobs. Bethany, that's your name, right?"

"Yeah," she responded timidly.

"Okay, I'll take you to your job first, Bethany," Derek said, he started walking away.

We all followed him down towards the cafeteria area. The tables there were crowded with men and women; all of them wearing the same uniform. They all had guns strapped to their shoulders, giving me an uneasy feeling. Faint conversations filled the area with noise.

Derek walked through the doors of the kitchen in the back. "Alright Bethany, this is where you will be working," he said calmly. "This is Mellisa, and in the back there's William. Melisa usually makes all the meals, and that's what fills everyone here. William though," he lets out a small laugh. "He's the guy everybody likes. He'll make the best desserts and treats from nothing, I think you'll like him." He started walking Bethany towards the man, William.

"Are you Bethany? I'm William, but most people call me Will. I've been needing a little help around the kitchen, pleased to meet you." Will said quickly, reaching out his hand.

Bethany shook it uncertainly.

"Either I or John will come back for her later," Derek told William. "Are you good here, Bethany?"

She nodded and looked around the kitchen.

"Alright, I'll see you later," he said, walking out of the kitchen. "Alright, I'll get you two where you need to go. Nick, what was your job?"

"I'm a guard, and I took the night shift," Nick said, sounding confused.

"You took the night shift? What are you doing here then?" Derek asked, laughing.

"You tell me," Nick groaned. "Can I go back and sleep, or maybe look around?"

"Sure," Derek replied. "And I'll take you down to your job." He pointed at me.

Nick walked away bored as I followed Derek. He walked down the road taking turns carelessly. I followed him, not knowing where we were going. We eventually paused in front of another building. It looked exactly like the others, the same size and color still. I wondered how anyone knew what any building was. This area couldn't be more than a month old. I was interrupted by the click of the door.

Derek walked in, and when he realized I wasn't walking in, he came back out. "Are you coming or what?"

I didn't respond and only walked into the room. I was met by several people staring obsessively into monitor screens. They seemed very focused, letting nothing distract them.