Harem in a zombie apocalypse

[117] The final touches

The work started on the very first morning at the crack of dawn. The four of us armed with crowbars, hammers, nails and wood planks stood outside the dilapidated house. The house was a two-story building with a pitched roof, the walls of faded pastel colors showing the severe wear and tear of weather and time. The once bright windows were now boarded up, its glass long shattered, and the garden was a wasteland of overgrown weeds and broken branches.

We began by ripping out the broken windows, shards of old glass crunching under our boots. Kaya and Cassidy took the lead on this, their strong arms pulling at the wooden boards while the rest of us picked up the glass shards. Once all the broken windows were dealt with, we moved onto the next task - fortifying them.

Using the wood we had gathered, we constructed strong, thick shutters, both for security and insulation. Hazuki and Yan-Hua, despite their more delicate dispositions, proved themselves to be surprisingly adept at handling a hammer and nails, their strikes confident and precise.

Next came the doors. The front door was practically falling off its hinges, and the back door was non-existent. I led the charge on this, using my knowledge of carpentry to guide our efforts. We spent hours measuring, cutting, and fastening, until finally, the house had sturdy, secure doors.

Once the exterior was secured, we moved indoors. We cleared out the rubble and debris, revealing faded wooden floors and walls stripped of their wallpaper. Room by room, we cleaned and restored. Hazuki found an old potbelly stove in the basement, which we hauled up and installed in the kitchen area. Cassidy and Kaya constructed sturdy bunk beds in what would be our shared bedroom, and Yan-Hua surprised us all by using salvaged materials to create a simple but functional bathroom.

The days turned into weeks, and with each passing day, the house began to feel more like a home. There was a certain rhythm to our work, a sense of communal effort and shared purpose that made even the hardest tasks seem bearable. We cooked meals together, shared stories around the fire pit we built in the backyard, and watched the sunrise from the makeshift watchtower atop the roof.

We were making this post-apocalyptic world livable, and even though we were in the midst of chaos, there was peace in our little corner of the world, our home.

***

The morning sun rose high into the sky as the workers, a burly man named Luke and his apprentice, Tim, began their installation. They worked efficiently and diligently, a testament to their experience in this line of work. Luke worked on the water pump while Tim began setting up the solar panels on our roof.

As they worked, we couldn't help but comment on their efficiency. "It's amazing how they make it look so easy," Hazuki said, admiring their work from the safety of the shade. I nodded in agreement, fascinated by the way they manipulated their tools with such precision and finesse.

"Their skills are something to be admired," Kaya added. She watched as Tim expertly scaled the roof, his body moving with a grace that betrayed years of experience.

"Remember, we are going to have hot showers and clean drinking water," Cassidy said with a sigh of relief. She had been particularly concerned about our water situation, given the necessity of hygiene in a world where disease could easily spiral out of control.

"Plus, electricity!" Yan-Hua chipped in. She was particularly excited about the solar panels. "It means we can use some appliances, maybe have some light at night. It changes everything."

I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as I watched them work. The progress we had made was nothing short of remarkable. We had built our home from scratch, and now we were adding these vital amenities.

The sun began to set as Luke and Tim finished up their work. They tested the pump and the solar panels, ensuring everything was working correctly. With the last rays of daylight, they packed up their tools, leaving us with our newly installed water pump and solar panels.

Later that evening, we sat around our fire pit, each of us reflecting on the day. Cassidy was the first to break the silence. "Can you believe it? We actually did it." Her voice was filled with a mix of disbelief and pride.

"We sure did," I replied, the glow of the fire dancing in my eyes. "We turned this ruin into a home, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like we have a real shot at surviving this apocalypse."

Q: What is your must have furniture in your zombie apocalypse home?