Us Against the Apocalypse

19 - Life in the City

'And that's what happened.'

'Do you miss him?'

Bluebell and Arlo were sitting side-by-side in the apartment he and Leo had been given to share. The apartment they now called home was spacious and, in Bluebell's opinion, one of the prettiest the city had to offer. It had two bedrooms and an open-plan living room - the majority of the furniture was white giving the whole place an airy and homely feel. Bluebell lived somewhere similar, but her apartment lacked the balcony, whilst Harley's had everything and more.

Upon arrival at the Safeplace, Harley had been recognised as a widespread celebrity and had been given the most expensive apartment the city had available. Apparently, his arrival had potential and could attract new people who knew of him before the apocalypse started.

After a great deal of haggling, Harley had got them three apartments and decent stress-free jobs within the walls. They'd be provided with food and drink weekly and had been told that only six hundred people lived within this particular Safeplace.

Though they'd only arrived yesterday, Bluebell loved her apartment and loved having her own space - but nothing could compare to how much she enjoyed being able to walk down a street filled with stores and cheerful people waiting to say hello.

Here, the currency was supplies, and any shops accepted trades rather than money transactions. Bluebell had woken up early that morning and had taken the opportunity to visit Arlo right away.

He'd been spending a chunk of time telling her about where he'd used to live - an orphanage with his brother.

The Safeplaces worldwide all had their own systems and were cut off from the rest of the world to avoid financial trouble. Each one was funded by the government but due to the decline of the population they all had a lot of space to spare. Coming across one was like finding a gem in a diamond of stone.

The journey there had been tough, but everyone had survived it; Leo had experienced a few rough patches and his wounds were currently being treated in the hospital.

Even the nurses or doctors were in the same boat as them - working for supplies or hired by the government. It was a tight-knit community and practically everyone knew one another, a bit like the pool had been.

Unfortunately, the Safeplace they now resided in was the last one to be built because of how much the project always costed. The government had stopped focusing on providing for survivors and were now spending what little they had on keeping zombies at bay.

'I miss him a lot,' Arlo finally murmured in response to Bluebell's previous question. 'But there's nothing I can do about it. I blame myself for not going back and saving him.'

'There's no need to blame yourself,' Bluebell promised him, 'none of it was your fault. Asher wanted to save you, and that's all that counts. I'm sure he's proud of you.'

'When do you think Leo will be out of hospital?' Whether changing the subject was intentional or not, Bluebell was glad for a change of pace and had been reluctant to see her friend upset anymore.

She honestly wasn't sure when Leo would be back, but his wounds hadn't been too severe so it wouldn't be long. They certainly hadn't been fatal, and a little bit of attention would nurse him swiftly back to health.

'Aren't you enjoying having the apartment to yourself?' she prompted cheerfully. The two of them were sharing the largest sofa which was made of smooth white fabric and facing an old-fashioned bookshelf filled to the brim with any genre you could ask for.

'I can't cook! I can't do anything!' Arlo complained, fiddling with his fingers. It was one of the only times Bluebell had seen Arlo without his leather jacket, and his nimble figure was on full display beneath the tight blouse.