Apocalypse Challenge - 04 - Cherry Lips

[darkmoon689]

Things were quite crazy the past few months, electrical problems, pc meltdown, educational issues, a lot of work and the increasingly annoying, stressful and dangerous mayhem that has become the norm in my country have kept me away from my favorite hobbies.
 After two months since the last time updated, I finally have a new chapter...

It was simple really.

Time goes horribly fast and disgustingly slow when you are alone, afraid and stress.



It goes to slow when you can't wait to hang around with your love ones, when every minute you know the could be in danger, in trouble, and not knowing if the will make it through another night in the mess that you once called home town hurts so much is paralyzing.








It goes terribly fast when every little thing you know you can do to get them to safety, or at least provide some sort of stability seems to pile up, to be a never ending list of small complicated details and bigger and mind-numbing task that there is no possible way that you can manage enough time to get around doing them, not even if you had and endless supply of elixir.



Even those who don't have to worry about economy and don't seem to notice the toxic ambient, still have to stress about shelter, food, and drinking water. Such things can put a great tension on a person or a wolf. Moods heat up and violence ensues.



Things get worked out before something really dangerous happens.



But it isn't easy. Despite being dull.





Gabriel could be so exhausted at times that he would drop were he was standing. Thankfully that usually happen after he had gotten inside his house.



Such an effort payoff.



And even making toxic snow/ash angels, doesn't seem so dangerous when you are in the mood  of resting and celebrating.



After what had been what he can only assume the most part of the past few months (or were they years?), he had spend it slaving himself in the kitchens climbing to the top, playing the cook, the mechanic, the chemist... all to manage to create what some will eventually call culinary miracles out of the bland, scarce and sometimes dangerously toxic food available.



It was after all success, it wasn't town changing success not yet at least not until his methods could be spread around safely (and hopefully without cost) to everyone, but it was success despite everything.




He wasn't prepare when crappy phone he fear wasn't well connected to anything suddenly rang.
Jade was back.



She had left to search for help from biologist and geneticist to deal with the aftermath of the disaster, it wasn't an easy task and it was far from complete but The Company had sponsor her journey and The Company had force her back when it seemed obvious that her presence in the outside world was giving more bad press than they had originally planed. They didn't phrase it like that of course, certainly anyone who could put 2 and 2 together could figure it out.



Gabriel was thrilled when she show up at his doorstep, now he could offer her a home and maybe even some stability to try to conduct her investigation.



She accepted without a second thought and the became a family under the same roof.

And although Jade seem content and even truly happy at times. Gabriel knew it was selfish of him to be so happy that she had been force back into town. It was selfish because Jade felt she could be doing much more to help and she was stuck there, and he knew it too.



Her family had come to see her, her little sister who had survive the disaster while they were at college.




And her brother who was Gabriel's best friend. As many others they were intermittently affected by the toxicity of their town.





Gabriel did his best to keep a good mood around the house. Alabama was of great help it that, being the most sociable and easy going of the pack.




Life was somewhat manageable but it wasn't getting better.



And Jade was certain that she could do something about it. Gabriel did what he could to help. The truth was that a cook even a famous chef had little voice in politics and little influence over those he served.



Jade would spend long hours trying to get some sort of help.



Researching and re-checking material, calculating and proposing theories and possible ways to deal with toxic ash and all it's consequences.



Of course there where few things to do to release stress. And they weren't gonna turn them down.





It was ironic the routine and constant stress took a toll on everyone body and metabolism.



Jade hadn't been tracking her own cycles being to caught with the health of the planet and all. So when she started growing a belly she was both stunt at her own obliviousness and terrified.



It wasn't that they didn't want a family. And they did truly love the little bundle.



But to bring something so small and defenseless to such a harsh and broken world. That was definitely not part of the plan.





Maybe it was just what was meant to be. And they were not gonna fight it.



Seldom the phone lines would work but only for incoming calls and half of these were unintelligible.



After much work they had a bit of stability.



And could even say that at times the were actually happy.