We chase around after the loose chickens. We’re both running around, hunched over, hands stretched out, looking like idiots. To be perfectly honest, we laugh a lot more than catch chickens. Teamwork works best. I distract them as Zach sneaks up from behind and nabs them. We keep at it until all the chickens are safely inside.
We save the most backbreaking task for last, of course—carrying large logs from the nearby forest. We use one of those two-man saws seen in old cartoons to break them down. By the time the shadows are getting long, we’ve got two entire trees cut into sixteen-inch rounds, ready for splitting. My muscles ache after the day’s work. Zach is really trying to get his value out of this deal.
Back at the bank, he flips on some LED string lights illuminating the entire room in a soft white glow. He does it so casually that it makes me laugh.
“What?” Zach says with a sheepish grin.
“It’s just—it’s funny seeing you switching on lights like it’s no big deal. Just another day in postapocalyptic Elk Springs.”
“I can’t help if I’m clever.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.” I laugh. “Plus, if you’re so clever, why don’t you have electric heat? It’s freezing in here.”
With the sun nearly down, the temperature is dropping rapidly. And the stone floors and austere bank interior makes it feel that much colder.
“I’ve tried running electric heaters, but they drain the battery in no time,” Zach says. “Some things are best done the old-fashioned way. Speaking of which, thanks for volunteering to start the fire?”
“Fine. I know what I’m good for.” I roll my eyes but let out a big smile, walking back to the stove.
Once the fire’s going, Zach reheats the leftover stew from lunch. We make small talk about our lives before the Great Collapse. He talks about his family and plans to go to U-Dub, but I avoid saying anything too revealing or personal. Anytime he probes too deeply, I find a way to change the subject.
When we’ve finished dinner, Zach springs up with a smile. “Okay, movie time.”
We drag two chairs over in front of the TV mounted on the wall. With a press of the remote, the TV and the DVD player light up. TheStar Warsintro loops, filling the bank lobby with the familiar themes of John Williams. Something about the music is so evocative to me, bringing back childhood memories.
“The TV was already here in the bank. But I found the DVD player and a bunch of DVDs in people’s houses.” Zach runs his hand along a collection of DVDs set up on a table below the TV. “We can watch whatever you want.”
“Star Warsis fine. I haven’t seen that since I was a kid, anyway.”
Zach beams and rubs his hands together. I guess that’s what he was hoping for.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Zach runs off into the vault with a big smile.
This weird little guy sure has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. It’s silly but quite endearing.
A moment later, the whirling of a fan fills the room. What in the heck is he doing? Then loud noises start, almost sounding like muffled gunshots. I jump up from my seat, startled. But then, the popping noises get louder and more frequent, and I laugh.
Microwave popcorn.
Zach comes out carrying two bowls filled with fluffy golden kernels. “I’ve got just a few bags of these. Only for special occasions.”
“I can’t remember the last time I had popcorn.” I grab one bowl. “What’s the occasion, then?”
“My first visitor.”
First? Dang. This guy really must be lonely.
“My lucky day, I guess,” I say.
I toss a kernel into my mouth. And,wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a treat like this. It’s buttery, salty, and crunchy in all the perfect proportions. We have very few luxuries in the emergency medical bunker I’ve been calling my home for the last year. All our meal rations come out of prepackaged bags. Almost no entertainment. Everything is utilitarian and focused on two things only. Survival and medical research.
Zach dims the lights and starts the movie. I sawStar Warsas a child, but it’s been so long that I forgot what a good movie it is. Zach and I feed off each other’s reactions, from C3PO’s first line until Luke destroys the Death Star. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I’ve been transported away for a moment, almost forgetting the hellscape I live in.
When the world has shifted so much, life becomes all about survival. It’s easy to only focus on the big things. But sitting here, watching movies, sharing a laugh makes me realize how important the little things are too. Even when Marcus was around, life was so altered that we almost never laughed or had any moments like this.
When the credits finish rolling, we sit in silence. I smile at Zach. “Thanks for that.”
“Yep. I need a movie like that to lift my spirits sometimes. But I think you needed it more than I did.”
