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Iwokeupwithchapped lips, a stale taste in my mouth, and a pounding headache. I rolled over on what I assumed was my bed, only to immediately roll off and hit the floor.
Apparently I had passed out on the couch, and upon sitting up, I immediately clocked the usual suspects.Wine. Two empty bottles sat on the cheap coffee table in front of me. Next to them was a half-empty bottle of home-distilled gin Olivia had somehow managed to procure. I wanted to retch at the sight. I scrubbed my hand over my face, regretting all of my life choices, and stumbled to my feet in desperate need of a shower.
Olivia and I had decided since we were now university seniors – basically functioning adults – our girls’ nights would no longer include clubbing and Porn Star drinks, but wine and dinner.
Of course, with all the food and alcohol shortages, wine was a rare commodity. Most of the time we could only get the homemade stuff, either way too sweet or so bitter it made your lips pucker, but we made do. Last night we had made do with some homemade gin as well.
Thatexplained the headache. My phone buzzed from my pants pocket, and I slid it out to see five texts from Ray. The buzzing was familiar from my restless dreams, and I realized my phone was what had woken me up.Shit.
It was later than I expected, and I had told him I would be over first thing to take Avery to the park. His mom and step-dad had both taken extra shifts on weekends, so Ray would watch his little sister, and I would spend time with both of them. I didn’t mind. I loved Ray, and Avery was the sweetest little doll. But it was already eleven, and I had told him I would be there at nine.
“Liv?” I called. Hopefully one of us had made it to bed. I checked Ray’s messages as I waited for her to respond.
I was an even bigger pile of garbage. I ran my hand through my hair, quickly typing out an apology text. Not that it mattered, because the little bars at the top of my screen dwindled to half a bar, and then nothing. I groaned, leaving my phone on the kitchen counter.
Cell signals had been unreliable for at least two months. I heard in my psych class that out in the country, cell service was already nonexistent. It was only a matter of time before it happened here too.
Hopefully this was just a blip, and by the time I finished my shower, the message would be sent.
I dragged my feet down the hall, knocking on Olivia’s door as I passed. “Liv! It’s eleven. I’m gonna take a shower and head over to Ray’s.” Still nothing. I frowned, but it wasn’t entirely unusual for Olivia to be completely unconscious after a night of drinking.
There wasn’t any hot water left by the time I jumped in the shower – unsurprising, given the late hour – but the cool water still helped to wake me up. And at least I didn’t smell like gin anymore. I toweled off quickly, darting into my room for clothes. I pulled on a T-shirt and a light jacket, tugged on my running shoes, and debated if I should go knock on Olivia’s door again or just leave her to sleep.
I knew she had a final coming up she was supposed to be studying for, but she was also her own person. If she wanted to sleep instead of study, that was up to her. I grabbed my phone off the counter, frowning at the lack of bars still glaring up at me from the tiny screen.
As I stepped out the door, I stopped, absentmindedly twisting the engagement ring on my finger – a small little thing, with both of us still in school. We planned to get married in June, after graduation. A small affair, since I only had Olivia, and he only had his mom and Avery. Small as the ring may be, it brought me more comfort than I anticipated. A reminder that Ray was there, watching over me. It was odd, but comforting. He looked out for me, and I needed to look out for Olivia.
I jogged down the hall, giving her bedroom door one last firm knock before opening it up. Half expecting to find the room empty, my heart pre-emptively sank. But instead, Olivia lay in bed, only her tousled blonde hair visible above her duvet. “Liv? I’m headed out. I’ll see you later tonight, okay?”
“Mmmmmkoooommm,” was her strangled response.
I smiled to myself. “I’m going to assume that means okay. Bye, Liv.” Reassured, I left the apartment, firmly locking the door behind me.
A light drizzle started to fall as I walked the few blocks between home and the park, and I pulled the hood of my coat overhead. I weaved my apartment keys between my fingers – a makeshift weapon,just in case.
Most of the things we did now werejust in case. Not going out after dark. Selling the car. Stocking up on an extra pack of painkillers when the grocery store had them in stock. Just in case. The food shortages had been slow at first. Slow enough that no one really complained until full shelves were empty. Then aisles. Food wasn’t the only shortage either.
People whispered it was the end of times – the apocalypse. And once those rumors started, it didn’t take people long to start turning on each other. I always thought it’d take longer for a human to turn back into an animal. Turns out, all it took was a grocery store without eggs.
People robbed and mugged other people in broad daylight. Others kidnapped babies, desperate for a child of their own.
Getting pregnant was no longer the commonplace accident it used to be. Girls began to disappear, and no one knew where they went, or if they would ever come back.
Olivia and I tried to not go out on our own without each other anymore. With both of us being psych majors, our classes were all the same. University classes were still held in person, even with the dwindling number of students – society’s last grasp at normalcy. But walking the distance from our house to the park wasn’t a big deal.
Across the street, I watched a young man use a clothes hanger to unlock a car parked on the road. A car I doubted was his. The door opened, he tossed the hanger to one side, and moments later peeled out of the parking space. I hid my face deeper in my hood, not wanting to be an accomplice to any crime. I didn’t like to admit it, but the city scared me sometimes. People were desperate to maintain the same lifestyle they’d had before the shortages.
Seeing the park was a relief, and I wasn’t surprised to see Ray’s dirty-blond hair as he pushed Avery’s small body in a swing. I jogged the last few feet, desperate to feel safe once more. But even the park wasn’t the same as it used to be.
The tunnel was boarded up, an attempt to keep shady deals from happening while kids played. Graffiti covered every square inch of the play structure, now more neon than primary colors. And the lone remaining swing was zip-tied and duct-taped together. I knew this, because I had helped Ray fix it the last time it broke.
Avery saw me first, her eyes lighting up. “Meeeeeeeeela!”
I put on my biggest smile, the one I saved just for her. “Hey, sweet girl! Sorry I’m late.”
“Yeah, Auntie Mila was too busy gett–”
I elbowed Ray with a glare. “Hey! Sensitive ears.”
