The night passed peacefully. There was no commotion from the upstairs guests or any issues from those sleeping in the bar. Sal sat at a table with his AR-15 in his lap, keeping watch. David slept for a few hours, then joined him. The two of them watched the sunrise through the cracks in the tabletop securing the front window. They hadn't spoken a word all night, though they had enjoyed each other's company all the same. There's comfort in knowing someone well enough to understand silence is more powerful than words.
David had been in several situations that necessitated him evading sleep for days at a time. He could stay up for 48 hours with no assistance from caffeine or other stimulants. Longer than that would require him to use medications, though he hated the side effects.
His past was…cloudy at best. Everyone knew he was an engineer who had previously worked for a government agency, though there was never any discussion about that agency. He would randomly admit to traveling abroad, though never gave much detail. Elliot would occasionally tell people David used to be assigned to different embassies and worked with local governments on water and sanitation projects. Nobody believed him.
Sal, on the other hand, was an open book. Everyone knew his history. He wanted to join the military after high school. He was ready to sign up when his father became ill. Six months later, Sal was speaking at his dad’s funeral. A year later, he did the same at his brother’s. That left Sal and his mom. He couldn’t leave her alone, so he stayed in Chicago.
A few years after his brother passed, Sal opened his bar. His mom had been diagnosed with cancer a few months after the bar opened, so he converted the upstairs storage into a two-bedroom apartment and took care of her. They lived above the bar for a few years until cancer got the better of her. Sal bought an apartment a few blocks away and devoted his free time to the gym. He became a fitness addict. Later in life, he expanded his interests, adding several types of weapons, survivalist basics, and cooking.
He excelled at cooking, which raised the level of clientele at Sal's considerably. The pizza and pasta he made were featured every few years in the Tribune. None of it was remotely healthy, but it was delicious. That's also when David, Mikel, Jesse, Byron, and Julie started frequenting the bar. His social circle had expanded, his wallet had grown, and he had finally found a level of happiness.
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The quiet was finally interrupted when Glenn walked over to them.
“Good morning, gentlemen. Any chance I can get out of here for an hour or two? I need to get over to the CBOE real quick. There’s a package waiting for me.”
They could tell he was in a bad way. He was starting to sweat and had a case of the shakes.
“That’s probably not a good idea, Glenn. We aren’t going to stop you, but if you go, there’s no coming back here.”
“Got it. I really have to go, though, so let’s make that happen.”
“Goddamn it, Glenn, I got some shit for you. You don’t have to go anywhere. Sit your ass back down and chill out,” Rob was behind him, leading him toward the booth.
Sal shook his head as they walked away.
“That’s gonna get out of hand pretty quick.”
Stolen story; please report.
"Yep. Let's have a talk with them later today, once everyone's awake." David said. He looked like he was ready to throw the two of them through the window. David wasn't a small man. He didn't look intimidating, but he was well-built and had years of training behind him. Nobody around him knew that, and he didn't plan on sharing that knowledge, but he'd make sure everybody he cared for was safe.
The others were waking up and going about their morning rituals. Sal had shuffled off into the back to make coffee while Julie and Jesse headed upstairs to take orders from the quarantined group. Mikel and Edward headed to the men’s room while Byron tried contacting his wife again. Someone laid out a towel to do a yoga routine.
Everyone seemed to be settling into a normal routine. The speed at which a human being can adapt to change is incredible. Yesterday, these people only had their normal lives to worry about. Now, they were dealing with what could be the end of the world, and they were making coffee and doing yoga.
After Sal brought out a carafe of coffee and everyone got a mug, attention turned to the television. They wanted to get the latest updates on the events.
The local channel wasn't broadcasting anything. It showed a blue screen. C-Span had a scrolling National Emergency Warning ticker across the screen, advising everyone to shelter indoors. Sal scrolled through stations until he found CNN. They had a live feed from Jerusalem. The city looked to be a complete loss. Wolves and other misshapen beasts were everywhere. The streets were bloodstained, and bodies were stacked in piles like chopped wood.
The feed switched to Los Angeles, and the reporter started in.
“This has been the hardest thing to witness in my life. These…creatures have been feeding openly since yesterday. I haven’t seen any people out since last night, nor have we been able to get in touch with any locals on the telephone. It’s as if Los Angeles has gone dark, and the people living here have either been killed or have fled. There are more bodies piled along streets this morning. We’ve been trying to avoid filming those, but some have gotten through. It’s horrific and only getting worse.”
The screen cut back to the studio, with the anchor continuing.
"This has been playing out all across our nation and, from reports we've received, across the entire northern hemisphere. Moscow has gone dark, with some saying that Vladimir Putin himself has fallen into one of these things.
“Major population centers across China, India, Pakistan, almost the entirety of Europe, Japan, and almost everywhere else with a population has gone dark. We hope you’re safe and that there are still people out there hearing our voices. We’ll stay on the air as long as we can.”
The bar was silent. Jesse had tears running down her cheeks. Mikel was pale, as was Byron. Glenn and Rob looked like they wanted to take on the world now that they were high.
David shut the television off. He walked over to the door and tried the knob. It didn’t budge.
“I think we’re safe in here. The door’s secure. We have food, weapons, and, as Jesse said earlier, enough alcohol for at least two more days. Let’s get a plan together and make the most of this situation.”
Everyone nodded their agreement, and the day moved forward. Before too long, it was lunchtime. Sandwiches and chips, courtesy of Mikel and Jesse, made the rounds. The quarantined group was doing well, although Holly was bitchier than usual.
The plan came together after lunch. They’d let the upstairs group out the next day. The food would start to be rationed so they wouldn’t run out too soon. Sal had some survival rations in the basement that would last for a few months, but nobody was looking forward to that inevitability.
Lists would be made for jobs, including a cleaning schedule, cooking, lookout, and inventory watch. There was also a need for entertainment, as being locked in a confined space for a prolonged period could quickly cause people to go stir-crazy.
There were more ambitious ideas, like breaking down the wall between Sal’s and the bakery next door to gain access to more floor space and food. Elliot wanted to get access to the roof so they could get some vitamin D. Edward reminded him of possible contamination in the air that started this whole thing and how that would be a bad idea.
Overall, everyone was amicable, and the schedule was partially drawn up. Times were posted, but they decided to wait till the next day before holding signups to allow the upstairs group a chance to join in.
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