Apocalypse Challenge - 03 - Days before you came
After a while Gabriel made himself a shelter tearing down the remmenents of what as once his family home, he secure a small room, saved what he could and got rid of the rest so he wouldn't have to worry about the whole thing crumbling on top of him any second.
His primary source of income was being a guinea pig for The Big "Bad" Company, endless test and check ups like they were expecting him to grow another arm any day.
His nights were mostly lonely. Except for the wolves.
Few animals had survive the disaster. And the few that did mostly keep to themselves.
And without any other contact he soon became accustom to the company of this pack.
But talking to wolves wasn't the same and sometimes he question his own sanity.
As time when by he would do odd jobs here and there in whatever he could get.
The official story was that nature cause the disaster, the wrath of The Watcher was to blame. But behind close doors you could hear the rumors of at least a dozen stories were told about what really happen, some crazier than others but most of them pointed at The Company.
He pay little attention to rumors. A single thought filled his mind.
Jade. (wisteria_sims)
She was the only reason he had stayed after discovering that his family and his home where gone.
But the truth was that he could only dream of her.
He hadn't actually seen her more than once since they arrived. The roads were simply to dangerous to travel, the phone lines were useless.
The few news he got came from her brother Pey'j (wisteria_sims). Who a couple of times happen to pass around his house. Even on the light of day these visits where short, between the toxic environment, the rampant criminality and well the list of dangers was simply too long.
Eventually he got a job in the food "industry"
It wasn't glamours or rewarding but it was a steady job, a job near what had been his passion. And he had a small hope that he could make an impression and move forward in this broken city.
Moving through town was hard, no real services were available. People rarely left their house, so days were lonely and monotone.
He feared that he had finally lost his mind when he saw Jade playing with Canon outside his house one night.
Like him, she had being doing any job she could get, and now she had finally being able to sneak out from the refuge to see him.
It was short visit but it was enough to give him strength.
He started to work harder.
To make himself be notice by the big names in town. Politicians and criminals, which in general they happen to be the same group of people.
After Jade's visit Canon and the rest of the pack where still the extend of his social life.
He grew closer to the wolves, to the point their leader would join them on their late night visits.
It was mesmerizing the effect the leader would have on him. It was like in a way he had become part of the pack.
Or maybe he has just lonely and longing for family.
As weeks pass by playing chess against himself and practicing conversations at the mirror, was getting dull.
And his contact with wolves would keep him sane.
He had hear that getting close to a pack like he had could be dangerous.
And with side effects.
Those thoughts didn't keep him up at night.
His biggest concern was advancing his abilities so he could impress the big boss.
But he couldn't say he was surprise when he found himself howling at the moon one night.
When your only social life involves wolves. Some habits simply rub in to you.
He was however concern with his own mortality, one of the many side effects of the toxic dust was the early grave.
The elixir he had brought with him from college was helpful to deal with such effects. Many off those who had come back had brought similar elixirs. There was a time before the chaos, where they could be easily bought from the apothecaries or if you knew the right people from witches.
Times had changed, witches if there was any left around the area would hide from the public eye. The outside world wasn't any safer for them, despite their powers. And even they could protect themselves in that world of madness, many would take advantage of their abilities.
Everyone suffered the side effects of the toxic world differently.
The odd weather would had a obvious side effect in the skin of some. MilkyWay (musicboxrose) was clearly affected.
This effect was generally superficial and intermittent but it could indicate the beginning of other much serious conditions.
Slowly Gabriel was making is shack looked more like house. It was hard and quite expensive work.
And not particularly rewarding at times. But if he hoped to have a proper family life with Jade someday it was necessary work.
The wolves would keep him alert. And in a few occasions he had to help a passerby get back on track to their refuge. Collapsing randomly was another side-effect of the disaster specially if you found yourself in the outside for long periods of time.
Alabama the white wolf was one of his closest friends.
And he had started to keep supplies and place to rest for any of the pack that would come to keep him company. His income and social position had improved in the past few weeks and he had finally was able to keep at steady source of food. It wasn't the best quality but it was food.
Of course a steady food supply was the only thing he had manage to acquire. Anything else he out of luck.