Week Fourteen : Tuesday Who: Charlie and Sumi What: Hanging around the kitchen - it's foodtime When: A little before lunch Where: The kitchen at the Lodge Rating: PG-13 (for foul language and mentions of violence) Status: In Progress
Things had returned to normal for the most part, for Charlie at least. He might have been working under new management, but as long as he kept a low profile, he figured he was safe. He had not been all that close to the previous leaders in the first place. They had gone to high school together and came from wealthy families, but was all they had in common.
He whistled a jaunty tune as he whipped up some fried catfish for lunch that day. The war had been fortunate in the sense that there were less mouths to feed, which meant less work for Charlie. He loved cooking, but hated having to clean up after. At least chores were made easier with the electricity working again.
But he was lying to himself. He had missed at least some of the original tribe members, Slick especially. He had had a crush on her since high school, and she was the one to call him Mr. Delicious. Yes, he had mourned her death. At least he had the Pussy Posse to keep him occupied. It seemed he was seeing them more and more, mostly to avoid Junk. He just could not bare to be around her just yet. While he still had his kitchen, his comfortable bed, and a lighter workload, Junk had lost her only son. It probably would not have been so bad for Charlie if the kid had not died right there in his arms. God, there had been so much blood. Now, he was not the squeamish type; he gutted fish and skinned animals. He had killed and brutally injured quite a few people since the virus struck. But Tootles was just a little boy, and Charlie had actually become attached to him after all his visits to Junk's place. The little tyke had always been eager to see him, never knowing which of his favorite treats Charlie would bring along.
Charlie could not always pretend his life was all butterflies and rainbows, but at least for now, while consumed in his work, he could shove those things to the back of his mind.