Chapter 52 - [52] Job hunt

The town hall was nothing fancy, just another building that looked like it had been built for tourists back when the world was still normal. But now, it served a different purpose. The line to get inside was long, snaking out the door and down the steps. People stood huddled in their coats, their breath visible in the freezing air, waiting for their chance to find some sort of work. It felt strange—after everything that had happened, people were still lining up for jobs, like nothing had changed.But everything had changed.We stood in that line for what felt like hours, the cold creeping into our bones as we shuffled forward bit by bit. There wasn't much talking—everyone looked exhausted, their faces drawn and pale from the cold and the stress of surviving in this new world."Feels like the fucking DMV all over again," Ethan muttered, rubbing his hands together to keep warm. "Except, y'know, with fewer zombies."Daisy chuckled under her breath, adjusting the strap on her rifle. "At least we're getting paid in something useful this time. Can't eat a paycheck.""Or money," I added, glancing up at the dull gray sky. "Deer jerky's the new currency, I guess."Liza snorted. "At this rate, I'd take jerky over cash any day."As we got closer to the entrance, I could hear the faint sound of voices coming from inside—people being called in, one by one, to meet with whoever was in charge. It was like a job interview, only now, instead of competing for promotions or office perks, we were competing for survival.When it was finally our turn, the receptionist at the door called us in, her expression blank as she looked over the list. "You'll be called in one by one. The rest of you can wait out here."Yabe went first, followed by Liza, then Ethan, and Daisy. Each time, they disappeared through the door at the end of the hallway, only to come back out a few minutes later looking slightly more relieved. Finally, my name was called.I walked into the small, cramped office, the air inside warmer but stifling. The woman behind the desk was middle-aged, with sharp eyes and graying hair tied back into a bun. She didn't smile or offer any kind of pleasantries, just motioned for me to sit down."Alright," she said, flipping through a folder in front of her. "What are your specialties? What can you do?"I shifted in the chair, feeling the weight of the question. "I'm a psychology major. Graduated right before everything went to hell."Her eyes flicked up from the folder, and she gave me a quick once-over. "Psychology, huh? We could use more mental health workers. People are losing their minds out there, and we need someone to help keep things calm."I nodded, trying not to let my relief show. "I can do that. I've studied trauma, stress responses, group dynamics. I'm not a therapist, but I know enough to help."The woman scribbled something down on the paper in front of her. "Good. We'll place you in mental health care. Report to the clinic tomorrow morning. You'll get your assignment then."I stood up, grateful that the interview was over. "Thank you."She didn't look up. "Next."I walked out of the office, feeling a strange mix of relief and anxiety. I'd wanted to help people, sure, but now that I was actually going to be doing it, I couldn't help but feel the weight of it all. Mental health care in a world like this? It wasn't going to be easy.Outside, the others were waiting. Daisy leaned against the wall, her rifle resting on her shoulder, while Liza paced back and forth, clearly eager to get moving."How'd it go?" Yabe asked, her voice soft, but her eyes curious.I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Mental health care worker. Guess I'll be handling all the crazy out there."Liza snickered. "Good luck with that. People here are on edge.""Tell me about it," I muttered, leaning against the wall next to her."So, what'd you guys get?" Ethan asked, looking around at the group.Yabe smiled softly. "They gave me a nurse job. I'll be working in the hospital.""Good," Daisy said with a nod. "They could use someone like you. You've got the patience for it."Liza smirked. "They put me with the biology team. Apparently, they need someone to help with plants and shit—growing food, figuring out what's edible. Not the worst job."Ethan grinned. "Engineering for me. They need someone to fix generators and keep things running. Looks like my student loans won't be coming to haunt me after all."Daisy laughed, shaking her head. "Lucky bastard. I'm on patrol duty. They want me out there keeping watch, making sure the town stays safe."I raised an eyebrow. "Patrol duty? Isn't that just a fancy way of saying you'll be freezing your ass off on the wall?"Daisy shrugged, grinning. "Better than sitting around doing nothing. At least I get to shoot things if they get too close."Liza crossed her arms, smirking. "Don't get too trigger-happy. We still need some people left alive in this town."Ethan chuckled. "Can't believe they actually found jobs for all of us. I thought for sure they'd toss one of us out.""Guess we're useful after all," I said with a small smile. "For now, anyway."Yabe looked thoughtful, her eyes drifting toward the window. "It feels strange, doesn't it? Like... we're just going back to work, like nothing's changed."Daisy nodded. "Yeah. Except everything's changed."We all fell silent at that, the weight of her words hanging in the air. The world wasn't the same, and neither were we. But for now, at least, we had jobs. A purpose. A way to survive.And that was something.***By the time the sun set, we were ready to celebrate. After two weeks of walking through the freezing wilderness, surviving on deer jerky and barely making it through the days, we'd finally reached a place where we could sit down, have a drink, and feel something close to normal again.The tavern in Banff was a small, cozy place—wood-paneled walls, a couple of booths, and a bar that looked like it had seen better days. The lights were actually on, powered by a generator that hummed somewhere in the back. It was a strange thing, walking into a room lit by electric light. I'd almost forgotten what that felt like.Daisy managed to haggle with the bartender, trading in the last of our deer jerky for a beer each and some food. "Goddamn miracle," she said, setting the mugs down in front of us with a grin. "No more jerky. I thought I'd lose my mind if I had to eat another bite of that shit.""Fk, yes," Ethan said, raising his mug and taking a long gulp. He wiped the foam from his lips with a satisfied grin. "Finally, something that doesn't taste like dried cardboard."Liza sat across from me, leaning back in her chair, her beer in hand. "Not that this beer's anything fancy, but after what we've been through, it's like liquid gold."I took a sip of mine and almost choked on it. It was warm and bitter, but it was better than nothing. "Not exactly craft beer, but I'll take it."The food wasn't much—just some stew made from god-knows-what and a bit of bread—but it was hot, and after days of eating nothing but dried meat, it felt like a five-star meal. The heat from the stew warmed me from the inside, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself relax.Yabe sat quietly beside me, sipping her beer slowly, her eyes scanning the room. She looked content, but there was a quietness about her, like she was still processing everything that had happened. I nudged her lightly with my elbow. "You okay, Kohai?"She blinked, then gave me a small smile. "Yes, Senpai. Just... taking it all in. This feels so strange, doesn't it? Sitting here, having a meal like this, after everything.""Yeah," I nodded, looking around the tavern. "It almost feels like things are normal again. Almost."Daisy raised her mug in the air, her grin wide and mischievous. "Fuck normal. We made it here. We've got jobs. We've got food. That's worth celebrating."We all clinked our mugs together, the sound of the glass ringing through the warm, noisy tavern. Around us, other people were drinking, talking, laughing. For a moment, it was easy to forget that the world outside was still a nightmare, that there were zombies out there, that every day was a fight for survival.Liza leaned forward, smirking as she took a swig of her beer. "So, what's everyone's job? Come on, I wanna hear what kind of bullshit they roped you into.""I'm on mental health duty," I said with a shrug, taking another sip of my beer. "Apparently, I'm supposed to keep everyone from losing their shit."Liza snorted. "Good luck with that. People are already half-crazy in this place."Ethan chimed in, grinning. "I'm engineering. Gonna be fixing generators, machines, whatever they need to keep the lights on. Pretty badass, right?""Yeah, right up until something explodes in your face," Liza teased."Don't jinx me, Liza," Ethan shot back, laughing.Yabe set her mug down gently, her voice soft but proud. "I'm going to be a nurse. Helping in the clinic, taking care of the wounded. It's... what I've always wanted to do, even before all of this."Daisy raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Good on you, Yabe. That's some tough shit. I'd rather be out there on patrol duty."Liza smirked. "Of course you would, Daisy. You just want an excuse to shoot things."Daisy shrugged, taking a big gulp of her beer. "Ain't wrong. It's the only job I'd take around here. Keepin' the town safe, taking out zombies if they get too close? That's my kind of work."I chuckled, shaking my head. "Of course, you got patrol duty. You probably scared the shit out of the interviewer.""Damn right," Daisy said, flashing a wicked grin. "I don't mess around."The conversation flowed easily, the tension we'd carried with us for weeks slowly starting to fade. The food and the beer helped, but more than that, it was the fact that we were finally somewhere that felt... stable. Safe, even. For how long, we didn't know, but for tonight, we weren't thinking about that.Liza leaned back in her chair, her face flushed from the beer. "You know, this place isn't so bad. I mean, considering the circumstances.""Considering the circumstances," Ethan echoed, raising his mug. "I'll drink to that."We all raised our mugs again, clinking them together one more time. The sound of laughter and voices filled the tavern, and for the first time in a long time, it felt like we were part of something bigger than just surviving.Yabe leaned close to me, her voice quiet enough that only I could hear. "Senpai... I'm glad we made it here. I don't know what I would've done without you."I felt my chest tighten, a warmth spreading through me that had nothing to do with the beer. I gave her a small smile, trying to keep my voice steady. "I couldn't have done it without you, either."She blushed slightly, her eyes soft as she looked at me. "Thank you."We sat there in the warmth of the tavern, surrounded by the sounds of laughter, the clinking of mugs, the hum of the generator in the back. Outside, the snow continued to fall, but inside, we were safe. For tonight, at least, we could forget about the world outside.Q: What would be your dream job in a zombie apocalypse?