Chapter 2: Car Trouble
"Alright, that's it!" shouted Roxy, pounding the coffee table with one of her fists. Calliope, who was already jumpy under the circumstances, nearly dropped her lit match onto the carpet. Thankfully she righted it before it could do any damage, quickly lit the candle, and blew the match out.
"What's the matter, Roxy?" asked Calliope.
"What isn't the matter?" Roxy groused. "We've been stuck in the house for a week now, we got no power or water, we're runnin' out of food, and the walking dead are knocking down our door. It's been too long. We gotta do somethin'."
"Something such as?" Calliope prompted gently.
"We gotta go to Rose's place."
Calliope's eyes widened. "We can't do that! The military hasn't given us the all clear!"
"In case you haven't noticed," said Roxy, looking out the bay window pensively, "Not a single soldier or cop's passed by this place since yesterday. Usually they're here all the time. I think they've abandoned us."
"What?" Callie cried incredulously. "Why would they do such a monstrous thing?"
"Because they've lost the city." Roxy turned to look at her girlfriend gravely. "They can't risk any more casualties, and they're needed elsewhere. We're gonna hafta go it alone."
"Are you sure about this?" Calliope hugged herself tightly, not a fan of where this was going.
"Yeah."
"We have to go right now?"
"Yep. It's broad daylight, so the zombies are the most docile they're gonna get. Let's get our stuff together. Pack light, bring food, water, first aid, and any personal items you might want." Roxy started off for the bedroom.
"Roxy, wait!" Calliope asked desperately.
"Yeah?"
"What if... what if the military returns, and we're not in our home? Wouldn't they be furious?"
"Callie, even if they did return, which isn't gonna happen, they'd have bigger problems to deal with than a few people playin' Musical Safe House. You know that. So, what's the real issue?" Roxy looked inquisitively at the former Cherub, who blushed furiously.
"Oh, there is no real issue, love. Everything is fine!"
"You're a poor liar and you always have been, Callie. Talk to me, girlfriend!," Roxy crossed her arms, indicating that there would be no arguing.
"W-well," Calliope stuttered softly, "There is simply so much that could go pear-shaped out there! You've seen the TV. Even looking out the windows, you've seen what the undead can do. Some grab and bite you, others throttle, pounce, maul, crush or even vomit on you. That's not even mentioning the ravenous giant animals that roam the streets! Yesterday, I'm fairly certain I saw a man made of leeches crawl out of the storm drain. Leeches, Roxy! I really think we should stay here!"
When Calliope stopped to catch her breath, Roxy gently took her by the shoulders. Looking into her lover's eyes, Roxy smiled as she encouraged her.
"Callie, you defeated Lord Goddamn English in one-on-one combat. You fuckin' trounced his ass like Mario wreckin' the Mushroom Kingdom's most ineffectual Goomba. I think you can handle a few zombies!"
"That's clearly hyperbole, Roxy. My battle with Lord English was terrifying and I very nearly snuffed it. It is not an experience I care to replicate," Calliope protested. "The undead hordes can kill us just as easily as my brother could. After all, in this universe we have only one life to lose!"
"Look, babe, I know you'll do great. You're smart, you're tough, and you're a kickass shot with that magnum. You're totes capable of trouncin' some zombie ass." When Calliope still looked hesitant, Roxy continued. "If you don't believe in yourself, at least believe in me, who believes in you!"
Calliope giggled nervously. "Very original, Roxy."
Encouraged by Callie's laughter, Roxy pressed further. "Doesn't mean it isn't true, though! Come on, you trust me, right?"
"Of course I trust you! I trust you more than anyone in the universe!" said Calliope earnestly.
"Then trust me on this: you'll be awesome. 'Kay?"
Callie smiled gently. "Okay, love. I shall try my utmost. Just, please stay close! I don't want to lose you."
"We'll stick together like a pair of ions on a date! Now let's get goin'!" Roxy started back down the hallway, and this time Calliope followed.
Ultimately, Calliope had to leave her most precious possession behind. The chronicle of sessions A2 and B1, which was such an important part of her upbringing, was simply too heavy to lug around efficiently. It was times like these that she missed the Sylladex system, as unwieldy as it was. At least she had the book memorized.
Instead, she brought practical items: food, water, medicine, ammo, and clothing. She also brought a blank notebook and a number of colored pens and pencils. If she was to be surviving day to day by the skin of her teeth, drawing was the only way she could keep her sanity.
Now thoroughly outfitted, Calliope met Roxy at the door to the garage. Roxy was similarly burdened. She grinned encouragingly.
"You ready?" she asked, trying to drum up excitement for what could very well be a suicide mission.
"I suppose I'm as prepared as I can possibly get," Calliope said with significantly less enthusiasm. She sagged under the weight of her backpack. "Are we taking the car, then?"
"Yep. It's probably safer than walking, since there's the extra barrier between us and them. And if the road's impassable, we can just leave it," Roxy explained.
"Wouldn't the sound of the engine alert the undead to our presence?" Calliope asked, brow creased with worry.
"Yeah, but it's still safer than walkin'. You saw how those things operate. If two of 'em get us at the same time, it's curtains. Walkin' would be a death sentence."
Roxy opened the door to the garage. It was dark, the only light coming from a window in the back. The scent of mildew and age pervaded the space. Calliope hoped the skittering sounds in the walls were normal rodents, not infected ones.
As Roxy got the doors to her hot pink Honda unlocked, Callie continued to fret.
"What if one of the big ones finds us? The Tank, was it? They can toss vehicles as though they were nothing!"
"I'd rather meet one while behind a thick metal shield rather than with our squishy meat bodies alone," Roxy said, getting in the driver's seat. She turned to Calliope and smiled, patting the passenger seat next to her. "Let's get goin'! We can go for a cruise in my hella fancy ride. I'll show you all the places the cool kids hang out."
Even as she sat down, Callie worried. "What if-"
Roxy cut her off before she could say anymore. "Listen, babe! It's broad daylight. You can practically run the Z's over and you got basically a fifty percent chance of them not givin' a shit. Gog knows how those military idiots let things get this bad!" Seats were adjusted, lights were checked, fuzzy pink dice were hung from the rear view mirror. Roxy was good to go!
Calliope was still concerned. Daylight seemed to have little impact on the Special Infected. They could get attacked during the day just as easily as at night. But Callie knew better than to argue. Roxy was a woman on a mission, and nothing was going to keep her from getting to Rose's place.
Hesitantly, she got in the car and closed the door. Roxy grinned as she turned the it on and revved the engine. Then she pressed the button to the garage door and nothing happened.
"Fuck," she said. "Power's out, I forgot. You wanna help me get the door open? Bring your gun!"
Calliope nodded hesitantly, took a deep breath, and got out of the car. Together, the two of them forced open the garage door, letting vivid sunlight inside. They angled their guns outward as their eyes adjusted to the brightness.
A few tense seconds passed, their ears taking up the responsibilities their eyes couldn't. Then the world came into focus.
Their little suburban neighborhood was in shambles. Homes were wrecked, and fires smouldered in the carefully tended bushes and trees. Strange stains marred the pavement of the road. Here and there, a figure could be seen. They stood shakily, or sat in the dirt. Their pale and rotten skin denoted that they were not to be trusted. At least they seemed not to take any interest in the two women who were now scrambling back to the car.
Calliope's heart beat quickly. That hadn't been so bad! Perhaps they may be able to reach Rose's apartment after all. She gave Roxy a shaky smile. Roxy grinned back.
As an afterthought, Roxy reached out and grabbed a pair of rakes leaning against the wall. "Might need these to discourage any grabbers. Long end would make a good deterrent." That done, she shut the door and settled back in the seat.
"Alright, let's get goin'!" she said. Shifting the gear into drive and tapping the acceleration, the hot pink vehicle crept cautiously out of the driveway, turned, and headed down the road.
The trip was going smoothly, so far. Roxy was pretty good at avoiding the zombies, and Calliope became skilled the more she used the rake handle to jab any undead hangers-on. As they entered the city, the infected became more numerous, though no less docile. The sun seemed to be the survivors' ally.
Now Rose's apartment was in sight, but the sheer number of zombies were making it harder to move. Large groups of undead were piling themselves onto the car at once, and it was all Calliope could do to knock them to the ground. The crowd had forced them to the left side of the road, into the shadow of a tall building.
"Almost there!" Roxy kept saying. "Just one more block!" Callie supposed she was trying to be comforting, but it wasn't working. Despite her status as a former alien, Calliope was genre-savvy enough to know that such encouraging phrases were asking for trouble. Or perhaps she was simply being paranoid. It was easy in such trying circumstances.
Just in case, Callie whispered to her girlfriend "I appreciate your encouragement, love, but could you perhaps stop tempting fate?"
Roxy giggled. "Oh, Callie, you know that's not how it works. This isn't..."
She was cut off as three things happened in the span of two seconds.
First, a large, fleshy something dropped onto their hood with a resounding crash, crushing the engine and leaving hundreds of tiny, spiderweb-like cracks on the windshield. As it impacted, it ruptured, splashing a huge wave of vile green goo all across the front of the car. Out the passenger window, Calliope could see the severed lower half of a Boomer go flopping to the ground.
Second, the car alarm went off. A high pitched, undulating wail began to echo through the neighborhood, nearly deafening the stunned women in the vehicle.
Finally, a second, moaning wail echoed throughout the horde as they stirred to action. Almost as a unit, they lurched for the car, climbing over each other in an attempt to get at their prey. Hundreds of rotting hands grabbed for the unfortunate survivors.
"God dammit Callie!" cried Roxy. "I fuckin' hate it when you're right!"
"Sorry, dear!" the former Cherub apologized in a panic.
Roxy was scrabbling at the dashboard. "It's alright, babe. Not your fault! Just get in the back and stay as low behind the front seats as you can. I gotta try to find a way to turn this off!" As she said this, a festering hand shot through the weakened windshield, shattering the glass and grabbing at her face. Roxy instinctively twisted the zombie's arm, hoping to break it. Instead, she wrenched it directly out of its socket and into her lap.
"Fuck!" cried Roxy in disgust as she tossed the arm aside. "Never mind the alarm, I'll be right behind you!"
Callie quickly scrambled to do as she was told. Clambering into the back, she wedged herself as firmly as possible into the foot space behind the passenger side seat. Roxy immediately followed, cramming herself behind the driver's seat.
As the first wave of zombies crawled in through the now shattered windshield, and the other windows were cracking beneath the onslaught, Roxy looked Callie in the eyes. Calliope read her gaze. This might be it,they said. This frightened her deeply. Roxy was supposed to be the brave one. She didn't get scared! A moment later, the one-armed zombie crawled over the seat divider., snapping its jaws viciously next to their heads.
Roxy, clearly not sure what she was doing, punched the monster in the temple. Its skull cracked as though it was made of clay, smearing blood and gray matter down the backs of the seats. Calliope couldn't tell whether the disease caused the skull to weaken or Roxy just had that strong a punch. All she knew was that she really, really wanted to throw up.
Their respite was brief, because another zombie broke through the left rear window, grabbing hold tightly of Roxy's hair. Roxy tried desperately to get a good grip or punch in on the slightly slimy arm, but the angle was all wrong. She grabbed hold of the seat to prevent being pulled out, but the pain in her scalp was excruciating.
Calliope wasn't certain when she had pulled out her magnum. All she knew was that she had it trained, shaking, on the creature's revolting skull. She could see how it may have been human once. A man, middle-aged with a bald spot. Glasses protecting his sagging eyeballs. He looked like he could have been someone's father, who would come home after a long day at work and play with the kids, or talk with the wife, or... or...
Calliope pulled the trigger, and the shot went wide, grazing the zombie on the shoulder. Automatically, she shot a second time, nearly grazing Roxy's right cheek.
She hesitated, worried she might harm her girlfriend. But Roxy was already head and shoulders out the window, clinging desperately to the back of the driver's seat as the zombie pulled her out toward the waiting horde. If she didn't take this risk, she would lose her beloved for certain. Holding her breath, she squeezed the trigger one more time.
The bullet hit the zombie directly between the eyes, snapping its glasses and puncturing it's skull. Gore sprayed forth, coating Roxy with putrid blood and flesh as she scrambled back to her position behind the driver's seat. Calliope's face went white, and her gun dropped from nerveless fingers. She had just shot someone. Someone who had once been a person, with a life, with a home, with dreams. She had looked him in the face and shot him in cold blood.
Roxy wiped the gore out of her eyes. "Thanks, Callie! I was thinkin' of gettin' that cut. Guess I shoulda done it while I still could, huh?"
Behind Calliope, glass shattered as another rotting hand reached down, this time for her. Roxy moved before Callie could, punching it in the skull. Callie could feel its cold contents sliding down her back. She couldn't think.
Roxy reached down and grabbed her magnum, holding it out to her handle first. "Here! You might want this!" As Calliope only continued to stare vacantly, Roxy tapped her insistently on the shoulder. "Hey, grilfriend, don't BSOD on me now. I need you!"
Calliope was startled by Roxy's use of the word "grilfriend". After years of practice speaking, Roxy's speech impediment was mostly gone, but it tended to return when she was stressed. Callie knew that she had to step up and pull her weight, as much as she could. With shaking hands, she took the gun, forcing her fingers to close around the handle. In a trance, she returned to shooting as the rear window shattered.
How long this went on Calliope couldn't tell. She seemed to be frozen in time, trapped in a hellish realm of blood and glass and sirens. A realm of her brother's creation.
Fortunately for the two survivors, as they shot the undead which climbed in through the windows, the zombies got stuck. This hindered others from getting past their fallen brethren, forcing them to tunnel through their bodies to get at their prize.
Unfortunately, the alarm continued to wail. Even as the effects of the Boomer Bile wore off, the Z's just kept coming. Roxy and Calliope huddled together, taking a moment to rest as the other zombies tried to work their way through.
Roxy glanced at Callie. "Hey. You okay?"
Calliope, still staring at nothing in particular, could only shake her head "no".
"Don't worry. We're gonna get outta this. We're gonna see Rosie, and Kanayna, and Jade. Everything's gonna be fine," Roxy murmured in her girlfriend's ear.
Just as she said this, the world tilted. Or rather, the vehicle did. The infected pounded on either side, rocking the car back and forth.
"Hold on, babe! This ride's gonna get rough!" said Roxy, gripping Calliope in one arm and the seat in the other hand. Calliope just grasped Roxy with all of her might.
The rocking became more and more intense. Back and forth the vehicle swayed, its occupants praying to whatever gods they still believed in that they'd make it out of this. Finally, with a massive metallic groan, the vehicle flipped. Up and down lost all meaning as the survivors fell to the roof beneath them in a trembling heap.
Terrified, exhausted, and covered in gore, the two lovers huddled together as far from the windows as they could get. The undead outside did not seem any closer to reaching them, but the alarm kept blaring, signaling any others in the area to investigate. Dully, Calliope realized that they really weren't getting out of this, no matter what Roxy said. They would either be trapped in the car until they starved, or the undead would get through and rip them to shreds.
Calliope nuzzled into the crook of her girlfriend's neck, trembling. If she had to die, she was at least glad she was with Roxy when it happened.
"Callie?" asked Roxy, voice wavering.
"Hmm?" the former Cherub murmured.
"I love you, babe," she whispered.
Calliope could feel something hot and wet hit the top of her head, and realized that Roxy was crying. Shoving aside her own emotions for a moment, she hugged her girlfriend, running her fingers through the crusty gore in her hair.
Their moment was interrupted by a distant buzzing sound cutting through the moaning of the horde. The two of them sat up, confused at this new turn of events.
"Is that...?" Roxy trailed off, listening intently.
The buzzing was promptly joined by a series of loud gunshots, one after another. Who could that be? Calliope wondered, brain still whirling from recent events.
Roxy answered her unasked question immediately. "That's def a sniper rifle. It's gotta be Jade!" she cheered.
The buzzing grew louder, and Calliope could finally recognize it as the roar of a chainsaw.
"And Kanaya!" Roxy raised her voice to a yell. "Hey! We're in here!"
The people outside did not seem to hear them, as the chaos reached a new pitch. A bone-chilling screech came from nearby.
"Hunter!" Rose's voice cried out. Jade's gun resounded sharply, and the screeching stopped.
The moaning, however, simply got louder. Calliope couldn't hear exactly what Rose was yelling, but she assumed it to be instructions. The bang of Jade's gun and the roar of Kanaya's chainsaw blended together with the cries of the undead, until it was impossible to determine what exactly was going on. The two survivors could only hold each other and hope.
Eventually, the chaos seemed to die down. The moaning seemed to gradually quiet, and with it the sounds of combat. Finally, only the wailing car alarm could be heard. Calliope hoped her friends had won.
A sense of relief rushed through her as she heard Rose's voice.
"They appear to be lodged firmly in the windows, fortunately for the individuals inside. Here, PM, assist me in extricating the corpses."
"Hey, are you alright?" Jade yelled.
"Yeah! Yeah, we're both alive!" Roxy responded loudly, prompting Calliope to cover her ears.
"Calliope is inside with you, correct?" Kanaya queried.
"Yep, it's me and Callie!"
A gruesome snap sounded from one of the corpses in the hind window as it was slowly pulled outside. PM crouched in it's place, her fragile smile a relief after the pained grimaces of the undead. She offered her hand, and Roxy motioned Calliope to take it. Finally, after what seemed like days of being trapped inside that hellish car, Calliope stood outside in the pale sunlight.
Twisted corpses marred the road as far as she could see. Dozens of undead lay headless in the scorching sunlight. The scent was unbearable.
Calliope promptly threw up. Behind her, she could hear Roxy doing the same thing, so she didn't feel too bad about it. A gentle hand rested between her shoulder blades, and as soon as she finished she looked up into the kindly face of Jade Harley.
"Are you done? Don't worry, I had the same reaction when I shot my first one. It's completely different from fighting imps!" she said, comfortingly.
"Th... thank you," was all Calliope could stammer. She looked behind her at Roxy, who appeared just as shaken and frightened as she was. Rose was speaking quietly to her, as PM looked on. Suddenly, Kanaya was at her side.
"Did either of you sustain any lacerations? If so, you will require medical immediate medical attention. While the illness does not have a one hundred percent infection rate, blood-to-blood contact may increase its likelihood exponentially."
"'Kay, my head's kinda spinnin' from all the craziness that just happened. What's she sayin'?" asked Roxy in a daze.
"She is saying that if any of your injuries are contaminated with the blood of the undead, there is a good chance you will become one." Rose explained. "You'd be wise to come with us. There is a rain barrel in the courtyard of the complex; we can use that to clean you up."
"Sounds hella good to me. I done enough bathin' in the brains of zmombies. Right, Calilope?"
Callie could only nod at Roxy's jumbled statement. As far as she was concerned, she was never, ever going outside again as long as she lived.
The apartment complex was of a fancy, modern design. It was quite at odds with the traditional architecture of the old parts of DC, but fitting with the surrounding area. The building had two wings that formed a right angle. The courtyard was the inside of this angle, with a sturdy brick wall separating it from the road. Two guards flanked an elaborate arched gate in the wall's center, one of whom raised his gun upon seeing the two bedraggled survivors approach.
"Hey, hey! No outsiders allowed! We've had enough problems from your kind!" he said threateningly. Roxy and Calliope stopped in their tracks, looking at each other nervously.
Fortunately, Rose was right behind them. "Relax, Tony. They're with us."
The man peered suspiciously at the two gore encrusted women, then glanced at Rose.
"Fine, Lalonde. If they're good by you, they're good by us. Get inside, you smell like a Boomer's ass."
As they stepped through the gate into the courtyard, Rose winked at Roxy. "Being the leader of the best scavenging team in the complex has its perks."
The courtyard was remarkably well-kept. With at least two devoted horticulturists among the survivors, the plants in the area were doing better than in the rest of the city. Flowers bloomed beside the walls and along the paths. Trees were relatively well-pruned. An elegant fountain, now dry, formed the decorative centerpiece of the space. A cobblestone path wound its way from the gate, around the fountain, to the entrance of the building. Other survivors were scattered here and there. Some stared at the newcomers, but most were engrossed in conversation with friends or napping, simply enjoying being outside without having to worry about getting attacked.
They were surprised when a short, skinny fellow in a ragged suit darted out of the building and flung himself at Calliope.
"Serenity, you made it! What a tremendous day!" he crowed, hugging the former Cherub tightly. Callie squirmed in his embrace but couldn't avoid grinning. "It's lovely to see you, too, WV!"
"Mr. Mayor, hows it goin'?" Roxy asked, sufficiently calmed down from her recent brush with death. "Everything orderly in Can Town?"
Without letting go of his old friend, WV turned to Roxy. "Well, there have been some complications with the citizens attempting to destroy the buildings and devour their contents," he puffed indignantly. "I must say, it's as though they have no sense of civic duty whatsoever!"
"Heh, never change, Mr. Mayor. Never change," Roxy chuckled.
"Dear, you're getting zombie blood all over your suit," PM chided. "You know we can't exactly go to the store and buy a new one."
WV recoiled from Calliope as though she were suddenly made of hot lead. "My beloved wife is right! How will I ever get such a vile liquid out of this formerly pristine fabric?"
"It's okay, WV. I'll help you with it later, as soon as Roxy and Serenity are done washing up," PM said consolingly.
"Oh, thank you so very, very much, Dear! I don't know what I would do without you! I really don't!" WV proceeded to hug PM, smearing her with the viscera he'd picked up from Calliope. She just gave him a Look.
"Terribly sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"
Roxy didn't hear the rest of the conversation as she and Calliope were dragged off to the rain barrel beneath the gutter spout in the corner. It was nothing fancy, only a large trash bin placed in a strategic location, but it held water that the survivors could use for bathing. Curtains were strung up around the barrel, presumably for privacy.
Kanaya handed Roxy some soap and a towel. "Try to be thorough, but do not waste too much water. And please be certain not to get any blood in the supply; everyone has to use this barrel."
Roxy nodded, dropping her backpack outside the curtain. "Sure thing, Kanaya. I'll be done in a jiff. Brb!"
It was quite possibly the most exquisite bath Roxy had ever had. The water was frigid and cloudy, but a hot bubble bath could not even compare to getting the rancid gore cleansed from her face and hair. As she scooped water onto her aching body, she almost wanted to sing. She didn't, though, because she really sucked at it and there were six people standing outside listening.
When she finished, she toweled off, grabbed a change of clothes from her bag, and stepped out so Calliope could have a turn. As Callie began her bath, Kanaya bustled over with medical supplies. Taking Roxy's hands firmly, she scolded, "Where did you get these cuts on your fingers?"
Roxy had to think for a moment. The afternoon was just an unpleasant haze in her memory. "I think it was when I punched a zombie and its head exploded. Must've cut myself on the skull fragments."
Jade let out a quiet "Wow!" as Kanaya tutted, "That was incredibly unwise. These are deep cuts, and they have been contaminated by undead blood. There is a very good chance you will become infected."
The splashing behind the curtain ceased and Calliope poked her head out, panic in her eyes. "What was that? Roxy's infected?" she demanded, louder than she had intended.
Rose quickly shushed her. "Quiet, Calliope. The people here are wary of strangers. Rumors of infection tend to result in exile, or worse. Roxy will be fine. She is too resilient to fall to an illness such as this."
"Rose, I beg to differ!" insisted Kanaya. "While some have survived contaminated injuries, these are the exception, not the rule."
"Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!" whimpered Callie. "Roxy, you can't die!"
"Relax!" said Roxy. "I'm not dyin'. We can worry about that if it happens, but for now, let's just not panic. No need to get worked up!"
"Well, at least consider wearing thick gloves before you go decapitating the infected with your hands next time, Roxy," said Kanaya as she began treating the injuries.
"Will do!" replied Roxy cheerfully. "Ow!" she added as the stinging disinfectant took effect.
As Calliope hesitantly returned to her bath, Roxy changed the subject. "So, thanks for saving our asses. I really thought we were goners."
"You should primarily be thanking Jade," Rose suggested. "She's the one who spotted you."
Jade giggled. "Yeah, I was looking through my scope and saw you right when you got Boomer-Bombed. I recognized your hot pink car right away!"
"Boomer-Bombed?" Roxy repeated absently. "Is that what happened?"
"Well, that's what I call it!" Jade insisted. "I've seen it happen lots of times, unfortunately. You have to have your eyes open all the time when you're out there, Roxy!"
"Well, consider it a lesson learned!" said Roxy humbly.
Soon, Calliope was finished with her bath and dressed, and the seven friends were on their way upstairs to the top floor room of the complex where Rose and Kanaya lived. When Rose unlocked the door, Roxy smiled to see the familiar apartment greeting her. Elegant furniture covered by lavender and jade-colored fixtures drew the eye around the living room. A large bookcase sat in the back, creaking under the weight of the numerous heavy tomes residing there. In the corner, a potted plant thrived under Kanaya's care. The kitchen and dining room were immaculate, as always. Marble counter tops gleamed with cleanliness. The dark wood dining room table was covered with a beautiful lace cloth, with a bouquet of freshly-cut roses as the centerpiece.
Kanaya Maryam really knew how to throw a room together.
Taking in her surroundings, Roxy decided that if she had to be trapped somewhere in a zombie apocalypse, she was glad it was here. It was a little cramped, but she didn't mind since it meant her friends were near. And if her friends were near, Roxy would always be happy.