Suzy’s Strange Saga

You wake up to a body spooning you, and an arm holding you tightly around your mid-section.

“Donna! Hey! Wake the fuck up!” you shout pushing your sister off of you.
“Huh? Wha? The hell are you pushing and hitting me for?” she exclaims groggily.
“Because you were about to commit incest that’s why!” you exclaim.
“Oh. Sorry. It wasn’t intentional I assure you. I probably was dreaming about Julie.”
“Excuse me?”
“Well one time over her house her heating system broke down and we had to sleep together for warmth for a week.”
“Okay, I don’t want to know anymore about your little lesbian encounters with Julie.” You say.
“Oh geez Suzy don’t be so heteronormative, we weren’t lesbians. We just had some fun on occasion. (Sigh) I wish she was here with us.” Donna says getting a little tearful.

You pat Donna on the shoulder.

“I wish she was here too Donna.” You say.

After that moment of silence to remember your friend, the both of you get up.

“You know what time it is?” Donna asks.
“No, but I know it’s time for me to take a shower. You said I can use the waitresses’ private one?” you say.
“Yeah, but you might have to wait for other people.”
“Damn, speaking of waitresses, what’s with the uniform?”
“Oh this? Well I needed to change my clothes yesterday and I was offered one of their uniforms. I figured I’d wear it to fit in a little better, besides its kind of cute don’t you think?” Donna asks.
“It’s kind of stripperish if you ask me. The skirt barely covers your ass.” You reply.
“Well I think that’s the point. This is a truck stop remember and they probably want the waitresses to look a little more on the sexy side.”
“Hm, well I’ll stick with my old non-stripper clothes.”
“Prude.” Donna snarks.

As you and Donna leave the storage room to start the new day you both suddenly hear a loud noise and a faint rumble. You then hear some screams and shouting from the front of the diner.

“Oh my god that was a fucking nuke!” you hear someone shout.

You and Donna just look at each other. Maybe its due to the week you’ve had, you’re not entirely phased by this.

“(Sigh) I guess they finally went and did it.” You say.
“Perfect way to start the day.” Donna replies and the pair of you head to the front of the diner.

When you get there, you see a waitress trying to calm her children down. A couple people are arguing. A few are just sitting in a silent state of shock. Henry is actually outside the diner looking in the direction of where the bomb must’ve gone off. You can see the lingering remnants of a mushroom cloud in the far distance even from inside the diner.

“Well I can only hope we’re far enough away that we aren’t suffering from horrible radioactive fallout.” You say.
“Yeah, I suppose not much can be done now if we are, just um…shoot me if my hair starts falling out okay?” Donna asks.

You briefly wonder if this bomb was the result of the nuclear war those Ground Zero ads kept harping on about or if this was just some internal thing to take care of those rabid people.

Either way, you suppose it doesn’t really matter, life is going to be severely different from now on.

At this point Henry steps back in the diner and after calming some of the arguing truckers. He begins addressing the situation and stating that nothing has changed and that the situation is still the same, namely if people help, then they are welcome to stay. If not or if they don’t want to stay then they are free to go.

A couple of the truckers who apparently have families elsewhere do leave. Everyone else stays and the work towards creating a permanent new “home” is begun.

After washing up and having something to eat, you head out to do your guard duty rounds. Donna comes to see you before you leave.

“Hey, Suzy.”
“Yes?” You answer.
“Whatever happens next, I just want to say…I’m glad we’re dealing with all this together.”
“I’m glad we’re seeing this through together too.” You say.

And with those words, you and Donna hug and go contribute in your various jobs in this new community.

Funny that it took the collapse of society before you re-connected with your family again.