CHAPTER 19
FRESH MEAT

CORALINE felt her mouth drop as stared into the famous eyes of Ms. Mead. A million questions formed in her head: Where had she gone all those years ago? How had she survived the bomb? Coraline thought that she had a possible answer for the latter. Miriam Mead could survive anything. She made that clear a long time ago. Coraline knew that she would go to the ends of the earth to survive, especially in the means of the Apocalypse.

But the most important question still lingered: If she was alive, then where was he?

Coraline stepped forward after a moment of hesitation. Miriam stood before her, cocking her head to the side, as if she didn't know her at all. Silence engulfed the group of survivors. Coraline could only hear a servant scrubbing away in the next hall. Venable looked between the two of them with confusion.

"Miriam," Coraline shook her head incredulously, "it's me. It's Coraline Avery, remember?"

She didn't give her a moment to reply, because Coraline was already wrapping her arms around the older woman, shaking her from side to side. She never thought that she would ever be hugging Miriam Mead, but after the Apocalypse ... these were desperate times. Out of all people, she couldn't believe that her ex-boyfriend's guardian survived the bombs.

Miriam's arms didn't move an inch. She looked to Venable, who was just as perplexed as she was. Flashes of a young Coraline appeared in Miriam's vision, but she blinked them away. It was like when she remembered the beautiful, blonde boy. They were just flashes. They weren't real. She didn't know this Coraline Avery.

Coraline leaned away, raising a brow towards the familiar woman. "Do you not remember me?"

Venable raised a hand. "Excuse me for interrupting," she proclaimed, "but do you two know each other?"

"Yes," Coraline replied quickly, her voice rising. She looked from Venable, and then back to Miriam. "Yes, remember? I know it was a long time ago, but I dated –"

"I ..." Miriam shook her head. "I believe this is our first meeting." The flashes were coming again – a young brunette smiling beside the beautiful boy – but she ignored them. Miriam sent Coraline a nervous grin. "Quite the hugger, though."

Coraline was at a loss for words. Her mouth hung open slightly, and it took her a moment to finally close it. This was Miriam Mead. There was no doubt about that. She knew Miriam Mead. She had been her neighbor, for crying out loud. So why did this woman in front of her suddenly forget that she ever existed? It didn't make sense. Four years had passed between them, but that wasn't a long enough time for Coraline to forget a face like Miriam Mead's.

My Ms. Mead would never harm anyone I care about, a voice hissed in her brain.

Coraline's back straightened suddenly. Her breath hitched at the voice, but she did her best to ignore it and sent the pair of confused women in front of her a nervous smile. "Perhaps ..." She swallowed hard, turning to Ms. Mead. "Perhaps, I mistook you for someone else. Sorry."

"I've been told my face is memorable, Miss Avery," Miriam's grin faded away, revealing the same dark expression she had years ago. Time hadn't changed her one bit. She pursed her lips, glancing to Venable and nodding. "I'll be going now."

Coraline looked at Ms. Mead from over her shoulder as the woman disappeared down another room. She raised a brow again. Something was off, and it wasn't just that this place had barely any electricity.

Spinning back around to Venable, Coraline noticed that she was walking forward again. The brunette quickly followed behind and asked, "So ... what do we even do around here? The world ended. There are no power lines, no Netflix –"

"We are not living in a regression, Miss Avery," Venable scoffed. The candlelight wavered over Coraline's face, causing her cheeks to flush. "Technology is what destroyed the world. Everyone thought they were equal because of things like social media and cellphones. But that's all been swept away now. The national order will restore itself."

Coraline's eyes squinted as Venable stopped in front of a locked door. "Seems a little far-fetched."

"As does Armageddon," Venable argued, taking out a large ring of keys and placing one in the lock. "But that happened as well."

Coraline crossed her arms over her chest. Wilhemina Venable had a point, as much as she didn't want to admit it.

"This is your room," Venable continued, pushing the vintage, wooden door open. The candle's flame danced as Venable gestured for Coraline to walk through. "As a Purple, you will be furnished with a private suite, as instructed by the Head of the Cooperative himself."

Coraline nodded slowly before stepping into the suite. Her hand lingered on the old door, eyeing the exquisite markings, which looked like some form of language she didn't know. The suite was furnished flawlessly, with a large bed, a nice closet, and her very own bathroom. No lights whatsoever. Candles hung from every crevice in the room, highlighting different portions. Coraline bent down and dragged her hand across the black and purple sheets. When she looked back to Venable, she asked, "Why am I a Purple? What does that even mean?"

"It means you're part of the Elite." Venable leaned against the door and watched Coraline curiously. "The worthy. Those chosen to survive."

"Because of my 'exceptional genetic makeup,' whatever that means." Coraline stood up and scoped out the room again. With arms crossed over her chest, she asked, "Who even chose the people to survive anyways?"

Venable sighed in an annoyed tone, "The Cooperative."

"So you're telling me a group of 'visionaries,' who couldn't prevent the Apocalypse chose specific people to survive?"

"No," Venable replied lightly, "I was told it was just one man." Before Coraline could ask for a name, the other woman chuckled venomously. "You ask many questions, Miss Avery. May I continue with the tour now?"

Coraline rolled her eyes, but gestured for her to go on. Venable walked further into the room and approached the closet door. With a quick swipe of her hand, the closet opened, revealing an outpouring of dresses, all in a dusty mauve color. Coraline's brow rose as she picked up one of the skirts.

"In the Outpost, everyone knows their place. The Purples wear purple, and the Greys wear grey." Venable smiled at the hoard of beautiful dresses that were selected for these bothersome survivors. She wanted dresses like these to wear too. "The Greys, unlike you, are servants. A necessary component to any functioning society. But I am the alternative. I am merely the face of the Cooperative, at the moment."

The brunette pursed her lips, releasing the silky dress fabric from her fingertips. "So we just sit around all day in purple dresses and play cards? That's the point of this outpost?"

"While also abiding by the rules, which you are not exempt from," Venable explained, shutting the closet door viciously. Coraline took a step back, afraid of the trembling flame on her candle. "The house rules are simple. You will refer to me as only Ms. Venable. You may never leave the building. If you wander onto the grounds, you will not be let back in, due to the danger of radiation contamination." She leaned in closer to Coraline, tapping her cane on the floor. "And no unauthorized copulation, of any kind. Under any circumstances. No exceptions."

Coraline snorted before she could stop herself. "No sex?" She bit the edge of her fingernail, despite Venable's cold demeanor. "And here I was thinking that this was a procreation facility."

"There will be no procreation, Miss Avery. Do you understand?" Venable's tone was like ice, hitting Coraline's skin in spikes. The younger woman's smile faded as she nodded. "Good. I will see you for dinner in two hours. Don't be late."

With a sharp-toothed smirk, Coraline replied, "Wouldn't miss it for the world ending, Ms. Venable."

•••

Coraline hung her arms over the pristine, white bathtub. Candles circled the bathroom, casting an orange light across her skin. A large sink and mirror stood in front of the tub, allowing Coraline to take in her battered appearance when she turned her head. Her eyes were sunken in and there had been grime in her hair. She looked like she literally walked through shit. Judging from the state of the earth outside, that was probably the case.

She sighed, propping her feet on the water tap. She turned it on and off. Hot water sprayed and then stopped. She needed to get out of the tub to get ready, but it was just too warm. Everything outside was freezing, which was completely unusual for California, but what laid outside certainly wasn't California anymore.

"No Netflix, no sex ..." Coraline scrunched up her mouth and looked to her finger on her right hand. She wasn't a person who liked to masturbate – it simply made her do all the work and she didn't like that – but desperate times called for desperate measures. With a scoff, Coraline looked away and told herself, "Let's be pure and unsinful, Miss Avery." Her tone came off as a replica of Venable's.

Taking in a long breath, Coraline dunked her head underneath the water. Warm. It was all warm. The water reminded her of sunshine, flowers, and the beautiful California sky.

But then her vision went dark – real dark. Coraline's mouth dried out. She couldn't feel her arms anymore; they couldn't pull her up. The visions took control. Her third eye was opening, rolling in her forehead.

The vision came and went like the strike of a lightning bolt. Coraline stood in the middle of the barren wasteland outside, except she wasn't in a hazard suit. She wore a thin shirt and jeans, and began to scratch at the base of her throat. The air was toxic. She couldn't breathe or call out for help.

Something was coming out of the fog. Coraline, holding her jugular, stepped forward on the ground of animal bones and ash. A black carriage ran forward, being led by two dark horses, who looked like they had no eyes. They were heading straight for her, not keen on stopping. Coraline reached out and opened her mouth, but she was thrown backward without warning.

She saw a pair of dark eyes. Not just any pair, like a pretty brown that reminded her of chocolate. They were black, and they echoed across her eyes in a kaleidoscope collage. Black eyes were everywhere – haunting her, reminding her.

A voice seethed in the darkness, "This is only the beginning, Coraline."

She was knocked out of the vision suddenly, causing her head to immediately come up from under the bubbles. Water sprayed from her nose as she shook her hair. Coraline choked and spat out water that entered her throat. "You're okay," she repeated to herself, trying to prevent herself from either vomiting or panicking. Her breathing was hot and heavy as she whipped her head around. She looked at her face in the mirror.

No black eyes.

•••

She was the last to arrive at dinner.

Coraline's long, mauve dress swept against the wooden floorboards, almost causing her to trip several times. A Grey by the name of Mallory helped her find the dining room, which resided right by the end of the staircase leading to the suites. Everyone eyed Coraline with suspicion as she entered the hall, taking in the silky gown that clung to her in all the right places. She hated it.

The table was long, seating multiple people that she would have to call other survivors. A few young, college students. A wealthy-looking, homosexual couple. A woman who looked too goddamn old to be a survivor. A blonde who seemed to be a wannabe Instagram influencer – you know, when Instagram existed. A lanky man with hair so bleached that it looked yellow, and yet, he was probably the most stylish in the room. Even fucking Dinah Stevens was there. Coraline remembered when her mother used to watch her show every morning.

Coraline decided to take a seat beside the stylish man, aware of the fact that he kept his eyes trained on her. Everyone already had their dinner in front of them as Coraline sat down. She cringed at the sight of the tiny gelatin square, which was placed in front of her a second later.

"You're fresh meat, aren't you?" The man beside her whispered, causing Coraline to jump slightly. He looked at her from over a pair of purple glasses, and his eyes shifted to the gelatin on her plate. "That's all we get. Don't be too disappointed."

"This cube contains every vitamin your body needs," Dinah explained, "or so they tell us."

Coraline raised a brow, sticking her fork into the gelatin and examining it. It was almost fully clear, aside from the purple milky portion at the bottom. After a moment of hesitation, she bit into it, chewing slowly. Nothing. It tasted like nothing.

"Fuck this bullshit!" The blonde, wannabe influencer shouted, standing up from her seat. "For a hundred million dollars a ticket, I expect goddamn Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen!"

The man leaned over to Coraline's ear. "Can you tell she's never worked a day in her life?" Meeting his eyes, Coraline snickered.

The sound of a cane stomping against the floor came from a distance, before finally stopping behind the blonde female. Coraline placed the rest of the gelatin cube in her mouth as she saw Ms. Venable emerged from the darkness with Ms. Mead by her side. The blonde turned, earning an immediate slap from Venable.

"I'm going to be very clear so there will be no misunderstanding," Venable seethed. "We have enough nutrition for the next eighteen months, and if our situation doesn't improve, you can count on less and less."

Coraline swallowed her meal as the stylish man on her right raised a hand. "Situation? What is our situation?"

Venable had been ready to march off, but upon hearing the man's question, she turned with a frown. "We had a perimeter alert this morning," she explained with a grim expression. "Something penetrated the grounds. It was carrier pigeon carrying a message from our benefactors."

"A pigeon?" The blonde exclaimed. "Can we eat it?"

Ms. Mead rolled her eyes, handing Venable the small letter. "It was contaminated by the fallout."

Venable unraveled the scroll and read aloud, "There are no more governments. Only rotting mounds of corpses – too many to bury."

Like mom, Coraline thought to herself. A tear threatened to escape her eye, but she held it in.

"Starving people killed for a piece of bread," Venable continued. "Three outposts have been overrun. We are the last vestiges of civilized life on the planet. Be vigilant."

It was all suddenly hitting her now – the actual reality she was living in. Everyone in this room were the last forms of human life on earth. Coraline Avery was one of the last humans left alive. What made her so special to be saved? Surely, it couldn't be genetics.

"Everything we know is gone," Ms. Mead added. Coraline wanted to ask if that meant memories as well, but she kept her mouth shut.

A dark-skinned man, looking vaguely like Dinah, shook his head. "In just a few days? That's all it took?"

"The world was always fragile," Ms. Mead whispered. "It made you think the system was a rock. It was a water balloon. One prick of the needle and –" She made a popping sound with her mouth. "That's all it took."

"We will only survive," Venable breathed out, "if we follow the rules."

Coraline bit her lip hard. Her stomach felt queasy, and she knew it wasn't because of the gelatin dinner resting inside of her. Ms. Mead's narrowed stare connected with her own. A flash of resemblance appeared in her light blue eyes. Her face was hard and sullen, as if it hardly ever aged. She looked like the Ms. Mead she once knew, the woman who wanted her as far away as possible.

Miriam Mead once scared her. But now, all Coraline wanted was her old neighbor to remember.

•••

A/N: Last filler chapter!!! Y'all are gonna be eXCITED with the next, I PROMISSSSEEEE

This is also unrelated but

I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING EXUDE MORE DOM ENERGY IN MY LIFE