World of the Dead

Rules and Chores

"Ow! Shit," muttered Quinn. She rubbed her pinched finger and glowered at the grey cot that she was setting up. She was alright at putting furniture together but the instructions she had were very unclear. 

With a huff, she resumed straightening out the metal leg, this time keeping her fingers away from the joint.

It had been about a week and a half since she and the others had gotten to the school. The first morning she had been there, she had seen the doctor that was there about her head. He told her that she most likely had a mild concussion, which explained the headache that still bothered her. All he could do was tell her to rest and go to him if it got any worse. After resting for most of the first week, she felt well enough to at least set up new cots for incoming refugees.

At first it had been a bit strange being surrounded by soldiers and strangers. But after a few days she had gotten used to it and even felt at ease among them. Although, anything would be better than sleeping behind baskets in a gas station.

In the days that she had been there, she had learned a multitude of rules and consequences for breaking the rules that Sergeant Zander had put in place.

She had written the most important down, to make sure she didn't forget:

#1 - Stealing any supplies or belongings will be punished by restrictions of freedom and monitoring of perpetrator. If behavior continues then removal will be considered.

#2 - Physical violence will be punished with extra chores and monitoring of both parties. If one or both parties continue to start altercations, separation and constant supervision will occur.

#3 - Anyone who commits murder will be removed immediately. Will be shot if seen in or near general vicinity. (Some cases may be exempted.)

#4 - Sexual assault will not be tolerated. Punishable by constant supervision or removal.

#5 - Everyone is subject to mandatory chores and duties. Failure to complete these duties will result in privileges being taken away, such as usage of lamps, extra blankets, etc.

#6 - Failure to keep an orderly sleeping area will result in removal of previously stated privileges.

#7 - Hiding bits or scratches is strictly forbidden. Report anyone who shows symptoms of infection (fever, pain in localized area, difficulty walking, difficulty waking up, aggression).

There were a few more rules, but they mostly related to the bigger ones. New rules were still being made and old ones were being rewritten or edited to better address things. And as new rules were made, Quinn did her best to record them. She wasn't sure why, but writing them down was relaxing, therapeutic even.

The chores were pretty simple. Make your bed, clean up after yourself, trash disposal, and occasionally help with making other rooms in the school usable. Turns out it wasn't just the gym that was in use; it was just where everyone slept and used for some storage. The science lab was being used as the medical area since it had tables big enough for a person and the history room was the radio room (they weren't allowed in).

The bathrooms that they were "authorized" to use were the ones in the locker rooms. Turns out that walking around the school was not allowed. Quinn had tried to so that she could get some quiet time but was practically dragged back by one of the soldiers and lost her lamp privileges for two days. After that she was very careful in what she did, not wanting to break any other unspoken rule.

With a final click, the cot was finished. Sighing, she leaned back on her hands and looked over her handiwork. Two hours of laboring and silent curses and she did it. She couldn't stop the smile from coming over her face as she stood and put one of the cheap pillows and thin blankets on it, preparing for the newcomer who had arrived that morning.