Chapter 103: 103 Shrink, Part One

Zapville, immediately after the 12 person vessel left

The portal closed. The ground underneath her feet stopped shaking. And then Josephine looked around at the camp and at what she had left, and wasn't sure what to do.

The walk back to her room was a blur with the memory of Angharad's kiss still on her lips. Josephine lay down on her bed, in her quiet, dark room, and tried to think about where to go next. Angharad had left and took Josephine's heart with her. But more than that, Jin and Sophie left which meant Josephine had no friends to talk to, no one to tell her things would be okay.

*

The next night there were once again industrial noises that made it impossible for anyone to sleep. But instead of building monsters from machines, this time Zapville seemed to be building a metal ceiling under the electric barrier. In a few days it became impossible to see the gate at all, as the metal plates connected at the top. No longer could anyone hear the electric hum of the barrier.

Josephine hadn't realised how much of her life was ruled by the sound of that barrier, an endless buzz she'd barely noticed until it disappeared. The world around her became too quiet. How could a camp with 35 people in it feel so empty?

The portions in the cafeteria that night were smaller than ever. The rest of Zapville was more quiet.

Rod Spark yelled at the doctor that he still believed they could get out. Colonel Huppert grabbed him by the arm and said, "Good god, man, calm down."

Josephine walked back out and nearly bumped straight into Eleanor, whose footsteps were too quiet to hear.

Eleanor startled, bug-eyed.

Josephine didn't know what to say to her.

"I'm not going to ask you to get back together just because we're the only lesbians here," Eleanor said.

Josephine swallowed empty air. "Okay. That's... good." That just made things feel more awkward.

"I'm not mad at you for moving on," Eleanor said. "We should have broken up and stayed broken up months ago. I'm just angry. That's all."

Josephine nodded and moved around her.

*

After that, she moved through the space in a silent daze, with no company but the sound of her own breathing. But lying around in a pile of woe was boring and Josephine couldn't stand it. The people she cared about might be gone but that was no reason not to find more people to care about.

So Josephine wandered to the hospital instead to inhabit its empty halls. Not that it had ever been the most full place, with its endless creepy empty rooms, but with seven fewer people in it the hospital felt hollowed out. The room Jin, Tabitha and Angharad had stayed in was completely clean, with nothing left behind for Josephine to hang her sad feelings on.

At the end of her week of wallowing, she got out of bed with renewed determination to make something of the life she had in Zapville all over again. She made her way into the cafeteria to try her chances.

Even the cafeteria seemed mostly abandoned. Gemma and her boyfriend sat at a table, gazing at each other. From across the room, Josephine stuttered out a hello, just to let them know she was there. Gemma turned to glare at Josephine then back to her boyfriend. Fair enough, Josephine thought. So Josephine turned to face the food offering instead, choosing between which particular bland cookie to shove in her mouth.

Josephine had never tasted sand but she imagined it was roughly similar to that morning's food, and probably about as satisfying. But food was food. There was no point asking for something better.

Josephine couldn't see many people outside, either. How could it be that after only twelve people left the whole place felt nearly abandoned?

*

Ibrahim was one of those people Angharad knew and liked but Josephine had never tried to approach. She knew the things people said about him – that he was a killer, that he was dangerous, that he couldn't fully be trusted, but also that he was tidy, that he was kind, that he lived off cups of tea. Surely not all of those things could be true. Still, she was wary to approach him.

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He smiled at her. "You must be a little lonely without Angharad."

Josephine startled at being addressed. "Yes! I am certainly a little lost without..." Then she coughed into her elbow and cleared her throat. "Not only Angharad but the absence of several other friends is weighing on my mind."

He nodded. "I see. Of course. I, too, am missing several friends. But I do believe there's hope for both of us. Have you considered befriending Yong Jie? He's a kind young man. The things he judges people for are not things you need to worry about. I suspect you and he would get along well."

Josephine put a hand to her face and considered it. Yong Jie was a little younger than her, but Sophie had been, too, and, ah, how she missed Sophie. He seemed to care about morality and what was right, given what Sophie had said about him, but he didn't seem to care about romantic drama. And, anyway, he clearly didn't know enough to take a side. Eleanor still had people to talk to, and Josephine wouldn't fit well with any of them. And everyone else was a real adult. Not that Josephine couldn't talk to adults if she absolutely had to, but she didn't assume they had much in common. The idea made sense.

She nodded. "That is an immensely reasonable suggestion! I will be delighted to attempt communication with him! Thank you for your keen insight and wisdom!"

Ibrahim laughed and waved a hand at her. "It is nothing worth thanking me for, let me assure you."

*

Josephine found Yong Jie in the laundry, just as she'd been told to expect she would. He stood in front of the table with a pile of tea towels and rags, all dry and clean, and sorted them from one pile into another.

"Hello!" Josephine said, too loud.

He nodded but didn't otherwise acknowledge her.

Yong Jie folded his items slowly with one hand. He fumbled through them, gathering speed as he went but never quite getting fast. Sometimes he dropped items.

On the third time that he dropped a towel he clenched his hand into a fist and paused a moment, breathing heavily.

"I could fold them for you," Josephine said.

"No, thank you," Yong Jie said, voice sharp.

"It would be easier."

"No, it wouldn't." He looked up and scrutinised her with a glum expression. "Did my mother send you?"

"No, it was your friend Ibrahim."

"That's just as bad," Yong Jie said, and went back to sorting through his pile.

"Ah, but if you don't need a hand, would you be interested in a friend instead?" she asked.

"Don't pity me. I'm not lonely. I don't need anyone."

Josephine cleared her throat. "Ah, but I do. So, you see, you would be doing me a great favour."

Yong Jie paused his folding and looked at her over his glasses. "Well, if it's the right thing to do, then I cannot say no to someone in need."

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