Free Haven (The Breadwinner Trilogy) by Stevie Kopas

 She slammed the pot down and jumped back.  Lulu and Zach were startled by her outburst and Zach rushed to the paper towels, spreading them all over the counter in an attempt to sop up the coffee.
    Lulu remained on the couch, her eyes filled with tears.  “What the hell just happened?”  The feed had gone dead on the station and the words ‘Please Stand By’ took its place.  Michelle couldn’t find her voice.  She knew something out of the ordinary had been going on the last few days but she didn’t realize how serious the situation was.  Just last night their big group of coworkers were out drinking and partying since the only thing open were the local dive bars and then suddenly this morning people were murdering each other in the streets only a few miles from their apartment complex.  Zach and Michelle locked eyes but she looked away in Lulu’s direction.  
    No one could have guessed that the two women had only known each other just shy of seven months.  They both worked as stylists at a swanky salon and became fast friends when they met.  They shared all the same interests and liked partying probably a little too much.  When Michelle broke things off with her ex three months ago it just so happened that Lulu was looking for a new roommate and ever since then they were practically inseparable.  Lulu’s cousin Zach joined them and their other coworkers for a night out on the town the previous evening and one thing led to another, the end result a familiar outcome for Michelle, a complete stranger in her bed.
 
    “I need a cigarette.”  Michelle opened up one of the cabinets and reached in behind a stack of spices.  
    Lulu wiped tears from her face.  “I thought you quit?”
    “So did I.”  Michelle bumped into Zach as she walked by, she couldn’t help but give him a dirty look.   Just what I need, stuck in this goddamn apartment with this guy , she thought to herself as she unlocked the door to their back porch.
    “Are you sure you should go outside right now?”  Zach pushed his glasses up on his face.
    “We’re on the second floor, I’m sure it’s fine.”  She stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind her quietly.  The wail of sirens greeted her.  She scanned the parking lot below her and it seemed as if everything in their neck of the woods was fine.  She couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary other than the fact that not a single person was outside on such a beautiful day.  No one walking their dogs, no kids riding bikes or playing on the swing set across the lot.  She fished her cell phone from the pocket of her pink cropped sweatpants and lit a cigarette.  No missed calls, no texts, no notifications.  The phone had zero bars and was absolutely useless to her.  She angrily slammed it down on the railing, shattering the screen.  It fell to her feet and she kicked it away, the $200 device meaning nothing to her at that moment.  She ran her fingers through her still damp hair as she smoked, pulling a long lock in front of her face and scowling.  The highlights were fading and she had planned on touching them up at work whenever the salon reopened.  She let the pink strand fall back into place and jumped at the sound of a window shattering in the building next to hers.  She leaned out and looked over to her right, seeing nothing but then jumped back in as she heard screaming and three loud gunshots.  
    “Fuck this.”  Michelle threw the cigarette out over the balcony ledge and hurried back inside.  “Did you hear that?”
    Zach was on the couch with his arm around his cousin, consoling her.  “Hear what?”
“Jesus, are you not paying attention to anything?  The building next door, somebody is shooting.”
    “Oh god, I can’t deal with this.”  Lulu sobbed into her hands.
    “Come on Lu, it’s gonna be alright.”  Zach’s voice was extremely calm and soothing.
    “Dude, they’re talking about some kind of infection.”  Lulu looked up