Chapter 26: A countdown to starvation
[Playing: Clint Eastwood...]
For the past five days, Mikel had been locked in a routine.
Every time dusk approached, Doom's chosen song of the day would begin playing in his head. Along with it came the rhythmic hammering, dead people hauling materials, mixing cement, picking through the ruins of his old home, and fixing what could still be saved. Everything moved to the beat in his mind — ghostly hammering, synchronized tapping, spirits bobbing their heads and swaying their hips in time.
It was absurd.
By dawn, all that would be left was Mikel. After all, ghosts were weaker during the day.
With nowhere else to live, he ended up staying at a café that offered small rooms with computers. Cheaper than a motel or inn, and conveniently close to the sealed-off area of District 5.
But his routine didn't stop with ghostly renovations. He also had to run errands — buy supplies, sneak them past the blockade, make a detour to a public bath, and finally squeeze himself into a cramped café cubicle where he'd pass out... only to wake up and do it all over again.
Endure Doom's ever-changing music tastes. Assist the ghosts. Grant their last wishes. Recruit new spirits who were making yet another long line at dusk. Sneak in materials. Crash at the café. Wake up. Repeat.
Over and over and over again, for five long days.
Not even his Recovery Protocol could keep up with the mounting fatigue. At some point, he wasn't sure if he was rebuilding a house or digging his own grave.
By the sixth night, the bags under Mikel's eyes were darker than ever.