A Different Virus - Laura's Story

Chapter 124

The supper hall was mostly full, but it managed to seat everyone in Sanctuary. It looked like we were going to have to expand it again. Large pillars of untouched rock and some steel beams supported the big ceiling.

Led lights were in abundance on the ceiling and hooked up to the main solar panel system. Smaller LED string lights gently illuminated the place if someone turned off the main switch. It was bright at mealtime and gently lit the rest of the time.

Three big meals were served each day although soup, bread, boiled eggs, and greens were available all day and night for those with odder shifts. Today was our Christmas meal and there were fewer turkeys and other animals in the pens now.

Everyone was here today for the feast, even the far-flung Messengers had returned with letters for various people and news from all over. They called themselves Messengers of Sanctuary, but most towns tended to call them the blue eyed messengers in reference to the stunning blue eyes that all of them seemed to have.

Everyone was in high spirits over supper and I really enjoyed the food. The cooks had gone all out on it. After supper, Diane headed towards the ladder closest to our home. I followed with a grin, knowing what she was planning to do. Ace followed with slight suspicion and amusement as he likely guessed the same thing.

Diane ducked inside the house and went to our room. I went into the office and collected the two presents I had stashed there. Ace came down the hallway and paused in the doorway to the office as he watched me extract the two hidden presents.

Diane appeared in her doorway and tossed a present to him. Ace shook his head, "You didn't have to get me anything you know."

Diane shrugged, "I got quite a few people small odds and ends. I figured that you would like that one."

He went down the hall to his room and returned moments later with two wrapped boxes of his own. He gave one to me and he passed the other to Diane. She grinned at him as she took it, "Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?"

He chuckled as he set his two gifts on the desk and started to unwrap them. I sat down on the throw rug in the middle of the office as I started to unwrap my presents. I opened the box Diane had gotten me first. It took a bit to get into it, but it wasn't as tricky as some she had wrapped in the past.

I squealed in excitement at the pair of binoculars, "Thank you!"

Diane grinned at me as she inspected the clock I had gotten her. It had numerous pieces of purple and blue mirror glass around the frame. It flashed with a blue and purple light from our glowing eyes. I glanced over to see Ace smiling at the picture frame I had given him. It had a picture of Diane and me in it that Joel had taken this autumn. The red and yellow leaves in the background made a stunning contrast to our bright blue eyes.

I unwrapped Ace's gift and found it to be a couple of small card and dice games. I looked up at him, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." He turned his attention back to the box Diane had given him. It took him a bit to get the lid off. He paused before slowly lifting out the dagger. It was similar to Diane's sword and was also an extremely high quality blade made from folded Japanese steel. He carefully unsheathed it and inspected the blade, "I don't even want to know what you paid for this."

Diane chuckled, "Good, because it isn't as much as you are thinking. It is similar to my sword."

He nodded as he continued to inspect it thoroughly. Ace tended to favor a dagger over a sword and Diane had undoubtedly noticed that detail. He seemed quite impressed with it. I knew that Diane had asked Roland to pick it up from a store she had once seen.