I peeled a tangerine breathing in the citrus tang. The wind was high. It blew sand around abandoned beach huts along the seashore.
After the last war, something was triggered to cause the earth to turn into a dust ball. Most people died. Only ten thousand survived. In Indigo Beach, the population has risen from three hundred to eight hundred.
Most of the survivors were children and young adults. We live in an abandoned school called Indigo High. The classrooms were turned into bedrooms and the gym into a large living room. The teenagers turned the basement into a club with flashing lights and a long bar on the far side of the wall.
A couple of the older kids dubbed by everyone as 'the twins' were setting up a barbecue under the roof of a half collapsed beach hut.
"Opal! It's time for the harvest!"
Annie, one of a hundred five year olds, pulled me towards the green houses. I gave her the rest of my tangerine.
"Let's go."
Two green houses were set up at the back of the school on the football field. When we got there, barrels were filled with squashes, carrots and potatoes. Jeffrey was one of the older kids. He built the green houses and started growing plants. His father had a working farm.
"Hey Jeffrey, it looks like a great harvest."
"Hi Opal, thank God for composting."
"Do you need any help?"
The thought of butternut squash soup made me salivate.
"No, Ronnie has been a big help. Thanks for stopping by."
"Good job Jeffrey. See you later."
Before leaving, I picked up a pot of lavender.
"Opal! Opal!"
I turned around but didn't see anyone. Once in the school, I found Tom hyperventilating in the corner of his room.
"It's OK Tom, I'm here. Take a few deep breaths. Annie, run to the kitchen and grab a pestal and mortar. "
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