Chapter Text
The Argyle Public Library had seen better days.
Once a community hub at the heart of a thriving city; a place where local groups hired rooms for their weekly meetings and others perused the shelves to find their next literary fix.
Of course, all of this came to an end on the 1st April 2019, along with everything else.
Whatever had caused the apocalypse left no stone unturned as it tore through continents in minutes, destroying all that had come before. Rural and urban areas suffered the same fate; all razed to the ground or picked clean by howling storms and untamed fires, leaving behind piles of jagged bricks and the twisted metal skeletons of buildings that used to be.
Years passed before the fires burnt themselves out completely, finally allowing the clouds of acrid smoke to rise and reveal what was left behind. The roof of the library had been torn away, the walls had fallen, and the knowledge held within had been crushed beneath the weight of the world. Its reinforced central structure was all that was left to weather the fury at the end of everything. Surrounded by mountains of rubble and the melted steel bones of its closest neighbours, the library’s hollow crown of hardened concrete stood alone.
And that was how it stayed…
Until, against all odds, the Argyle Public Library became home to the last human being and his mannequin companion.
It had been a particularly harsh winter. The pair of them had been cooped up in a tiny tumbledown house that was not fit for purpose. The time they spent within its walls was bitter and cruel and, at the first sign of spring, they set out to find a shelter that was open and bright where they could while away the warmer months that lay ahead.
As soon as he spotted the library’s broken spires sticking out above the ruins of the city, he felt drawn towards them, like they were calling his name. The man had made a note of the building on various trips through the area and now, having returned for his yearly pilgrimage to visit his family, he had been pleasantly surprised to find that it was still standing.
After discussing the matter and weighing up their other options, they wandered over and spent some time testing its structural stability and coming up with ways that they could make the space more comfortable. It took a little convincing on his part but something about being there felt right. They were close to his family and there were plenty of places nearby that had been left unexplored due to his lack of experience in his early days living in the apocalypse. Over the years, his confidence had grown, and he had become more adept at reading the wasteland for signs of untapped resources.
For instance, on some of his previous journeys, they had passed by a few old mansions out by the city limits. When he was young, he’d never had the guts to explore, in fear of becoming trapped in the wreckage of a potential collapse. Enough time had now passed, and his interest piqued every time they wandered through the neighbourhood. The pair had never had enough of a reason to stop and scavenge before because they had no way of taking anything substantial with them. Now, with the option of a more permanent base nearby, well, it would be rude not to indulge his curiosity. And so, with their decision made, Five and Dolores settled into their new home and the two of them started building their life within what was left of its walls.
They found their happiness in the ruins of the old world and fell into their familiar routine without a care or worry. Nearly forty years of survival had taught the couple to expect the unexpected and this had stood them in good stead as the years rolled on. They recognised the signs when change was needed, and they knew to act when the writing was on the wall. Even so, their wealth of experience and flexibility could not foresee the future that was waiting for them and how it would change everything.
A few months after settling in to the library, a day came where two became three. The arrival of the third, with her long black coat and briefcase to match, turned their world upside down. An offer was made and three became one.