hurried
elsewhere.
11
Daniel woke to a flashlight shining in his face. At first,
he thought it was the cops. He was back at the party. Had he passed out drunk?
He was dreaming of being naked at a party with his entire class there, even his
parents. Everyone was laughing. Was he being arrested for being naked in public?
“Daniel, I need you to get up.”
“Huh?”
He sat up and rubbed his face. He was home. Why was he
getting up? Wasn’t it a weekend? Was it Monday already?
“Daniel, honey, get some clothes on and come downstairs.”
Daniel saw flashlights dance through the hallway outside. He
could hear Carlton and Zola conversing. He reached over and twisted the knob on
his lamp. It clicked and spun, doing nothing.
“The power’s out,” his mom said. She pressed a flashlight
into his palm before he could begin to think of groping for it. “Put on some
pants and some socks and shoes. And bring a pillow.”
With that, his silhouette of a mom took her cone of light
out of the room. Daniel could hear her rummaging in the upstairs bathroom while
he tugged on a pair of jeans. He grabbed socks, slid them on, his head still
groggy as he reached for his shoes.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“It’s two o’clock.”
“Only two?” He’d only been in bed for a couple of hours. He
slid a shoe on. Whistling sounds coincided with vibrations throughout the house.
He could hear air forcing its way through the tiny gaps around his window.
Studs in the walls creaked as the upper floor seemed to move a little. Daniel
grabbed his flashlight and raced out of the room, then remembered his pillow.
He went back, grabbed it and his comforter, and ran downstairs, trailing the
blanket behind.
“Zola?” He waved his light over the living room, but nobody
was there. Pillows and a blanket were scrunched up on the sofa, the remote
lying on top. It was where his mom and Carlton had played sentry while they
slept.
“In the bathroom!”
Daniel walked through to the kitchen and shined his light
down the hallway. The bathroom door was open.
“Are you using it?”
“Don’t be gross! Carlton’s in here.”
Daniel went down the hallway, confused. A lambent glow
spilled out of the bathroom. He peeked inside and saw candles on the counter.
His sister was scrunched up on the tile, between the tub and the wall, a pillow
behind her head. She looked upset at having been awakened.
“Are we supposed to all fit in here?” He stepped over
Carlton legs and sat down beside his sister. She reached for his comforter and
spread it out over her knees.
“This is so stupid,” she said.
“It’s in the center of the house,” Carlton explained. “No
windows, and the walls are close together. It’s this or sitting in the pantry
and hoping the canned goods don’t jump off the shelves.”
“Why couldn’t we just sleep through the whole thing?” Daniel
asked. He flicked off his flashlight to save the battery as their mom squeezed
into the bathroom. She unloaded an armful of their toiletries by the sink, then
sank down with her back to the cabinet door.
“Everyone okay?” she asked.
“Fine,” Carlton said. He squeezed her knee. “How’re you?”
“I’m not needing this right now,” their mother said. She
tucked her hair back behind her ear, then pressed both hands against her face.
“I’m so behind at work. I did not need this right now.”
“So Hunter gets to spend the night at Chen’s?”
Carlton threw Daniel a look. “Her parents are there. The
officer who brought you two home said it was best not to be on the road if it
could be helped.”
“How long before they fix the cell phones?” Zola asked.
“Please stop with that,” their mom said. Her voice sounded
strained.
Daniel frowned at Zola, who pouted and looked near to
crying. She flopped over on her side and curled up in a tight ball, knees to
her chin, her phone clutched in both hands.
“How long do we need to stay like this?” Daniel
elsewhere.
11
Daniel woke to a flashlight shining in his face. At first,
he thought it was the cops. He was back at the party. Had he passed out drunk?
He was dreaming of being naked at a party with his entire class there, even his
parents. Everyone was laughing. Was he being arrested for being naked in public?
“Daniel, I need you to get up.”
“Huh?”
He sat up and rubbed his face. He was home. Why was he
getting up? Wasn’t it a weekend? Was it Monday already?
“Daniel, honey, get some clothes on and come downstairs.”
Daniel saw flashlights dance through the hallway outside. He
could hear Carlton and Zola conversing. He reached over and twisted the knob on
his lamp. It clicked and spun, doing nothing.
“The power’s out,” his mom said. She pressed a flashlight
into his palm before he could begin to think of groping for it. “Put on some
pants and some socks and shoes. And bring a pillow.”
With that, his silhouette of a mom took her cone of light
out of the room. Daniel could hear her rummaging in the upstairs bathroom while
he tugged on a pair of jeans. He grabbed socks, slid them on, his head still
groggy as he reached for his shoes.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“It’s two o’clock.”
“Only two?” He’d only been in bed for a couple of hours. He
slid a shoe on. Whistling sounds coincided with vibrations throughout the house.
He could hear air forcing its way through the tiny gaps around his window.
Studs in the walls creaked as the upper floor seemed to move a little. Daniel
grabbed his flashlight and raced out of the room, then remembered his pillow.
He went back, grabbed it and his comforter, and ran downstairs, trailing the
blanket behind.
“Zola?” He waved his light over the living room, but nobody
was there. Pillows and a blanket were scrunched up on the sofa, the remote
lying on top. It was where his mom and Carlton had played sentry while they
slept.
“In the bathroom!”
Daniel walked through to the kitchen and shined his light
down the hallway. The bathroom door was open.
“Are you using it?”
“Don’t be gross! Carlton’s in here.”
Daniel went down the hallway, confused. A lambent glow
spilled out of the bathroom. He peeked inside and saw candles on the counter.
His sister was scrunched up on the tile, between the tub and the wall, a pillow
behind her head. She looked upset at having been awakened.
“Are we supposed to all fit in here?” He stepped over
Carlton legs and sat down beside his sister. She reached for his comforter and
spread it out over her knees.
“This is so stupid,” she said.
“It’s in the center of the house,” Carlton explained. “No
windows, and the walls are close together. It’s this or sitting in the pantry
and hoping the canned goods don’t jump off the shelves.”
“Why couldn’t we just sleep through the whole thing?” Daniel
asked. He flicked off his flashlight to save the battery as their mom squeezed
into the bathroom. She unloaded an armful of their toiletries by the sink, then
sank down with her back to the cabinet door.
“Everyone okay?” she asked.
“Fine,” Carlton said. He squeezed her knee. “How’re you?”
“I’m not needing this right now,” their mother said. She
tucked her hair back behind her ear, then pressed both hands against her face.
“I’m so behind at work. I did not need this right now.”
“So Hunter gets to spend the night at Chen’s?”
Carlton threw Daniel a look. “Her parents are there. The
officer who brought you two home said it was best not to be on the road if it
could be helped.”
“How long before they fix the cell phones?” Zola asked.
“Please stop with that,” their mom said. Her voice sounded
strained.
Daniel frowned at Zola, who pouted and looked near to
crying. She flopped over on her side and curled up in a tight ball, knees to
her chin, her phone clutched in both hands.
“How long do we need to stay like this?” Daniel
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