Frozen
Chapter Five:
“So how long have you guys been here,” Ella asked as she and Sammi helped Naomi in the kitchen.
Naomi decided to make chicken curry and Sammi and Ella had decided they wanted to get to know her. What better way to bond then over food?
Naomi paused to think about it, “Um, it’ll be a year next month.”
“A year,” Sammi said; she was genuinely surprised.
“Yeah. All this shit started in what, April of 2014? Things got really bad here, we knew it was bad for others as well, but it just seemed like it was worse here, this town, or what used to be this town was our whole world. We came to the asylum permanently in August, then four months later our parents left to find help. It’s July now, so yeah almost a year.”
“Wow.”
“How long have you guys been traveling,” Naomi asked.
“Shit, um five maybe six days,” Sammi sighed.
“We’re from Los Angeles. We tried to stay, but it was getting worse and worse, we knew other places were affected by this freak weather, but we didn’t know just how much. We left, hoping we find some place that hadn’t been hit by the storm. We’re not sure where we are exactly.” Ella sighed as she sat perched up on the counter, kicking her feet.
“You’re in Phoenix, Arizona,” Naomi replied. “I’m actually surprised you made it this long out there, it’s been getting colder. We checked the weather the other day on my laptop, it’s way below zero.”
“I’m just glad we survived and made it here. I honestly don’t know if we would have made it another day,” Sammi sighed as she twirled the wedding band around her ring finger.
Naomi finished cooking, and had the girls help her divide the food into thirteen bowls and carried them back. Naomi sat by the fireplace and ate quietly.
“Hey Nay,” Pressley smiled. “You’re sitting with us tonight.” Kellin, Lee, Tyler, and Marci looked at Naomi in shock. Since Lucas’ death, the bay window had been her chosen spot, so she could sit and watch and wait. She isn’t watching anymore, but is she still waiting?”
Kellin voiced this thought. “Are you waiting still?”
Andy, Ashley, Jake, Jinxx, CC, Ella, and Sammi watched her as she thought hard on the question.
“No, there’s no point anymore,” Naomi whispered. “I’ve lost all hope.”
“Aw, come on Naomi don’t say that,” Lee sighed.
“No, Lee. You guys were right, what’s the point in waiting for someone to come back that is dead. They’ve been dead a long time, and I just didn’t want to admit it.” Naomi lowered her head, hiding behind her curtain of hair. “I should have gave up a long time ago. You guys did.”
It was silent for a moment, the warm food forgotten as everyone just stared into their bowls. Kellin stood up from the couch and walked towards the window and looked out at all the snow. “Do you think we gave up too quickly? Do you ever wonder if maybe we should have done something?”
“Every day,” Marci spoke up. “I know what would happen, we wouldn’t survive, or we’d never find them. Maybe even both, but at least we would have tried and instead of just sitting around.”
The original six looked up at one another and held their right fists up to their hearts. “We can’t let this get to us. We won’t survive if we dwell on ifs and maybes. We need to stand together. Only by working together, and caring for one another are we going to survive this shit,” Tyler smiled.
The others nodded their silent agreements. The seven newcomers smiled as the original six gathered together in a group hug. They were a family, just like any other; they fought, picked on one another, and screamed at each other until they were hoarse for days. But in the end, they loved each other. They had seven new friends to take care of, and now was not the time to fall apart at the seams.
Naomi decided to make chicken curry and Sammi and Ella had decided they wanted to get to know her. What better way to bond then over food?
Naomi paused to think about it, “Um, it’ll be a year next month.”
“A year,” Sammi said; she was genuinely surprised.
“Yeah. All this shit started in what, April of 2014? Things got really bad here, we knew it was bad for others as well, but it just seemed like it was worse here, this town, or what used to be this town was our whole world. We came to the asylum permanently in August, then four months later our parents left to find help. It’s July now, so yeah almost a year.”
“Wow.”
“How long have you guys been traveling,” Naomi asked.
“Shit, um five maybe six days,” Sammi sighed.
“We’re from Los Angeles. We tried to stay, but it was getting worse and worse, we knew other places were affected by this freak weather, but we didn’t know just how much. We left, hoping we find some place that hadn’t been hit by the storm. We’re not sure where we are exactly.” Ella sighed as she sat perched up on the counter, kicking her feet.
“You’re in Phoenix, Arizona,” Naomi replied. “I’m actually surprised you made it this long out there, it’s been getting colder. We checked the weather the other day on my laptop, it’s way below zero.”
“I’m just glad we survived and made it here. I honestly don’t know if we would have made it another day,” Sammi sighed as she twirled the wedding band around her ring finger.
Naomi finished cooking, and had the girls help her divide the food into thirteen bowls and carried them back. Naomi sat by the fireplace and ate quietly.
“Hey Nay,” Pressley smiled. “You’re sitting with us tonight.” Kellin, Lee, Tyler, and Marci looked at Naomi in shock. Since Lucas’ death, the bay window had been her chosen spot, so she could sit and watch and wait. She isn’t watching anymore, but is she still waiting?”
Kellin voiced this thought. “Are you waiting still?”
Andy, Ashley, Jake, Jinxx, CC, Ella, and Sammi watched her as she thought hard on the question.
“No, there’s no point anymore,” Naomi whispered. “I’ve lost all hope.”
“Aw, come on Naomi don’t say that,” Lee sighed.
“No, Lee. You guys were right, what’s the point in waiting for someone to come back that is dead. They’ve been dead a long time, and I just didn’t want to admit it.” Naomi lowered her head, hiding behind her curtain of hair. “I should have gave up a long time ago. You guys did.”
It was silent for a moment, the warm food forgotten as everyone just stared into their bowls. Kellin stood up from the couch and walked towards the window and looked out at all the snow. “Do you think we gave up too quickly? Do you ever wonder if maybe we should have done something?”
“Every day,” Marci spoke up. “I know what would happen, we wouldn’t survive, or we’d never find them. Maybe even both, but at least we would have tried and instead of just sitting around.”
The original six looked up at one another and held their right fists up to their hearts. “We can’t let this get to us. We won’t survive if we dwell on ifs and maybes. We need to stand together. Only by working together, and caring for one another are we going to survive this shit,” Tyler smiled.
The others nodded their silent agreements. The seven newcomers smiled as the original six gathered together in a group hug. They were a family, just like any other; they fought, picked on one another, and screamed at each other until they were hoarse for days. But in the end, they loved each other. They had seven new friends to take care of, and now was not the time to fall apart at the seams.
9/2/13