Andy

I tried to hold up my Dad in the lobby, but he wasn't having it.

“Ash! What has gotten into you? We need to leave now.” He grabbed the sleeve of my blue flannel shirt and tugged me along with his towards the revolving doors. Not in a pushy way, but in an authoritative way. I glanced back behind us, but I did not see them following.

I frowned, and finally stumbled along to follow my Dad willingly. If I ended up having to leave them, there was nothing else I could do to stop us. I had other commitments back home, rather Andy was there or not. Just the idea itself bothered me quite a bit. We'd been through a lot together, so leaving him behind felt obscene.

“Are you ready to head home?” He sighed fondly, patting my shoulder as we made our way out the double doors of the lobby. This time, the receptionists did not bother looking at us. They made their money off of us, they were no longer entitled to giving fake smiles and leaving Andes Mints on the pillows.

I nodded, “Yeah. I can't wait to get back. I'm supposed to meet up with CC tomorrow.” I told him happily. I'm excited to get back to see every one.

His eyes lit up halfheartedly. Only at all because I mentioned hanging out with another human. An excitement that was dimmed considerably when I said the person who would be acquainting me would be CC. Him and my dad weren't exactly on good terms, especially after everything that went down with Ferguson.

It may not have directly been CC's fault, but when your child's safety has been endangered, anyone in the immediate vicinity is automatically blamed. It's a parenting rule, apparently.

“Oh? Where at?”

“I don't know yet.” I admitted, tucking my hands into my jacket pockets. “We decided to play it by ear until I get home. With all the flooding, I may not see him for weeks.” I say half jokingly, “he's interested in giving people rides around town in a row boat.”

He didn't say anything else, nor did he push the subject.

The car came into view, parked a few spaces down. All the luggage had already been put in the trunk and my Mom was in the passengers seat, ready to go.

I jumped in surprise to the sound of boots clattering on the cement behind me. I turned to see noisy Thing 1 and Thing 2 making their way across the parking lot to me. Andy wore a big grin of success and Ashley just looked like the jaded version of annoyance mixed with excitement. I can't say I've ever seen him smile in a situation relating to me. His hatred was understandable at first, but now it just baffled me.

I slowed up enough for them to catch up and walk beside us. Despite the tense air around them, I patted Ashley's shoulder and whispered “I'm glad you're here.”

We climbed in, and pulled out of the parking space. The sky was still dark, but dimly lit by the lights of California. I didn't pay much attention to the boys as we got out of city limits, I just kept Andy's hand clasped in my own while resting my forehead against the glass, watching the town that had become my temporary home fade away into black nothingness.

I was still really tired, having not slept much the night before. I closed my eyes and dozed off here and there, but I still felt too anxious to sleep, knowing that by the time we make it to Pendant, the town could be gone.

At least, that's the nightmare my sleep deprived brain came up with. All I could imagine was only being able to see rooftops and skyscrapers when we got back, though that would not be the case.

I sighed, and attempted to close my eyes again. Andy's hand rested cold and motionless in my upturned palm. I gave it a soft squeeze, which he turned a few moments later. I didn't have to look at him or speak to him for him to know how worried I was. Not just for the town, friends or family, but for him.

I glanced over every now and again, sometimes paying attention to their casual conversations. They talked about everything and nothing, bouncing from topic to topic like a giddy child. It wasn't long before I tuned out completely.

I could have listened to music, or played a game on my phone, but I honestly just didn't possess the mental energy to do it. So instead, I stayed there with my head against the glass, thinking about things.

It always baffles me how much things have changed over just a few short weeks. In a matter of days, inspired by a series of events, I had slowly evolved into a different person. The person I'd been two weeks prior would be the direct opposite of who I am now, emotionally and mentally, at least. Physically, I hadn't changed in appearance much, except for my hair. The bright emerald green slowly receding from my roots, replaced by the inky black color of my natural hair.

I opened my eyes to lazily glance out the window. My eyes trailed over the deep navy blue crest of the sky, which was currently sprinkled with stars. Shiny white specks decorated the early morning sky, clearing my head momentarily of all the bad energy.

Soon after, the road we were traveling wound into the woods, and I lost the stars in all the branches. I stared after then sadly, strangely mourning their disappearance. Growing restless again, there was only one other thing that could put my mind to ease.

I turned halfway in my seat to look at Andy. He was sitting facing forward, quiet for the first time in a few minutes. He must have sensed me looking at him, because his bright blue eyes sharply turned their attention to me. He held my gaze for a second, and in the dark I stared at his irises, glowing faintly. I could feel the unease slipping away, almost like a draining sensation throughout my body as the anxiety retreated from my limbs, disappearing completely a few moments later.

His lips tugged up slightly into a crooked, encouraging smile. I smiled back, squeezed his hand once more, and laid my head back against the glass, closing my eyes. This time I fell asleep for longer than a few minutes.

I was in my room, and it was early morning. I woke up, and immediately went to the window. Outside of the glass was heavily fogged up with fog. I pushed open the glass, and the cool most drifted into my room, gently moving my lace curtains back. I could make out something just below my window, though I couldn't tell what it was. I leaned forward, stretching out over the windowsill, reaching forward. My fingers brushed it, and I was surprised to find that it wasn't any specific item, but a large body of something. I squinted, and drug my fingers along the icy surface, pulling back a dripping hand.

It clicked in my head, then. My heart sped up as I realized that what was right outside my second story window, was water.

My entire house was under water, and I am trapped.

~~~


I slept most of the day, but my dreams were riddled with eery visions of the flood.

We stopped on the border of Utah for lunch at a cafe in a truck stop. All the while, I could just feel the dark circles forming under my eyes. As soon as we were back in the car, I was out like a light, and luckily, this time with no dreams.

Notes

I finished all my projects for the art show and dropped them off today! Woo I'm feeling productive.