Hearken

The Safe Haven

After awhile, everyone in the house started to spread out, and Hailee and i stayed on the couch as we gazed at the survivors around us and she told me there stories. There was Tyler Down, a guy who had lived here all his life, and was about to catch a flight to Alaska in the morning. There were glasses on his face, placed on top of his fair skin, short and shaggy brunette hair. Then there were Mandy and Amanda, two sisters that seemed to be around there twenties, both redheads, they were in the middle of shopping at the store too, but fled the scene before chaos went down. 

There was a professor named Jonathan Sylvek, a doctor named Brian Megheller, and then two small children who belonged to a man and woman. A family just like us, the kids seemed younger than us, around eight and nine years old. I was only fifteen and my sister was sixteen going on seventeen in the spring. The woman looked frantic, but didn't we all, as she clung to her children. Her blonde hair falling over her shoulders, as her blue eyes seem to be dried of tears. Her husband comforting her, as his skin was darker than the rest of us. A tone of and complexity of caramel and maybe chocolate, as he checked to make sure his kids didn't have any injuries. His name was Micheal, i soon found that out when his wife mouthed it. 

Often, while we waited for whatever we were waiting for, the sound to stop, for it be safe to escape and flee the state. As my dad keeps thinking is a great idea. I'm sure everyone had. I would still get stares on me, as Hailee would translate what they were saying, or i'd ask her how her leg is doing. Doctor Brian inspected it a few times, wrapping something around it and attending to her pain. I kept on wondering whose house this was, but no one came forward and said it was there's. It was funny to me, how everyone around me was wearing ear plugs or headphones, just to keep the sound out. I was fiddling with my hearing aids, as my parents had to come join us on the couch. 

Asking us if we were okay, "how long are we gonna sit in silence?" i signed, as they shrugged. "For as long as it takes" my mother signed, as i sighed. It wasn't like i was bored or anything, no, i was terrified just like everyone else, but not for me, for my family. I had already lost so much, losing my life would be nothing. It was interesting though, how everyone in this room was isolated into a deafening silence with me. For the first time ever, i didn't feel alone or misunderstood. I felt seen, and ironically, heard. 

"Do you think those things are gone?" the blonde woman mouthed, as i leaned over to Hailee. "What's her name?" i signed, as she moved her hands. "Darla" she spelled, as i nodded. That was a pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty woman herself, i remember when she found out i was deaf instead of envy, she gave me a sympathetic look, with a small smile on her face. No one else had done so. In a way, i saw my mother in her. "I think we should check" Brain mouthed, as Tyler and Micheal had gone over to check the windows and front door. "Maybe we should wait until morning" Mandy said, as she sat with her sister in the arm chair across from us. 

"We can't take anymore risks for safety" Amanda said, "who knows who could be out there, asking for our help?" Brian said, as i was wondering how they were going to "check". "Someone take off there headphones" Micheal said, as he came from the windows. Everyone looked over at him stunned, shocked he was even thinking such a thing. "Absolutely not!" Amanda said, as she stood. "Are you serious right now?" Darla asked, holding her children close to her. "Don't worry, we just need to see if-" Tyler starts, but i can't understand anything he says after that. He's talking to fast. "What's happening?" i signed, as Hailee moved her hands again. 

"They're trying to see if the frequency everyone was hearing outside has stopped, cause if it has we can leave" She signed, as i frowned. "We can't leave, it doesn't matter if the frequency has stopped, if those walkers are still out there, were in danger." i signed, as i became frustrated, seeing everyone arguing. I stood from the couch, walking over to my dad who was standing within the argument. I tugged on his arm. "Translate me" i signed, as he nodded.