Cold Reality

Survival

  Rachel didn't want to sleep but it was now 2am and she was very tired. She turned off her cell phone to save the battery life.  Not that it mattered because there was no phone service. She pulled back the covers on the cot and repositioned the pillow. She snuggled in and thought of her own bed. She thought of her mom, her dad and all her friends. She wondered where they were and if the were safe. She no longer heard the pop pop pop of gunfire. Maybe it was all over now? Her thoughts drifted and she was soon asleep.
      Rachel woke with a start. She thought she heard a noise but she wasn't sure. She listened. Nothing but silence. She got up and used the toilet then washed her hands with the bottled water and soap. Picking up a brush she wondered what time it was. You couldn't see anything in here because there was no windows. "Who designed this room?" , she said out loud. No windows. For safety she assumed. This room wasn't meant for long term so there was no need of a window.
   She ran the brush throw her long hair then braided and fastened it with an elastic. She opened the cabinet above the small sink and looked inside. Couple of tooth brushes, tooth paste, Advil, comb, band aids, and a few creams and various first aid stuff. She then opened the cupboard underneath. Towels, face clothes, disposable wipes, pads, tampons, shampoo, conditioner, more soap, paper towels and a few cleaners. She looked around the room and took in the inventory. If she rationed she could hold up in here for 3 weeks, maybe a month with what was here and what she carried up yesterday. She would have to eat the fresh stuff first. There was no fridge up here. There was a vent for fresh air in the ceiling and she wondered if she could get it fully opened to collect rain water.
      She rooted threw her bags and put the apples to one side. She knew these would last a while out of the fridge. Bananas and plums she would eat now. Leftover fried chicken she would have to eat right away. Cans of pop will last forever so she poked them away and drink them some time later. She carefully counted the water bottles. Four cases of 32 plus 4 she had in her bag. If she used 5 a day that's enough for over a month. She figured 1-2 for washing and 2-3 to drink. Maybe less if possible. She thought of her garage and knew there was more there but would she risk it?
     I'll worry about that later, she thought. For now she was good for a month for sure. She looked up at the vent again. The generator was still working so the fan was still blowing fresh air in but she knew it would go out soon. She would need to break it to get air and possible rain. She took a chair and a screw driver from the tool box. She slowly unscrewed the cover and looked. Luckily she could see that there was just a few screws and it was easy to disassemble. Even without the fan running fresh air could still get in. Kind of like the vent on her camper she thought.
     She had just stepped down from the chair and the fan stopped. The one light in the room also flicked and went out. Great, she thought. She felt her way around the room and found a headlamp. She turned it on and placed it on her head. Screw driver in hand she disassembled the vent so now there was a hole in the ceiling letting in light and air.  She turned off the headlamp and put on the small table so she could find it again later. Not much light but enough to see by. She then dumped out the small trash can and put it under the hole just in case it rained. She could use the rain water to wash with.
        She wondered if she could fit threw the vent. She wasn't very big and the hole seemed large enough.  She would need something else to stand on though. The table would work. She moved the garbage can out of the way then she pulled the table over next to the chair. She stood on the chair and then the table. She put her head through the hole and looked around. She couldn't see much but the roof and the neighbours house top. She put one arm up and her shoulder then the other. Placing one arm on either side of the hole she boosted herself through. She sat there for a second with her eyes closed. What would she see. She was scared to look. Everything was quiet. Not even a bird could be heard.