298 HOURS, 05 MINUTES
"THAT TRUCK," SAM said, pointing. "Another crash." A FedEx truck had plowed through a hedge and slammed an elm tree in somebody's front yard. The engine was idling.
They ran into two kids, a fourth grader and his little sister, playing a halfhearted game of catch on their front lawn. "Our mom's not home," the older one said. "I'm supposed to go to my piano class this afternoon. But I don't know how to go there."
"And I have tap dance. We're getting our costumes for the recital," the younger one said. "I'm going to be a ladybug."
"You know how to get to the plaza? You know, in town?" Sam said.
"I guess so."
"You should go there."
"I'm not supposed to leave the house," the little one said.
"Our grandma lives in Laguna Beach," the fourth grader said. "She could come get us. But we can't get her on the phone. The phone doesn't work."
"I know. Maybe go wait down at the plaza, right?" When the kid just stared at him, Sam said, "Hey, don't get too upset, okay? You have any cookies or ice cream in the house?"
"I guess so."
"Well, there's no one telling you not to eat a cookie, is there? Your folks will show up soon, I think. But in the meantime have a cookie, then come down to the plaza."
"That's your solution? Have a cookie?" Astrid asked.
"No, my solution is to run down to the beach and hide out until this is all over," Sam said. "But a cookie never hurts."
Winter feigned laughter, until she started to actually laugh.
"What?" Sam asked
"The world's gone to sugar, and we're stuck eating cookies, robbing houses and stores, crying, wanting our mom's, older kids doing god knows what. What happens if no one comes to save us? What if we have to stay here forever. Babies will be left in houses to die, rot. Kids will die of hunger. Kids get a hold of guns, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol. Other kids become leaders, important. Its a heaven and a hell Sam. Am I the only one being realistic."
"People will come to-"
"No they won't Sam, 'what's going on in Perdido Beach? What am I doing out here, I was just driving into Perdido Beach and I suddenly appeared here? Where have all the adults gone in Perdido Beach?' WHY AREN'T THEY HERE SAM!?!? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? HOW DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE?" Winter took a tranquil breath, "We need to stop messing around, Sam. And you know that. You know that something else is happening. I can see it in your eyes. It's happening to me too."
Sam gave Winter a pseudo look of confusion, she could tell Astrid wasn't going to buy it. But Quinn, Feb and Bee would. That would shut her up.
They kept moving, Sam, Bee, Winter, Feb, Astrid and Quinn. Sam's home was east of downtown. He and his mom shared a small, squashed-looking one-story house with a tiny, fenced backyard and no real front yard, just a sidewalk. Sam's mother didn't make much money working as a night nurse up at Coates Academy. Sam's dad was out of the picture, always had been. He was a mystery in Sam's life. And last year his stepfather had left, too.
"This is it," Sam said. "We don't believe in showing off with a big house and all."
"Well, you live near Town Beach," Astrid said, pointing to the only advantage of this house or this neighborhood.
"Yeah. Two-minute walk. Less if I cut through the yard of the house where the biker gang lives."
"Biker gang?" Astrid said.
