Survival

Chapter 3

1:30 Afterschool

Rehearsal is starting. We have a few hours before the play starts. I'm in my princess costume while the rest of the kids change. I'm feeling nervous. Butterflies are fluttering all around my stomach.

"Places, everbody!" Mrs. Jerson says.

Here goes nothing.

***

5:01 Afterschool

The play is starting. Parents are filling the chairs. It's a lot of people. With my head peeking through the curtain I try to look for mine.

Maybe they're a bit late.

"5 Minutes till the curtains go up!"

I take a step back and rehearse in my head. The other children are also nervous. Some are pacing around, some look like they're close to freaking out.

It's all going to be fine. I've practiced day and night. I'm ready.

"Alright kids. Line up!"

We go to Ms. Jerson. "I know a lot of you are anxious. It's okay. It's perfectly normal. Just remember what you've rehearsed for and you'll do fine. It's a full house out there. Just stay confident! Okay? Good luck to everyone!"

We all get in our spots while I'm in the middle of the stage.

The curtains go up and I'm blinded for a bit by the bright lights. While Ms. Jerson tells the audience a bit about our play I take a deep breath and look around. There are so many faces. So many I can't spot my parents. But they're here. They told me they'd come. Or try to.

***

The audience are on their feet. They're clapping really loud. Everyone smiles as we take in the cheering and clapping. A few more moments and we step back and have the curtain pull down. Quickly, I change from my outfit and into my regular clothes so I can look for my parents.

Other students follow and and outside to where most of the audience is now. I run and accidentally bump into someone. Jack.

"Oops. Sorry." I didn't wait for him to reply, I took off outside.

Parents hug their kids while I look for mine.

I make around three trips before I spot someone. I run towards them with a big smile on my face.

"Mom!" I tug on her shirt. But when she turns around I find it's not her. "Oh, sorry," I take a step back while she just shrugs it off."

"It's alright, dear." And she leaves while I decide to look one more time.

***

I wait at the front of the school, sitting on the curb watching the last few of the families leave. I'm by myself.

Where are they?

I can't believe they missed my play. They told me they would come. Did they forget?

When I hear heels walking to where I am I look up and find Ms. Jerson looking down at me. "Elsa? What are you still doing here?"

I shrug.

She looks around before realizing it's empty. "It's almost dark. Aren't your parents picking you up?"

"I don't know. I think they forgot," I whisper.

"Do they normally do this?"

I shake my head.

"Okay. Well I guess something must've come up. Let me give you a ride."

I look up again and watch her give me her hand. I take it and she leads me to the school parking lot. She opens the door to the front and I hop in. As I give her directions I was able to look at the time. It was 7:00.

***

After five minutes Ms. Jerson makes it to my house.

She looks at it before saying, "It's a little.....isolated, huh?"

"What does that mean?"

She looks at me before answering, "A bit lonely. It's a lovely house, but it's a bit isolated from others."

"Daddy once told me that before I was born this was all they could afford. That's why it's lonely."

Ms. Jerson smiles at me and unlocks my door. I step out after thanking her. She waits for me to get inside before driving off.

When I'm inside it's so quiet. The house feels sad.

"Hello?" I go into the kitchen to find it empty. I run up the steps and check every room. Empty.

"Mom? Dad? Anna?" No answer.

I'm getting a bad feeling.

***

When I woke up in the middle of the night I heard something downstairs. I turn on the lamp and find out that Anna is not in her bed. She would be home and sleeping by now.

I hear footsteps coming up. I get up and peek out my door to find my dad walking to his room.

"Dad!" I step to the hallway and begin running to him.

But he doesn't turn around. When he hears me he freezes and continues to his room. He goes in and slams the door.

When he does that I stop right where I am.

H-He's never done that.

But I didn't see Mom with him. Or Anna.

I go to his door and knock. "Dad? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Silence.

I press my ear against the door and hear him....crying?

"No. no, no, no, no." I run downstairs and grab the phone dialing Mom's number.

I may be only eight years old, but I know when something bad has happened. And right now....I.....I don't want to say what I think happened. It's can't be true!

Maybe Mom and Anna went somewhere and will be back in the morning.

But I get her voicemail. I dial again. Same thing.

***

I probably called her about one hundred times before coming to the fact that she won't answer. She's never going to answer ever again. Is she?

So slowly, I walk back up the stairs and into my room. I gently close the door. I go to Anna's bed instead of mine and lay there listening to the roar of thunder.

It takes me a long time but I somehow manage to sleep.