Maria || Short Story

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I thought I had a bad life. But now I realize how foolish I was. I have a great life, and I wasted it. Now as I stare at the muted TV, my heart races and I curl up into a ball.

"Honey, what are you watching?" my mother asks, worried. "I thought I told you not to watch horror films. They give you pesadillas."

"Look," I mumbled into my knees. I hear footsteps and soon after there's sound again.

"In just one hour, hurricane Maria will strike along the coast of Yabucoa," The news reporter said, as if he didn't even care. "This level 4 hurricane may," the TV shut off.

"Dios Ḿío! Dios Ḿío! Dios Ḿío!" she murmured repeatedly, pacing around the living room.

So, we waited. And we hid. This was the first time we had seen the news in a while and we deeply regretted it. We knew the basement wouldn't help us for long, but still we stayed, praying that we would be okay.

Two minutes.

One minute.

Thirty seconds.

Five... four... three... two... one...

As if on cue, we heard screams outside. Some loud, some quiet, all filled with fear. We just sat there shaking. Maybe we thought that the hurricane wouldn't come to us if we didn't make any noise. Oh, how wrong we were.

Violent surges of water push against the door, which almost immediately breaks against the force.

I gasp for air, trying to keep my head above the water. As I try to swim out I realize, it was stupid idea to hide in the basement. There's no way out. And now me and my mother would die.

Completely submerged, my eyes and chest feel heavy. I've got nothing left in me. I reach out for my mother, and try to push out two last words.

"Te amo," I gurgle.

As I feel myself slowly fade away, I feel my mother's fingertips against my own. That single touch gave me more joy than I had ever felt. That single touch gave me the courage, to die with a smile on my face.

     I love how this is actually a good story and I have like 15 reads.

ravvvee