Your Loss

The Beginning of the End

     We stand unsteadily on top of the skyscraper, barely holding on. The tsunami is crashing onto the beach where our home was once located. We all didn't make it, my mother stumbled down the elevator shaft as the aftershock took her by surprise, we thought she was going to make it. My father reached down and grabbed her hand sending a feeling of relief through my three little siblings and me. But, an aftershock also took him by surprise, I guess he didn't realize that the aftershocks were 30 seconds after one another. We all stood and watched as they fell knowing that there was nothing we could do.

     Now we stood waiting for any help we could get. I stand strong for my siblings, as the oldest it's my job to be the pillar, but the bottom of my pillar is crumbling. My legs melt into the ground as I sink into a puddle of sorrow, I honestly have no plan at all whatsoever.

     My eyes water as my youngest sister Ada walks over, she wraps her arms around me, Gabbi next as the second youngest. All that's left is Jackson, he just turned 13 and thinks he's too cool for the world. I wave him over, as he's walking and aftershock shakes the building, he shrieks and stumbles over into my arms.

     "Not so cool now, huh?" I say with a laugh in my voice, trying to hide the sorrow.

     "It was just a voice crack okay!" He says clearing his throat. Ada looks at me, her usually happy sparkling eyes, sparkle with tears for a change.

     "Mabel, how much salt water did you get in your eyes!? They're red, puffy, and watery!" I look down hoping nobody else would notice.

     "She's about to cry Ada, that's why." says Gabbi pointing it out anyway.

     "You guys can't be mad at her for being upset, we just lost EVERYTHING! Our home, our parents, and our lives as we know it and probably more things to come! So, if she wants to cry leave her alone!" Jackson yells angrily, his arms crossed, his face redder than a fresh ripe tomato. Then I notice, I think he got a little salt water in his eyes too...

     We eat dinner as the night winds down, and the kids start to fall asleep. Little Ada first, then Gabbi, I wait for Jackson to fall asleep like the others but he just sits there looking at the stars and looking at the fire from time to time. I watch, waiting for him to notice that I'm looking at him.

     I can tell he was thinking deeply, he has our fathers thinking face. His emerald green eyes catching the reflection of the stars. Out of the four of us he's the only one with those eyes. Our father had emerald green eyes and our mother had brown eyes. I guess green eyes are a male only gene in our family. After a long day at work our father would sit at the dinner table with that face, our mother would tell him if he didn't keep work away from the table it would make the food taste bad.

     "Mabel, what are we gonna do now?" Jackson says, pulling me out of my fantasy.

     I pause, and think, wondering how to answer. I know Gabbi and Ada are awake now and I have to give an answer that won't screw up everything. Jackson's piercing green eyes looking at me, along with two other pairs of eyes, I know that they are bracing themselves for a dejecting answer.

    "Um..." I start not knowing how to finish, I pull Ada into my chest and hold her.

     Don't screw this up Mabel, if you say one wrong word you could mess up their whole lives, don't screw up...

    "I guess we'll have to start with getting off this building, then maybe going home and seeing what we can salvage, and well I don't really know from there..." I stop, Jackson lays his head down on his sweatshirt, Ada hugs me, and Gabbi pulls the hood up on her Rainbow Dash Onesie that she got on her and Jackson's birthday.

        Well, I guess I didn't screw things up, good job Mabel...

     I stay up for a few hours after that, mostly because I can't fall asleep but, also because I stay watch. Every once and awhile an aftershock hits, depending on how strong it is usually a kid or two will roll over in their sleep. I know that this building doesn't have much time left, so as soon as the sunrise hits we have to get moving.

     I eventually become tired and snuggle into my sleeping bag, sunrise will be approaching soon.

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