Under the same universe

Chapter one

Day one

Woke up this morning to a miffed man. I just need to help him make his lunch and get him out the door. I guess I can take small nap before getting the kids ready for school. After packing the last of his lunch, he leaves with it.

I lay down in my bed, and slowly drift into a dreamless sleep. I wake up to a blaring alarm. Aaarghh, need to get going. Kids will be late and I don't want to be called by the school for tardies. I rush into their room to wake them up. My kids wake up with some anime looking bed head, adorable. I help them brush their teeth, choose clothes, and find shoes. I hurriedly take a last minute look over of each of the kids to make sure they look put together. Satisfied I herd them over to the warming car.

I get them to school and drop them off at the entrance. On my way back home, a slew of dark colored vehicles rushed down the road passing me with a large whoosh. I wonder what has got them in such a rush.

The empty house greets me as I enter, the silence is refreshing. The chaos of tiny bodies buzzing with energy can really wear you down. Sighing, I decide whether to start my day or take another small nap.

There is so much to do, so I decide to start my day. I speed through a short shower. Starting the laundry after getting dressed,    I mentally go through my list of chores. I slowly go through each of them.

As I leave a rack of dishes drying, the washer beeps the end of the cycle. I walk over to unload the washer and start the dryer.  My cellphone suddenly starts vibrating intensely and beeping. That doesn't sound like my usual message notification sound. I leave the laundry drying, making my way to my cellphone on the kitchen counter. Suddenly worried, I quickly unlock my phone.

[ Emergency Alert]

Evacuation advisory: areas within 988845, 987341 have a county order for evacuation starting 11: 00 am. Please call 611 for further detailed instruction if you reside within the area of evacuation or visit our website www4.totec.org/gov/ evacuation.

Oh my god, my kids. I go to master bedroom in my closet rummaging through my hang up clothes to get to the luggage in the back. Taking the two largest, I quickly stuff it with some change of clothes for all of us, important documents, and some cash in case plastic isn't accepted. The message didn't specify what kind of emergency it was. I hope it isn't too bad.

Losing what we have would be a massive blow to our finances, the house itself we had to save for at least eight years for the 20% down payment plus two months of mortgage payments.

Everything else in the house was bought used except the kitchen and the laundry machines. I don't want us to start from zero but I don't want to pay with our lives over something like this.

Misty eyed I checked each of the windows to make sure they are locked, and each bedroom door. My phone gently vibrates and sings about an incoming call.

Fishing the phone out of my pocket, I answer without looking at the number or name.

Me: "Hello?"

Person calling:" This is Carlington elementary school, can I speak to the parent of David , Saul, and Sarah?"

M:"Yes!, I am the parent, Allie"

P C: " Mrs. Montez, as you have heard there is an order for evacuation for our area. Your children have been released from class and are ready to be picked up in the cafeteria. Please make sure to bring an id and sign them out with each of their homeroom teacher. We can only keep them for a limited time before we will forced to give them over to the state for transportation to a safe evacuation area. If that happens we must have consent from you the parent, in order to transport them to a safe location."

M:" aaaah, okay. Thank you for the call I will be there to pick up my children ."

P C: click

I lock the front doors two locks then open the trunk of the car to unceremoniously shove two luggages in there.  Putting the keys in the ignition the little car turns on. Old trusty, she may be old but her gas mileage is pretty good. I look around to my neighbors and see some of them pack their sedans full of suitcases. Other drive ways where empty, it will probably be not long before they also come rushing in to pack their bags.