Wait and Watch

Chapter 1 : Wait and Watch

The cruel wind found its way under an unprotected door. The family dressed in rags huddled in the corner grasping at each other. The youngest child wrapped in the arms of the elderly mother, and held tenderly under her fingertips slowly closed her eyes. They whispered thoughts of encouragements into each other’s ears.

"Don't think about it."

 Sobs escaped despite the help.

 "It will come quickly."

 "Smile, it will end soon."

 "Don't worry we will be together forever."

 "I love you."

 The youngest slowly closed her eyes and drifted asleep. A slumber one shall not awaken from. The mother stroked her blond curly, hair and sighed. She clutched her husband's cool hand. He smiled sadly and leaned his head against the wall. It toke all of his will not to cry, to let the tears spill out freely. He had failed his family, little Anne, Victoria, Edward, Lily. Everyone! He lost his little infant boy about three hours ago.  He felt his teenage daughter shift besides him. She got up staring at the ceiling and wobbling with fatigue.

"Daddy, I don't want to die."

Unlike her father who refused to cry her tears swept down her cheeks like tiny rivers. She looked at him, her big blue eyes shining with sadness.

"Lily, settle down we will go together."

Her mother released warily. The daughter began walking away from them. The youngest stirred, her eyes lightly gazed upon Lily and the mother became angry.

"You woke her up! She could have gone peacefully you selfish child.''

The daughter stared silently at her mother, the rivers streaming down her cheeks coming to a halt. Her voice sounded soft but jittery as if she was stuttering.

"Mother, I don't want to spend my last few minutes with you!"

Her mother's jaw dropped and her eyebrows got scrunched up with confusion.

"Then where will you go?"

She said cruelly. Her wrist grasped her raggedy shirt with such strength it seemed she was strong enough to live.

"A place to survive."

She yelled and the current started up again. The father and little sister stared at her sadly. Her mother looked at her husband.

"Then go but you will die alone."

The mother said sternly. The youngest daughter slowly resisted her mother's grasp.

"Take me with you sister, I want to live too!"

The teenager stared at her little sister, stared at her desperate eyes and pleading fingers.

"No."

A whimper escaped her throat. The sister named Lily bolted out the door and closed it firmly behind her. The wind howled in her ears and singed them in the cold. Her face burned red as she clasped her shreds of a jacket closer to her chest. The snow made her bare feet turn numb in just a few seconds. Her stomach made a disturbing growling sound and she almost fell over with tiredness. She lifted her feet and brought them knee height with each step.

"I can't go on."

She cried and let loose huge sobs that brought fresh, hot tears that quickly froze on her cheeks. She was so hungry, and cold. Her fingers and toes were turning a pale blue with frost bite. The world had ended such a short time ago. Almost a year and her family had finally given up. They had run out of food and the heat had withered to just air conditioning. They had lost. Lost to the end. They were the end. She finally collapsed and landed face first in the snow. It felt nice for some reason she couldn't understand. The cold seemed to give her something to hold on to, a lifeline. She was like a fish out of water and a fishing line supplied her with water. She smiled and flipped over with all her strength. The sky stared back at her, its grey eyes piercing her with hazy, foggy clouds. She closed her eyes and a glowing light filled her eyelids. She slowly fell into darkness with warmth flooding her face.