End of the Line

by Ottilie Weber

It snowed so much the next day we were blocked in the room for another week. Sean and Paige were going crazy in the close quarters. I tried to search for more food and could only find a few packages of raisins. I knew raisins wouldn’t be enough for all of us, but the shrunken grapes were better than nothing. On the way back, one of the rooms was left wide open as the people ran out, taking their chance with the storm that dwelled on the outside. They were running for dear life toward what might very well be their deaths. There, lying on the floor of the room was a large black leather jacket. I took the object and ran up into our room.

  “Aaron, look what I found,” I said as I placed the chair in front of the door.

  Aaron turned to look at me and caught the jacket I tossed at him. he tugged on the jacket and rubbed his arms as he gave me a smirk, his eyes gleaming. The black leather fit him well. The coat was baggy, but not huge.

  “Thanks.”

  “Hey, no problem. We can’t have you freeze and die on us. We might actually need you,” I teased. I smiled and gave a small laugh.

  “You think that’s funny, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  Aaron stood over me, a little cleaner than he was when I left. I stared into his eyes as I continued to smile. Aaron’s dark cobalt eyes smirked down at me and I wondered what he really had been up to all those months while I had to deal with all questions from the kids. Why aren’t we in school right now? Is Santa going to be able to find us? Where are our parents?

  Sean and Paige couldn't stop asking me things. I hadn’t fully told them what had happened to the world. I just told them that our lives were very different and harder now; that discussion hadn’t gone over too well.

  As I gazed at him, it made me kind of forget the hardship we had to deal with since he left. During those months I realized I had to be tough, that I had to change how I was. I had to be stronger than before. I had to work harder on not falling for Aaron so easily, especially if he was going to keep disappearing on us.

  “Why wouldn’t I think that is funny?” I asked, tilting my head so that I could see his eyes better.

  “Because, first of all, I was freezing my butt off, but you curling up to me at night is the reward for that—”

  “Well that’s done with,” I added cutting him off, his eyes hazy, smirk full on shinning.

  “But it’s so cold and I don’t know how you guys survived this long in the cold.” He became serious.

  “Not well, it was hard and bitter, but we are here, standing in front of you.”

  I looked over to the group playing cards in the corners as they were pulling their sweatshirts closer to them. I really wanted to get out of here since food was at an all time low in the area, but we couldn’t move on with the weather and I was really worried now. It seemed like all our problems before this seemed stupid, but our chances of survival were looking awfully by the second.

  “It’s a good thing that you guys did,” he answered softly, the muscles in his shoulders stiffened, his hands were restless by his sides.

  “Yeah it is,” I answered keeping my eyes on the group even through their chattering teeth I could hear their giggles or arguments over the rules of their game; an attempt to keep things normal.

  I stood there with Aaron watching the others as I felt his fingers reach out toward mine as kind-heartedly as butterfly wings before interlacing with mine. Our hands locked.