Undead Rising PDF

Click James Undead Rising the Raven CAT Aunt for Sam Lizzy audio Olivia By Roberta Bliss

Chapter Guide Ch. 1 CH. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 CH. 6 CH. 7 Ch. 8 CH. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 CH.14

Chapter One \"Bam!\" the sound was deafening, \"Bam! Bam! You jerk!\" Sophia sobbed as she fell on top of the nearly lifeless man that was once the love of her life. \"How could you?\" she wept harder. \"Now what am I going to do?\" She looked out into the horizon as if to ask for forgiveness for what she had done. She lowered the smoking gun to her side and unraveled her tightly clenched fingers allowing the gun to fall to the concrete next to her six inch stiletto. Amazingly, her mascara remained un-smudged. The uncomfortable position she held kneeling next to her beloved would require the lithe actions of an acrobat, but it was obvious in her clothing options, that Sophia was no acrobat. Sophia could wear a flannel shirt and sweatpants and still manage to make it look good. \"Cut!\" the director exploited from his perch. \"That was fabulous Isabella, just fabulous. Now pack those Louis Vuitton’s and meet me at the airport on Monday.\" The remaining cast and crew piled in for a bear hug when

4 Jose, her recently shot husband, regained his upright position. He was thankful that his character was merely wounded, not fatally written out of the script. Of course the fans of \"Mi Casa Amore\" won't find that out for weeks and poor Sophia will be forced to leave the country to escape prosecution. Olivia was nothing like her mother. It wasn’t because she was stuck in a wheelchair; it was just that Olivia and her mother were like night and day. Now, Aunt Lizzy had to be a closer DNA match than her mom, even though they weren’t blood related. Aunt Lizzy married Sophia’s brother, James. Olivia never minded spending weeks at her aunt's house with her cousins, Samantha, Katarina, and baby James. It was a reprieve from the constant cast parties, fan meet-and-greets, and Telemundo appearances. Her mother had guest starred on virtually every novella that aired and knew the morning talk show hosts personally. Olivia didn't care for the limelight, but her mom craved it. They only had this weekend until she jetted off to Italy for a 6 week shoot. She promised to be back in time for spring break, just in time for Olivia’s treatment. This one was gonna work, mom assured her. Olivia overheard her telling her aunt that she already paid $25,000 and had to pay the rest when the treatment was given. Olivia wasn't always in a wheelchair, she was a normal kid about 3 years ago, just about the time her mom hit mega - Latin stardom. They were vacationing in Cancun and Olivia came down with a really high fever, her mom said she actually went into a coma. Immigration wouldn't even let them back in the country because she was so sick, so her mom took her back to Cancun and her aunt and cousins came down because no one thought she would live. Her mom was already a huge star and flew in the best specialists to Mexico and she somehow pulled through, but she hasn't been able to walk since then.

5 After much of the hugging died down Olivia wheeled herself as close as she could get and cleared her throat in order to try to get the loudest \"mom!\" she could muster. When she saw the slight tilt of her mother’s glossy raven curls turn in her direction, Olivia was certain she had her mother’s attention. \"Mom, I'm starving, can we go now?\" Olivia flashed her most convincing smile. \"Of course dahhhling,\" she trilled her RR’s. Mom spent much of her fortune trying to get Olivia healed, but nothing seemed to work. The treatment in Iowa was guaranteed to work or she would get her money back. Olivia was pretty sure they all told her that, but she kept on believing. Apparently it had worked for others, but Olivia would just wait and see before she counted on a miracle. Olivia saw things differently than her mom. With her mom, the glass was always half-full. If you looked like her mom though, people opened doors for you. She didn’t even audition to get a coveted spot on “Mi Casa Amore”; she was scouted at the mall while shopping for yet another pair of impossibly high stilettos. She became an instant fan favorite and lived in the spotlight ever since. Olivia’s mom was already famous when Olivia fell ill, so to her mother, having plenty of money was a blessing from God. She now had enough to take care of Olivia in the way she saw fit. Olivia went to a special school for kids like her, smart kids with “hindrances” as mom would call them in Spanish. She didn’t like calling Olivia handicapped or disabled because she didn’t see her that way. Sometimes Olivia did though, but she never told her mom that. Mom said it was OK to go to “regular” school with her cousins because her aunt was a teacher and would make sure that no one treated her different. Olivia had a lot of friends too, since she spent about one-third of the school year there,

6 depending on her mom’s schedule. And the rural town of Kingsville, Texas is where Olivia would be bright and early Monday morning. It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of San Antonio where everyone recognized Olivia’s mom and knew all about her too. In Kingsville, Olivia could be a regular kid and her cousins always made her feel comfortable. The principal would ensure that her schedule mimicked Katarina’s so she could help Olivia out. Olivia hated asking for help from teachers or other adults, but Katarina just knew what she needed and when she needed it. Olivia’s other cousin, Samantha, was already a senior. She would get to see her in the hallways occasionally, but she wasn’t with her as much as she was with Katarina. Samantha also worked after school and on the weekends at the local thrift shop. She liked to sell her artwork there. Olivia’s baby cousin, James, loved spending time with her. She thought it was because she was pretty much trapped when he decided it was time for her to read to him. Olivia would tell him she would run from him if she weren't in a chair, but he just laughed at her. - \"Mrs. Soliz isn't it time for the pep rally?” One of Lizzy’s students eagerly interrupted their reading of The Complete Guide to Household Economics. The basketball team had made it to Conference this year and the enthusiasm was felt throughout the school. Of course, Lizzy was fairly certain

7 that most of the kids just wanted an excuse to get out of class for a while. \"I guess it is. Ok, don't forget to read chapter 12 for homework tonight.\" The consolidated \"awes\" echoed through the room. The students possessed the ability to gather their backpacks and papers with superhuman speed, provided there was an incentive involved. Now if the teacher asked the kids to prepare for a pop quiz, she would witness the drastic transformation of students becoming snails at the precise moment the words were emitted from her mouth. On the way to the auditorium Lizzy saw Olivia and Katarina chatting away. Katarina adored Olivia and Lizzy was certain that the feeling was mutual. Lizzy’s sister-in-law dropped her off late last night before she headed out on her Italian holiday/soap shoot. Lizzy lived vicariously through her because her life rarely involved more than a trip to Wal-Mart followed by a date with Netflix. Thunder bellowed overhead further adding to the feverish excitement in the auditorium. Amazingly the teachers managed to make it there unscathed while the mass of students were chanting for their team to make an appearance. The cheerleaders were trying to belt out cheers above the roar of the crowd and the fierce storm looming in the distance. Lizzy scanned the crowd for her other daughter but she couldn't spot her. Knowing Sam, she was skipping out in the bathroom somewhere. Traditional school activities were not on Sam's' priority list. She definitely had a mind of her own and it was nothing like the rest of the family. Sam wasn't a \"bad\" kid by any means. She always made straight A's, was very polite and even went to church without

8 coercion, most of the time. Sam was what Lizzy would term as a non-conformist. If all the kids were wearing shorts and a t-shirt, Sam would wear a flannel shirt with fingerless gloves. Sam reminded Lizzy of her father in so many ways. Although Lizzy endeared the eccentricities in her, those characteristics were a mitigating factor in the demise of Sam’s father and Lizzy’s marriage so many years ago. After the divorce Lizzy decided to go to school and become a teacher. So now here she was, on a Monday afternoon, monitoring an auditorium full of hormones, making sure they don’t fight- at least not in front of her. About five years ago Lizzy met Isabella's brother, James, at an animal shelter where she found a wayward German Shepard puppy that she couldn't resist bringing home. James told her she was covered in fleas and ticks when he found her and actually almost died from so much blood being lost. How could Lizzy resist a story like that? He asked Lizzy for her phone number and the rest was history. \"Ring Ring Ring!\" The loudspeakers interrupted her thoughts that were barely audible over the noise of the crowd, \"Ring Ring Ring!\" The alarm sounded again as the noise level started to taper off. The students began looking to the teachers with concern in their eyes. Lizzy looked to the principal for instructions because everyone knew what the sound meant... The principal grabbed a microphone from a cheerleader, \"May I have your attention,\" She was interrupted once again by the ringing alarm and the sound of pelting hail against the

9 thin metal roof. \"May I have your attention please,\" the principal could barely be heard over the hailstorm. Katarina’s stomach had formed into a tight ball but she managed to keep a small smile on her face so Olivia wouldn't get scared. They could feel the nervous excitement of everyone in the auditorium. Katarina’s mom inched her way closer to the girls as the principal continued... “We have practiced this before, I need this first row to calmly exit the gym and head to the A hallway as quickly as possible....\" She continued to give instructions, but Katarina’s ears seemed suddenly deaf when she felt her mom tug at her sleeve to exit the auditorium. Katarina could see that Olivia was fearful, she was too. Olivia cruised by her side as Katarina’s mom guided them to the farthest hallway from the auditorium. Katarina was afraid to look back because she could hear the intensity of the storm increasing. Her only thought process involved getting Olivia to safety and catching her breath when they stopped. She heard a sudden whoosh and cracking as they rounded the corner to the specified hallway. She heard a whimper from Olivia and grabbed her free hand to try and reassure her even as Katarina heard the distinct crash of the overhead skylights in the main hallway burst to the ground. Katarina’s mom was yelling something but she couldn't hear over the loud whirring overhead. Katarina helped Olivia to the ground and the hunkered together, bracing for the worst. \"It’s gonna be ok !” Katarina yelled in Olivia's ear, but it was only meant to be a whisper. She could feel Olivia relax

10 slightly as she continued to talk to her. It sounded as though the sky was falling, Katarina could hear screams in the farthest hallway. Her greatest wish was that everyone made it to the hallways safely. Just when Katarina thought it was over she felt the storm intensify radically. More windows could be heard breaking, water free-flowed down the hallway and lapped at their feet. Her mom protectively curled the girls closer to her, waiting for the worst to come. Somehow, Katarina’s mind wandered to home. She guessed she always felt safest there in her purple room. She thought about all the times her mom would sit with her on the bed asking, \"What was the best part of your day?\" Most of the time they wouldn't talk about much, just find happiness in each other’s company. What she wouldn't give for a moment like that right now. Her thoughts were torn away by the loudest sound she had ever heard. It sounded like a thousand army soldiers were trying to tear down the school walls. Amidst the destructive force that was sure to be a tornado she heard more intense screams. She squeezed Olivia's hand harder and kept talking gibberish maintaining the sanctity of faith that the trio so dearly grasped onto. \"Oh crud!\" Samantha blurted when she heard the tornado bells sound. She just knew that she would get caught where

11 she wasn't supposed to be. So what if she didn’t want to see a bunch of preppy cheerleaders jumping up and down... She was a cheerleader once. When she was eight. Now she would rather pull her eyelashes out. Individually. School itself was kind of a waste. Most of the time she knew more than the teachers and actually had the grades and test scores to prove it. She couldn’t wait to graduate and fly away. She loved her mom and dad and all, but this small town just wasn’t for her. She decided to try and wait it out in the bathroom, after everyone headed back she would just blend in and no one would ever have to know she skipped the stupid pep rally. She could hear the math teacher, Mr. Mata, keeping the kids moving along the hallway. Upon hearing the sound of breaking glass and ear piercing screams she rethought her plans to remain in the bathroom. She scooted out the door into the hallway unnoticed. She searched for her one true friend Edie, but couldn't see much through the rain and hail spraying into the hallway. A few kids had visible cuts and blood, but they were quickly being diverted into the relative safety of the inner hallways. Samantha figured her mom, Kat, and Olive were safe because her mom would make sure of that. Edie on the other hand, was another story. Samantha moved in the opposite direction of the masses, heading for the most dangerous place in a storm. What an idiot, she thought to herself, but if she knew Edie, she was probably frozen with fear. More and more windows broke all around her as she continued to make her way back into the gymnasium. She couldn't fathom the storm getting worse, but it was doing just that. She made it to the gym, but there was no sign of anyone. She decided to make a quick sweep just to be sure. As she neared

12 the last set of bleachers she heard a muffled scream from the locker room. The exterior door near the entrance of the room had been blown open and debris blocked the locker room door. Samantha fought against the pelting rain and hail blowing in from the door. The screams intensified along with the storm and she could barely see the parking lot beyond the door, but she heard the unmistakable freight train-like sound of an impending tornado. She felt a rush of adrenalin as she raced to remove the debris from the blocked door. She pulled and tugged and had to use her feet on the door for leverage until it finally gave way and the door popped open revealing half the basketball team and Edie balled in a corner. “C’mon we gotta go now!\" Samantha screeched at Edie as the boys shuffled past her. It was as though Edie couldn’t hear Samantha. “Edie, come on!” She made her way to Edie and expected her to come toward her, but Edie was paralyzed with fear. She grabbed her arm and yanked her to a standing position.”Edie, snap out of it!” Samantha forcefully shook her while looking into her eyes, hoping her voice would slice through the intensifying reverberation of the tornado. She slightly nodded and they moved as quickly as the debris field in front of them would allow. Samantha glanced over her shoulder and saw the twister as the metal roof peeled away. She pushed Edie along, praying that neither of them tripped. The sound was deafening, her heart raced enough for her to feel the urge to vomit, but she knew they couldn’t stop because if they did the tornado would be the death of them. They bridged the doorway leading to the main hallway of shattered glass, tree limbs, and mud just as a loud crash deafened their ears. Samantha pushed Edie into the boy’s room and they dove into a stall waiting for the end The noises had stopped minutes ago, but no one dared to

13 move. Olivia felt uncomfortable with the water that had soaked her clothing, but she felt a sense of relief that the worst was over. Aunt Lizzy was the first to untangle their limbs. She stood and helped Katarina and then Olivia. It appeared that their hallway had been untouched by the storm, but it was apparent that other areas of the school were not so lucky. Coach Reed entered the hallway, “Is everyone OK?” he surveyed the awestruck grouping of students and teachers noting that everyone appeared to be alive and breathing, not altogether coherent, but alive at least. “So far it looks like everyone made it out alive, but the gym was completely destroyed. Samantha Fairfield saved the basketball team before the tornado hit; she’s some kind of hero.” Olivia saw Aunt Lizzy’s face turn ghostly white and Katarina had to steady her balance. Olivia was sure Sam being a hero was the last thing aunt Lizzy expected, but at least the knew she survived.

Chapter 2 “I’m sorry, Mihas.” Isabella swooned through the phone. “It’s Ok mom, you couldn’t help it.” “I’ve already talked with your Aunt Lizzy and she is going to take you to Iowa for your treatment. The girls are going with you, so it will be like a vacation!” Typical Isabella with her

15 glass half- full philosophy. “Yeah.” Olivia was internally disappointed since she hadn’t seen her mom in six weeks, except on TV. “When do you think you will be able to come home?” “The doctor says by the end of the month.” She sighed for effect. Olivia was used to her mothers' melodramatics. “Mihas, I have to get off the phone now, I love you.” “Love you too mom.” Olivia waited for silence before clicking the end button. Although she was accustomed to her absences, Olivia was always upset when she got delayed for some reason or another. This time, she had fallen off a motorcycle during her last shoot and broke her leg and a rib in the process. Olivia wasn’t looking forward to the actual treatment in Iowa. The trip to get there wouldn’t be all that bad since the girls were going, but she wasn’t sure what to expect when she got there. Would there be pain involved, would it even help or just make things worse than they already were? She had already been through at least a dozen treatments, surgeries and procedures that had no effect at all. Most were designed for pain management which wasn’t a problem. Through years of physical therapy, Olivia had managed to find ways to do a lot of tasks without any help, especially in the specially designed penthouse condominium that her mom had outfitted for her. She had everything she needed easily accessible including a bathroom custom made to allow her to access without having anyone have to help.Her mom was adamant about not having any help brought in for her, in their culture that just wasn’t acceptable. Although Olivia really appreciated all that mom had done for

16 her, she couldn’t wait for the day that all this specialized décor would be unnecessary, the day when she could walk again. Life in San Antonio was quite different from that in small town life. Although they tried to make accommodations for Olivia, she still had to rely on Katarina. She felt lucky that Katarina was such a caring person, she loved helping Olivia and knew when and what Olivia needed without her having to ask. Traveling was a little harder for all of them. Olivia enjoyed seeing new places, but hotel rooms were not easy to maneuver in. She had never been to Iowa, they were going to take a flight tomorrow morning, but then they had to get a rental car to drive to the town of Beatrice, where the clinic was located. Olivia wasn't sure how her mom found out about the place, they didn’t even have a website for Olivia to check out which added to her overall apprehension about this treatment. She guessed it had to be a good one for her mom to pay so much money.

17 “Yeah, yeah, all packed. And you don’t have to kiss me every time I leave the house.” Sam rolled her eyes. She took Sam's face in her hands, “I never know when you’re gonna play hero on me again.” “Ha ha.” Sam scooted out the door and waved goodbye to her as she clicked the unlock button to her eco-friendly mini car. Sam was proud that she bought it with the money she had earned at the thrift store. She also earned money playing a small role on Aunt Isabella’s soap opera. Sam NEVER told anyone except Edie about it. She spent the summer in San Antonio and went with Aunt Isabella to the studio and the director thought she was perfect for the American love interest of the one of the teenage sons of one of the main characters. It only lasted for a couple of weeks, but it was actually kind of fun, but Sam would never admit that to anyone, especially at her school full of preps and jocks. Her mom always told her how beautiful she was, but that just wasn’t something Sam cared about. Sam usually stuck her hair under a knit hat (even in summer) and wore whatever she found at the thrift store.

18 Most of the kids at school thought she was weird; the rest just avoided her except her best friend Edie. Heaven knows why she chose Sam to be her best friend; they looked like oil and water together. Edie looked more like Sam's sister, Katarina, cute and girly. Whatever the case was, Edie and Sam were like peas and carrots. Sam loved archery practice; she was the best on the team. Edie attempted it with her, but the odds of her actually hitting a target were about as good as winning the lottery. Sam almost made it to state last year, and this year they were headed to conference, but their school didn’t make a big production out of it like they had when the basketball team made it to (and lost) conference. After the tornado Sam was treated like a superstar. They even had a recognition ceremony for her at the ribbon cutting for the groundbreaking of the new auditorium. Although she detested everyone gawking at her and acting like they were her new best friends, she had to admit it was actually kind of cool. “I’ve been here for twenty minutes already and haven’t hit anything yet.” Edie pouted. “And this is a new thing for you?” Sam teased. “Ha-ha, we can’t all be like you.” She stuck her tongue out at Sam. \"You’re just trying too hard, relax a little.” Sam picked up her bow and arrow and aimed at the target, without hesitation she let it go and it hit the target easily. “Great job Sam!” Coach Reed yelled from across the field.

19 “Make sure you get a good practice in, I won’t see you again until the end of next week.” With spring break starting tomorrow, their team would be on hiatus until Friday. “Don’t forget to text me after you land” Edie muttered as she took another aimless shot. “I know, I know, I won’t forget.” Practice continued without a hitch. Sam usually let her mind wander since archery came so easily for her. She would occasionally sneak a chuckle at Edie trying desperately just to hit anywhere near the target. She would usually ponder the reasons why she was so different from the general public, especially kids at her school. She had a shrine to Pikachu, listened to obscure bands from the 90's, collected Japanese manga, and counted the days for the next comic con. Her mom tried so hard to \"get\" her, and she kind of had a clue, but unless you were like Sam, you just didn't get it. Sam had to give her credit for trying though. Her sister, Katarina, was the mirror image of their mom, so Sam guessed she had more time to try and figure Sam out. They would have plenty of time on their trip to the bustling Midwest metropolis of Beatrice to talk and figure things out this upcoming week.

20 Katarina was really excited to go to Iowa with Olivia. She always worried when her mom or Aunt Isabella would tell her about some new treatment and she couldn’t be there for her. Kat thought of her like a sister and she was a little easier to get along with than Sam. Sam did have more guts than Kat thought she would have had in the same situation. Kat was scared enough with Olivia and her mom. Her mom said she was a different kind of hero because she managed to stay calm through the whole ordeal and keep Olivia from getting too scared. \"I guess, whatever.\" Kat mumbled to herself. Olivia and Kat had a lot in common; they liked the same television shows, the same music and had a celeb crush on the same guy from their favorite movie. They loved to go shopping at the mall; Sam was thrilled when mom blessed them to be old enough to be dropped off at the mall without an escort. Being in high school gave Kat a lot more freedom. They were still attempting to pack their limited amount of luggage for the trip. Mom warned Kat that they were only going for 4 days and didn’t need to bring everything in the closet. Kat thought she was completely wrong, how can she possibly pack enough for 5 days in one, yes she said one, suitcase. Thank God she could bring a carryon, I mean, what if something happened to my suitcase and I was left with no makeup, no flat iron and no lip-gloss? She mused silently. It was bad enough that she couldn’t bring her laptop if she wanted to stuff a carryon. Mom said she had to choose between the laptop and stuff. She begged her to let her put her laptop in her carryon, but it was a no go. Olivia was

21 much better at this packing thing because she did a lot of traveling with her mom. She wasn’t as attached to her possessions as Kat was either; Kat wished she could be like that. “Hey, Olive, what did you bring to wear for the trip home?” Kat stuffed and threw out and re-stuffed her bag some more. “Did you bring more than one purse? I can’t decide which purse will be all purpose enough to bring.” Kat sighed and threw her hands in the air. “You know we will probably go shopping, you better leave room for stuff you buy.” Olivia further added to Kat's angst. “How do you get packed so fast?” Kat asked in amazement, noting that her (much smaller than Kats) suitcase was neatly packed and she had no effort securing the zippers. Kat's, on the other hand begged for mercy as she tried to zip it. “Come sit on it Olivia.” Kat still had difficulty zipping and she was sure that she had forgotten some very important piece of clothing or footwear that she would regret upon arrival in Iowa. Beatrice, Nebraska “Can Katarina come in here with me?” Olivia asked the attendant that was finishing the tape on the IV. She could

22 feel herself getting drowsy already, but she knew that she would not completely be asleep for the procedure even though she wished she could be. She couldn’t look at the tray of needles and sterile instruments, she knew if she did she would probably break down and cry. “We don’t usually allow minors in the procedure room; I’ll have to ask the doctor.” She squeezed Olivia's hand and smiled. The doctor entered the room with a smile that was meant to put Olivia at ease. “So are we ready for a miracle?” He snapped the latex gloves on. “Your cousin should be here any second.” “Thanks Doc.” Olivia feebly smiled, slowly feeling a bit more at ease. Katarina meekly entered the room and brightly smiled in her direction. She waved shyly and Olivia motioned for her to get next to her. “OK, Olivia, my assistant and I are going to roll you over onto your tummy. I am going to put some cold stuff on your back and then you will feel a little prick. After a couple of minutes we will begin the procedure. I know it will be uncomfortable, but you have to remain as still as you can, OK?” Olivia couldn’t manage to make a sound come out of her lips so she nodded in response. Before she knew what was happening she felt the cold liquid on the small of her back. Time seemed to creep at a slugs pace, she just wanted this to

23 be over. She was thankful that she couldn’t see what was going on behind her. Katarina’s expression never revealed the procedure that was taking place. She just stood with Olivia's hand in hers, a comforting smile on her face. The initial pain of the instrument plunging into her spine was overwhelming. She wanted to scream or jump off the table, but she knew that if she did anything at all she could make her situation worse than it already was. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Katarina was aware of the pain Olivia was feeling and attempted to absorb the pain by squeezing her hand harder. Her calming attitude actually made the pain tolerable. Olivia felt that time had stopped completely as the instrument probed deeper into her spine. “OK, Olivia, you are doing great.” The doctor reassured. The assistant moved away from the doctor to give her a cursory nod of reassurance as well. “The hard part is almost over now. You’re going to feel a rush of warmth where I have the needle and then I will be almost finished. I know this hurts, just hang in there a couple more seconds and it will be all over.” A few seconds felt like an eternity. Olivia closed her red, swollen eyes when flashes of memories streamed through her thoughts. She thought of her childhood, she thought of the first time she met Katarina and Sam, she thought of the fever she had in Cancun. This must be what it’s like when you die. For a moment she completely forgot what was happening with her body. “Olivia, Olivia, open your eyes.” Katarina calmly pleaded. Slowly Olivia opened one eye at a time. The light in the room seemed much more intense to the point of annoying.

24 Olivia was now on her side on the table. She still felt sharp twinges of pain emanating from the point of entry at the small of her back, but the intense pain she had endured seemed to be over, for the most part. She felt an unusual sensation in her legs; it was as if they were warm again. “Hey, Olive.” Sam peeked in the door. “Hey” Olivia murmured, still trying to find her voice “Mom said you were a trooper.” Sam smiled at Olivia. “It hurt like heck.” Olivia blurted out, looking at Aunt Lizzy for forgiveness. “You have earned the right to say it like it is sweetie.” Aunt Lizzy smiled. “I would have been screaming like a baby, I almost passed out when I saw the needle.” “I feel warm, in my legs.” Olivia tried to explain. “Should I get the doctor?” Sam was concerned. “No, no, it’s not a bad thing, or uncomfortable, it’s just different.” “Maybe it’s going to work!” Katarina beamed. Three Weeks Later

25 “I’ll let her know, I understand.” Lizzy reassured Isabella on the phone. Lizzy knew that Olivia would be heartbroken when she heard the news that she now had been obliged to give her. She was a bit apprehensive that she had to break the news to Olivia that her mom was taking a cruise home instead of flying. This meant that instead of getting home by Friday, Isabella wouldn't be home for two more weeks. By then Olivia could possibly be walking, she has made so much progress since her treatment. \"I'm so sorry Lizzy, please tell her I love her and I have so many stories to tell her and tons of presents, I could not have gotten them all on the plane.\" \"Ok, be careful and we will see you soon.” Lizzy ended the long list of excuses sputtering from Isabella's tongue even if she was partially telling the truth as I'm sure that she bought enough clothes, handbags, and shoes to fill a 747. Lizzy just did not want to be the one to break the news to Olivia. \"Olivia!\" she called in the direction of Katarina’s room. May as well get this over with, she thought solemnly. It wasn't long before Olivia was trekking down the hallway with her new walker and Katarina in tow. \"Yes, Aunt Lizzy?\" “I have some news that you aren't going to be too happy about.\" Lizzy drew her face into a pout and trudged onward. \"Your mom is taking a cruise back from Europe and she won't be back for two more weeks\" Lizzy could see her demeanor instantly sag, \" Oh, Ok, \" was all she could muster. Katarina immediately sensed the disappointment and guided

26 her back toward her room. \"We gotta finish getting ready for school; Bobbi said he was going to give you a note today.\" She smiled from ear to ear sufficiently managing to change the subject. Lizzy was so thankful for Katarina in situations like this. Lizzy returned to her cooled coffee mug hoping that the mass quantity of caffeine she consumed this morning would enable her to get through another Monday. \"Jan Brown reports live from the small town that once stood here. What happened is simply unexplainable; it was as if the entire town was wiped off the map.\" Lizzy turned off the TV as she yelled for the girls to get in the car.

Chapter 3 Olivia didn’t get to talk to her mom on the phone before she left on the cruise to come home. Olivia was really excited about all the things that she could do now. Without a doubt she would be walking in a week or so. This treatment really did work. Olivia just hoped it didn’t wear off because she felt better than she had since the day she got sick with fever in Cancun. Olivia didn’t expect the treatment to work at all, let alone work as quickly as it did. She could feel her legs by the end of the first day, she was using a walker by the end of the first week, and she just kept getting stronger and stronger as time went by. Sure, she was disappointed that her mom chose to take a

28 cruise instead of flying straight home, but she also knew that her mom loved her, but sometimes loved the spotlight more. Olivia knew it was hard for her to set her life aside to take care of her and she really didn’t like leaving her with Aunt Lizzy all the time, but she also knew that once you accept the lifestyle she had chosen, you have to do all that you can to maintain it. If she decided to quit acting and making appearances altogether, it wouldn’t take but maybe six months for the money to run dry. Olivia thought her mom thought that being poor would be the worst case scenario. Katarina was attempting to play matchmaker again with Olivia. Olivia always felt weird around guys, but she had to admit that Bobbi was kind of cute, and funny, and did she mention cute? This was one of the few guys that Katarina and Olivia both didn’t have a crush on together. She kind of thought Kat may have had a crush on him before she came to town, but she knew that Olivia really, really liked him so she kept her feelings to herself. Katarina was a social butterfly anyway, cute guys tended to flock to her without any effort on her part. Kat didn’t think she was all that special, but Olivia could see that her charm and cuteness could win anyone’s heart. Olivia, on the other hand, she was that exotic kind of pretty. Some guys thought that was way cool, others weren’t sure. Olivia had that blackest black hair, just like her mom’s and she was petite just like her mom. Her mom said she had the face of a china doll that you would keep locked up in a curio cabinet, whatever that meant. Most of the kids had no idea who Olivia's mom was or they would probably just like her for that reason. In San Antonio, she was pretty sure that the kids all liked her just so they could come over and meet her mom. Olivia was very, extremely, to the point of scared of her shadow, shy. Though hanging around Katarina made it kind

29 of tough to keep up the shyness, she did her best anyway. Olivia hated it when teachers made a big fuss over how cute she was or how good she did on her assignments, or worse, called on her to answer a question in class. Today was a typical Monday at High School. Most of Kat and Olivia's friends were too busy talking about what happened over the weekend than trying to pay attention to another lecture on reverse osmosis in the rock cycle. Kat took extra time straightening Olivia’s hair to the point that she thought she heard it scream for mercy this morning. She had to look extra good for Bobbi. And without hesitation he slipped Kat a note to give to Olivia, but specifically instructed Kat to wait until lunch because he wanted to sit by her and didn’t want her to have a chance to think about it too long and change her mind, or worse, say no. Kat told him he was crazy and that she would most definitely say yes, but he wanted to stay on the safe side anyway. Kat's love life was a bit more complicated. There were actually two guys that she was into at the moment, so she couldn’t say yes to Quinn when Shawn might ask her to the prom. Regardless of who she chooses to go with, she already had her dress picked out at the mall. Kat found the cutest spaghetti strap and tulle hi-lo dress in the most amazing shade of lavender that she had ever seen. Now the shoes for the ensemble were a whole ‘nother story. Should she wear strappy, should she wear glittery? She had no idea, she just prayed for an epiphany so she doesn’t end up going barefoot. \"Although, if I had my toes done at the salon in a cute pattern, maybe that could start a new trend? \" Kat silently mused. “Earth to Kat, earth to Kat.” Olivia snapped her fingers at

30 Kat. “So, what happened with Bobbi earlier?” Kat smiled an exaggerated smile, “I can’t tell you, but it’s good, believe me, it’s good.” Kat flashed her teeth at Olivia. “Arrrgh, just tell me, please?” She gave Kat puppy dog eyes, but they would have no effect on Kat's super-secret keeping abilities. “It’s almost time for the bell anyway; you have to turn your paper in.” Kat changed the decidedly closed subject. With that, they were on their way to dreaded English Language Arts class with Mrs. Govan. She either liked you or hated you. She liked Olivia and hated Kat, in Kat's unbiased opinion. It did not matter if the entire class was talking to each other she would single Kat out if she opened her mouth to ask to borrow a piece of paper. And then the whole class would get to sit through yet another tirade of the importance of bringing school supplies and how they will never get anywhere in life if they don’t prepare and most of all they need to be respectful and quiet in class in order to learn. Gag me.Kat imagined yet another unfavorable scenario as she crested the threshold of the class. How she managed to get a B in that class amazed her on a daily basis. Kat was no Sam to be sure, Sam could get straight A’s with her eyes closed, Kat had to work a lot harder at it and sometimes she just didn’t feel like caring too much. Kat probably could get all A’s if she wanted to, but obviously there are way more important things going on in her life, like Quinn and Shawn for instance. OMG, get me out of this class before I leave a drool trail on my desk. Mrs. Cabachon had to be the most boring, dull,

31 lifeless, rude and overtly unfriendly human being in the entire universe. Sam was not even going to mention her complete lack of intelligence regarding the subject matter that she has been entrusted to teach them. Nine times out of ten she spouts erroneous information, and although Sam would take great pleasure in correcting her on these matters, it does absolutely no good. All Sam gets is yet another trip to see Mrs. Valdez and then she gets to see her mom, which isn’t a good thing, so Sam has learned to keep her mouth tightly sealed in class and Sam complains most fervently to her mom at the end of the day. Every day. Today was no exception for her class; Sam couldn’t wait until the bell and head to Mr. Mata’s. he understood that her mind is a terrible thing to waste and didn’t make her muster through his lectures and instruction, but gave her work that actually challenged her mind. He was the teacher that helped her get into some online classes this year and by the end of the year she will have completed enough credits to start as a sophomore if that’s the route she chooses. Sam hadn’t told her mom or dad yet, but she was leaning towards the Navy because she wanted to get out of this small town and literally see the world. She thought her mom would be fine with it as she was in the Navy too, but her dad will go ballistic. He wants her to go to community college here in town before she even fathomed spreading her wings. Fat chance of that happening. The bell interrupted her thoughts and she couldn’t get her backpack on fast enough to exit the class and meet up with Edie on the way. Another most certain reason that the kids here thought Sam was weird was that she didn’t date anyone. She just didn’t like anyone. No one at this school seemed to have any of the same things in common with her, except Edie. Edie liked a lot of the same things as Sam did, but she

32 inherited a lot of the same girly-girl traits that Sam's sister had too. She was cute and liked boys and boys liked her back. Sam still couldn’t figure out why she liked to hang with her, but she didn’t argue with the order of things. It was proving to be a long and treacherous Monday. Lizzy had a list of two thousand things to try to complete during her conference period. Most important, involved a trip to the lounge coffee pot to recharge her dwindling batteries. On the way, she wanted to stop and see how nurse Maggie's weekend was, but as with any typical Monday, the nurse's office was packed with the usual hypochondriacs looking for any reason to call home. Lizzy had to admit though that today quite a few of them actually looked sick. The principal had something to tell Lizzy about Olivia. She was hoping it had nothing to do with her registration since she had to stay at the school for the state test. “Hi, Mrs. Valdez.” Lizzy peeked her head in the doorway of her office. “You had something to ask me?” Even as an adult, she felt sheepish whenever she was summoned to the principal's’ office. “Yes, the receptionist informed me earlier that some man came in this morning and said he was Olivia’s father. There was no information about him in any of our emergency databases so the receptionist told him that he would be unable to see Olivia without some kind of documentation. The receptionist said that he just left after she told him that. Now, I’m not sure if we should be concerned or not because of Olivia’s mom, but I have his picture on the camera if you think she may be in any danger.

33 “Thank you for letting me know, I guess we should call the police just to be safe and I’ll let her mom know.” Lizzy was definitely concerned and would take extra precautions when they went home. She would give James a call just to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. “Ok, I’ll call them now. It has been a strange day around here.” The principal shook her head. “Oh really, how so?” “Well, this morning, the secretary forwarded a call from the CDC on the Navy base, I didn’t even know there was a CDC on the base, but anyway, they advised me to place the campus on lockdown, no one in or out. They said that they will be by later to explain the situation. Of course, I was suspicious and called admin and they said that they received a similar call from the CDC. They actually called the CDC in Corpus and confirmed what we were told, so as of about 20 minutes ago our entire school district is on lockdown.” “Wow, that is strange, maybe they are doing a mock drill or something “Yeah, that’s what I thought, but you would think they would have given us some kind of forewarning or something. I tried to check the internet, but admin called and said the whole system is down right now. Even the phone lines are intermittent. I don’t want to panic anyone so I haven’t told anyone yet.” “Thanks for letting me know, I have a radio in my classroom, I’ll see if there is any information on there.”

34 “Thanks. And just keep this between you and me for now; I’ll make an announcement as soon as I get more information.” “OK.” Lizzy had to admit that she was a little on edge. Living in the information age always meant being able to find out anything about everything at the touch of your fingertips. Everyone has become too dependent on technology. Lizzy actually remembers the days before the internet and cell phones. Whatever did we do with all of that free time? She mused. Lizzy actually wouldn’t mind a day or two without being tethered to a cell phone. When the girls were younger they would have a “no electronics” day at least once a week.She thought it helped them cultivate their inner creativity without the aid of technical assistance. Lizzy didn't have anything against technology really; she just thinks that everyone should learn how to do things without technology, just in case. Katarina believes in the ideology to an extent, but mostly because of all her “Doomsday Prepper” and Apocalypse survival shows that she loved. Lizzy had to hustle back to her classroom so she could throw the trash out before her next class and hopefully catch a snippet of the radio. She didn’t even pause to attempt to say hello to Mrs. Cabachon walking down the hallway, it was generally a waste of time to try to communicate with her on a friendly level. She swore the woman ate urine soaked Wheaties every morning in order to maintain such a friendly demeanor. Lizzy could completely relate with the students complaints about her, but unfortunately being a teacher she couldn’t let them know that she agreed with them. When she reached her classroom she could immediately smell the burned egg soufflés that her last class attempted to

35 make. With all the construction going on in the gym next door the soufflés flopped miserably and burned in the process. Lizzy grabbed the overstuffed bag of noxious inedible, blackened lumps and headed out the door to the dumpster. As she slung the heavy load into the dumpster a swarm of military green caught her eye about two blocks from the school. She stopped in her tracks to investigate further; it looked like the national guard was heading right for the school. She booked it back into her classroom and bolted the door shut. Remembering the radio Lizzy told Mrs. Valdez about, she fumbled through the bottom drawer of her desk. Sweat began beading on her forehead and back of her neck, She couldn’t move fast enough, but she knew that something just wasn’t right. She threw the contents of the drawer on the floor, finally finding the treasured radio from the 1980’s in the depths of the piles of papers, glue sticks, and broken crayons. She randomly questioned why she hadn’t cleaned out this drawer sooner, but if she had she probably would have thrown away the dilapidated and rusty transistor classic that used to reverberate Michael Jackson and Madonna in its heyday. Batteries were another commodity that she wished she had more of at this moment. It never mattered how many times she ordered batteries from the school supply store, she never had any left over. She glanced at the clock and realized that the bell for class change would be ringing any minute, but she also realized that her clock had batteries. Hallelujah! She scooted her desk chair over to the clock and maneuvered herself on it grabbing the clock off of the wall. She ripped apart the backing, hoping there would be at least two in there. “Oh thank God” Lizzy muttered as she stuffed the batteries into the back of the radio. The backing had been misplaced, possibly decades ago, so she used her coveted tape from her desk to hold the batteries in place. You would

36 not believe all the uses that students come up with for tape. Between requisitions of tape and glue sticks she could own stock in Wal-Mart. She hit the radio a couple of times with the palm of her hand until it came to life in pure static. She scrolled through the numbers hoping that there would be some available reception. She honestly had not even tried the radio since the new school had been built, there was so much available on the internet, who needed radios anymore? “This is not a test. The Emergency Alert System has been activated in your area. Please remain in your home. Lock all windows and doors. Do not let any strangers into your home especially if they appear to be ill. Once again, this is not a test.” “Oh my God.” Lizzy dropped to the floor and listened to the broadcast again. When the words sank in for a moment her first instinct was to get the girls and hide them, or run away. She ran out of the classroom and down the hall, dialing her cell phone for James at the same time. Of course the cell phone service was not working, but she continued re-dialing on her way to Katarina’s class. She didn’t want to panic the other students so she briefly caught her breath in the hallway before entering the room. The last thing she wanted was all out panic. “Excuse me, Mrs. Govan; Can I see Kat and Olivia for a little bit?” She smiled, hoping her fear would be masked. “Of course, the bell is actually about to ring.” Kat and Olivia exited the classroom before Kat asked, “Mom, what’s going on?” “I don’t have time to explain, just get Olivia to my classroom and get in the storage closet. Don’t ask anyone anything along the way, just go.” She could see by her mother's

37 serious expression that there simply was no time for further communication and took Olivia by the hand to the classroom. Olivia was barely requiring the use of the walker as her strength and endurance had increased dramatically every single day. Lizzy had to continue to Sam’s class. “Mr. Mata, Can I see Sam.” “Sure.” Sam reluctantly made her way to the doorway. She hated it whenever her mom made PDA’s at school, but Lizzy would explain that she just couldn’t help such acts of motherly love, it was just who she was. “Sam, I don’t have time to explain, we have to get to my class.” Sam nodded, sensing that this was not an ordinary request and they scurried back to class just as the loudspeaker beeped to life. “Attention students and staff, our school is currently code yellow. The Army National Guard is stationed just outside and will assist us with the process. I want to assure you that there is nothing to be alarmed about at this point in time. This is merely a precaution taken by the Centers for Disease Control. I am asking at the end of this announcement that all students and staff proceed to the cafeteria in an orderly fashion. We will have a brief assembly to explain what processes we will be experiencing and with everyone’s cooperation I am certain that this will go as smooth as possible. Thank you for your attention.” Although her words sounded professional and calming, the undertone that Lizzy and Sam could detect was nothing relating to calmness. Olivia and Kat looked like they could cry at any moment. Sam was in disbelief, but Lizzy could see her mind working

38 overtime. “Girls, get into the storage closet. Take a knife from the kitchen and start cutting through the wall. When you get a big enough hole, I need you to climb in between the walls and put the drywall back in place. I will stack some boxes in front and you will be completely unnoticed.” “Where are you gonna be?” Sam interrupted, noting that her mother did not include herself in the plan. “I’ve got to find out what is going on.” “Oh no you won’t, not without me.” Sam stuck her chest out bravely. Olivia and Katarina remained in their frightened poses. They could hear the students heading to the cafeteria in the hallway and lowered their voice to a whisper. “Sam, you have to stay here to protect your sister and Olivia. I just want to find out what is going on and make sure that you are not missed. Once I find out all that I can, I will get in there with you. We can cut through the back wall into the gym and make our escape when the time is right.” “What the hell is going on mom, Mrs. V. said that there is nothing to worry about, why are you talking about hiding and escaping?” “I was taking the trash out a few minutes ago and I saw the National Guard outside, I got my old radio and I heard the Emergency Alert Broadcast saying that everyone should stay inside and not let anyone in especially if they seem sick.” “What do you think is going on?”

39 “I don’t know, but it can’t be good. I just want to keep you here where I know you are safe.” “Did you call James? Dad?” Katarina pleaded. “The phone lines are down and my cell phone isn’t working either. I’m sure they’re OK though.” Lizzy took Kat in her arms and hugged her tightly. She really didn’t believe a word that she uttered, but she didn’t want them to know that inside she was scared to death.

Chapter 4 “Mom, where do you keep the knives?” Sam asked as she was heading out the door. Kat and Olivia had already made their way to the storage room. Katarina dragged the walker

41 in the storage room with them. They were already sitting on the floor behind some boxes, whispering quietly. “Here’s the key, they’re in the cabinet above the refrigerator.” Lizzy tossed Sam the mass of keys on her ‘I love German Shepherds’ lanyard. Sam was glad she was tall, she thought to herself as she reached to unlock the precariously high cabinet where potentially lethal tools were hidden away from the student body. She grabbed everything she could get her hands on, you never know what they may need. She dumped her backpack, sorting through the necessities and other items that she deemed non-negotiable to keep. She kept her solar – powered tablet loaded with games and books, her gloves for her bow and arrow, and her coveted earbuds. Who knew that 6:18a.m. was quite possibly the last download she would ever get to do. Thank goodness she had dozens of apps that didn’t require internet access, especially her books. She could survive complete and total world annihilation as long as she had her books. She chucked anything that had to do with schoolwork, especially for Mrs. Cabachon’s class, replacing these items with the dangerous utensils from the locked cabinet. Sam felt extremely uneasy, possibly because her mom was out there and they were in here, or because she felt that at any moment someone would come in the classroom and find them. She ran to the storage room and closed the door. She didn’t like not knowing if someone was right on the other side of the door, but it seemed safer to have the door closed. Lizzy had a nightlight in the closet so they weren’t in total darkness, but that didn’t seem to put Olivia and Kat at ease.

42 “What do you think is going on? Why did mom have to go? When will she be back?” Katarina rambled. “I don’t know Kat. Right now we need to get this wall cut, here, take one and start stabbing at it.” Sam handed her a knife that she would be least likely to harm herself with and Sam started at the bottom of the wall while Kat just surveyed what Sam was doing. It wasn’t as easy as Sam thought it would be. Katarina looked as if the knife she held was going to ruin her newly manicure nails. \"You have to put a little muscle behind it Kat.\" Sam smirked at her. \"I'm doing the best I can, we can't all be like you.\" Kat spat at Sam and stabbed at the wall with as much force as she could exert without overextending herself. Olivia was quietly making headway with her section of the wall by slowly dragging the knife at an upwards angle. Sam was amazed that just a couple of weeks ago she was in a wheelchair and now she was a mini army ranger cutting through a wall. Time dragged on while they cut, and cut some more, seeming that they were not making any headway until Sam hit a soft spot in the wall and gouged a chunk away revealing the insulation and beams in between the storage room and their eventual escape route. It wasn't quite large enough for them to squeeze through but it renewed their ambition to forge onward.

43 Lizzy blended with the group of stragglers making their way to the cafeteria. They were tightly packed because it was not designed to accommodate the entire school, yet the noise level was not what you would expect. Lizzy thought everyone was in awe of the National Guard and their equipment wheeling in at a fervent pace. The kitchen had been converted to a command center for military personnel. The nurses’ office adjacent to the cafeteria housed the higher up personnel and the CDC. The library was being transformed into a makeshift hospital as gurneys rolled in and shelving that housed books was moved out into the hallways blocking any egress that could be made. The military personnel wore full fatigues with gas masks adding to the unease of the situation. Suddenly, from behind the curtain of the stage, a group of men in hazmat suits appeared with the principal. The silence in the room explained the fear they were experiencing. \"May I have your attention.\" The principal retrieved the microphone from her podium where the students were accustomed to hearing her during lunch, but this was no ordinary lunch period. \"The CDC would like to brief us about why we are here and what to expect. \" A tall man grabbed the microphone from the principal with his bulky, gloved, yellow hand. \"Thank you for your cooperation. We are from the Centers for Disease Control. We have been made aware of a virus in this area that may cause some serious complications. At this time we are attempting to contain the virus before it spreads. We will be taking samples from everyone and determining the progression of the virus. We hope to complete our

44 procedures in a timely manner and allow everyone to return to normal operations. We are sorry for the inconvenience and will require the cooperation of everyone in order to accomplish our mission. Thank you.\" Before the words, thank you, had been spoken, hands were raising throughout the cafeteria with a bombardment of questions from students and teachers alike, but the highly unemotional speaker exited the stage without answering a single question. The principal was left holding the microphone with the same blank expression on her face that the majority of the hushed crowd had. Lizzy certainly had questions of her own, but her mission, for now, was complete. Lizzy needed to return to the girls before getting noticed. She briefly swept the cafeteria for Edie, Sam's friend, but couldn’t see her among all the worried faces. Olivia didn't know what to think, but she was glad to be with Aunt Lizzy, Sam, and Kat during a situation like this. Her own mother wasn’t very good at these things, considering she solely relied on dramatically enhanced interventions to get her out of her own tight spots. Aunt Lizzy had a way of predicting the worst case scenario and making plans to avoid it. They almost had enough space to squeeze in between the walls. Sam had already made her way inside and started stockpiling supplies from the storage locker into a large duffel bag. Aunt Lizzy had a lot of canned fruits and other

45 non-perishable items that she used for her classes. Hunger was the last thing they had on their minds, but Sam had the same ‘preparing for the worst’ trait that her mom had. \"I'm tired.\" Katarina whined. Sam fired back. \"Apparently you don't have the brainpower to comprehend the situation that we are in, we don’t have time to be tired right now.\" Olivia was certain that Kat could produce a bucketful of tears at any moment. Although Kat could stay calm in almost any situation, Sam getting on her case was not something she could ignore. She would never admit it, but she adored her sister, no matter how hard Sam was to get along with. Olivia thought the feeling was mutual, but Sam was not an emotional kind of person. \"What time is it Sam?\" Olivia broke the impending war of words between Kat and Sam. \"Last time I checked it was 1:15. \" Sam dug through her skull and crossbones backpack. \"It's almost 2:00. Mom has been gone for almost an hour, if she's not back in the next ten minutes I'm going to go look for her.\" \"You can’t leave us,\" Katarina interjected, \"and mom said to stay here no matter what!\" \" You're such a baby, Katarina.\" \"Aunt Lizzy did tell us to stay here, Sam.\" Olivia, once again, ran interference. \"Yeah, I guess. I just don't like not knowing if she's ok. We better get in the wall for now.\"

45 \"But it's dark in there.\" Katarina pouted. \"I've got a lighter, baby.\" Sam emphasized the word baby for effect as she pulled a black zippo from her pocket. \"I am so telling mom.\" \"Whatever dingbat.\" Sam continued to stuff the duffel bag with more supplies just as Aunt Lizzy bounded through the door of the storage room. \"We need to hurry, I saw a bunch of them with guns searching the classrooms.\" \"So what did they say?\" Sam questioned. \"I'll tell you in a little bit, right now we need to be quiet and hurry!\" Sam helped Olivia into the space between the walls. It smelled like firewood and paper, it was completely dark. Olivia wasn’t afraid of the dark so much, but being in this situation made everything seem frightening. Katarina was quickly by Olivia's side hand in hand. Kat had gotten her courage back after her fight with Sam and projected her calmness into the tiny space that they now inhabited. Aunt Lizzy was the last one in after she pushed several boxes as close as she could to the opening while still giving herself enough room to slide in and drag the drywall back into place. Sam flipped open her lighter to Aunt Lizzy's discontent. Sam just smiled a crooked grin, \"don't ask,\" she looked at Katarina and stuck her tongue out. \"You are so lucky that the army has laid siege to our school.

47 When all of this is over, not only do you have some explaining to do, but your grounded for a month. Maybe two.\" Lizzy said while smiling. The family counseling session was abruptly interrupted by men shouting orders and the rustle of combat boots entering Lizzys’ classroom. Desks were forcefully overturned, the kitchen was ransacked, and they feared they would discover the storage room and their attempts to hide. Their collective breathing was heavy, Lizzy draped her arm across the younger girls. Olivia couldn't see anything in the dark room now that Sam had closed the lighter. They were frozen with fear. They continued to search the classroom and the frightened group heard a muffled, \"over here!\" from one of the booted men as they heard the door to the storage room violently crash open. Everything that sat on the shelving was thrown to the ground. They heard Olivia's walker being chucked across the room. All it would take is for one of them to discover the torn drywall and investigate further. Even if the group moved further into the walls, they would most likely find them or hear them moving. All they could do was to remain painfully silent and still when their minds wanted to scream and their bodies wanted to run. Katarina squeezed Olivia's hand tighter releasing some of her anxiety. Olivia felt like she needed to hyperventilate. The men continued to yell orders and trash the storage room, but to the groups' relief, the boxes Lizzy had moved just before she got in the wall with the group remained untouched. \"Move out! Move out!\" One of the men ordered and within a minute the room was silent. Everyone took a deep breath and Olivia slouched in her position, but no one was brave enough to say anything.

48 Kat had never been that scared in her life. What would have happened if they had been found? Would they have been shot or killed just because they weren’t in the place they were supposed to be? Kat wanted to ask all these questions, but her mind told her to remain quiet until her mom decided it was safe enough to talk. Sam made the decision to talk first and flicked open her lighter, “that was close.” “Yeah, but it looks like we will be safe in here for as long as we need to stay. I think we should wait it out tonight and see if we can escape before dawn while it’s still dark out. We need to start cutting this back wall out, but first just cut a peephole so we can see what’s going on out there. I haven’t heard any movement since we’ve been in here, so I think they have left the gym alone since it’s under construction.” Kat just wanted to go home. She wanted to see her baby brother. She wanted to text her friends. She wanted to eat pistachio ice cream, a whole tub of pistachio ice cream. How long will we have to live like this? Is this our life from now on? Are we going to have to be on the run forever? She panicked internally.

49 Once Sam had enough space opened to see the gym under construction, she didn’t see anyone out there. They were pretty sure it was safe because there had not been any noise in that area. “It looks empty out there.” “Where are we going to go? Can we get to the car?” Katarina questioned. “I doubt it, the National Guard was all over the front parking lot and my keys are still in the classroom. I think they have the building surrounded from what I could see when I was in the cafeteria. I guess they weren’t worried about this side of the school because of the construction and all the mud in that parking lot. I want to try to get home first and get the baby and James. We are going to have to lay low and take the back road home. Who knows what’s going on out there based on what is going on here.” Mom explained. “Do you think baby James and our dad are OK? Can we go check on our dad too?” Katarina wanted answers. “Don’t you think if mom knew anything she would have told you, you ask too many questions.” Sam couldn’t take any more of her sister's whiny questions “Girls, please.” Their mom halted them from further discussion, “we need to get some rest before tonight, who know what it’s going to be like out there and who knows when we will be able to rest again.” “I have to pee.” Once again Katarina had to create a crises. Sam shook her head in disbelief. “Can’t you hold it?” Sam snapped.

50 “No, you know I have that thing that makes me pee all the time, this is the longest I’ve ever waited.” She explained. “I don’t think it’s safe enough to go back out into my classroom so we’ll have to scoot further down the wall and do it there.” “Mom! It’s gonna smell in here!” Sam complained. “Just hold it for gosh sake!” “I can’t!” That was the last straw for Kat, she started bawling. “Sam, leave her alone.” their mom took Kat in her arms. “I could go too.” Olivia added, trying to diffuse the situation. Lizzy, Kat and Olivia scooted down the wall and made their way around the corner. Sam could hear Kat complaining about the lack of toilet paper and that air drying wasn’t sanitary. Get over it, went through Sam's head as she continued to slice through the wall.