He closed the door behind him and sank to the floor.The low quiet of the fan was the only sound in his room.His shoulders shook with each hitched breath.Tears streamed down his face, hot and stinging.His chest constricted as if in a vise grip, each inhale a struggle to press through the weight.Through the watery haze, he counted the specks on the tile floor, then listened to the breeze from the fan.He watched the trees sway through the window.
A weight dropped from him as he drew a long, clean breath.With it came a quiet clarity: Ry was the one who needed saving, and it would be a long road ahead.
CHAPTER 8: PAST
A howling gale battered the windows, and insistent rain sluiced down the glass like a liquid curtain, as fir trees flailed in the inky night.The lights in Ry’s room sputtered, a brief, nauseating flicker, then died, plunging the house into darkness.
Ry froze, breath clenched tight.Of course, the power would go out now; of course, I’m alone.He groped blindly for the bed, his foot catching the rough carpet and the unyielding edge of a chair leg.His shin hit the bed frame with a searing smack.He gasped, collapsing onto the soft mattress, fingers desperate for purchase.He lay there as rain slammed the house, counting seconds as a charm to keep the darkness at bay.
I’ll be okay, it’s just a few minutes, right?
Minutes stretched, measured by the thudding of his heart.Shapes coalesced in the gloom.Outside, the wind continued its mournful symphony.He swallowed, his throat tight and dry, and forced himself to rise.He fumbled through the dim room for his phone.
No alerts about the outage.No timeframe for light.
He called Brand—no answer.The argument Ry had with Alex yesterday made him reluctant to reach out.He dialed Lon.
“Bro,” Lon said.“It’s wild out there.”
“Power is out.Yours?”
“Same.Mom got the candles going, and Dad’s been checking for water leaks every ten minutes.How’s it with you?”
“No one here but me,” Ry said.“I don’t know where my dad keeps emergency stuff.Any idea on the restoration time?”
“I think Dad has the radio on,” Lon said.“Maybe he knows.Lemme call you back.”
“Okay, thanks.”Ry hung up and navigated to his bed.Cold seeped in through his windows.
Ry’s wireless signal was too weak for the pages to load.No closer to an answer.He had minimal time remaining before his battery died.He stared at his ceiling for what seemed like forever, listening to the wind thrashing the rain outside.
Eventually, his phone lit up.Lon sent him a text saying the power lines were down in his neighborhood.He thanked his friend.
Ry flicked through his contacts, his thumb hovering over Alex’s name.He took a deep breath and called.No answer.As he was leaving a message, Alex returned the call.
“Hey,” Alex said, sounding breathless.
Ry steadied himself.“Hey.I’m sorry that I made it about the music.”
“Sorry I yelled,” Alex said.“It’s been a rough week.Are you doing okay in this storm?”
“No.Power’s out here.Lon’s too.Brand didn’t call me back.”
“Same here,” Alex said.“My dad has everything in order, though.Are you home alone?”
“Yeah,” Ry said, his voice trembling.“Can I be with you, please?”
After a pause, he said, “I’ll come over.Do you have an emergency kit?”
“I don’t know.”His voice cracked.
“Ry, it’ll be okay.I’ll be over soon.Let your dad know I’m going to call him, so he picks up.”
“Okay, I can do that.Thank you.”
“Try not to use your phone unless you need to.I’ll bring a charger with me.”
After he said goodbye, he phoned and texted his dad to expect a call from Alex.He’d have to go downstairs and unlock the front door.There was no telling how long it would take for Alex to arrive.
