What We Need to Survive by Elena Johansen

Author:Elena Johansen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Published: 2015-11-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty – A Deck of Cards

September 19th, 2:15 pm – 1880 Cambridge Road, Coshocton, Ohio

Nina closed her eyes and listened to the rain. Her book lay half-forgotten on her stomach, one thumb stuck between the pages as a bookmark. She hadn't meant to doze, but reading on a rainy afternoon always put her into a trance of hazy daydreams and sleepiness. She was laughing, being chased through the downpour, darting down garden paths under flowering trees. But it wasn't frightening at all, no, it was sweet and exciting and she wanted to be caught . . .

The tentative knock on her door startled her. She'd left it open a crack—Mark and Sarah had started stealing away together at all hours of the day, so closed doors took on new meaning. But whoever knocked wouldn't push the door farther open until she answered. She sat up, smoothed her hair into some semblance of order, and set the book aside.

“Come in,” she called softly.

The timid knock made her think Paul was there, wanting to talk, finally, but not wanting to seem forceful about it, or wake her if she were sleeping. But Aaron stuck his curly head through the opening. “Nina?”

“Hi, Aaron,” she said, smiling at him. “What's up?”

“I got bored of coloring, and I want to play cards. Do you want to? Dad's asleep, Alison always says no, and I couldn't find Paul.”

She felt a pang of guilty concern, wondering where he could have hid himself, but she tried not to let it show on her face. “Sure. How about downstairs? I don't think we'd both fit at that little desk very well. And you'd be able to see my hand.”

Aaron raced out of the room so fast Nina was afraid he'd tumble down the stairs. She followed at a more reasonable pace and sat down on the carpet next to the coffee table, across from Aaron, who was already shuffling the deck of cards. “Go Fish?” she asked.

The boy shook his head. “War?”

Nina laughed. “That can take hours, we wouldn't finish before dinner! How about Crazy Eights?”

“Okay.” Aaron shuffled one last time and offered Nina the deck to cut. She waved her hand over it and hid a smile as he dealt their hands out. The serious expression on his face and business-like efficiency of his movements amused her.

The jack of hearts came up first, and Nina immediately played her two of hearts on top of it. Aaron played out of his hand, and then Nina did. They traded turns until they were both almost out. Nina had one card left while Aaron had two. She wondered if this would be the shortest game of Crazy Eights she'd ever played—though she hadn't played many—when Aaron played a three of clubs. Nina saw she would have to draw.

And draw, and draw, and draw again, as it turned out.

“I don't like the rain,” Aaron complained. “It makes everybody sad.”

“I don't think that's true,” Nina said as she added another useless card to her hand.

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