Thanatrauma by Steve Rasnic Tem

Author:Steve Rasnic Tem
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 2021-09-19T00:00:00+00:00

Sleepover

Tina gazed through the glass door as the surge swept the base of the hill—darkening, thickening, behaving unlike any water she’d ever seen. It was more than water, more than mud, taking apart their neighborhood and carrying it away. The hurricane hovered somewhere northward, stalled and feeding the deluge. This is what happens when the planet hates us.

She’d been there several hours, thinking it her role to witness. They couldn’t get out yet. The kids were safely upstairs, maybe sleeping, probably still mad. For some reason they blamed her and Michelle for all this. But that was adulthood—when the kids were miserable it was your fault. You were the powers that be, even when you were as helpless as they.

At first light everything had been still, Elm Street looking like a street even though underwater. But as the morning wore on things began to move, swirls and eddies appeared, borders were lost. Bits of trees, houses, cars, and everything else rushed by.

“Is that the Thompson house? It looks like that blue paint they so liked.” Michelle pointed over her shoulder.

She didn’t want to say, but said it anyway. “Pieces of it. But maybe they’re from the garage. Their garage was closest to the street, and it was the same color. Hopefully just the garage.”

“I talked to Amy’s mom, so all the parents are updated. She’s scared. But I promised we’re taking good care of Amy. I reminded her that we live on this tall hill, way, way above the flood. We may lose power, but we’ve got plenty of blankets, and a full pantry.”

More sky-blue pieces of the Thompsons’ life swirled past. They were now three days into what was supposed to be an overnight sleepover. “Is Janet’s dad still determined to drive his boat over here?”

“I think I got him to understand how crazy that would be. He told me to keep her calm. Like I wouldn’t.” Michelle hugged her from behind. Tina leaned into her, although she wasn’t feeling it. “Great timing for a sleepover, huh? I almost wish we had a less popular kid.”

Michelle squeezed tighter. “No way to know Sue’s birthday and Hurricane Zeke would arrive at the same time.”

She stepped out of Michelle’s embrace. “Sorry. I can’t relax until this is over. Did they calm down? They were so fiercely angry with us, even Suze.”

“I think they were praying earlier. It was very sweet, but it made me sad. They were all cross-legged in a circle, holding hands, mumbling something. Even Sue.”

Tina shook her head. “Suze? She doesn’t pray.”

“We told her she could choose any religion.”

“Have you seen her be religious before?”

“I think it’s the situation. Isn’t Janet’s family pretty religious? She appeared to be leading them.”

Tina heard a loud crack and turned just as a large tree limb fell. “Are they asleep at least?”

“Most I think. All that mad wore them out. They were scared, poor babies. Sometimes scared comes out as anger.”

“They interrogated us. Why don’t we have solar, why do we drive such a big car, do we recycle .

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