night, that last nightmare was mild compared to her usual ones. During the day she was keeping the children alive. If she had some goal rather then just sitting down waiting for help it might be different. If a single song played on the radio, she could have persevered. But there was nothing. Just static.
She thought of the problem to herself as she tried to sleep. They didn’t have enough food or water to last much longer. They were going to the bathroom in buckets. Possibly everyone in the world was dead. If anyone alive could help, they weren’t here yet. She wasn’t sleeping more then two hours a day. The children were barely holding it together. They were screwed.
Turning off the light she opened the curtain. All of the children were sitting up and talking. She wondered what they were talking about. Rebecca turned the light back on and went to the cupboard.
**
Rebecca opened the door and walked out backwards with a little wheeled table. The children looked up worried that they’d be punished for being awake.
“ Hey kids who wants some juice and cookies?” she asked with a huge smile.
The kids swarmed her, grabbing the plastic cups and holding them up to her as she poured the juice. After they all had a drink she passed them each two cookies. The children drank it down savouring every drop of the juice. Rebecca ate her own cookies and drank sitting on the floor with two of the youngest children on her lap. She sang to them, lullabies, songs from a dozen different kid shows, and their favourite singers. When her throat got sore she had them sing to her. Within an hour, everyone had cheered up, and she was able to turn off the light. She also turned the heat up.
Rebecca stepped out of the room taking her coat and a spare blanket with her. Walking along the hallway she made her way up to the roof. She stopped to look at the stars, they were so bright now that the city was dead. She had never stopped to just look up at them before. But then she had hardly left the city. For maybe the tenth time in her life she saw the big dipper.
She decided that she had waited long enough and took off her coat. It took only a bit of pushing to get it and the blanket in place. She went back inside.
**
Three hours later Rebecca was sitting on her blankets with her back to the wall. She was tired, but didn’t want to risk falling asleep yet, there was still things to be done soon. Some of the children coughed in the other room, but none of them seemed to be waking up.
She sat up straight, someone was moving around. She went to the door and looked out, it was Angela. “What’s wrong Angela?” Rebecca asked.
“ My belly hurts,” Angela groaned, clutching her stomach.
“ Well you come in here and I’ll give you some pink stuff honey,” she replied, gently clutching Angela’s shoulder.
Angela took the medicine and made a face at the taste. “Can I sleep with you tonight?” she asked sleepily.
“ Well alright, but just tonight,” Rebecca said.
Rebecca sat on the blanket with Angela resting her head on her lap. Rebecca ran her long fingers through Angela’s blonde hair, and sang to her.
Angela closed her eyes and cried a little, thinking of her Mom and Dad singing to her like this. She grabbed hold of Rebecca’s hand and just held it to her face, remembering the happier times.
Rebecca kept singing using her other hand to stroke Angela’s hair. She felt the tears fall from Angela’s eyes. Even as she tired she continued singing, willing herself to stay awake. Angela’s tears finally stopped, and Rebecca heard a last, tired sigh escape Angela’s lips.
There was no more coughing, moaning, or movement from the other room. Rebecca wanted to go and look in on the children, to make sure everything was done properly. But she couldn’t bear to move Angela. Instead she kept singing even as her eyes closed, and her muscles
She thought of the problem to herself as she tried to sleep. They didn’t have enough food or water to last much longer. They were going to the bathroom in buckets. Possibly everyone in the world was dead. If anyone alive could help, they weren’t here yet. She wasn’t sleeping more then two hours a day. The children were barely holding it together. They were screwed.
Turning off the light she opened the curtain. All of the children were sitting up and talking. She wondered what they were talking about. Rebecca turned the light back on and went to the cupboard.
**
Rebecca opened the door and walked out backwards with a little wheeled table. The children looked up worried that they’d be punished for being awake.
“ Hey kids who wants some juice and cookies?” she asked with a huge smile.
The kids swarmed her, grabbing the plastic cups and holding them up to her as she poured the juice. After they all had a drink she passed them each two cookies. The children drank it down savouring every drop of the juice. Rebecca ate her own cookies and drank sitting on the floor with two of the youngest children on her lap. She sang to them, lullabies, songs from a dozen different kid shows, and their favourite singers. When her throat got sore she had them sing to her. Within an hour, everyone had cheered up, and she was able to turn off the light. She also turned the heat up.
Rebecca stepped out of the room taking her coat and a spare blanket with her. Walking along the hallway she made her way up to the roof. She stopped to look at the stars, they were so bright now that the city was dead. She had never stopped to just look up at them before. But then she had hardly left the city. For maybe the tenth time in her life she saw the big dipper.
She decided that she had waited long enough and took off her coat. It took only a bit of pushing to get it and the blanket in place. She went back inside.
**
Three hours later Rebecca was sitting on her blankets with her back to the wall. She was tired, but didn’t want to risk falling asleep yet, there was still things to be done soon. Some of the children coughed in the other room, but none of them seemed to be waking up.
She sat up straight, someone was moving around. She went to the door and looked out, it was Angela. “What’s wrong Angela?” Rebecca asked.
“ My belly hurts,” Angela groaned, clutching her stomach.
“ Well you come in here and I’ll give you some pink stuff honey,” she replied, gently clutching Angela’s shoulder.
Angela took the medicine and made a face at the taste. “Can I sleep with you tonight?” she asked sleepily.
“ Well alright, but just tonight,” Rebecca said.
Rebecca sat on the blanket with Angela resting her head on her lap. Rebecca ran her long fingers through Angela’s blonde hair, and sang to her.
Angela closed her eyes and cried a little, thinking of her Mom and Dad singing to her like this. She grabbed hold of Rebecca’s hand and just held it to her face, remembering the happier times.
Rebecca kept singing using her other hand to stroke Angela’s hair. She felt the tears fall from Angela’s eyes. Even as she tired she continued singing, willing herself to stay awake. Angela’s tears finally stopped, and Rebecca heard a last, tired sigh escape Angela’s lips.
There was no more coughing, moaning, or movement from the other room. Rebecca wanted to go and look in on the children, to make sure everything was done properly. But she couldn’t bear to move Angela. Instead she kept singing even as her eyes closed, and her muscles
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