August 1, 2009
5:00 p.m.
Evalynne’s House


He didn’t text me yesterday. He did on Thursday, the thirtieth, but not yesterday. Something had to be wrong. It had to. He told me that he would text me every single day. And he skipped a day. Something had to be wrong.

I sat on the couch in the living room. The News was on, but I wasn’t really watching it. I was just staring blankly at the TV screen. My parents weren’t home because they had to go out to dinner with Dad’s boss.

I closed my eyes and lay my head back on the couch, trying to relax myself. I was so worked up at that moment, that I couldn’t even bare it. Taking deep breaths, I slowly began to unwind. But the sound of lightning made me jump in shock, taking me completely by surprise.

I stood up and walked over to the window, pulling the curtains aside and glancing out through the glass. It was still poring like crazy, except now, the rain was accompanied by raging thunder and lightning.

I sighed and trotted back over to the couch, plopping back down. When I returned to the couch, I heard the news broadcaster finish what she was saying.

“In other news, a small tragedy has already occurred in Iraq with our new group of extremely brave soldiers that have just arrived.” I felt my heart stop and now listened carefully, paying close attention. “A death has already taken place. The deceased soldier’s name is-” At that moment the TV went black and fuzzy due to the storm.

“No!” I cried, rushing up to it and shaking it and hitting it in hopes of getting it to come back on. But my shaking and hitting didn’t help. Before I knew it I was surrounded by complete darkness. “Well this is just great!” I shouted in bitter sarcasm.

I held my arms out in front of me, grasping for something to lead me back to where the couch was. I took one blind step out onto the carpet. So far, so good. Then I took another one and stubbed my toe on the leg of the coffee table. Hard.

“Crap!” I screamed, my foot automatically lifting itself up from the ground on instinct. Then I proceeded to hop around on the foot that wasn’t in pain, causing myself to trip and collapse to the ground, my head hitting one of the couch cushions.

At least I’d found the couch. I reached up, grabbing onto the arms of the couch for support and lifted myself up onto it. Then I felt around for my cell phone. When I finally found it, I opened it up, a small beam of light shining off of it’s screen. Immediately, I punched in a text, sending it to Ash. I was watching the news and they said someone from the army died. But the power went out before I heard who it was. Please tell me your alive!

I sat there in the dark, my grip on my cell phone so tight that my knuckles were turning white. But he didn’t reply. I felt tears brimming my eyes and knew that there was no chance that he was still alive. If he was, he would have texted me back by now.

I fell back on the couch, crying hysterically, yet still grasping my phone. As if there was still a chance that he was alive. But that one last ounce of hope didn’t make much of a difference. I could hope and pray and wish all I wanted, but that wouldn’t save him. I just couldn’t believe that he was really gone forever. It just wasn’t fair.

Out of nowhere, the room filled with the light, the power suddenly coming back on. I sat up, tears streaking my cheeks, and turned the TV back on. But I was too late. They had already moved onto a different topic. I flipped it back off and descended back against the cushiony couch.

As I lie there, broken and empty, my cell phone began to vibrate. I hastily jolted upright and flipped it open. I had one new text. And it was from Ash! I swiped the tears away with the back of my hand and eagerly read: I’m ok.

Those two words revived me from all of the misery and depression my fright had put me through. I made a silent vow not to ever jump to conclusions and scare myself that much ever again. I took a deep breath and replied back.

Good. If I lost you, life wouldn’t be worth living… I miss you.