Flashlight pt. 1

A pitch-black darkness surrounded Katie as if all the light in the world had been stolen. As if under the ocean's depths there was darkness and a rush of many crashing sounds, but instead of waves it was people who moved there. Katie felt a sharp nudge of elbows hit her stomach and the sound of the students' chairs moving. She remains frozen, grasping for her cell phone. With the thumb, she clicked the lightsaber screen on to illuminate the floor in front of her. She glimpsed her gown as she looked around at the other lights of the cell phones of the surrounding people. Some students had screamed and were being calmed by others. She turned on her phone's flashlight. The lights emanating from the other students’ phones would randomly hit her face and she would be blinded. There were loud footfalls as people from the bleachers tried to make their way down. The metallic benches sounded like a thunderstorm when people began to rush down the steps.

A loud taping of the microphone echoes near the students’ section.

“Everyone. Calm. Down,” says Mayor Twrill in a steady voice.

Soon, the steps from the bleachers slowed down to a halt.

“Let us all calm down and relax," says the mayor.

There are loud voices of the people all around.

"We will evacuate to the mountainside to the campsite where there is a generator and supplies, calmly,” says Mayor Twrill.

Slow footsteps sounded from the bleachers. To ensure everyone's safety and accountability, the teacher called the students' names and asked them to stay seated in their seats.

Katie texted her mom: I am okay. She sends Jessica and Raul together: Are you okay, guys? At the time of her text, Katie’s phone battery was at eighty-eight percent. The students chatted with their close graduation neighbors. There were already theories about what could happen. Katie heard someone state the sun had died. Katie contemplated this theory when her phone vibrated in her hands. Her mother was calling.

“Hello, mom,” says Katie.

“How are you, Katie? Don’t worry about us, Jake will take you to the campsite. We will follow behind with the rest,” says Mrs. Heard in a rush.

“Okay, mom. Take care, love you,” says Katie.

“Love you most,” says Mrs. Heard before hanging up.

The students shout “Here” while each of their names is called out that name for a second time. No longer for a celebration, each student signals their presence, so the teacher ensures the safety of each student. Raul and Jessica both text back to Katie while the names are being called. The students wait to be dismissed from their seats and there is low chatter among them.

Jake: Hey, I am coming for you. Katie receives a text from her brother.

One minute later, the teacher calls out Katie’s name from among one of the students dismissed. She makes her way to her teacher, waving the phone light. She catches the deathly skull-like face of her brother behind her teacher as the shadows cast shadows on his features. Katie walks to her brother and hugs him. Her brother’s arms felt like a safe, cozy childhood blanket. Without noticing, a tear had accumulated in Katie’s eyes. Although nobody can see, she wipes the wet droplets away.

“Follow me,” says Jake.

“Right behind you,” says Katie, holding onto her long-sleeved shirt. They walk onto the grass field and then onto the concrete of the parking lot, passing through Gate A. They hear other people walking around them and see the lights of others nearby.

When they reach Jake’s red car, Katie thinks of Jessica.

“What about Jessica?” asks Katie.

“I don’t know. Ask her,” says Jake.

Katie calls Jessica. She hangs up the phone and reiterates to her brother that Jessica will be driving with her parents. As she finishes telling this, they hear some cursing in the car next to them. Katie and Jake scan the area with their lights to see ahead. The lights of other cars shone a light on Roy looking at the hood of his car, muttering. Jake walked around to talk to Roy. Katie stood at the side of her brother's passenger door about to enter. Many of the cars had already exited the parking lot as the minutes ticked by. Jake returned with Roy.

“He’ll be riding with us,” says Jake.

Katie opens the back car door for Roy, who climbs in. Jake turns on the car, and they head out of the stadium and onto the road leading to the mountains. It is a forty-five-minute car ride to the campsite. The road leading to their destination has a line of cars headed that way. The car's headlights are like Christmas lights strung upon the highway. Many cars head in the same direction. Katie looks out of the car window as the car zooms by, but it is very dark. The headlights of the car can view only the immediate shapes. Roy is quite in the backseat. They don’t converse much on the car ride.

“Look, there’s the campsite marker,” says Roy, leaning forward from the backseat.

“Yeah, looks like we are here,” says Jake.

Katie peers into the darkness. She could barely make out the shape of the surrounding mountains. The car pulls into the parking lot of the campsite next to other cars on fine dirt that lifts in the air. They can make out with all the car headlights the entrance of the campsite doors. Suddenly, the lights of the main camp building turned on. A beacon in the darkness.

They climb out of the car and head to the building with the other people. Katie had no idea she could miss something like electricity, but here she was like a moth to a flame called the light. Inside the modern building, there were benches and vending machines; it served as a center for visitors to the mountain. They had their own generator because it was also a disaster center, so it was extra spacious.

People sat holding their hands while waiting for others to arrive. Some people paced the space they had on the tiled floors. Katie and Jake waited for their parents on a bench while Roy went looking around for his.

“Katie! Jake! There you are,” said Mrs. Heard, rushing in to hug them.