Mami spent most of the next day cooking or preserving everything she could so that if we lost power, we would still have food. We packed our bags last night after the power flickered, and so far, we haven’t had any other issues, but we weren’t willing to take any chances. While Mami cooked, Papi and I stayed glued to the news for any hint of what was really going on out there. So far, they have maintained that everything is on track and continued to rebroadcast the interview with the Mayor. That alone was suspicious. Why wouldn’t the Mayor be back on the network to give additional interviews if conditions were truly improving? I didn’t trust it, and as the repeat broadcasts continued, I found myself increasingly convinced that Nico was right. This was a new world we lived in.
As the sun set and a breaking news alert went off, not just on the TV, but on our phones as well. “Do you hear that?” I asked. I went to the window and opened it. With the din of the city gone, the sound of 8.5 billion cell phones blaring the same alarm was almost deafening.
The news anchors returned to the TV to read the alert.
“Ok, New York, we’ve officially received word that all residents are required to report to the nearest evacuation shelter. The address to your assigned shelter has been sent to your phone. Please move toward your assigned shelter in an orderly fashion to minimize casualties and injuries.”
“Jonathan, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’ve just been told that we will lose the ability to broadcast shortly, as the city’s power grid is beginning to fail.”
“Thank you, Gina. New York, it has been an honor bringing your news to you. Thank you for letting us into your homes every day. Gina, it has been a pleasure working with you.”
“The pleasure has been mine, Jonathan. New York, we will continue to broadcast the evacuation alert for as long as we are able. Good luck and have a safe evacuation.”
The screen flashed to the red screen with the evacuation alert on it again. I exchanged worried looks with my parents. Things were getting bad when they shut down the news stations. It was only a handful of minutes before the power died, and we were plunged into darkness.
Silence echoed around us. “Stay calm,” Papi said, “I’ll get a flashlight.” I watched his shadowy form move through the room and into the kitchen. After the sound of rummaging through the junk drawer, a light appeared as he located the flashlight. My attention shifted back to the window as he returned to the living room.
“Oh, wow,” I said.
“What is it?”
“Look at the city.”
My parents joined me at the window, and together we stared out at the dark city beyond. I’d never seen it like this before. Even when there were power outages in the past, it only affected our grid, so the rest of the city would still be lit. A chill wentdown my spine as I wondered if we’d ever see the city lit up again or if she had twinkled her last.
“Emery?” Nico called as he knocked on our door. “Are you guys ok in there?”
“We’re good,” I replied. I went to the door and opened it to let him inside. “The entire city lost power.”
“Yeah, cell phones lost service too,” Luis said, stepping into the apartment behind Nico.
“Should we go to the evacuation shelter?” Mami asked.
“I don’t think going tonight is a good idea,” Nico replied. “It’s too dark out, which makes it entirely too dangerous. Plus, everyone is going to be trying to evacuate, which will make the streets a madhouse.”
“I agree,” Papi said. “It’s best to stay where it is safe and evacuate tomorrow. Hopefully, they will have gotten a good amount of people out overnight, and we won’t have to wait as long in the morning.”
“Please wait!” Miguel shouted from the hallway. We looked into the hall to see the Gordons rushing down the stairs with the twins and the baby. “We will help you get to the evacuation point tomorrow, but going out tonight in the dark isn’t safe. Especially with small children.”
“I’m sorry, but we have to go. Waiting might mean we won’t be able to evacuate at all,” Harry replied. “That’s a risk I can’t take. I have to do what’s best for my family.”
“Jennifer, wait,” I called, placing my hand on her arm as she passed to get her to stop. “It isn’t safe. Please trust us. Tomorrow we will get you and your kids to safety, but to go out in the night when so many others will be out there too is suicide.”
“I’m sorry,” Jennifer replied, “I appreciate your worry for us, but we have to go now.”
I watched them leave, disappearing into the night, and said a small prayer for their safety. The Gordons weren’t the onlyones who left, and within a couple of hours, the only people left in the building besides my family and the guys were Mr. Higgins, Liz, Jason, and two sweet middle-aged women who lived together one floor up. We could never figure out if Darla & Lani were sisters or lovers. They never said, and it wasn’t really my business.
We’d all gathered in the lobby and stairwell, watching the others leave. Once the last person had left, Luis secured the door while Nico addressed us. “Make sure you have a bag packed. Take only the necessities. I understand it may be hard to leave mementos behind, but we have to travel as light as possible. Get some sleep, we will leave in the morning.”
Everyone else wandered back to their apartments while I hung back with the guys. “How are we going to get everyone here to the evacuation shelter?”
“Don’t worry, Em,” Miguel said, “we’ll keep you and your parents safe.”
I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “That isn’t what I asked. I’m not some damsel who needs rescuing. How arewegoing to get everyone to the evacuation shelter?“ If these dingbats thought I was just going to sit back and not pull my own weight, they had another thing coming.
Chapter seven
Miguel
