Cherokee rose | Sophia Peletier |

Beginning

Sophia had been scared for so long, in-fact it was hard to recall the last time she was scared, even on sunny mornings walking to school with her mom and baby brother there was still a feeling in the pit of her stomach, what would happen to her mother when she got home? What if kids picked on her brother like they did her? It was always hard for her to calm her mind.

One particular day her dad had been sitting on the couch all day with a beer and a cigarette in hand like he did every Saturday, her mother was making sandwiches and she and her brother were at the table quietly while she did her brothers homework. 

Her brother had been colouring, he was 8, he couldn't focus well, doctors said it was adhd but it was to early to give a diagnosis, and when they got home from the doctors Ed, her father, said "I raising ain't a "Spaz." 

He forced her brother to sit down and do school before supper, which he'd never tried help with before, Jack had ended up going to bed hungry, Carol had gotten a chunk of her hair ripped out and a black eye, Sophia tried to comfort her brother once her dad had passed out but he shouted at her, he never shouted much before that, he was quieter like his sister, before. It woke Ed up and then Sophia had gotten the belt. 

Sophia tried to shake the memory and focus on the long division in front of her, she glanced at her brother who sighed a bored huff before stabbing the colouring sheet in front of him with a green crayon, he coloured outside of the lines. 

Sophia knew the look on his face, he was hungry, tired, bored, angry, he was going to have a freak out soon. 

Before she could attempt to comfort him she heard the volume on the TV be turned up.

Everything happened so fast, she packed everything she knew she would need before taking one last look at the top bunk where she slept, all her stuffed animals were tucked into bed, she had almost forgotten dolly, how could she?

"Kids! Carol! hurry your asses up before I leave y'all here to get chewn up!" She hurried down the ladder, but she slipped and bashed her knee against the bed frame, before she could react her mother appeared in her doorway with her hand on Jacks shoulder.

 His eyebrows were scrunched and he was looking around like he was lost, her mom gave that fake reassuring smile that meant she didn't know if it was okay but she wanted her kids to think it was, Sophias stomach knotted badly but a sense of adrenaline forced her to push through.

Out the door, loading up the car, she didn't know when her dad had found the time to fill it with all of the survival junk he kept but she didn't ask, she just rushed to her father who swung the door open and took her backpack from her and threw it in the back.

The suddeness startled her but she listened to his command. "Go on, get in! don't got all damn day." 

She stared out the window. Carol had turned on the radio, "The emergency system has been activated, the office of civil defense has initiated the following message. normal broodcasting will cease" The radio cut out. "Do not venture outside at all costs- help is on the way."

"What does that mean?" Sophia said during a moment of silence, the message began to repeat but Ed turned off the radio.

Carol looked at Ed expentantly before turning to her children with that familiar expression. "Don't worry baby it'll be okay." she tried to sooth her anxious daughter and herself.

Sophia decided not to talk back, she didn't know what to say.

"It said not to go outside?" Jack spoke up. Jeez. Sophia thought, he allways knew how to make her dad angry.