Natural Disaster

Chapter 26

"I see you," Launa growled out the window, as if to threaten the snow, "I see you, and you’re slowing down." The change in the blizzard’s pace had not gone unnoticed by either traveller, and now that it looked as though it would stop, they could hardly sit still. We’ve been here for way too long. Time to move on.

Avi located loose sweaters for the both of them to wear under their coats once the left, and she had to physically hold herself from shoving the cans into the bags. “Maybe we’re doing this prematurely?” he wondered aloud, watching her peer into the cabinets for the third time in the last hour, “it could pick back up, again.”

She shushed him vehemently and frantically knocked thrice on the wooden cabinet door. “Are you fucking crazy?” she cried, giving him an incredulous glare, “don’t say shit like that!”

He apologized, trying hard not to laugh at her way of warding off bad luck and jinxes, as he buttoned up the shirt he’d settled on leaving the house with. “My point is,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, “the storm isn’t over. You don’t need to rush.”

"Hey, as soon as it gets down to a light flurry, we’re haulin’ ass outta here." Launa yanked on a light sweater over her undershirt, shivering at the cold that permeated the room. It felt as though there were a draft, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to care. So long as it doesn’t freeze us before we leave, we’re good.

She paced the house, trying find something to distract herself from watching the window. But, of course, there was nothing, just as there had been for the past week and a half. The only thing in the house with her that was of any interest to her, at all, was Avi, who seemed quite content to simply sit on the couch. She sighed for what felt like the millionth time in five minutes, and picked up the speed of her pacing through the living room.

Her walking was suddenly ceased as Avi grabbed her by the shoulders, eliciting a surprised yelp from her as he sat her down on the couch and, much to her shock, sat sideways on her lap, fixing her with an unamused stare as he crossed his arms. “Can I help you?” she asked, unsure of whether to find this funny or be annoyed at his pinning method.

He screwed his face up, rolling his eyes up and giving her the dopiest smile she’d ever seen. “I want a pony!” he said in the highest voice he could muster- which was surprisingly high, considering his natural pitch, and threw an arm around her shoulders, “And, and, and I want a purse like mommy has and a pair of new skates and a doggy, and-“

"Oh, god, stop," Launa pleaded, laughing, her head falling forward onto his chest as she wrapped an arm around his back to keep him from falling, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

He shook her gently by her shoulders, eyes wide with exasperation. “Stop pacing,” he said, voice back to its normal, deep pitch, “we will get out of here, but acting like a trapped animal isn’t going to make it go faster.”

She groaned, rolling her head back. “I know, I know,” she sighed, “I’m just bored and I want out of here.”

"Me, too," Avi agreed, replacing his arm on her shoulders, "We don’t have much choice, though. We have to wait."

"I hate waiting."

"I know."

You hate doing things slow, too.

Launa grumbled and shook the thought away. Now, there was no reason for that. I know we’ve done things too fast, but- I can’t really care.

"I’m probably crushing you," he mumbled, drawing her from her thoughts, moving to remove himself from her lap.

"You’re fine, actually," she said, setting a hand on his thigh, "your ass ain’t that heavy."