I shook my mother.
Why wasn't she waking up?
"Mommy?" I whispeard.
Somebody grabbed me.
I could hear screaming, loud voices and the sounds the machine that Daddy makes juice in.
Where was Daddy?
I was being pulled far away from Mommy.
"No! Stop! Stop!" I screamed kicking the person.
They had a rough touch and were squeezing me way to tightly.
Another person stuffed something heavy and orange over my head.
I tried to get it off.
What were they doing?
" Mark! Stop struggling! You need this on!" I heard someone yell.
"NO! NO! NO!" I screamed kicking the person harder.
"Marky poo! Calm down sweetheart."
I stopped kicking.
That voice belonged the someone who gave me sweets everytime I saw her. Someone who gave Mommy lovely clothes for her birthday and owned a bunch of toys for me to play with.
Lucimina.
She picked me up (something she's never done before) and lifted me in a huge wooden thing.
I noticed she too was wearing one of those heavy yellow things.
"Marky! Stay with me. Your Mommy's coming on the boat too! See my grandmother is here and so is our butler! And of course Katie!"
I covered my ears.
Her voice was hardly audible with all the people screaming.
Were they having tantrums?
I turned to Kate who sat at the end of the large "boat".
She was wearing a large sweater and a basket between her legs.
I smelt chicken and milk.
I immediately ran over to her.
She didn't notice me until I was right in front of her.
Her eyes were wet and so was her hair.
I sat in front of her waiting for her to notice me.
She touched my light brown hair which tickled.
"Mark. Come here." She whispered.
I ran over to her tripping over large dents in the "boat"
She hugged me and held me on her lap.
"Mark oh...Mark.. if I only said goodbye to my father. I might never see him again.." She whispered crying into my hair.
I was confused.
Why wouldn't she see her Daddy again?
The screaming got louder and louder.
I hated screaming.
Tears welled up in my eyes and I started to scream with the others.
Kate didn't react to my crying.
She just sat there...a lifeless form...
The old grandmother suddleny prodded me.
"Look Mark. Your Mother is coming with us."
Sure enough Mommy was being hauled into the "boat" by two men.
Dr. Hardy stood behind them nodding gravely.
Mommy still wasn't moving.
I fixed my eyes on her, trying to detect movement.
I saw the slight rise and fall of her chest.
She looked okay....she was just tired and sleeping.
Yeah...
I convinced myself of this theory and laid back into Kate.
Suddleny people started jumping in the "boat" with us.
Somebody pushed me on the floor.
I hit it and bumped my elbow which started to bleed.
I just sat there, screaming and holding my elbow as people around tried to jump into our boat.
I could hear water...I wanted Mei....I wanted my Daddy...
"Here Mark!"
I stopped crying just enough to look up.
There was Auntie Vesta holding Mei.
I grabbed the dog from her cuddling it as if it was a toy.
Mei licked my face.
"Take good care of him Mark. And hold him tightly. Your in for a wild ride."
She smiled, but it was a sad sort of smile and then hollered for everyone to get out of the boat.
"THIS THING CAN ONLY HOLD EIGHT PEOPLE! MARK, CELIA, KATE ROMANA, SEBASTION AND THE GRANDAUGHTER ARE ONLY SIX!! WHO ELSE IS GETTING IN?"
A man pushed his teenage son forward.
"Hugh is! He is still young!"
Vesta nodded and Hugh climbed into the "boat" next to Kate and I.
He hugged Kate tightly and ruffled my hair.
" WHO ELSE?!" Vesta cried.
"Dr. Hardy should go. He's old and he needs to take care of Celia." Muffy said gently guiding the doctor to the boat.
He made many protests until Muffy quieted him.
" ALRIGHT THE CHOICES HAVE BEEN MADE! THE REST OF US WILL HAVE TO SWIM! THE WATER IS RISING QUICKLY!"
I looked over the edge of the "boat"
I didn't notice until now everyone had water up to their knees.
Suddleny the roof broke open.
Everyone screamed and scattered.
Roof bits were falling on everyone and water was coming out of the sky.
A blanket was dumped over my head as we began to fall quickly...quickly...
I screamed but no one would hear me....even if they could.