"People always say life is full of choices. No one ever mentions fear."

- "Journey to the Past" Anastasia

Chapter Ten

The Other Side

It soon appeared that the voices that Coleman was hearing weren't in his head at all. Upon glancing out the window of his once grand apartment, which was now reduced to nothing but frost and tatters, he saw that New York City appeared to have frozen over. The water that had once engulfed the great city was now ice, thick and hard enough to walk on, it appeared, judging by the mass exodus that was taking place before him.

People by the hundreds were walking through the deepening snow, in groups, dragging belongings behind them, fleeing the city that was no longer home. Bundled to the best of their ability, the sudden nomads were braving the biting wind and constant snowfall, speaking only when words were necessary. And Coleman found himself staring at the refuges with great interest, as though he had never seen anything so interesting before in his entire life.

At first, Coleman had a hard time figuring out if, once again, he was imagining the whole thing. A mass hallucination caused by his biting hunger, causing him to believe that there might just be hope. Hope that he might be able to escape, hope that he could get out of the city and survive, hope that he would be full and sane again. All Coleman could think of as how hungry he was, and how his head was spinning, how everything seemed hot and how this was what it was like to go crazy. And so, the thought that maybe, just maybe, all those effects could be reversed was enough to make him want to run around what was left of his apartment in absolute, childish joy.

Coleman, however, decided against such an action because he doubted that his legs could sustain such effort. He needed to save as much as his strength as possible, for he was going to get out of the city as soon as possible.

Turning away from the window, Coleman turned back to face his apartment and tried to force his mind to think of things that he would need, that would be necessary, for the journey ahead of him. He finally wrapped his mind around the thought that he would need coats, things to keep him warm, and shoved his many as possible onto his shoulders.

Before abandoning his apartment for the remainder of his life, Coleman took one last thing with it, sticking it into the pocket of one of the fur-lined coats. He took the gun, the pistol he had uncovered earlier, and kept his fingers curled around the hilt. After all, you never knew what life was going to throw at you.

Michelle figured that it was impossible to know what life was going to throw your way. Of course, it was something she had been told for her entire life, something she had believed for most of it. After all, you never expected to have your first child at eighteen with a man you had only known a month and then be forced to marry that man. Though she had never believed in Prince Charming and love at first sight, Michelle had always believed that she was going to be marrying for love; any other reasons had never crossed her mind. She had never expected to make a life with that man, to raise her daughter and then get pregnant again six years later. But it was all right then, because then she was married, then she was making a family. But her husband obviously didn't feel the same way and you never expected to be walked out on when you had two young daughters.

So, when she looked back at her life, Michelle figured it shouldn't be a surprise to her that life threw curve balls when you least expected them. And, as if this strong storm that everyone was, in someway or another, expecting wasn't enough to throw you off guard, then she figured that suddenly being stranded just north of Kentucky was enough to do it.

Michelle had never been one to trust public transportation and that distrust was being reaffirmed at that very moment. Something in the engine of the public school bus had been rubbed the wrong way and decided that it was no longer going to transport twenty-odd passengers to the border. And so, the bus had broken down in front of what had once been some sort of supermarket that had been looted and broken and now reminded her of something out of one of those old zombie movies. The streets of the once bustling city were empty, giving the whole area a very eerie, ghost-town like feeling.

If Tessa felt the eeriness, she didn't let on, running up and down the aisles of the stalled bus with another young child, yelling and shouting like she was back home. Michelle winced at the sound of her daughter's screechy voice and knew within seconds that she was going to put an end to Tessa's energy anyway that she could.

Tessa, however, appeared to have had enough as well and dropped into the seat beside her mother. "Mom," she began and Michelle already dreaded the question that was going to leave her mouth. "When are we going to go?"

"I don't know." Michelle answered tersely, not looking away from the window which held her attention. "Whenever they fix the damn bus."

Tessa sighed and looked out the window, trying to figure out what so captivated her mother. When she could find nothing, she began speaking again. "Are you worried about Laura?"

"Of course." Michelle answered but both mother and daughter could tell that she had only spoken those words because she was a mother and mothers were supposed to be worried about their children. And while Michelle was worried about her eldest daughter, it wasn't the sort of anxiety that most parents exhibited whenever their child was missing or hurt. She had never gotten along with Laura, never really appreciated her child and always blamed her daughter in some ways for circumstances that she had no control over. Laura knew this, Michelle knew this, it was no surprise to anyone. And, at the moment, Laura was, sadly, one of the last things on her mind.

Tessa watched her mother for a moment before leaning back in her seat. "Do you ever wish that you had told Laura that she couldn't go on the trip?" Michelle didn't answer, seeming to wish that she could just tune out her daughter. "Do you know why Laura went?" Again, there was no answer, no expression of interest. "She told me before she left." She no longer expected Michelle to care about what she had to say and was now speaking for her own amusement. "She didn't even really care about the competition, like she told you. She just wanted to go because there was a boy going. Sam." Tessa had read the name countless times in her sister's diary. It was always Sam did this and Sam smiled at me and stuff she thought was so boring and so sugary sweet that he made her sick. Laura's diary was unnaturally boring, since all she talked about was Sam and school.

Michelle sighed and felt a twinge of resentment toward her daughter; Laura had left her family to go to a city that her mother had never been to, abandoned her family in what would soon to be a time of crisis all for a boy. She hoped Laura was having the time of her life.

Laura sneezed, something she had been doing a lot lately and buried her face in the sleeves of one of the coats she had taken from the master bedroom. Her entire face tingled for it was freezing in the living room despite the fire, and her nose was the coldest part of her body. She figured that was why she kept sneezing; Laura didn't want to think about the possibility that her body was beginning to grow tired of the freezing temperature and she was beginning to catch a cold. But with every sneeze, that possibility seemed more and more like a reality and she was getting worried. A part of her knew that getting sick wasn't an option, it wasn't a road she wanted to go down.

Sam looked over at Laura with concern evident in his features. Laura sneezed once more and looked up, wrinkling her nose and looking almost comical, though Sam didn't feel very much like laughing. With the chill setting into the apartment and the fact that there wasn't anything close to being considered substantial food around, he didn't want to think about what might happen if one of them got sick, seeing as there was little chance of a full recovery. He liked to think even less about the person getting sick being Laura, the one person she couldn't stand to loose.

Laura offered him a faint, forced smile, which managed to put Sam somewhat at ease. He didn't think it was possible, but seeing Laura smile always managed to do that. His attention was pulled away from the dark-haired beauty when Brian spoke, regarding both of his friends quizzically. "You want to what?" He questioned, staring at Sam and Laura with disbelief evident on his face. "Go out there?"

Laura nodded, looking away from Sam. "There's got to be some sort of way we can contact someone." She said, even though she had spoken those very words minutes earlier. "Someway to get help."

"Cell phones aren't going to work." Brian pointed out. "If that's what you were planning on."

"No, it wasn't." Sam spoke now, getting his friend's attention. "Some cars have CB radios; there might even be a police car somewhere out there."

"Out there," Brian gestured toward the window, "there is nothing but snow."

Laura sighed and stifled another sneeze, coughing instead. "But there are still cars buried under the snow." She reminded him. "And there's still the parking garage."

"Which is under water." Brian reminded. "Remember? The whole reason we're stuck in here? Giant tidal wave."

Sam knew that Brian's arguments were valid points but he wanted more then anything for him to be wrong; he wanted to be able to get in touch with someone that could send them home, to rescue them from their surely inevitable fate. "There's still a chance." He protested. "It might not be completely flooded."

Brian sighed and knew that if he didn't want to see reason Sam was blind. And he couldn't stand the expectant look Laura was giving him with her round eyes, like she was waiting for him to give his blessing so that everything would be okay. He looked away from her and focused his attention on the dying fire; they were running out of newspaper to burn and he didn't think it would take very long for the cold to set in once the flames went down.

"It's crazy." Brian mumbled. "Absolutely crazy."

"Then you don't have to come." Laura told him frankly, crossing her arms over her chest as she sneezed, giving her the appearance of a toddler trying to convince her mother that she wasn't sick. "Sam and I will go."

Sam looked at Laura as though her statement was news to him. "No way." He informed her. "You're not going."

Laura looked at Sam and raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" She questioned, unable to keep a little bit of anger from her voice. Even though she knew that Sam's words were spoken because of the desire to protect her, not because he thought she couldn't serve a purpose by going, she couldn't help but be a little ruffled. "You're not going by yourself." She wasn't going to let her Sam go out there alone, where God only knew what could happen to him, even if it meant that she really was going to catch a cold in the process.

Sam looked at her, his eyes filled with patience and unmistakable love. "Because you're getting sick." He pointed out, as though Laura didn't know this herself. "You can't run the risk of getting any sicker."

Laura looked at him, so taken aback by his concern for her that she couldn't come up with any protests. It had been years since anyone had shown any real concern for her well-being and Laura, who had adapted to being the epitome of an independent woman, was surprised to find that she even merited such love. She was reminded once again how much she loved Sam and how it thoroughly destroy her if anything ever happened to him.

And she was about to say this before Sam spoke again, freezing her words before they had a chance to pass her lips. "I'll go down to the parking garage and if it's flooded, then I'll come back." He was saying to both Laura and Brian. "And we'll find another way to get help."

Laura shook her head. "You're not going by yourself." She repeated. "I'm going with you." Her words were punctuated by another sneeze, which did little to help her case.

Sam gave her his patented heart-melting smile and rested his fingers against Laura's cheek. "You're not going." He told her. "And I'll be back before you know it." Every part of him wished that she could come with him, because the thought of leaving Laura for even a moment was enough to make him want to forget the whole thing. But the worry for her health and safety weighed more in his mind then his love for her did in his heart and he knew it was best for her to stay behind. That way, he knew for certain that she was safe.

Laura gave him a look that was pure defeat, a sigh heavy in her throat. She looked at him with reluctance in her brown eyes and said, "You're very stubborn, Sam Hall."

Sam smiled and gave her a light kiss. "I've heard that before." He said. Laura gave him another kiss, wishing that she could keep him with her always, that he would never have to leave her alone.

There was a heavy feeling in her heart as Laura wrapped her arms around Sam's shoulders, pulling herself against him and resting her head on his shoulder. It was a feeling she couldn't shake, the knowledge that something was wrong, more wrong then their current situation. "You'd better come back to me." She whispered before she could stop herself and force her rational thought to kick in.

Sam felt his heart break when he heard Laura's voice, felt her words sink deep into his body and attempt to talk him out of going. Every part of him abhorred leaving her but it was something that had to be done. It was only then that he realized he was using the same excuse he had heard his father use so many times before, the words 'it just has to be done' passing his lips whenever he got on a plane, whenever he left his family behind once again. But he was not his father, he was not going to leave behind the woman he loved.

"Don't worry." Sam offered her a casual, brave smile backed by emotion that he didn't feel. "I'll be back before you even know I'm gone." He doubted that, but it was so easy to offer false courage, false strength. He kissed Laura's cheek and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, trying to warm her as best he could. "I love you."

Laura nodded once. "I love you too." She told him, willing herself to stay put, to keep from throwing her arms around Sam's shoulders and keep him from leaving the apartment.

With a final look and a final kiss, Sam stood and headed toward the door of the apartment, motioning for Brian to follow him. Laura watched him disappear in silence, her mind already made up, as it had been ever since she and Sam had decided upon the idea of using a radio to call for help. Sam could be very stubborn sometimes. But so could she.

Once they had reached the door to the apartment, Sam turned toward his friend. "You've got to make sure that she stays." He told Brian, his voice low enough so that Laura couldn't hear.

Brian glanced over his shoulder to where Laura sat in the living room, absently tossing one of the remaining pieces of newspaper into the smoldering flames. He looked back at Sam and nodded once. "Just be careful, man."

Sam offered him a grin, backed by a carelessness that he certainly didn't feel and shrugged his shoulders. "I always am." He remarked and turned toward the door. With a final deep breath, he forced himself to keep from glancing over his shoulder to see the woman he was leaving behind. He knew that if he looked at Laura, looked into her beautiful face, then there would be no way he could walk out the door and into the freezing beyond that was on the other side of his only safe haven.

And so, Sam forced himself to open the door and put one foot in front of the other, stepping into the hallway. As soon as he was out of the apartment, he was hit with a chill ten times stronger then the air in the kitchen had been, causing him to draw in a sharp breath and goose-bumps to cover every inch of his body. Snow and icicles covered the floor and walls, making the once grand carpeted hallway appear to be nothing more then a frozen wasteland. And to Sam, that was exactly what it felt like.

Swallowing and doubting that he would find any way to get in touch with anyone outside of New York, Sam headed down the hallway, his shoes crunching over the piling snow, in the direction he believed the stairwell to be. Never in his life had Sam felt so alone.

Once the door to the apartment had shut, Brian sighed deeply and wondered if he should have said something or done something in an attempt to talk Sam out of going. Though he had faith in his friend, he was certain that the mission to find someway to send for help was a fruitless and semi-suicide mission. Brian knew that he should have done something to keep Sam from leaving but he doubted that his friend would have listened. Sam was very stubborn, just as Laura had said, and there was no talking him out of something when he had his mind set.

With another sigh, Brian turned away from the door -there was nothing more that he could do- and peered into the living room. A part of him wasn't surprised to find that Laura wasn't sitting in the living room where Sam had left her. The living room was completely empty aside from the dying fire and the dwindling piles of newspaper. Brian felt his shoulders sag and he shook his head, staring down at the kitchen floor; though it was highly doubtful that Laura had managed to sneak past him in the seconds that he had been turned away from the door, he still knew that he'd better find her before she got that chance. Otherwise, Sam was going to kill him, there was no other way around it.

And so, Brian started in the living room, peering down the hallway, hoping that Laura might have just headed to the master bedroom to sulk until Sam returned. It didn't look too promising; the rooms appeared just as empty and silent as they had moments before, when they were all in the living room.

Brian was about to turn back and face the living room when he heard the apartment door open and shut quickly, leaving no room for doubt that Laura had pulled the wool over his eyes. When they had been kids, Laura had been the champion at playing hide-and-seek; the kids in their neighborhood, back when they had lived on the same street nearly eleven years ago, had always wanted Laura to be the seeker, since she could never be found. She was so lithe, quick and quiet that every child playing the game would spend hours looking for the girl when she was only feet away from where they stood. And it seemed to Brian that, even after all these years, Laura was still the champion at hide-and-seek.

Though he knew it was too late, Brian turned toward the door, not surprised to see nothing but an empty kitchen. Laura was gone, having ventured after her Sam. It was then that Brian realized how perfect they were for one-another; they were both stubborn as hell.

"Sam." The boy in questioned turned, brow knitting in confusion, trying to figure out if he really had just heard someone call his name. It seemed impossible, for he was alone in the hallway. Or so he had thought. Sam was surprised to see Laura heading down the hallway in his direction with a semi-sheepish smile on her face, the quilt drawn high around her shoulders.

"Laura." Sam said once he had managed to get over the surprise of seeing the brunette in what he had thought was an empty hallway. "What happened to staying in the apartment?" He was silently almost pleased that she had shown up, whether it was the smartest decision or not, glad for her company in the eerie hallway.

Laura shrugged. "I'm stubborn." She told him frankly, her weary brown eyes sparkling with amusement.

Sam couldn't help but smile, pulling Laura to him and kissing her briefly on the forehead. Any anger he might have felt toward her had vanished instantly, though he couldn't say the same for the worry that he felt at her being out of the relative safety of the apartment. He mentally chided himself for being so concerned about Laura; she was a big girl, after all, and she could take care of herself. However, he figured that was what it was like to be in love, to care and worry so much about a person regardless of whether they were capable of caring for and worrying about themselves.

"So," Laura said, breaking Sam's train of thought, "do you have a plan?" She looked at him with her large brown eyes. "What if the parking garage is under water?" It was a silent fear that both of them had had ever since deciding that the only way to get rescued from their impossible situation was to make things happen themselves.

Sam sighed. "Then we'll just have to go to Plan B."

Laura stared at him expectantly. "Which is?"

"I'm hoping it's not going to come to that." Sam told her candidly. He didn't know if he could come up with another plan for being rescued in the short amount of time they had if the parking garage turned out to be flooded. It was something he didn't want to think about because thinking about it seemed to be like admitting defeat and that was something he wasn't ready to do, even if it seemed like there was nothing else he could do.

Laura nodded once and took his hand, her cold fingers offering little warmth. More then anything, however, Sam took her gesture to mean that, regardless of what happened, she trusted him, she had faith in him and he should have faith in himself. He wondered what he had done to earn such love, such trust and hoped that he wouldn't betray her confidence in him. He had promised that he would protect her, never let anything happen to her and it was a promise that Sam had every intention of keeping. Even if it was easier said then done.

I'm so very sorry that it's been so long since I've updated; I have no excuse...just that I'm a loser. Anyway, thanks for all of the really great reviews, I'm glad that everyone likes this story. I'm trying to improve with the typos, so if there's still some mistakes, sorry again. So, keep up those great reviews! Lucie: I hope Ashlee hasn't been hit by a bus...hehe...