A massive winter storm swarmed the city before anyone could prepare. People were trapped in their homes with limited food and water. The city was frozen in silence. No sirens, no wind.
One family of five gathered all their clothing and blankets and huddled together to share their body heat.
“There are more blankets in the shed, honey,” Jessica said.
“I’ll go out and get them,” Fernando replied.
He pulled on his red coat and stepped outside. As he opened the shed door, he saw an icicle begin to loosen. Before he could react, it crashed down, piercing his eye. He dropped to the ground.
“What’s taking Dad so long?” Yesenia asked after a few minutes. “I’ll go check on him.”
She slipped on her yellow coat, opened the back door, and saw him lying still in the snow. Without thinking, she ran toward him, but her feet gave out on the slick deck. As she fell backward, she looked up. An icicle was loosening above her. She rolled, but not fast enough. It went straight through her arm.
“Ahhh! Help!” she screamed.
Jessica threw on her white coat and rushed outside.
“Be careful! They’re melting and falling. The icicles,” Yesenia gasped as her mother stepped onto the deck.
Jessica looked around but saw no sign of ice melting. She helped Yesenia up and called for her son. “James! Come out here and help us!”
James put on his green coat and hurried outside. As soon as he opened the back door, he froze.
“Be careful walking. Go over and get your father inside,” Jessica said calmly, though her voice trembled.
James stepped toward the shed. He saw his father’s body and fell to his knees beside him. “Mom… dad’s dead,” he stammered. And then he heard it. Drip. Drip. Drip.
He looked up and was greeted by the point of an icicle. It fell, driving through his chest. He collapsed.
Jessica screamed. Her youngest son started to run to the door.
“Stop! Go back inside, Nico!” she cried. “Me and your sister will be inside in a couple minutes.”
She helped Yesenia up, and together they stumbled back inside. Jessica cleaned Yesenia’s wound the way she might scrub a countertop, detached and deliberate. Each motion felt distant, like her hands belonged to someone else.
The three of them sat in silence, listening to the house creak and groan beneath the weight of ice. Every few minutes, another scream echoed from the neighbors’ yards.
“Mom, what do we do?” Yesenia asked softly.
“I don’t know, honey. I don’t know.”