The Ice Storm

The Ice Storm1

It was so cold outside that the thermometer had frozen over. Ice had destroyed most of the power lines. We were living in the 1800s in the 23rd century. It was horrible. None of the TVs worked. I can’t understand how previous generations survived without TV. I was getting the shakes and a fever in very below zero weather from withdrawal; I was without television, or cigarettes. The only nerve calming thing in the whole house was the last few bottles of hard liquor. I was lying on the couch in the living room. I heard my neighbor scrounging around the house; I let her live with me because a pile of ice had uprooted a tree which in turn de-roofed her home. She was heating up some coca-cola I had had in the fridge to make us hot drinks. I would have preferred seltzer but that was the only thing we had left for bathing water.2

I did not understand why the government had not yet intervened in this obvious state of emergency. I had heard that the ice storm had swept across the entire country. So I suppose the government was busy with places that were harder hit then this small Maine town. At this point I was off the universal pill; our supply had long since run out. I was feeling something I had never felt in my life. I didn’t know how to describe it. I had horrible dreams about the worst possible outcomes of this storm; death; a new ice age…what have you. It consumed half my thoughts. The other half was consumed by my neighbor. At this point those were the only two things I had in my life. I didn’t even like this woman; she had very weird ideologies and attitudes. The only reason I let her live here is because I must live by the government’s rules which demand unity between humans. Just then she walked into the room.3

“Hello, Todd.” She said, smiling, with two steaming coca-colas in her hands. She put them on the table.4

“Hello, Whitney.” I responded, with a half-feigned smile.5

“Todd, you look miserable. Do you want me to get you a blanket?” She asked. I shook my head.6

“Is there anything I can get you?”7

“Some rum.” I responded.8

“The rum is gone.”9

“Why is the rum gone?”10

“We drank it.”11

“Is there any liquor in the house?” I asked.12

“I’ll go look,” she said, getting up. A good five minutes later she came back down with a bottle of whiskey. I filled my cup to the top with it. Coke and whiskey…not a good mix, but it was hot and soon enough I would no longer be conscious anyway. Whitney sat next to me on the couch. I just continued drinking, letting it all slide down my throat until the cup was empty.13

Right before I could sit up to get at the bottle, Whitney put her hands around me and held me. After the shock wore off, I felt nothing. I tried to find something in my body that felt different. Nothing. It wasn’t apathy, I was just never taught about emotions. I just sat there, feeling empty.14