someone who believed there was no one left listening. After that moment, every second became a choice. I stayed still when he came back. I stayed still when he checked my wrist. I stayed still when he moved near Noah. The hardest part was hearing him speak gently. Danger did not sound angry. It sounded calm. It sounded careful. When Daniel walked away and the garage door closed, I opened my eyes.
Noah opened his at the same time.
We did not hug.
Communications Equipment
We did not talk loudly.
We did not waste time trying to understand why.We looked for what we needed.
Our phones were gone.
That was the first thing we noticed.
Daniel had removed the easiest way to call for help.
But he had forgotten something else.
The old corded phone in the cabinet.
The one he always said took up space.
The one he
