They Left Us to Freeze

On the seventh day of the deep freeze, the mercury in the thermometer was stuck at -52 degrees.

As my mother, Danielle Wilson, chatted, she packed up everything in the basement.

The only sounds were the rustling of belongings being gathered and the endless howling of the blizzard outside the ventilation shaft.

My father, Aaron Wilson, sat silently by the exit, his back to us. He didn't even turn around, as though the person Mom had called a "useless cripple" wasn't his own younger brother.

I stared at Dad's back, my voice filled with despair. "Dad, you agree with this too?"

Dad spun around, but he didn't look at me. Instead, he impatiently urged Mom to hurry. "Stop wasting time. Pack everything up. We'll miss the evacuation vehicle if we're late."

My younger sister, Jayla Wilson, said with barely concealed smugness, "Don't blame Mom and Dad, Zara. After all, this is the apocalypse, and there are only three spots available.

"As their daughter, you should honor your parents and let them get to safety first. And as the older sister, you should look after your younger sibling and let me choose first. That's only fair, right?

"Besides, you're not alone. You still have that crazy Uncle Xavier to keep you company. It's not like you'll be lonely."

Ever since we were children, I'd always been expected to give in to her because I was the older sister.

I could only console myself with one thought: she was my sister, so I was supposed to let her have her way.

But when our lives were on the line, my parents' decision finally made me understand. No matter how much I sacrificed, Jayla would always matter more to them.

I looked around the empty basement. There was nothing left. Mom had packed up all the food, fuel, and heavy winter clothing to take with them.

They kept telling me to wait for the next rescue team.

But judging by the way they'd cleared out every last supply, they had no intention of letting me survive until then.

I forced a bitter smile.

Dad finally stood up. "Zara, don't blame us for not choosing you. You're both our daughters. We love you equally. But you're the older one. At a time like this, you should give your sister the chance to survive first.

"Besides, the rescue teams will come back. You can go to Shelter 3 on Westcliff and meet up with us then."

With that, they each hoisted a large backpack onto their shoulders and prepared to leave.

Watching how eagerly they hurried toward the exit, I called out, "Wait!"

All three turned around at once, irritation written across their faces.