Chapter 6 - Anger

Natalia's eyes fluttered as she regained consciousness. A hand was placed on her back. She started to stir, letting out a groan.

A heavy feeling was weighing her down. Natalia did not want to lift herself off the ground. She felt as though a rope was tied around her neck, lifting her off the ground. Like she was some helpless doll.

"What happened?" Natalia stuttered.

"Natalia, do you know what day it is?"

Natalia felt a sense of confusion. "What?"

"What day is it?" the person asked again.

"November 28th, a Sunday," Natalia replied.

"Good."

We're all going to hell here, Natalia thought. Her mother's soothing voice did not help. If anything, the pain worsened.

Later that day, Natalia walked over to the grocery store. The Ermacora family could still not pay for the amount of water they use. Natalia's little brother, who was seven, could not fully understand how little water they have and how much of it he was using.

As a last resort, Natalia had to get a job. She was seventeen and worked as a waitress in a small diner. With her earnings, she filled water jugs for the family every week. That nourished their parched mouths, but indoor plumbing was much more costly.

Showers were cut down to five minutes each.

Life was always like this. Natalia and her brother never saw anything different, scarcity is the norm.

When she got back, her mother greeted her. "Natalia? Someone's on the phone. It's for you."

Natalia's eyebrows furrowed. She grasped the phone, and held it up to her ear. "Hello?" she spoke.

"Hey, it's Jordon," the voice from the other end of the line said.

Natalia's eyes watered. How did he get my number? "H-hi. Erm... how are you?" she asked awkwardly.

"Good, how are you?" Jordon replied smoothly.

Natalia could not do it. She could not bring herself to answer such a question, her mouth would not open. How many people could she not please?

Natalia hang up.

She knew it was rude, but what could be considered polite to Jordon? The answer was not prominent to Natalia, nor was it hidden.

Her thoughts became tangled, she argued with herself. Natalia's lips moved, but not a whisper slipped from her light pink lakes. "Shut up!" she screamed.

Natalia became furious with herself. She dug her short, rough nails into the throw pillow resting beside her. Natalia's eyes became so bloodshot, it seemed she inhaled a desert. The tears jumped from her eyes like the first rain in the middle of a dry spell.

She did not know what to do now.

"It's not easy," she whimpered and sniffled. Stop blubbering, that's weak, she thought.

Natalia's lips turned from pale pink to chill blue. Is life going to get better?