The blizzard hit unexpectedly. I've been through some pretty nasty snowstorms and I have one word to say about this one: wow.
      All of Cleveland has been without power for about an hour. If you thought changing to the year 2000 was scary, try being trapped in a house with this group!
      I'm calm, otherwise this whole part would've been full of swears and words in all caps and whatnot. Oswald is sitting on the floor, with his knees up to his chest, rocking back and forth. Drew and Kate are sharing a blanket... Don't ask, I do not know nor do I care. Finally, there's Lewis. He's as calm as I am, except he's been staring out the window the whole time we've been without power.
      I went over to where Lewis is sitting, sat on the arm of the chair, and followed his gaze out the window. He mt've seen me.
      "I hope we get some power soon," Lewis said, continuing his gaze.
      "Me, too," I said. "I can't believe how quickly this storm came on."
      We kept looking out the window. The snow drift was about half-way up the window.
      "That snow is gonna be murder to shovel," I commented.
      "This is so depressing," Lewis said. He glanced over at Drew and Kate. "And those two are making me nauseaus."
      I looked over at them and made a face. "Uh..." I stumbled, turning away from them. "It's like we're not even here."
      "Technically, Oswald isn't," Lewis said.
      I thought about it. "Good point," I said. "Why don't we wander around the house. Get the snow out of our heads."
      "Sure," he agreed.
      We went up to the second floor. I stood in the hall, while Lewis went in and out of each room
      I saw a pull-chain coming down from the ceiling. I went over to it and looked up. "Must be the way to the attic," I said, as Lewis came into the hall.
      "Yeah," he said.
      I reached up for the chain, only to find out I was too short to reach it.. Obviously, Lewis saw me reach for it because I could hear him laughing rom behind me.
      I turned to him. "Instead of standing there laughing at me, why don't you give me a hand here," I suggested.
      He came over to me. "So, is this all I'm good for?"
      "Most of the time, yeah," I said, then grinned.
      Lewis looked at the chain, then back at me.
      'Oh, crap, he's getting an idea,' I thought.
      "Okay, I'll give you a hand... or how about a couple of feet," he said, then picked me up.
      Atleast now I could reach the chain, but I also nearly hit my head on the ceiling. I was just about to grab the chain, but he put me down.
      "I did tell you that you shouldn't pick me up, right?" I asked.
      Lewis shrugged. "Can I help it if I wanted to be selfish and pull the ladder down myself?"
      I rolled my eyes. Geez...
      He pulled the ladder down and we went up into the attic.
      I surveyed the attic with my flashlight. Lewis started wandering around blindly. I pulled the ladder up.
      "Are you sure that's a good idea: not looking where you're going?" I asked, noting that he wasn't using a flashlight, then shining mine on him.
      He glared at me. "Can't I have just a little bit of fun?"
      "Fine," I said, then took the light off him. I pulled up a box and started rummaging through it. Finding nothing in the box, I pushed it aside and sat for a moment. "Geez, it's getting colder in here." I paused. "Lewis?" I paused again, then surveyed the room again. 'Now, where did he go?'
      "Boo!"
      I jumped. "Ahhh!" I turned quickly and put the light right on his face. "Don't do that!"
      Lewis grinned. "I couldn't help it! You're taking this so seriously..." His grin faded, seeing the look on my face. "Sorry."
      "No, you're right, I'll loosen up a little," I said, "but I swear it still feels like it's getting colder."
      "Hm. Maybe we should go down to the basement and check out the furnace," Lewis suggested.
      "Let's go," I agreed, then went over to the ladder.
      Lewis came up behind me. "You pulled the ladder up?"
      "Obviously," I said, then paused. "What's wrong?"
      "Oh, nothing," he answered. "It's just that it only opens from below, so now we're stuck up here until someone comes looking for us, that's all."
      I swallowed. "I didn't know that."
      Lewis went across the attic and started rummaging through a box.
      "Oh, come on! I didn't do it on purpose," I said. Seeing no reply coming, I took a seat on the floor. 'Man, it's cold,' I thought. I looked over to where Lewis had been. 'Where'd he go now?'
      A few seconds later, he sat down next to me and put a blanket around me.
      "Thanks," I said, unsure if this was pity or not.
      "You're welcome," he replied. "Since we're gonna be here a while, may as well try to keep warm.

      Drew and Kate are sitting at the kitchen table.
      "What a storm," Kate commented.
      "Yeah," Drew agreed, "and what a time for the furnce to go out. Doesn't that just figure."
      "well, we've got clothes, coats, and blankets. I think we'll be okay," Kate said.
      Oswald came into the kitchen. "Have you guys seen Lewis and Lauren?"
      "I haven't seen them in about a half an hour," Kate said.
      "Well, they couldn't just disappear or leave," Drew said. "Let's look for them."
      Drew went down to the basement, Kate stayed on the first floor, and Oswald went up to the second floor.

      Kate wandered around. 'Now, where could those two have gone?' She went and looked in the closet. "Nope.' She went and sat on the couch to think.

      'I hate coming down here in the dark,' Drew thought, descending the stairs to the basement. He surveyed his surroundings with the flashlight beam. 'Where did they go?'

      Oswald is in the guest bedroom, asleep.

      "They've gotta be looking for us by now," I said. "They have to be." I was hoping for sounding positive, but it sounded more like I was trying to convince myself.
      Lewis put his arm around my shoulders. "It could be worse..."
      I looked at him.
      "...You could've been alone," he finished.
      I smiled weakly. I couldn't stop thinking this was my fault.
      "Come on, Lauren," Lewis said. "I'm not mad at you, cheer up!"
      I rested my chin in the palms of my hands.

      Drew returned to the living room to find Kate sitting on the couch. She stood up.
      "They've gotta be upstairs," Drew said.
      "Let's go look," Kate said.
      They went upstairs and into the guest bedroom first. Kate put the flashlight beam on the bed.
      "Well, we found Oswald," Drew said, then moved closer. "Oswald!!!"
      Oswald sat up quickly. "Awe, Drew, I was having the best dream..."
      "I don't wanna hear this," Kate said, then left the room, leaving Drew and Oswald in the dark.
      Drew clicked his flashlight on. "I wanna hear about it."

      I stared p at the ceiling. 'What an awful day,' I thought. I turned my head and looked at Lewis. He's been asleep for about 20 minutes. 'Wish I could fall asleep.' I just kept thinking the others should've found us by now. Did Drew forget his house has an attic or something? I pulled the blanket up farther. Normally, I would've smacked Lewis for this suggestion, but it just doesn't seem to matter at the moment.

      I must've finally fallen asleep at some point. I opened my eyes and glanced at my watch. 6:10. I pulled up the blanket some more. I looked at Lewis, he's facing me, now. Everytime I pull up the blanket, he shifts. I thought for a second and got up. I went over to the only window and looked out. The snow stopped coming down, but everything was covered.
      "Lauren?"
      I turned around.
      "Morning!" Lewis said, just a tad too cheerfully for my liking.
      I went along with it and smiled. "Mornin'."
      "Well, I guess no one's found us yet," he said. "I thought atleast Drew would think of checking up here."
      "You know what? I bet they aren't even really looking for us," I said, basically trying to make conversation.
      "You could be right," Lewis agreed.
      Wow. That reply really hit me. Yesterday, he woulde cut me off.
      "It's kinda nice up here," he commented.
      That snapped me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, it is," I agreed. I walked back over and sat next to him. "It stopped snowing."
      "Finally!" Lewis said. "It's about time!"
      "Hey, if they don't find us, that'll get us out of shoveling!" I said, smiling... for real this time.
      "Sound good to me!" he agreed.
      An uneasy silence settled in.
      We were looking each other in the eyes... then kissed. We separated.
      "It's funny what can happen because of something stupid like getting stuck uphere," Lewis said.
      "Yeah..." I said, my mind drifting, hanging onto the kiss. I don't know what it was, but for the first time, I really actually thought about the age difference... the fact he's twice my age.
      "Hello?" Lewis said, waving his hand in front of my face. "Are you still here or in the Twilight Zone never to return?"
      I smiled. Reality check. Who cares about the age difference. "Yeah, I'm still here. I just keep wishing someone would find us already."
      "Maybe we've been too quiet up here," he said, then stood. "Maybe we should make some noise."
      I stood, just so I wouldn't be looking at his shins. "There's nothing up here to make noise with."
      "Could always yell for help," Lewis suggested.
      "And the neighbors will hear and think something's going on," I said.
      He gave me a look. "I'm just trying to think of something to help them find us."
      "Okay, I'm sorry," I said.
      "It has been kinda nice being stuck up here, though," he said... again.
      "You're still trying to convince me how nic it is up here, huh?" I said.
      "Well, it is!" Lewis said. "The only reason why it isn't so nice..."
      "Is what?" I said, narrowing my eyes.
      "You keep complaining," he said, uneasily. "I mean, all this time we could've been getting to know each other better or just talking..."
      "Spit it out!" I said, thinking I knew where this was going. I crossed my arms. "Or...?"
      "Or?" he asked.
      Suddenly, I felt embarrassed. "Or... you know."
      At first, Lewis had this confused look, then it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Is that why you've been compalining so much?"
      "I was a little worried, that's all. I mean, considering I was the one who pulled up the ladder, I thought you'd think I did it purposely..." I stopped. If I was one to hyperventalate, I would have been.
      "You want the truth?" he asked.
      "Yeah," I said.
      "Okay," he said, then sat again.
      I sat, too.
      "I had the thought for about two seconds," Lewis said, matter-of-factly.
      "Two seconds?" I said, incredulously. I didn't know whether to be happy or offended.
      "Well..." he said, then motioned around the attic.
      Suddenly, light flooded the attic. The ladder had been pulled down and Drew was now looking at us.
      He looked down. "Kate, you owe me 10 bucks."
      "What took youguys so long to check up here?" Lewis asked.
      "Because I thought there'd be no way you'd come up here, but boy, was I wrong," Drew said.
      "Yay! Finally, I get to sit on something soft!" I said, then bolted for the ladder, nearly making Drew fall off it.
      "Hey, let me go back down first, Lauren!" Drew said.
      I ran downstairs, put on my coat and baseball cap, went outside, and jumped in the snow.
      "So, what happened?" Drew asked Lewis.
      "Nothing," Lewis said, simply, covering about two or three bases with that one word.
      Drew watched as he went downstairs. Kate joined Drew.
      "Wow," Drew said.
      Kate offered a $10 bill to Drew. "Here's the 10 bucks."
      "Keep it," Drew said.
      Oswald joined them. "man, what'd goin' on out here?'
      "If I knew, I'd tell you," Drew said.

      Lewis put his coat on and came outside. It was around 30ºF and the sun was out.
      I was making a snow angel and saw him approach. "Hi."
      "Hi," he said.
      I stopped and put a hand out to him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up.
      "Perfect," Lewis said.
      I looked at the angel. "Yeah, it is."
      "I didn't mean the angel," he said.
      I kept looking at the angel.
      "What happened?" Lewis asked. "We get locked in the attic and now it's back to hating each other?" He sat on the step.
      I turned, and half grinned, seeing him sitting on the step. "No, I don't hate you. It's just, getting stuck up there sorta freaked me out. I don't know what I was thinking."
      Lewis grinned. "Heh, they're watching us through the window, aren't they?"
      "Yup," I said, glancing at the window and seeing three faces pressed against it. I must've had too long of a glance. Before I knew, I got hit with a snowball.
      "Gotcha!" Lewis said, standing.
      "I am gonna get you!" I said, then scooped up a handful of snow.
      He started down the side of the house and was about to round the corner, when I threw my snowball and hit him in the shoulder. He turned, scooped up about three times as much snow as I had, and started balling it.
      "This means war!" Lewis said.
      The others came out and we had a huge snowball fight.

The End