Overnight the storm had picked up. The rain was pummeling the island. The trees swayed with violent intentions. The power was putting up a fight but it was only a matter of time before it went out. Carol had locked herself in the bathroom sometime during the night. This was the worst episode she’d had in a long time. Micah was stuck on the other side of the door trying to bargain with her. He didn’t want to break it down. That wouldn’t help anything.

“You need to come out and eat something.”

“I can’t go out there. There’s poison in the air. Can’t you smell it? How can none of you smell it? It’s in the food! It’s in the water!” Carol yelled.

Micah put his head in his hands. He felt lucky that he slept for half the night before he realized she wasn’t in bed with him. This was going to last all weekend. Stressors like the storm usually brought on episodes like this.

“There isn’t any poison out here. You know that. You’ve talked to doctors about this.”

“Hah! They are all part of it. They give you pills and they try to make you see fake things. They want you to ignore what’s really going on. It’s easier to just ignore and just breathe in

The poison. Then you just die in your sleep. Sick and wrong!”

“Please. Just stop this. Just come out.”

“No!”

She was in it for the long haul. Micah was going to be stuck on the outside. He considered breaking in. But then what? He didn’t have any sedatives for her. She would freak and he would have to hit her to stop her. That wasn’t an option. So he was stuck waiting.

On the other side of the door Carol also sat on the floor. She had her back to the bathroom counter and her feet up against the door. She wasn’t leaving and she wasn’t letting anyone in. They were all coming for her. They were all sick now. Micah, Ryan, Marty, all of them. She could hear the sound coming from outside. The poison was in the air and was trying to get in. It was coming from the woods. She hoped that the window was secure. No cracks. No holes. If there were any of those then it could get in. It could creep into her and take her over. They wanted her to go into the woods. All of them just wanted her out of the bathroom. She was ready for them though. Micah didn’t think she knew about the gun he had hidden in the crawlspace above the closet. She saw him checking on it one day while she pretended to be asleep. She pulled it out from behind her and pointed it at the door. She knew he was on the other side. If he tried to get in then she would have to stop him. She wouldn’t let them take her. She would never let that happen.

In the living room, Ryan and Marty kept watching the news. The storm was too strong for them to go outside anymore and neither of them could sleep through the howling wind. A breaking news story came across the TV.

“Trees have been blown over and obscured the road. Then the wind took them farther down towards the bridge before they stopped. The bridge is currently completely blocked. As the storm continues to increase in strength it’s now been decided that it is too dangerous for the emergency crews to go out and clear the road. If you are on the Isle, please stay inside. Do not try to leave. Emergency crews are on standby and are waiting for the storm to settle down before they try and clear the bridge,” The Newsman said.

“Well, we’re are literally on our own now,” Ryan said.

“So what happens if we need help?” Marty asked.

“Then we’re fucked.”

Ryan looked down at his son with a smirk. He knew they would be okay. The storm was bad but it wasn’t supposed to last. This was the worst day. They would be able to wait it out and tomorrow be able to head off the island if they needed to. The one good thing about the storm though was that his parents had no way onto the island even if they had tried to come. He was at least saved from their wrath for another day. Ryan gave up trying to figure out the way their minds worked long ago. He had spent years wondering why they never wanted to help him but would always help Micah. What was is about him that they despised. Who the fuck called the cops on their kid for a sandwich. He never really let that one go. It was when Marty was born that he really stopped caring. They were no longer the majority in his life. Marty was. He also decided to take the high road when they wanted to see their grandson. He could have kept him from them. He didn’t. In truth, he wanted to show them what he had done. He had made it through college. He had a son. He had started his own business. He had won at every turn. He didn’t need them. Micah didn’t either, but he would never turn down the easy way. Once they kicked him out though, he became closer to Ryan and Marty. Marty grew up seeing his uncle almost every day. Ryan even hired Micah and kept him around the office even though he wasn’t really qualified for the job. Then came the big move.

Ryan was going to back to California. He wanted to open up a second office and keep the cash flowing. Micah was all in with him and was packed. Micah called to tell their parents they were leaving. Ryan didn’t feel they needed to know. They would find out eventually and it wasn’t like they would really care. Except they did. In their own way they did care. Not that Ryan and Micah were leaving, but that their grandson was being taken away from them. So they did whatever they could to break up the happy family of Ryan, Marty, and Micah. They offered Micah his own house. They even told him he could bring his wife. The one they had previously hated with all of their bones. They seemed to be able to give anything up if it meant that Ryan would be hurt. He had always won, but never with them. When it came to winning, Jillian and William Mayors were the champions, and they didn’t need any friends to sing to about it.

But here they all were. Ryan had ended up back within their claws again. Somehow, someway, the world had forced him back into their graces. He didn’t need them, but he needed their house. He needed it so that Marty would have some semblance of a normal childhood. Marty deserved a chance at that. Fuck them for trying to stop that. Fuck them for always being the ones in control. Fuck them for even thinking about kicking them out. Just fuck them. That’s exactly what Ryan was thinking when the lights began to flicker. The storm was about to take the power out. The real storm came after that. It came in the sound of three knocks at the door. Micah came pacing down the hall. He didn’t look well. He looked pissed.

“Was that really a knock?” Micah asked.

“Yeah. Who the hell would be out in this storm?” Ryan replied.

Micah walked up to the front door and looked through the peep hole.

“Fuck. It’s them. It’s Mom and Dad.”

Next Chapter: Chapter Four