The Dead and the Gone

On December 1, Alex wakes up and notices that it is especially cold. When he knocks over the glass of water he keeps by his bed, he notices that it is frozen and assumes that the heating oil must have finally run out, shutting off the furnace. He thinks about how to compensate for this and decides that his sisters are thin enough to share one sleeping bag, allowing him to use the other.

The next day, Alex, Julie, and Kevin go to the food line, and Alex thinks about how grateful he is for Kevin’s friendship, as he mentions in prayer often. As they wait, they chat, Kevin telling Alex that his family is doing okay in the new residential unit they moved into before Thanksgiving, and they both discuss what they miss most about their normal life. Alex says he misses his family being whole, making Kevin feel ashamed of only missing the Internet and good food. The boys obtain a small amount of food, and Alex thanks Kevin for doing this with him.

On December 3, the Morales children wake up to at least six inches of snow under a layer of ice. Alex thinks about how to get Bri to cover the long distance to the Port Authority when they leave on December 12, and he realizes what a huge task this is going to be.