“Sevyn! ” “Sevyn! ” Four figures were appearing in a boat, jumping out fast. Sevyn was on top of her house when she heard her name being called. She noticed her dad, a national guard and three other men approaching her. They were telling her jump off the roof into their arms. Sevyn hesitated for a few minutes, but finally jumped when her dad started to yell. They caught and placed her into the boat. She is frightened because she’s very lost as to what’s going on around her. Her dad had a very nerous look because he thought Sevyn was gone for good. Her dad was telling her that she had to go back to the convention center until Wednesday.
Sevyn wasn’t too happy she had to go back there alone. She started crying low covering her face. “Sergeant! ” “Sergeant! ” “we have to go! ” I seen a little bald man in a nearby boat coming fast. “I’ll be right there”, my dad said. He gave me a kiss on the forehead, said everything will be fine and took off to the other man. There I was in a boat with three strangers heading back to the convention center. They were telling me everything would be good but I already knew things were only going to get worse. We passed over 5o people going to the convention center. People were screaming telling us to help them. I felt so sorry.
All I could do is sit and pray that they could make it till the soldiers got back. When we made it to the convention center there were over 100 people outside. Some looked ill, hurt, and near dead. The men dropped me off and left right away. When I walked in all I could feel was a huge wave of heat. A woman rushed towards me and asked was I Sevyn. When I told her yes she stated”Your dad, sergeant Danny told me you would be alone and to look after you. ” My name is Valencia, Ms. Valencia, come with me. I just shook my head and followed her. She sat me in a corner with a few others and said she’ll be right back.
I waited for a minute then walked off. As I walking I saw so many people looking for family members and crying. Ms. Valencia pulled me by my shirt and said “you like to wonder off don’t you? ” I just did a little grin and went back in the corner. She handed me some rations and a bottle of water. “That’s all I could find,” Ms. Valencia said. I just said okay. I ate the rations so quickly. Ms. Valencia stayed by me the whole time, trying to comfort and start conversations with me. She asked me what happened with my mother and things. “That Monday the authorities told everyone who could fit to get on buses.
I was walking with my mom and my brother to the bus holding hands. When we were close by the buses that’s when the crowd began pushing. My hand slipped from my mom and I fell. By the time I got up I saw my mom looking back and they pushed her and my brother on the bus. The bus pulled off quickly and me and the remainder of the people stayed behind. The authorities said the next bus wouldn’t come till Wednesday. I didn’t know what to do but I remembered that my dad said “Sevyn no matter what this home is your safe place. ” I snuck out the convention center trying to head home.
I didn’t know where to go at first but I made sure no one came to get me. I walked down the street to see if anything seemed familiar. Walking further on the street, it started to get so cold. I was freezing and lost. The wind was blowing so hard. You could hear tree branches breaking and leaves moving about. I saw a sign that read Frenchmen Street. On Frenchmen Street the water was real low and a tree had fallen into someone’s home. My mothers always told me don’t go on Frenchmen Street because there were drug dealers and gang members, but I had no other choice. After crossing the tree, I walked down the street looking around.
It was real quiet. You could only still hear the wind. Walking through the low water made me even colder. It was just too cold to walk in, so I sat on someone’s porch. The house was bordered up and said KEEP OUT across the door in bold print. I knew I shouldn’t have stayed there long but I had nowhere else to go. I got up and pushed on the door and it opened. When I peeped inside I didn’t hear or see anything. I walked in and left the door opened behind me. I walked in the kitchen to look for food I searched nearly everything from the refrigerator to drawers and cabinets. There was no luck for me.
I walked in someone’s room to look around, but I saw a weird looking man on the floor laughing. I tried to back up slow but tripped over a shoe. He must have heard me because he got up and was coming right towards me. I screamed sorry getting up running out of the house. He was coming right behind me screaming “GOTCHA! ” Laughing. I was running down Frenchmen street calling for help but no one came. He kept coming after me, just laughing. I tried my hardest not to look back but I didn’t know how close he was. His voice soon died down and I could hear the wind again. I realized I ran all the way to the French Quarter. I was so out of breathe.
I was scared, trying to calm myself down and breathe. I really wondered for the longest what he would have did if he caught me. I walked the French Quarter, which was so dead. Everyone known beautiful New Orleans for the fun French Quarter. It’s where everything was. I was sad to see the city like this. I continued walking, hoping the weird man wouldn’t find me. It seemed mid-day by this time. I passed up Broad Avenue and Dorgenois Street. They both were familiar streets me and my dad passed on the way to get beignets. There was a strong stinch in the air from the lifeless bodies on the streets. I felt bad and ran passed everyone I saw.
After passing some stores, I saw my neighborhood park sign that read “Hardin Park. ” The water was up to my knees by this time. Splashing through I paid close attention to how bad the park was messed up. Trees had fallen on the slides. The monkey bars were on the ground along with trees. The swings were in pieces, scattered around. Down from the park were houses including mines. When I was walking through the high water, I had to step over so many tree branches and poles. I was getting scared that a snake or any other creature would get me. I took off running towards my house, splashing in all the water.
I saw my house had water in it. When I walked in my house I had seen that it was destroyed. Pictures, chairs, tables, and couches, were moving about in the disaster. The water was up to my stomach. I got on top the couch that was moving rocking back and forth and moving towards the kitchen. I then hopped off on the table looking down, viewing the water. It seemed safe so I stepped off and grabbed as much food as I could. I put it all in a plastic bag and ran through the water upstairs. The water was half way up the stairs and seemed like it was rising. I went in my room and changed out my wet clothes.
I pulled a flashlight out my dresser and headed back into the hall to get in the attic. I had to jump to pull the attic stairs down. It was so dark and hot inside. I climbed in and sat off in the corner with the flashlight on, pointing towards me. I sat there for a while sad, thinking about my family. A couple of hours passed. I heard a lot of noises downstairs. I crept down the attic steps halfway and saw furniture slapping the walls. When I got further down water slapped the front door open and rushed up towards me so quickly, knocking me down. I tried jumping up but the water was too strong.
My head kept going under water. I was able to grab the attic stairs and pull myself up. I grabbed my flashlight and was looking through the attic for a ax my dad kept up there. I found it lying upon the wall in the corner. I chopped the roof for the longest till I made the whole large enough for me. I pulled myself through and saw it looked about 11 or 12 at night. That night my house roared in the wind. You could hear the furniture still moving around. It was cold and windy sitting on the roof. I whistled tunes in my head till I fell asleep. It was until the morning when I was awoken by my dad and three other men.
That’s about all Ms. Valencia. ” When I looked up at her she sat in shock and finally told me I was the bravest little girl she knew. She couldn’t believe I survived on my own but neither did I. She told me I should get some rest and be ready for tomorrow. I soon fell asleep excited about tomorrow. Wednesday morning I was awoken by my dad. I was so happy. I jumped up and hugged the tightest I could. He stated the buses will be here soon and his chief released him to come along with me. When the buses finally came me, and my dad aborted bus 2. It took us all the way to Baton Rouge, where my mom and six were waiting.
My dad told me all his stories on the ride there till he fell asleep. I was too anxious so I stayed up the whole ride whistling my tunes. We pulled up to some building where there were so many people outside. The buses dismissed us, and me and my father walked looking for six and my mother. I saw people finding their families but no sign of them. We almost gave up until I heard my name being yelled. When I turned around it was them. My dad and I met them half way and hugged. We cried in joy and promised not to let anyone out our sight anymore. That moment I knew I was no longer LOST .
