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anyone will have much choice about sheltering in place, Frank,” Debbie said. She was standing somewhere in the city, the snow swirling around her. Emergency generator lights were shining on crews working behind her. “The power outages in the city have affected all travel. Very few lines are running, and as you can see,” she said, turning to gesture to the crews behind her, “there is a lot of work going on in this terrible cold and wind to get the power back on. Snowdrifts are affecting the subway and train schedules as well. We have lists of all the delays and outages on our website. Unfortunately, more snow keeps falling and with no end in sight.”
    â€œIt’s a snowpocalypse out there, folks,” said the newscaster in the studio. “Stay where you are. Heed the mayor’s warning to shelter in place. The snow is falling so fast the city is struggling to keep up with clearing the roads. Frank, when will we be out of the woods?” he asked, throwing it back to the meteorologist.
    â€œBy morning this massive system will have moved out over the Atlantic,” Frank said, his hands swirling around the Atlantic. “Let me show you why we got so much more snow than we were expecting—”
    â€œThis can’t be happening,” Ian muttered and he clicked off the TV.
    â€œOh. My. God ,” Chelsea said. She picked up the Nerf basketball from Jason’s desk and threw it as hard as she could. It floated over the hoop and wafted to the floor.
    The lights flickered. Ian and Chelsea looked at each other just as the lights went out.
    â€œWhat just happened?” Chelsea exclaimed loudly. “I thought the generator was running!”
    â€œIt was,” Ian said, looking curiously up at the lights.
    â€œThis is a nightmare!” Chelsea cried, and she whirled around to Jason’s window, bracing her hands against it. Across the street, visible through the curtain of snow, was light in the windows of an office building. She whimpered and dropped her forehead against the glass.
    Ian sighed. He shifted forward and put his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t freak out,” he said soothingly, giving her a little squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”
    â€œOhmigod. I am not freaking out, Ian. Why do you think I am freaking out? Do you honestly think all women need beauty rest and freak out at the first sign of adversity?”
    â€œWhat is the matter with you?” he demanded. “You look like you’re about to cry. If that’s not freaking out, what is?”
    â€œI’m not going to cry . And even if I was, it’s just crying. It’s another way to release tension. Sort of like meditation, only uglier.”
    The generator’s lights suddenly flickered back on, washing them in dishwater-gray light once more.
    â€œThank heavens,” she said, and she pushed past him. He watched her march for the door of the office.
    â€œOkay, where are you going?” he asked.
    â€œTo find something to eat! I’m starving!”
    So was he, come to think of it, and he followed her.
    Chelsea marched to the break room. She walked up to the fridge and yanked open the door. Her face instantly fell and she covered her mouth with her hand. “That is so disgusting ,” she said.
    Ian moved and dipped to see over her shoulder. There were old fast food containers and some food in plastic containers—in one, he could see the mold that was growing inside. Food had been spilled on the fridge shelves. He watched as Chelsea reached for a can of tomato juice and tried to dislodge it from whatever had congealed around it. She couldn’t.
    â€œOh God—shut that thing,” Ian said, covering his nose with his hand.
    She abruptly stepped back as she slammed the fridge door shut and stepped on his foot.
    â€œOuch,” Ian said.
    â€œSorry.” She looked around the break room. “I have to eat something or I will