Lost in Miami

Lost in Miami

04/17/2023

The evening before the flood was a calm one at home for me, Athena, and our family, as I can clearly recall. We had just finished eating dinner and were seated on the couches in the living room watching TV. As we all unwind, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore outside served as a calming background noise. For dinner, my mother had prepared her renowned lasagna, which was as excellent as always. We shared tales, laughed, and talked about our day while also making plans for the weekend. Even my dad had made a few jokes which made us all crack up. We made up our minds to watch a movie as the evening carried on. Athena and I snuggled up on one couch while my parents sat on the other. We all laughed uncontrollably at the hilarious parts of the lighthearted comedy. I remember feeling so content and happy, surrounded by the people I loved most in the world. We each said goodnight after the movie and went to our own bedrooms. I can still picture myself lying in bed, feeling appreciative of my family and our home. I had no idea that the flood would drastically alter our lives in a matter of hours.

I don't have many vivid memories of the night the flood hit Downtown Miami. I woke up in West Kendall, on a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers. I didn't know where I was or how I got there. I had a pounding headache, and everything felt hazy and unclear. I tried to remember what had happened, but my memory was a blank slate. A nurse arrived at my side as soon as I stood up. She uttered, "Thank goodness you're awake," with a relieved expression on her face. "What’s your name? Do you have any memory of the flood?" I shook my head. “My name is Celeste and flood? What are you talking about?" The nurse's face fell, and she began to explain what had happened. Downtown Miami has been devastated by a significant flood that left residences and buildings in its path. One of the numerous buildings wiped out in the flood was the one where my family lived. I was the only person who had been located; my parents, sister, and best friend Athena were all reported missing. The news completely startled me. To have lost the people who mean everything to me was something I could not believe. I started crying as I pictured my loved ones and my dearest friend.

Despite my memory loss, I knew I needed to locate my family. I started search after taking matters into my own hands and left the hospital. I walked the streets and questioned anyone I encountered regarding whether they had come across my family. But nobody had any solutions to offer me. Since I didn't own a boat, I chose to steal one in order to get back to Downtown. I located a little motorboat close to the marina, and I headed downtown Miami. I was overcome with thoughts about all the memories I created in Downtown as I made my way through the rough waters. But suddenly, everything had vanished and been engulfed by the water. Despite the long and exhausting trip, I persisted in moving forward.

My heart was racing as I approached my old building in Downtown Miami, filled with both excitement and terror. I had no expectation of what I might discover there, nevertheless I ought to keep searching. My heart sank when I saw what was waiting for me when I got to the abandoned building. The building was in shambles, with damaged windows and trash all over the place. But suddenly, from somewhere inside the building, I heard a sound. The voice was weak, but it belonged to Athena. The notion of finding my dearest friend alive and healthy made my heart skip a beat. I carefully entered, trying not to walk on any trash. Although it was silent and dark within the building, I could make out Athena's voice that came from among the upper floors. I moved in the direction of the sound while my heartbeat rapidly with expectation. Athena was seated on the floor with her back against the wall when I eventually made it to the floor where we resided. She smiled as she raised her head to face me, her eyes showing relief. We gave one other a tight hug as we both sobbed with happiness. All that mattered was that we had found one another.

As I sat with Athena in what once was our home, I could not help but wonder how she managed to survive the flood. She told me that she had been staying with some of our friends on higher ground when the flood hit, but she had come back to check on our home when the waters receded. Athena had been living in the abandoned building for a few days, scavenging for food and water in nearby stores that were not destroyed by the flood. She said that it was hard, but she was managing to survive. I was relieved to have found Athena, but I knew we had to find my family as soon as possible. We decided to head out to find them, but the small motorboat I had stolen to get here ran out of fuel and eventually sank in the choppy waters.

As Athena and I stood there, stranded with a sunken boat, we were both feeling a mix of emotions - scared, worried, and unsure of what to do next. But as luck would have it, we spotted our family boat still standing, untouched by the choppy waters. We quickly made our way to it, grateful to have found a way to continue our search for my family. With the familiar sound of the boat's motor bringing a sense of comfort and hope purring smoothly, Athena and I set off towards Hialeah, the place where we hoped to find my family. The boat ride was bumpy, and the wind was howling, causing the boat to sway and bounce as we made our way through the rough waters. At times, I felt my heart pounding in my chest, wondering if we were going to make it through the stormy weather. As we reached the outskirts of Hialeah, we were both exhausted and on edge. The water had started to calm down, and the sun was setting on the horizon. We pulled up to the shore, and our feet hit solid ground, we were relieved to be out of the boat and back on land. Athena and I looked around, trying to spot any signs of life. We had no idea where to start looking for my family, but we both knew we had to try. We walked through the streets of Hialeah, calling out my family's names, hoping to hear a response. But all we could hear was the sound of the wind and the occasional distant barking of a dog.

After hours of searching for any signs of my family, Athena and I returned to the marina, feeling disheartened and defeated. As we approached the spot where we had left our family boat, our hearts sank even further. The boat was gone. Panic set in as we frantically searched the area for any clues. I could not believe that after everything we had been through, someone had stolen our only means of transportation. Athena and I looked at each other, both of us feeling helpless and stranded. We asked around, hoping someone might have seen something, but it seemed like no one had any information for us. I was starting to lose hope. Athena and I sat down on the dock, feeling defeated and unsure of what to do next. We talked about our options and decided that we needed to keep searching for my family, even if it meant doing so on foot. As we set out on foot, I could not help but feel a sense of desperation and fear. What if we never found our family? What if they were hurt or worse? The uncertainty was overwhelming. As we stood in disbelief at the empty space where our boat had been parked, Athena and I knew we had to produce a plan. We could not just stand there and hope for our boat to magically reappear. We decided to look for a shelter to spend the night in and continue our search for the boat in the morning. After walking for a few blocks, we found an abandoned building with an intact roof. We made our way up the stairs, and as we entered the building, we found a few old blankets and some cardboard boxes to make ourselves a makeshift bed. We lay down, and I could not help but feel grateful for having Athena by my side. We were both safe, and that was what mattered the most. As we drifted off to sleep, my mind wandered to the events of the past few days. Losing my home, being separated from my family, and now having our boat stolen. It was all too much to bear.

As we walked around the town, we asked everyone if they had seen my family. We went to different stores, shelters, and homes but no one had any information for us. We were getting increasingly frustrated with each passing minute. Just when we thought we hit a dead-end, we saw a huge gathering of people at the marina. We went closer to see what was going on, and we realized it was a boat show event. People were showing off their boats, and some were even racing them. We were curious, so we went through the crowd to get a closer look. As we looked at the boats, we could not believe our eyes. Our boat was there! We were relieved and happy to see it, but we wondered who could have taken it. Then we saw someone on the boat, but we could not get a clear view of her face, only that it was a young girl. We had to confront her and ask her why she stole our boat. As we got closer to her, we must have startled her, and she quickly jumped off the boat and ran away. We chased after her, but she was too fast, and we lost her in the crowd.

We eventually caught up with her and cornered her against a wall. It was difficult to see the girl's face because of the hood on her jacket. We asked you, "Who are you, and why would you decide to take our boat?" I yelled, confused and angry at the same time. The young girl hesitated briefly before gradually lowering her hood. I gasped in shock as I saw her face. It was my younger sister Aurora. "Aurora? Why are you in this place? What brought you here? I asked, while experiencing confusion and relief. Aurora revealed that she had been separated from the rest of us after the flood when she was carried away by the current. She ended up on a rescue boat that took her to a nearby shelter. It was there that she reunited with our parents and learned that Athena and I were missing.

As we walked towards the shelter, my heart was pounding with anticipation. I had missed my family terribly, and I could not wait to be reunited with them again. Aurora was next to me, holding my hand tightly. When we arrived inside the shelter, we saw many people huddled together, some sleeping on small beds and others sitting on chairs. We asked the staff at the front desk about our family, and they directed us towards a large room where many families were gathered. We walked in, and I saw my parents sitting on a bench. They looked tired and worn out, but the moment they saw us, their faces lit up with joy. My mom and dad hugged us tightly, crying tears of joy and relief that we were safe and alive. “I can’t believe it, I thought I wouldn’t see you guys again,” as I hugged them back, feeling the weight of the past few days lift off my shoulders. We sat down with them and talked about what had happened during the flood, how we had been separated and how we had found each other again. As we sat there, we were interrupted by a staff member who told us that it was time for dinner. We followed the crowd into a large cafeteria, where we were served warm food and drinks. It was a simple meal, but it was the most delicious food I had ever tasted. After dinner, we were shown to our own cots and blankets. We all lay down and talked about what our plans were for the future. We didn't know where we would go or what we would do, but we were together, and that was all that mattered. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about how lucky we were to have each other. The flood had destroyed our home and our belongings, but it hadn't destroyed our family. We were still together, and we would face whatever challenges lay ahead as a united front.