"Crisis Point"

Hours had passed since the tension-filled conversation, and the atmosphere in the house had only grown more strained. Chris and Nicole were still arguing, their voices raised in a heated exchange. Sevian and I exchanged a worried glance, and I could tell he was just as concerned as I was. Dante, who had calmed down earlier, was now getting restless again, whining about being hungry. I got up from the couch, trying to distract him. "Let's go check if there's something to eat in the fridge," I said, hoping against hope that we might have something leftover. As I opened the fridge door, my heart sank. It was empty, just like it had been for days. I felt a familiar sense of frustration and despair wash over me. How were we supposed to survive like this? I closed the fridge door and slumped against the counter, feeling defeated. Sevian got up and came over to me, putting a supportive hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Ash," he said softly. "We'll figure something out." But it didn't feel okay. It felt like we were on the brink of collapse, and I didn't know how much more of this we could take. I sat down at the table, trying to think of what to do. The argument between Chris and Nicole had escalated, with Chris's voice rising to a shout. "You're always so negative, Nicole! Can't you just try to be positive for once?" Nicole's response was shrill. "Positive? You're the one who's always promising us the world and then delivering nothing! You're a failure, Chris!" I felt a surge of anger at her words, but Sevian put a restraining hand on my arm. "Don't, Ash," he whispered. "It's not worth it." Dante, still whining about being hungry, tugged on my hand. I stood up, trying to think of what to do. We couldn't just sit around and starve. I looked around the kitchen, feeling a sense of desperation. Where were we going to get food from? As I stood there, trying to come up with a plan, Chris and Nicole's argument finally seemed to be winding down. They were both slumped against the counter, looking exhausted. But the tension in the room remained, a heavy weight that seemed to press down on all of us. Sevian and I exchanged a glance, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing: we needed to get out of here, find some food, and get out of this toxic atmosphere. But where were we going to go? And how were we going to make it work? The uncertainty was suffocating, and I felt like I was running out of options.