To know your death approaches quickly is one thing. To accept it is another. As I sat there in that air vent, crouched over due to lack of space, and baggy eyed due to lack of sleep, I had to accept my death was going to come soon. I would not reach a ripe old age where at which I could sit on the front porch with my husband and watch our grandchildren play in the yard. I would not marry in a white gown nor have children that had my husband's blonde hair. I wouldn't even graduate high school. I would die here in this vent with Julia. That was a heavy pill to swallow. 

I struggled to heave a sigh as I thought about this while Julia spoke. I didn't want to die here. But something told me what was outside the school was not any better than what was within. I wondered if we'd live long enough to find out. I at least wanted to try and survive as long as we could in the school, regardless if it was just to postpone the inevitable. 

"Well what do you have with you?" I asked her after she finished speaking. "I mean, I know you have the hammer but what else do you have?" I wanted to see what collected assets we had before making any sort of decision or plan.