Dry

Day One: Saturday, June 4th

Alyssa’s water at home runs dry in an event known as the Tap-Out. Initially, her mother blames her father, who recently renovated the kitchen, but then they see the news on TV. Due to a new drought, water isn’t getting to California. Alyssa’s younger brother, Garrett, drinks some Gatorade from the fridge, not understanding that the family must ration supplies. Everyone in the neighborhood heads outside to discuss the situation. Later that afternoon, Alyssa’s Uncle Basil takes her and Garrett to the grocery store to buy supplies, but no water is left. Alyssa tries to find other drinks, eventually settling on ice. A man tries to hijack her cart, but Uncle Basil intimidates him and gets it back. At home, Alyssa’s neighbor and schoolmate Kelton helps them unload the ice, although Alyssa is initially skeptical of his motivations. Kelton’s family are preppers, so they already have a large reserve of water. Afterward, Alyssa and her family watch the news, although it barely includes any reports of the drought.