With the recent thaw, I was beginning to worry that people would forget about the Blizzard of 2005. It defined a generation, and showed how humans can triumph especially during snowfall. Here is one tale of that triumph:

My new friends and I were stranded in the basement of Filene’s Department Store on Saturday night—the night of Blizzard ‘05. We hadn’t yet found the perfect pair of wool socks in the bargain bin, and when Phil, the night manager, said, “The store is closing,” we thought it was just a warning. Looking back, it wasn’t.

Luckily, I had purchased a journal at Borders Bookstore several minutes before so that I could document our time in Filene’s Basement. In light of the horrible weather, the experience was sure to be a true test of the human spirit.

9:00 p.m. Saturday (Store Closing) – This is my first entry into my new journal. I am very excited, for I have never kept a journal before! Shelly, Mike and Kevin (all strangers but I am sure we will become the best of friends) realized that we have been locked inside Filene’s Basement. There also happens to be a horrible storm outside. Shelly, who I won’t find attractive until one of the other males expresses an interest, cried on my shoulder when she tried and failed to exit Filene’s Basement. Mike, who is a Philosophy student at Harvard, reasoned the door was locked without even trying to open it. He is very smart. Kevin, who said, “Let me take a whack at it,” took off his shirt and tried pushing instead of pulling. Instead of admitting that it was locked, he said it might be “jammed” and mentioned that he lifts weights. I think Kevin and I are going to have some problems. He looked at Shelly and I noticed an emotional connection between the two. Shelly is beautiful.

10 p.m. Saturday – Several of us are becoming quite hungry. “I haven’t eaten since dinner time,” Mike said, putting on a wool Polo sweater. He said it was getting chilly, but the room has remained a pleasant 72 degrees since the store closed. I am starting to worry about Mike. I think this storm is getting the best of him. I am fairly certain that Shelly and Kevin have started an affair, often going to the “coat section” so that they may “talk.” If I ever make it out of here alive, I am going to ask Shelly out on a date. She’s perfect.

11:45 p.m. Saturday – The snow is still falling outside, at least that’s what the television we found in the manager’s office is saying. We also found food in the lounge. Mike called his mother and told her that he was okay. I suggested we call the manager of Filene’s to let us out of the store, but Shelly disagreed, saying that we needed to avoid a situation that would ultimately prove to be “extremely embarrassing.” She told us a heart-wrenching story of how she was laughed at in high school for a similar experience. Mike and Kevin argued with Shelly but I stood up for her, and called my original idea “stupid” and “unsafe in light of the horrible storm.” Mike and Kevin began glaring at me with crazy eyes. Shelly hugged me, and later I disconnected all of the phone lines. This was all for Shelly. Kevin caught me in the act; and, he also caught me trying to steal a cashmere scarf. He was quite unreasonable and mentioned that I was jealous of him, him and Shelly and him and his muscles. He is proving to be difficult.

Midnight Saturday/Sunday (Still in Filenes) – Kevin died.

3:00 a.m. Sunday – Shelly is asleep. She looks like an angel. Mike and I are talking as I write in the journal because I want to make sure this story of human triumph in the face of adversity is told correctly:

Mike: I think you killed Kevin.

ME: Wait, can you talk slower. I’m trying to get all of this down. Say that again.

Mike: I said, ‘I think…you killed…Kevin.’

ME: Kevin?

Mike: You’ve lost it.

ME: Humph. Well now I know where you stand on the whole me—Kevin—Shelly—blizzard, issue.

(Mike said a few incriminating things that I neglected to write down. We settled the problem with an exchange of money. Mike’s cell phone rang. Apparently he has two cell phones. I may have broken the first one with a sledge hammer)

Mike: That was my roommate. He said school is cancelled on Monday

ME: Yippeee!!!!

It was hard to fall asleep knowing that conditions outside were only getting worse, but in Mike’s arms everything just seems right.

9:00 a.m. Sunday –. We were woken up by Phil, who I guess is also the day manager. He must make a pretty respectable living. “What the hell are you all doing down there!” he yelled from the top of the escalator. Shelly immediately woke up and screamed, “We’re saved,” and jumped into Phil’s arms. Jealous, I jumped into Shelly’s arms. Feeling left out, Mike jumped into my arms. As we exited Filene’s, we were amazed by the amount of snow on the ground. Mike said, “We survived the blizzard of ’05.” I suggested Mike and I go into the T-shirt business. Shelly wouldn’t be apart of it because she would be too distracting. I started to cross the street when I heard a scream come from inside Filene’s. Phil had probably looked inside the janitor’s closet.

By : Seth Reiss