Donald had his own difficulties in sleeping that night. Not just because of the bright lights of the shelter or people's constant voices, it was the happening repeatedly nightmare that caused him to stay awake, to fear sleep. Donald was back in his small house. He did his best to ignore the howling winds outside his window. Yet he could not turn out the fearful whimpers   of his little dog, or the uncomfortable sounds of his mother anxious in her room next door, unable to sleep through the storm despite her insistence they would be all right. Donald did not want his mother to be upset, but on some level, he was glad to hear she was awake, It meant he was not alone in the dark. Though he was 12, until recently it was impossible for Donald to fall asleep unless his mother lay down by his side. Suddenly there was a crash. Their living room window is shattered   by 125 miles an hour winds. Troy rushed to Donald and sat anxiously on the edge of his bed. He did his best to calm his mother, and she had to comfort him. Soon water was seeping   into the single floor house. Quickly it rose from ankle level to leg level. At Donald's insistence, they pushed their way through the water --- now chest high --- toward the front door. When they fought their way into the living room, water rose to their chins. It was a struggle for the boy and mother to stay afloat. In a total panic, desperate to hold on to something, Troy caught a curtain rod. She was breathing hard, shouting that she couldn't swim. Donald cried out, "Mom! Hold on!" Just then Donald also caught a floatable wood board. Which phrase can describe Troy's feelings at the beginning of the storm most suitably?
In excitement. In calm. In anxiety. In despair.