NEWS REPORTER (O.S.)
...unexplained earthquakes have been reported across the city, with no signs of letting up. Scientists are baffled by the sudden...
The newscast's urgent tone cuts through the quiet, the images of destruction on the TV sending a shiver down Si-woo's spine. He sets the spoon down, his appetite forgotten.
SI-WOO
(whispers)
What's happening?
The room starts to tremble, the walls pulsing in time with his racing heart. The TV wobbles on its stand, the picture flickering with the intensity of the tremors.
SI-WOO
(shouts)
Mom!
Mrs. Park rushes in, her eyes wide with fear.
MRS. PARK
(panicked)
Hold on, Si-woo! It's another earthquake!
The house groans around them, the floor buckling like a ship in a storm. Si-woo clutches the bed frame, his knuckles white.
The tremors grow stronger, the very foundation of their home seemingly crumbling beneath them. The TV topples, the screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks.
MRS. PARK
(screams)
Si-woo!
The floor gives way, sending Mrs. Park tumbling towards the door. Si-woo lunges, his hand grasping hers just as the world outside their window lights up with an unearthly glow.
The room is bathed in a pulsating blue light, the sound of a monstrous roar drowning out the news broadcast. The house shakes violently, plaster raining down like confetti.
SI-WOO
(choking on fear)
What is that?
Mrs. Park's eyes are glued to the window, her grip on Si-woo's hand unyielding.
MRS. PARK
(shaky)
I don't know, but we need to get to the basement. Now!
They stumble out of the bedroom, the hallway a nightmare of shaking walls and swaying lights. The house feels alive, a beast in the throes of death. They make their way down the stairs, each step a battle against gravity and fear.
The living room is a minefield of debris, the furniture a jumbled mess. The chandelier crashes to the floor, showering them with shards of crystal. Mrs. Park's grip on Si-woo's hand tightens, her eyes never leaving his as they navigate the chaos. The roar outside grows louder, the blue light pulsing through the cracks in the walls like the heartbeat of a monster.
Mrs. Park's foot catches on a piece of splintered wood, sending her tumbling. Si-woo's heart lurches as he tries to hold on, but the force is too much. They're separated, the earthquake's fury swallowing the space between them.
MRS. PARK
(screams)
Si-woo!
He reaches out for her, his voice lost in the cacophony of the world falling apart around them. The floor splits open, a chasm forming between them, swallowing everything in its path.
SI-WOO
(desperately)
Mom!
Mrs. Park slides closer to the edge, her eyes wide with terror. Si-woo's hand grabs onto the banister, his muscles straining as he tries to pull her back.
MRS. PARK
(voice shaking)
Hold on! I've got you!
With a superhuman effort, Si-woo pulls his mother closer, the gap between them narrowing. But the earth has other plans. The chasm widens, a maw of destruction that seems to laugh at their desperation.
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The house groans, a symphony of splintering wood and shattering glass. A beam from the ceiling crashes down, aiming straight for Si-woo. In a flash of instinct, Mrs. Park throws herself in front of her son, her body a human shield.
SI-WOO
(screams)
Mom, no!
The beam impales her, the sound of snapping bones piercing the air like a gunshot. Her eyes, once filled with terror, now hold only pain and love.She cups her sons cheek with her hand.
MRS. PARK
(whispers)
I... love you...
Her body goes limp, the light in her eyes fading. Si-woo's world narrows to the weight of his mother's lifeless hand in his. The house continues to tremble around them.
SI-WOO
(screams)
Mom! MMMMOOOOMMM!
The school had emptied out, students and teachers alike fleeing the tremors that had turned the classrooms into a labyrinth of fear. Ha-Yoon had stumbled into the bathroom, the tremors echoing through her as they had through the halls. She clutched the sink, her heart racing, the porcelain cold against her palms. The fluorescent lights flickered, casting a sickly pallor over the tiles. The mirror reflected a girl who looked much older than her six years, her dark cream hair plastered to her face with sweat.
The earth's groans grew louder, the walls cracking and groaning in protest. The sink shuddered, water sloshing out of the basin. Ha-Yoon's eyes darted to the door, the frame warping as if the wood was alive and trying to escape. She knew she had to get under cover, but her legs felt like lead. With a gulp, she crouched down, pulling her knees to her chest, making herself as small as she could. The world outside was falling apart, but in this tiny space, she had a semblance of control.
The floor trembled beneath her, and she felt the cold tile bite into her skin through her skirt. The bathroom's usual smell of soap and bleach was overpowered by the scent of dust and panic. She pressed her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the screams and the crashing sounds that grew closer. Her eyes squeezed shut, she whispered a prayer she had learned from her mother, hoping it would shield her from the horrors beyond the stall.
The lights flickered erratically, throwing monstrous shadows that danced across the floor. Each time the lights dimmed, she held her breath, fearing the darkness would swallow her whole. The mirror above the sink rattled, and she watched the cracks spread like a spiderweb, the reflection of her terrified face distorting until it was almost unrecognizable.
The door to the bathroom burst open, and Ha-Yoon squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the worst. But instead of the panic of her classmates, she heard the frantic footsteps of a teacher, Mrs. SEUL, the school's English instructor. "In here," she called out, her voice shaking almost as much as the ground beneath them. Mrs. SEUL looked around wildly, her eyes locking on Ha-Yoon's. "You need to get under a sink," she instructed, her voice firm despite the chaos.
The little girl nodded, her legs wobbly as she stood up. She stumbled over to the nearest sink, the tiles cold and unforgiving under her bare knees. Mrs. SEUL helped her into the fetal position, her hands gentle but urgent. The teacher's eyes were wide with fear, but she managed a small smile, whispering, "You're so brave." Ha-Yoon didn't feel brave; she felt like a scared rabbit caught in a hunter's snare.
The earthquake grew stronger, the walls shaking so violently that plaster rained down from the ceiling like a deadly snowfall. The mirror above them shattered, raining down in a cacophony of noise and danger. Ha-Yoon covered her head with her arms, the sound of breaking glass a symphony of terror. Mrs. SEUL pulled her closer, her own body shaking with the tremors of the earth.
In the distance, the sound of the school collapsing reached them, a thunderous crescendo that seemed to shake the very core of existence. Screams and cries for help filled the air, a chorus of despair that was abruptly silenced by the relentless roar of destruction. The world around them was a maelstrom of chaos, a dance of doom that had no intention of sparing them.
With a deafening crash, a wall gave way, the bricks and mortar crumbling like cookie crumbs. The force of the collapse sent Mrs. SEUL flying across the room, her eyes wide with shock. Ha-Yoon watched in horror as the teacher's body was crushed under the weight of the rubble, her hand reaching out in a silent plea for help that would never come. The air grew thick with dust, obscuring the grim scene from view, but the echo of her pain remained.
The earthquake had turned the school into a tomb, each classroom a silent testament to the innocence lost. The once orderly corridors were now a jagged maze of destruction, the walls adorned with the twisted remains of lockers and bookshelves. Ha-Yoon's heart raced as she crawled through the debris, the taste of dust coating her tongue. The screams of the trapped and the injured were a mournful symphony that haunted her every movement.
The tremors grew more intense, the ground beneath her shifting like a living beast. With a final surge of strength, she managed to squeeze out from under the wreckage of the bathroom stall. The floor heaved, and she felt her consciousness slipping away. The world around her grew darker, the edges of her vision blurring into a sea of black. Her breaths grew shallow, her thoughts fading into a distant whisper.