Amidst the eerie stillness of the night, a sudden upheaval jolts her awake. In panic she looks around for the disturbance, the last remnants of sleep receding. The wooden floor quivers beneath her, the wooden framework creaking in protest. Then it suddenly stops. Silence. She can see the moonlight shining through the doorway, casting eerie shadows. ' What the hell was that!' she thought, her heart beating in panic, looking around, the house looks as if its about to cave in itself but fortunately it stands stubbornly in refusal. Disoriented from the sudden intrusion to her sleep, she stands up and heads outside, her backpack which she used as a pillow forgotten on the floor.
Suddenly the tremors began again with vengeance, displacing her balance, forcing her to smash into the paper wall, which immediately teared apart due to her weight, swallowing her into the other side, falling front face to the ground outside. Her ribs groaned in protest against the impact, making her feel a sharp pain. Greeting her teeth, she forced her self to look up, she saw the nearby wooden houses rattle and shake, harmonizing with the distant, unsettling rumbling as the earth convulsed on itself, weaving an unexpected symphony, turning the peaceful night into a dance of rumbling noise. It is as if the world itself is gasping painfully.
The air reverberated with a low ominous growl. Objects clattered and collided almost hitting her. She attempts to run away from the chaos but nature once again asserted it's dominance by the ground underneath her splitting apart, open like a hungry abyss. She quickly backed away. Ran to the opposite direction leaving behind a gaping chasm. The air was filled with a mix of dust and debris, making her cough, she covered her noise with her right hand while running. Each of her steps, a desperate sprint, feet pounding against the trembling ground. Fear propels her forward, muscles straining against the tumultuous backdrop. Her surroundings becoming a blur as she blazes through the debris strewn path, clumsily avoiding flying debris.
As abruptly as it began. The earthquake stops, almost making her stumble to the ground. She slowly composes herself, though she couldn't stop trembling a little. She turned around. She didn't run too far from the settlement. There's haunting stillness. She stands erect for a moment, mentally preparing herself for another tremor. Nothing came.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
After a while, she hesitantly goes back to inspect the aftermath. The dust has already settled, driven away by the wind, revealing a transformed landscape of disarray. The houses were demolished. It was nothing but ruins. The ground bore witness to newfound scars. She felt tired, hungry and dirty. Her eyes scan for a safe place to sleep amongst the wreckage. She finds a partially standing structure, offering refuge. ' Oh well, beggars can't be choosers ' she thought, letting out a yawn. With cautious steps, she approached her chosen spot. ' I wonder what caused that ' her mind was a jumble of thoughts, trying to figure out what kind of hell she landed in. ' What I would give for a goodnight sleep. What did I do to deserve this!' she whined in her mind. She came from a Christian background, though she herself was never devout as her parents and relatives, nor has she ever bothered to attend church, much to her parents silent disapproval. Maybe this was some kind of karma, coming back to bite her in the ass?
The sun cast an amber glow on the ruined settlement, waking her up. ' It wasn't a dream ' her mind commented in dismay. She was hoping it was all a nightmare. Her body felt sore from last night's event, her emotions a wreck. She remembered her backpack, forgotten in the chaos. It contained nothing but school books anyway. Walking away from her sleeping hovel. She looked around the ruins, momentarily searching for her backpack but gave up once she realised they're probably lost, buried among the piles of wood and rubble. There goes one of her only piece of connection to home.
She embarked upon a landscape that stretches endlessly. It's horizon, painted clear blue, promised tales of adventure and uncertainty. The air was filled with the scent of open fields. She was relying on instinct, guided by desire to seek civilization and possibly home amidst the vast expanse. She saw distant hills, casting a silhouette against the sky, promising potential of refuge. The ruined hamlet now a distant memory.
TO BE CONTINUED