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The ground started shaking, the lights were blinking on and off, and the shelves with book and
candles lost balance and started falling. It was too late. Water started gushing in through the
cracks of the doors and walls, the roof was dripping with rain from the other night. It was
happening and there was nothing we could do.
A week earlier.
Jax! Time to eat! Mom yelled, as she stirred the pot of stew.
Sorry mom, I was just watching the news. It looks really bad out there. I replied taking
the bowl of soup with both hands, wrapping around, like a coil.
You might not be able to go to school, you know? Mom blurted as we both made our
way to the couch.
Whys that? Its not like were going to be shut in.. I turned my head to the window that
was to my left and to the left of the couch.
Oh come on, have you not seen the weather, its going to be slippery and muddy, and it
looks like the weather is really acting up.
We both watched the TV hearing what the newscasters had to say. The weather here in
Manchester was quite odd and I dont know what I could do if it went on for much longer. Every
20 minutes they would give us an update on the weather and the amount of rain we would be
getting. The ground was so wet, when you stepped, splashes of water would leap out and
drench your legs and pants.
Scientists and geologists are trying to figure out what patterns are happening in the sky
and nature that is causing what might be a record for rainfall here in Britain, the newscaster
announced, moving to an interview with Doctor Brien.
Dr. Brien was one of the top scientists in the country and probably the smartest. He
would always win awards and certificates for his great work. Everyone loved him, except my
mom.
I hate him. He thinks he knows everything and takes credit for other peoples work. He
wasnt even on the team that went to the forest to conduct those experiments. Everyone just
gives him information because theyre too scared what his agents will do if they dont give him
the credit.
Mom, do you think he will do some good.. Eventually?
No, never, ever since he got out of Harvard, hes been a little smart one thinking he can
get into any position in his field. He doesnt even like Manchester. He moved here only because
the job he applied for was researching here.
The TV suddenly started flickering going in and out of signal. The lights that hung started
shaking the bulbs were going on and off.
Mom was startled and gathered herself as she rose to her feet. I dont know what to
think of this! This is freaky, Jax, understand that this could lead to devastation if it got even more
critical. -- who knew that she would be right.
A moment late, the ground started shaking and the TV stand was quivering as the
television looked like it was going to fall. Mom rushed to it with both arms cradling it as it finally
had enough of the stand and pushed off. The ground made a rumbling noise like a monster had
awaken from inside the core of Earth. The little cracks on the wall came undone as they
emerged from solidity of the wall. It was terrifying watching a line starting from the ground and
bottom of the wall travel up the wall, parting the concrete that once made a unified structure.
AAAHHHHH! Mom screamed as my eardrum took the pain of the sound.
I was standing in shock as part of my home was falling apart.
The rest of the night was still, and the only sounds heard were the very few birds flying. I
was in my bedroom, reminiscing what had happened and what it could lead to. Crazy thoughts
came into my head like what would be of Manchester or our home if the ground shook again,
but even more. Would we be able to stop it? Could we solve it?
I eventually fell asleep, not having to wake up to the shrill scream and yell of
Mom calling for me to wake up. Boy, did I hate that, I would say that is probably the
worst part of my morning. We didnt have school since everyones houses had at least
some damage.
Good morning, greeted Mom as I entered the kitchen yawning, How are you
feeling?
I feel alright I guess. But I had this strange dream, and it was about last night. It
was almost a calling or a sign that something bad would happen.
Oh sweetie, I think it was just a fiction of your imagination and where your mind
leads you. Dont pay any mind. She came over with a pot of hot oatmeal releasing the
aroma of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, sugar, and cinnamon. I took in the smell
of the delicious air, breathing in deeply.
No but Mom, you dont understand, it was different this time. It was like a person
was creating the dream, portraying an image of what this natural disaster or mystery
would cause. Mom looked mad already so I didnt say anything. She didnt like to think
about the future, especially not about this, in that type of way.
Just eat your breakfast and well head out. I dont want to hear about it. Mom
turned around after filling my bowl with the oatmeal and put the pot back on the stove.
I needed someone to listen to me. I needed a friend who would know just what to
do. I knew just who.
Later that day, I went to Jerome to tell my dream. He would know what I was
talking about since I had had this experience before. A while back, I had a strange
dream, not as strange and creepy as this one, but it predicted all this rainy weather that
has been going on. In the dream, it showed a huge gray cloud with rain showers
drizzling down and the whole town was a puddle. Sure enough, a week later, it was
raining so much, wherever you stepped, it made a splash. The floors in the buildings,
houses, and restaurants were wet and had puddles in the corners of the structures. It
was shocking that it actually happened, not exact frame for frame, but it was very close.
He was sitting on a stone wall and looking around at the trees and nature. He
wore a red Thrasher t-shirt with cargo shorts. His skin was dark and his eyes were blue.
They shimmered in the sunlight when it was bright out. His eye;ashes were long and his
eyebrows were fleeky.
Hey whats up! Why didnt you call? Howd you know I was here? Jerome yelled
back.
I went to your house to see if you were there and then your mom said you were
here. I replied.
Oh nice, wanna go skateboarding? We could stop by my house and grab em.
No Im good. I actually came here to tell you about another dream.
Oh fantastic, I know you have weird dreams. He gave a grin, and so did I.
As you know, I am somewhat psychic and I dont know what to make of this
dream. It was like a message or calling for something.
Alright, tell me. Hopefully its not too terrible, like having the dream about all this
rain.
Well, its unfortunate to say its the opposite of good. It included all this rainy
weather, but even worse. Our homes and the city of Manchester was being destroyed by
a natural disaster.. a tsunami. It felt like the world and our home would be gone. It felt
like everything would be destroyed. The huge waves hit the city, all the monuments and
corporal buildings were washing away. My house and this park was under water and I
was climbing to the roof to get above the water. From a distance, I saw Dr. Brien
watching from his laboratory, staring through the huge open window on top of the hill,
gazing at the city as it crumbled beneath his feet.
Thats quite a far stretch to get from just this rainy weather.
But dont you think it would make sense with all this water thats been
everywhere.
I see what you mean.
A quick rumble erupted from the center of the earth as it made the ground shake
again, except even more than last night. Jerome who was once sitting on the stone wall,
had bounced off onto the ground as the thud from his weight made a dent into the dirt
ground. His face dropped as he saw a crack within the ground grow, with its rigid
margins creating a small gape into the ground. We were both on the ground and stood
up frantically, running to the hole in the ground. We were both shocked to what our eyes
were witnessing. Other people came running as they heard or saw what had happened.
AHH! a woman screamed as she ran back to the entrance of the park.
After that, we both ran back home. I was scared for what the future would hold,
and if my dream wasnt a dream. But the future.
Where have you been? Mom shouted from the kitchen as she heard the front
door open.
I was with Jerome.. Why?
What do you mean why? There was another shake and I was scared for my life.
You couldve gotten eaten up by the ground.
Such implications made me laugh rather than scared or cautious. But she did
have a point; it was quite a quiver in the earth. Im sorry mom, I had to tell him about my
dream, its an important one.
Ah, stop going around talking all that gibberish to your friends. Youre going to
make them think youre crazy. Why do you think whatever your dream was is actually
going to happen? Youve had all sorts of dreams.. Why now this one?
Mom, its hard to explain, but I have that gut feeling. She wasnt aware of my
other dream that predicted all this crazy rainy weather, but I wasnt gonna start now.
Youre staying inside for the rest of the day. Who knows what else could
happen.-- right, who knew what else could happen.
Two nights later..
The window pane was shaking and the marbles were rolling off the window sill
as I had been interrupted from my deep slumber. I adjusted my eyes to the darkness and
sounds that had jostled my dream and current thoughts. Shadows of the trees were
swaying and bending all sorts of ways as crunches of uprooted trees were getting
louder. The thunder boomed in the back, but felt like it had been hovering over the city
for hours. Rainfall clattered as all the sounds harmonized like a symphony. My bedstand
and backboard were waving like tides in the great Atlantic Ocean; it felt like I was in a
seaboat sailing. My feet were cold as they were tucked into the sheets. My whole body
was ice, even though I had five thick blankets on. The cold air weaved its way through
the cracks and tiny spaces in the wall and consumed the room temperature, eating it all
away. The moon shimmered in the early A.M. as it reflected off my dim face resting on
the pillow I was so dearly trying to fall asleep on.
I woke up to total destruction. The houses on the now non-existent blocks were
flattened, with wood frames and stocks sticking out everywhere. Glass was shattered
everywhere and the neighbors all on the street, turning every corner to find more houses
broken. Only a few houses stood, including mine. I had flashbacks from last night trying
to remember how or when this couldve occurred. How could I have slept through that
all? How was I so delirious of what the weather was doing? All those loud sound.. Not
making me jump or become wide awake? I thought to myself as a questioning look came
upon my face.
Everyones faces were blank with no emotion or reaction to such horrors lying in
front of them, a street down, two, three, and so on. I went back into the house and Mom
was sitting on the couch, watching the news. Im terrified.., she said, knowing i was
present in the house from the opening and closing of the door.
Me too, what are we going to do? Were only of the very few people whose
houses havent crumbled to the ground.
Well, Ill tell you what were gonna do, were going to stay inside as much as
possible and avoid any outside dangers there are.
But wouldnt being in here be very dangerous as well, because if another
earthquake or natural disaster happened, we could be squished and rapped under all of
this. You realize we were lucky that our home wasnt destroyed. WE couldve been like
all those people on the streets today.
Mom went back into the kitchen to cook up something. A little ray of sunshine
made its way through the kitchen window and on the tile floors of the room. My face lit
up as I noticed the glimmer of the sun. It was weird to have sun showing, especially
since it has been raining so much lately. Maybe this rain was a sign of a new change, a
good change. To my dismay, it was exactly the opposite. It was so strange to have a ray
of sunshine to just mean nothing. The weather brought more water and storms. This is
where everything was starting to kick in.
The next day was when all of it was mashed together into a huge phenomenon.
The ground shook more than other and we happened to be driving the coast to the pier.
A small amusement park was on the pier like in Santa Monica. I was in the passenger
seat looking off into the ocean seeing the waves crash down. It was a gray and windy
day; the water looked dark navy blue making the currents look aggressive as they made
splashes within the current. The waves looked higher than usual and hit the shore
farther up than normal. AS each wave hit land, it moved closer and closer to the
lifeguard house. Suddenly, the water started to pull back and the once sandy shallow
parts of the bay hiding beneath the salty water, were exposed to the air. The boats on
the shore started swaying opposite of the shore; the water pulled them into the ocean. I
could see more and more of the ocean pulling back. Mom, look it! I shouted. I pointed
my finger to window in the direction of the tides. The waves were getting bigger and
bigger as they moved toward the shore.
What is that? Mom replied. She took her eye off the road for second, seeing the
waves bigger than ever. The radio was on and abruptly switched to the National English
Channel: WE interrupt you to inform that there is a serious weather storm heading East
to Manchester shores. Anyone who is near the pier and the beach, please return home
as fast as possible. If you live near the shores and coast of the city, please get
somewhere in the city in a high place above waters. This might be more extreme if
conditions get worse. Check-in to the news for updates, stay safe everyone.
Moms face froze as she took another glance at the ocean. It got darker
throughout the minutes we were listening to the radio.
We sped back home and locked up the doors and put up any barriers that would
help, even though nothing could stop the rush of water gushing into the land. It was that
feeling of hope that would save us from who knows what. The next events made the city
of Manchester completely different.
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An earthquake erupted from the bottom of the ocean, creating cracks and faults under
the cold, dark water. It was such a huge quake, a crack from 10 miles out on the ocean hit the
dead center of Manchester, Along the way, buildings started crumbling, losing the foundation
that held them so strong and high up. Cars fell in and so did people. Alarms went off all over the
streets that you could hear it from the outskirts of the city. Water started gushing from the pipes
that ran through the buildings and under the streets. In the distance, the waves were taller than
ever. It looked almost half a mile high and its speed towards the city was almost the fastest I
have ever seen. We were on our roof, with blankets. Getting as high up as possible. The hill Dr.
Briens laboratory was on was just a few blocks away. After we heard all those noises, we went
back down through the house and out onto the street. We got in the car as fast as possible and
drove up to the hill. A shelter was made about 100 meters from the lab was built for this weather
in case it got worse or if any bad weather would come our way sometime again.
Mom and I by then moved to this shelter that was made a couple weeks ago for rainy
water. It was high up on the hill right by the laboratory of doctor Brien. We watched our last
moments of the great structured city of Manchester before consumed by the huge crashing
waves that resurfaced the land. Loud booms and crashing of glass, concrete, and brick mixed
with the flushing of water made it seem like it was the loudest place in the world. The water that
flowed was so strong, carrying roofs and cars through the downtown area. The dirt picked up by
the salty ocean polluted the current making it muddy and thick.