5.9 after midnight

Friday flash inspired by true events and spiced with flavors of fiction!

5.9 after midnight

The earth roared again; a thunder escaped its core making the night tremble once more.

Kara shut her eyes and breathed in, trying to chase away the fear.

This was the fourth strong earthquake since midnight.

Just as before she immediately looked at her watch, checking the precise time when the quake hit, repeating it several times until it was memorized. 04:33 AM. Then she counted the minutes that had passed since the previous one. Knowing that the black grip in which the dark hours had caught the town will soon be over helped her stay sane.

Kara dragged her feet to the near chair dressed in red leather and sat down. Her knees were still shaky. Her foggy, tired gaze skipped along the bar in which she had taken refuge.

There were a dozen other people also desperate to find some shelter in the solid construction of the low building. Kara thought it such an irony for the place to be named “Paradise” when outside was such a hell.

In a moment of fallen silence from beyond the walls and shared quietness in the bar Kara was taken back to the first moment when the seemingly endless horror show struck. What she found most terrifying was the sound. It threw her back, deafened her thoughts, paralyzed her limbs. It pounded inside her body, confusing the rhythm of her heart. The experience was bound to stay for years, dug into the brain like a roman name is carved into an ancient stone, slowly crumbling but never actually fading.  Remaining there until she breathes.

But what freaked her out as well as amusing her was how the earthquake knocked three times before exploding and taking over the dreams of the citizens. As if the postman from down below had a message to deliver.

Some said the Devil and his demons were coming to claim the souls of people.

Some said God had sent this as a warning for the people to reconsider their lives.

Some said Mother Nature was paying back what the humans had done to her.

The golden truth laid somewhere in between.

Kara shivered. She didn’t want game in the plans of any Gods or Devils. Such punishment was far too extreme in her opinion.

Another car dashed down the street followed by others. She snapped from her dark thoughts and listened to their honks. Kara wondered, where were they hoping to go? Did some salvation wait for them far from the epicenter?

Someone hit the brakes, squeaky tires screamed, metal touched metal and a chain of crashing cars was created. A yelled “help” escaped into the mass panic and clashed with many other shouts.

No…Kara shook her head. There is no salvation from what man has no power over. Neither from his own mind filled with the fear and insanity this event had brought.

But still there was the question – where those running the fools, or the ones staying?

Had they figure out something yet unknown to the barricaded people?

Communication was cut off, lines were long ago down; the electricity only left a flickering bulb or two, here and there. Water gazers were washing the streets, concrete blocks still flying in the air. And the monster was soon to roar again. No one was going to come. To help. What point in staying?

Kara knew that. She understood. She also knew a stronger shake was coming. But mad or not she didn’t want to leave. Not only because this was her home, her memories, her everything. She knew the golden truth was soon to be revealed. Curiosity made her stay. Belief made her wait. Denial made her want to see. So she sat in her chair, staring into the ground, hugged in solitude, caressed by fear and whispered by Death.  She begged another pray for the day to come crawling faster and prove her knowledge wrong.

All was set for when the tenth knock comes from below. Then is the hour under which melody of thunders and concrete crying they come. Awake. To devour the sinful world.