Tweaking Nature

It was dark in their parents’ walk-in closet; the only illumination was the daggers of light coming through the slatted double doors. Jimmy and his sister were huddled together in the farthest corner, away from the menacing light. The screams for their parents as they raced up the stairs had gone unanswered—the strange sounds from downstairs growing ever louder. Their terror-filled eyes were riveted on the closet entrance, the only thing standing between them and the unknown. Gaping, their stares were drawn to the pile of clothing at the other end of the closet.

Jimmy saw some movement inside the pile and he held his sister tightly. He could feel his sister also trembled with unknown fear. Both of them could not tell what really went around them. They could hear people screaming and running.

As usual, Jimmy and Sophie were playing hide and seek in the garden. Their mother never allowed them to play in the garden, especially in the afternoons. But both of them somehow managed to play without their mother’s knowledge.

Jimmy, as usual, climbed a tree and hid behind a thick branch. But the little girl always knew where he would be and checked him out from the place within seconds.

“You always find me out.” Jimmy jumped down. Suddenly they felt the movement of the earth.

“Run, run,” Jimmy quickly dragged Sophie and ran inside the house. With a loud scream calling for their parents, in no time they reached their parents’ walk-in-closet.

“Meow,” Jimmy heard a feeble voice from the pile. After a few seconds of struggle, a little cat emerged slowly.

“Tom,” Jimmy called the cat loudly. The little cat recognized his voice and came running to him. Jimmy pressed the little cat tightly against his chest and gave him a warm squeeze.

“Don’t worry, we are all here.” Jimmy spoke to him in a whisper.

“Let me hold him for a while,” Sophie took Tom in her hands and stroked him to make him feel comfortable.

“Sophie,” someone called from the downstairs. Jimmy and Sophie recognized the voice to be their mothers.

“We are here,” they shouted in a chorus.

“Stay where you are.” Their mother answered them.

“We will be there in five minutes.” The strange sounds from downstairs had stopped and there was silence everywhere. Jimmy and Sophie could hear loud sirens down the street and the rush of vehicles across the road. As told, their parents came after five minutes. They were relieved to see them safe inside the room.

“Mom, what’s happening?” Sophie asked her mother.

“Asteroids,” she replied in a serious tone. “Now have your food fast. We have to move out of this place as soon as possible. Uncle Henry will be here any time to take us away from here.”

“From here,” Jimmy looked at his mother. “Why, mom, where are we going away?” He did not want to miss his annual sports meet at his school.

“We have to move to a safer place.” Dad replied to Jimmy. “There will be no school for another one week.” He cleared Jimmy’s doubt. Sophie carrying Tom in her hands moved slowly to the balcony to see what was happening.

She was shocked to see the cracked roads and the broken walls of houses. Some of the houses stood there with the damaged roofs. She could not believe her eyes how nature’s fury could change everything within seconds.

After sometime, they heard the loud horn from downstairs.

“Henry has come.” Dad asked them to get ready. The stairs had some cracks in the middle and they had to walk carefully down the stairs. Sophie held Tom tightly and Jimmy held her shoulders while stepping down the stairs. It took more than ten minutes to walk down the stairs and reach the car safely.

“Emergency has been declared. We need to move away as soon as possible. Anything can happen at any time.” Uncle Henry started the car with hurry and they all left the place within seconds.

Uncle Henry had a cottage in the hills. They all usually go over there to spend their summer vacation or for some family get together. They were all lucky to have a place to escape such a natural disaster. Jimmy thought of his friend Richard who lived in the next street.

The entire road was full of speeding vehicles and everyone wanted to reach a safer place before night. There would be no electricity and they had to live in dark with the help of candles. Jimmy had read about the aftermath of earthquake. But this was the first time he experienced it.

When their car was halfway up on the hill, Jimmy could hear a roaring sound from the shore. Through the windows of the car he could see the waves of the sea high, dark, and furious with speed and enormous power.

“Uncle, I could see the waves coming in. Go faster.” Jimmy screamed with fear.

“We are safe. Don’t worry.” Uncle Henry replied to him in a calm tone.

When they all reached their cottage up the hill, they thanked God for their safe arrival on time.

With relief, mom took them inside the cottage. The humble cottage looked cozy and comfortable and far away from danger.

“Don’t let them come out.” Dad warned mom for he feared Jimmy and Sophie might want to play in the garden. 

After a few sips of hot soup, Jimmy felt relieved and happy. Sophie let Tom down on the floor. The little cat jumped on to the chair near the entrance and started to sleep once again.