Nature's Comeback

5- Danger

Having already practiced so many times, the children knew the drill. They all filed in two lines and started moving downstairs at a fast pace yet without rushing or pushing each other.

Rewa was ahead, leading the group while Sarah was at the last, holding the hands of a confused Sameera.

"Wh..what's happening?" Sameera whispered, as the alarm kept blaring loudly.

"Something has gone wrong. So just shut up and follow us quietly. You can pull whatever antics you want after we have evacuated the building safely," Sarah answered in a sharp tone.

They reached the fifteenth floor through stairs and walked towards the elevator.

"Shit!" Rewa cursed as the elevator showed no signs of working.

"The whole floor seems empty," thirteen year old Manav, commented.

"Let's hurry down the stairs. Maybe we would find someone on the way," Rewa said in a hopeful tone and they all hurried back to the staircase.

All the floors were empty, yet they could hear loud noises of footsteps running.

"Looks like others started running way ahead of us," Dhruv, an eight year old, spoke, while breathing heavily.

"Terrace doesn't have speakers. Maybe they all were informed about the mishap before the alarm rang," Jhanvi, an eleven year old, informed. without looking back at Dhruv, who was three steps behind her.

"And they didn't bother looking at terrace because no one was stupid enough to go there at the time of disasters," Sarah indirectly taunted Jhanvi for her idea.

"Don't come at me. Even if I was the one who suggested, you all were the ones who readily agreed. So it's not my fault alone," Jhanvi counter-backed.

"Stop fighting and listen. There's some unusual sound coming from there," Sameera said while pointing towards the other side of the long corridor.

It didn't take long for everyone to find the reason behind the alarm. A huge force of water came flowing, taking down everything in the vicinity.

"What the-"

Everyone stood still for a second, frozen with shock. Looking at the water speedily coming towards their direction had shut their minds.

"RUN," Sarah screamed, being the first one to come back to senses.

Her voice brought everyone out of their shock and they hurriedly turned to run.

"No no no, not downstairs. Water will run in that direction and we will be drowned in no time. We need to run back to the upper floors," Rewa spoke.

This time they forgot all about the perfect lines and ran to save their lives.

★★★★★

"Let me go inside. The research was something I was working on for ten years. Let me get it out," a man screamed while other researchers stopped him from going inside.

"What will be the use of your research papers if you wouldn't be alive to turn them into reality?" Questioned another researcher with a cry, understanding his pain fully well.

"I promise I will come back. Nothing will happen to me. I also know swimming," the man made excuses so that they would let him go in.

"First of all, it is not possible to swim at that force. Secondly, it is not only water. There's live current flowing within. You will get electrocuted even if one drop of that water touches you," another researcher shook that man, in hopes for him to get back to his senses.