An Unnatural Disaster

The sun was slowly rising over the hills of Wellington. Sunlight poured into the room illuminating everything it touched causing Dawn Austin to make a violent grab for the curtains. Dawn was a young girl of 13 with long red hair that was usually tied back in a high ponytail. She lived with her mother Olivia and father Mark.

Dawn clutched the curtains and pulled them shut. Letting out a long moan she rolled over into her pillow and laid in bed for a few minutes before deciding to get up. She pushed the covers down and swung her legs out of bed, slipping her feet into pink fluffy slippers she ran her hands over her messy ponytail. After pulling on a dressing gown and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Dawn reached for her phone.

"Did I really sleep in until 10 o'clock?" Dawn exclaimed to herself as she unplugged her phone and unlocked it. She checked Facebook, collected her daily reward on Tapped Out and read an article on the blackouts occurring throughout New Zealand. The power outage was very strange considering how advanced the technology was. This puzzled Dawn so much that she decided to take a nice bubble bath to clear her mind.

*

The smell of star fruit and white orchid lingered in the bathroom as Dawn blow dried her hair. Her long red hair was flying all over the place when suddenly the lights went out and the hair dryer abruptly stopped and Dawn was plunged into darkness. Dawn stood petrified, surrounded by pitch darkness. Dawn extended her arm and slid her hand along the cool surface of the tiled wall and strained her eyes to make out any objects in her way. She could see the outline of the shower and sink and a rectangular outline...the door. Dawn rushed towards the door and slammed her hand onto the smooth, round handle. She twisted it and yanked the door open. The light from the hallway was blinding at first causing Dawn to stagger a bit.

"I have to find my parents." Dawn thought to herself and then sprinted towards their room but no one was there. She searched the house from top to bottom in rooms that they might be in. She checked the patio, kitchen and the bathroom before finally going back to her bedroom. She entered her room to see her mother pulling clothes out of the dresser and her father standing over a suitcase, stuffing clothes into the bag. She stood in the doorframe in bewilderment.

"What are you guys doing?" Dawn was puzzled by what she was seeing.

"We have to leave. Now!" Her father replied as he zipped up the suitcase and grabbed the empty backpack that lay on the floor. Dawn was extremely confused about why they had to leave and whether it had anything to do with the power outage. Her father squeezed passed her and started towards the kitchen. Dawn remained where she was, perplexed by the events of the day.

"Dawn. Darling." Her mother spoke in a calm voice but her tone couldn't hide the panic in her face. "Can you please go help your father? I know this is all very confusing but we have no time to explain." Dawn looked at her mother with a startled expression. It took a few moments for Dawn to compute what she had heard but a second later she was running towards the kitchen. When she entered, she saw food strewn across the floor and her father going through the pantry.

"Ah Dawn. Can you empty everything from the fridge into the backpack please?" He said urgently without even glancing at her.

"Umm yeah, sure." She muttered as she swung the fridge door open. "Dad, does this have anything to do with the power outage?" Dawn asked as she threw a bottle of water into the bag.

"These aren't normal power outages. A strange high pressure system is heading our way but it doesn't look normal. I believe that a storm is coming and when it hits, it's not going to be good."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother and I believe that it is going to rain acid." Colour was slowly draining from Dawn's face. Her parents were meteorologists and they had never been wrong before. Dawn sat in silence with her father for a few minutes before her mother came bustling into the room. Dawn's father jumped up with a start and faster than a cheetah chasing it's prey, they were out the door.

*

Salty sea water splashed against the side of the boat that the Austin family now sat in. Dawn sat clutching her mother's soft, warm hand as her father sped away from the coast of Wellington. Dawn stared off into the distance where a large, slightly green cloud was forming. Her mother and father were right, something terrible was coming. A single tear rolled down Dawn's cheek as she looked up at her mother.

"Are we going to be alright?" Dawn stared into her mother's eyes.

"We will always be safe, as long as we have each other." Her mother replied with a smile. A sudden sense of relief filled Dawn's heart and she felt at peace. Somehow she knew that she would be alright. She had brilliant parents that always knew how to save the day and keep her safe. Her mother gave her a tight hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"Go to sleep." She said softly.

Filled with relief and warmth, Dawn closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the sea and slowly, she fell asleep.