Hyrule's Vengeance: A Modern LoZ

Chapter 4 - Black Morning

Zelda's alarm goes off and the first unusual thing she notices is that there is no day light. One would like it was an overcast day, only it's pitch black, like the dead of night.

"Did I set my alarm for the wrong time?"

She checks the clock but it's flashing different numbers. She flicks on her lamp but it doesn't turn on. She tries the overhead light and still nothing. She opens her window and her jaw drops at the sight. Thick black clouds fill the sky and there isn't light in sight. Not a street lamp, a window or a nearby building. She would think her window was painted black expect for the breaks in the clouds where they perhaps become less dense.

"Why is it so dark?"

She takes her flashlight and peeks out through her door, the door making a creaking sound as she slowly opens it. Her door always made that sound, but this time, it makes her feel uneasy. The back up generates are on, creating a dull glow down the length of the hall. She sees nothing except what looks like the silhouette of a person.

"Hello?" she says, still halfway in her room. She stares intently at the shadow and then suddenly the figure runs down the hall in the opposite direction as her. She jumps as her heart begins to race and her stomach sinks. She turns to get her cell to call Crue but the building begins to shake and then her instinct changes from calling him, to running to him instead. She grabs a flashlight in her nightstand and leaves.

By now the dorm is filled with people trying to flee, everyone stumbles and trips over each other in the dim light. Zelda watches as a a girl that's in her math class gets trampled alive. Zelda decides to take the tunnels. It was a great option. While it is darker, there are less people. The faster she can get to the boys' dorm, the better.

"Crue? Crue, where are you?" Says Zelda coughing through her words. She didn't realize the gravity of the situation until she notices the boys' dorm has a collapsed roof with debris laying everywhere. Now she is worried and the urgency of making sure Crue is alright is real.

She runs inside but she isn't able to get very far. There are a flock of people headed for her.

"I'm going to be trampled if I don't get out of the way." She looks from left to right. A giant book case has tipped over. Quickly she climbs on top of it, holding on for dear life and waits for the people to evacuate the building, watching to ensure Crue is not amongst them. She gulps. She isn't sure if that's good or bad news. When the herd passes, she climbs down and moves further into the dorm, she heads down Crue's wind and runs until her lungs burn and she doesn't stop until she gets to his room.

She puts her hand on the door knob, but it's locked.

"Just my luck here today," she says and then she bangs on the door.

"Crue! Are you in there?"

"Zelda, is that you? You need to help me!" The voice is muffled and hard to hear over all the commotion, but she is confident it's him.

"Crue? Is that you? Hold on, I'm going to try to open the door."

Zelda looks around but she doesn't see anything that can help her. She runs back down the wing and does a double take as she passes an open door. A beam that looks like she can manage has fallen down. Worth a try. She runs in the room and grabs it, her only focus on getting to Crue that she doesn't even notice the person in the bed who has been crushed by the fallen ceiling, the only thing visible is their feet.

She runs back to Crue's room, backs up and charges at the door. After a few attempts she gives that up and opts to go Neanderthal style as she strikes the door knob with the beam until it falls off and the door unhinges. Holding her breath, she slowly opens the door and instantly locks eyes with Crue. A part of the wall has fallen on top of him, pinning him on the floor. She fears his legs are crushed.

"Oh my God, Crue," she says running to his side.

"I think I'm ok," he says coughing from the dust that is settling. "This fucking wall has me pinned and I don't have the space to maneuver into a better position to get it off me. Do you think you help?"

"Of course," she says. "Just tell me what to do."

He is quiet for a moment.

"Crue?" she says.

"Zelda, I want to give you a heads up. There is something here that's going to be difficult to see."

Her eyes fill with tears. "It's not you, is it? Please say it's not you."

He shakes his head but then Zelda notices that Crue is looking at something behind her. She follows his gaze and gasps as she puts her hand over her mouth.

"Zelda, please try not to look."

How can she not look at the person behind her who's has been crushed by a giant beam revealing only the chest down as they lay belly down in a pool of blood.

"Please tell me that isn't Luke," she whimpers.

"I'm sorry," says Crue as he chokes back his own tears.

Luke and Crue have been best friends all through high school. They advocated very strongly for the two of them to share a room together. They are inseparable. To be with Crue, was almost like being with Luke. But Zelda never minded, only smiling at their brother-like friendship. She can't imagine Crue going on without Luke. Then there is Adriannah...

"Zelda, I know how difficult this must be but right now we have to get ourselves to safety first."

"But–"

"Zelda!" he yells jolting her out of grief and fear. "Help me out of here and then we can find Adriannah and get to safety."

She nods. "What do I do?"

"I need you to lift up this wall just enough so I slide out but you're not going to be able to lift it. I doubt I would be able too but you might be able to use that beam as leverage. Find a place to slide the beam in and then push down on the beam. That should be enough room for me to get out."

Zelda walks around Crue looking for what he said but another tremor catches her off guard and she falls over, using her arms and hands to shield herself from falling debris.

"Zelda, are you ok?"

"Ye-yes," she says thankful that the tremor wasn't as intense as the last but then fearful a more forceful one is in the near future. Better get Crue out as soon as possible. When she steadies herself, she finds a little opening like he said.

"Did you find anything?" asks Crue but she is too focused too talk.

She grabs the beam and shifts it this way and that until it slides in then she leans on the beam, practically lying on it, to get all her weight on it.

"I feel it lifting!" he says just a little more.

"Arrgghh!" she screams, giving it every ounce of her strength. It works and Crue is able to slide out. He stands up and sighs a breath of his relief that all his extremities are intact, albeit a little bruised. He really wasn't positive that something wasn't crushed.

"Crue?" she says running up to him but her pace slows and her eyes rolls back. Crue moves quick to catch her.

"You must have over exerted yourself," he says brushing her hair out of her face. He puts her on his back and carries her out of the dorm and heads to what he prays is safety.