The DollHouse

Chapter Thirteen

I don't sleep very well that night. No surprises there. I get up so early that the sun has to be more than an hour away from rising. The silver light through the curtains tells me the moon is still out. I don't bother opening the curtains since there is no point, and by the time the sun has risen, I've no desire to see it when the weight of Jules' absence is resting so heavy on me. I don't even turn on the light, but eat my breakfast in deliberate darkness.

Clay is eating by my feet, purring, when his ears suddenly prick up.

"You okay, boy?" I ask him, remembering his reaction to the earthquake and wondering what it is his sensitive cat ears are hearing.

He whips his head up to stare at me, his eyes unfocused and unseeing. I feel the pinprick of fear in my gut and start to stand up.

Suddenly he growls, low and long. I hold out a hand to him, but he flinches. He growls again, but this time it ends in a frantic mewl. He races to the door and starts clawing.

I stare at him for one long second before my brain snaps into action and I jump up, knocking my cereal bowl flying. I pick him up - a difficult feat in itself - and run out the door, not yet sure what I'm running from. The ground starts to shake, a low rumble, but it doesn't feel quite like an earthquake.

Out in the corridor, I see what my covered windows had hidden. I freeze, looking down at the view below me. The building shakes gently, but enough to make me stumble. I clutch Clay, who mewls pathetically and struggles. He is turning from a smart wild-cat to a frightened animal. I don't blame him, since I'm feeling much the same. I run to the fire stairs, not trusting the elevator.

I glance outside again as I pass the corner window. The sea of greenery far below ripples, as if it is quivering. But really, it is speed that I am seeing. Speed as the jungle creeps over buildings and winds its way through the city, taking over and crushing everything beneath its path.

It is impossible, but it is happening. Twice now, the jungle has done the impossible. First it was dying, shriveling unnaturally fast. Now it is out of control.

Clay climbs up onto my shoulders and clings painfully to my skin. It hurts, but it frees me up to move faster since I'm no longer lugging an awkward weight in front of me. We sprint down the stairs until I am puffing uncontrollably and wishing that Clay could carry me instead. My legs feel like water and my throat burns from razor breath when I finally reach the landing, but I made it and that's all that matters.

Outside is a different story.

The jungle hasn't reached my building yet, since I'm so close to the center of the city, but I can see it in the distance. It writhes and slithers like a living animal. From my birdseye view, I have already seen that it is coming in from all sides. The only way out is by flying, so I aim for the airport, thankful that it is still so early that most people are still asleep. Or, if they're awake, they haven't left yet. I will be one of the first, and so I might have a chance of evacuating before the escape paths become cluttered and messy.

I think briefly of mum and Jules. It hurts, but there is nothing I can do for Jules, and I left too quickly to remember to bring a phone to call mum. I didn't realise I was running out the door to evacuate, or I might have taken a second to pack some essentials. But then, a second might have been too long. Luckily, mum will be priority evacuation, so I don't fear for her as much as I'm currently fearing for myself.