The Rebels (on break)

Chapter 4: Shocked Silence

Shortly after I cried my eyes out, I fell asleep in my puddle of tears.  Pathetic, I know, but I felt so upset and I couldn't put my finger on the exact reason, but still I was sad even though it looked like Zach might be coming around. 

As the sun came in and blinded me through my window the next morning, I got up so not ready to face the day. I slowly pulled the covers off to reveal my warm body to the harsh contrast of the frigid morning cold room. Ugh! I didn't know what to do about Zach this morning.  When he said talk, did he mean today? I just didn't know.

As I passed by the kitchen, Mel and my mom were watching the Morning Update. No surprise.

"You know, Ellie, they said the evacuations are going to start soon." Said my mom with obvious worry in her voice. 

Slightly annoyed by the constant "tsunami!" and "evacuation!" talk my response was a somewhat rude, "Yea Ma, I know, why don't you stop talking about it huh? They literally say that everyday and still we sit here waiting for an evacuation and no tsunami."

"Honey, I know, but this time I feel it, it's coming for real."

"Ok, well I'm going to school now. Bye guys." And with that, I left the house after slinging my messenger bag onto my shoulder.

When I got to school, the teachers seemed to be perturbed and flustered.  Nothing seemed to be going on out of the ordinary, but still, things didn't seem right among them. 

I had only ever seen this happen once.  Government workers appearing flustered,I mean.  All the government employed individuals are always stone cold and show no feeling, which is why it had been a shock the day I walked into my classroom a couple years ago, to see my instructor crying.  I had immediately ran over to her and asked her what was wrong.  Her response had scared the hell out of me at the time. But over the years I had heard worse stories, so now I don't dwell on this one.  But anyway, she had told me that day with tears in her eyes, "It's...it's my husband.  He's dead."

My face must have looked like I'd been slapped. I'd heard the stories that morning of course, the whispers.  That a man had been killed that night.  In the middle of the night by a stray bullet through a window.  Which just happened to have gone through his head.  

So when my teacher had told me that day, "He was shot! Shot on purpose! For being curious.  All he did was go to the security office and asked about the theories.  He told the officials that it made sense what'd he heard."

She sobbed and my heart wrenched.  She continued, "He said they told him to leave, get out!" They wouldn't respond to his questions.  When he came home and told me what'd happened, I knew something like this was going to happen." 

I couldn't respond to her.  I forgot how.  My tongue had gone dry and I felt sick.  That story showed me why my parents had always silenced my questions.  That was the moment that showed me why we were not to speak of such things.  I had seen how the government reacted to a whole group of rebels.  But never just one, one that was only a potential one. 

But despite seeing the teachers in a weird state as I once had, I proceeded onward toward my group's classroom.  Upon entering, I spotted Eddy and Shannon already inside, and against my brain telling me to stop going there, I scanned the room for Zach and there he was in the back, alone.  I felt sorry for him, because although he had friends and all, they didn't stick.  What I mean by that is that one month he'd be really great friends with them, and then he wouldn't talk to them for a few weeks, and then they'd be besties again.  I don't know how he could deal with that all the time like that, but hey, he did it.  Gosh he did it to me, but just...for a whole year.

"Hey, Ellie." Eddy smiled, pulling me out of my daydream.

"Hey guys!" I attempted cheerfulness. As I took my seat, the ground rumbled underneath my feet.  Startled, I looked around to make sure that just happened and I hadn't just had some kind of episode.  Sure enough, everyone was making weird looks at each other, acknowledging the weird shaking that we just felt. 

"Calm down everyone, it was probably just a minor earthquake." said our teacher cooly.  At that, the class was in an uproar.  We had learned that earthquakes and tsunamis go hand in hand sometimes.  That told us it was coming, and that it was coming soon. 

So, as usual, my teacher brushed it off like it was nothing and she just proceeded to the front of the room and began the lesson as usual.  I couldn't focus at all on the lesson she was blabbering on about as my mind wondered to end of the world thoughts. When I thought about those, ugh, my brain felt like a million pounds and ready to explode. 

Another rumble under my combat boots jostled me out of my thoughts.  Again I found weird looks around me as we've never experienced any kind of natural disasters in Birchwood.  This was all such a new concept for us.  We've read about disasters of course, but no one could fathom, even me, that we were soon going to experience one.

"Kids, kids! Settle down. Sit..down, Holden! Goodness, kids, nothing major has even happened yet. If this gets you excited and out of sorts, trust me, you are not prepared, whatsoever, for what's about to happen with this tsunami."

After that speech, we were silent.  A pin could be heard dropping from miles away, maybe even two.  It's true what they say that teenagers think they're invincible and that nothing can happen to them.  It's easy to believe that when you've never really had an opportunity for something really bad to happen to you.  But, now sitting here, having an older, wiser, adult tell us we're about to be in for a rude awakening, it's an awful feeling.

A minute after the silence became eerie, and someone's chair squeaked across the floor, the speakers throughout the school sounded, waking up our shocked minds.

Good morning, students and staff.  I have just received strict directions from the government, that we are to begin the evacuation procedure. Pause Now. Oh shit, Ma was right! I'm sure everyone has just become anxious, but no need.  We want to keep you safe, and will be able to do so as long as everyone cooperates according to instructions.  Please stay in your group.  That is imperative.  As we evacuate, you will stay with your group, and your group only.  No straying, or as I'm told, the government will see to it that you recognize your actions of disobeying the rules.  You have a few minutes to prepare in whatever way you see fit and then I will come back on the speaker with more information.  The tsunami is coming.  Please be ready. Thank you and...

Then the speaker went dead.

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