"Avi! Avi! You need to get out of that bed right now!"
"Ohhhh, Ari, get so-" that's when I felt it. I bolted up in bed so fast, my head with swimming thoughts spun.
"Avi, what is going on?" The shrill, urgent voice gave me just enough motivation to jump out of bed, onto the cold, hardwood floor. I jerked my head up, and saw the hole in our broken down house. It was night out, and the stars were flickering up in the night sky. As if each were a light bulb, and someone was just introduced to the light switch. On and off, on and off. All at different times; they are sparkling.
"I...I don't know!" I shout over the falling cans of food around me. My legs were trembling due to the shaking of the ground underneath my feet. The tearing wallpaper seemed to be tearing deeper. I was wearing shorts and a tank top, so I could see my skin responding to the violent shaking. I look over to see Ari's panicked face turn into a face I really couldn't describe. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were flying everwhere, and her clothes had new rips and tears in it.
"Hey, listen!" She bellowed over the collapsing building. I stopped my rambling thoughts, and sat down. I grabbed one of my sturdy bed's leg so I could at least feel safe and sturdy. I stopped my terror-stricken attitude, and came to a halt to listen. I don't know what I'm listening to, but I can try.
"Do you hear it? The shaking, it's rhythmic!" Squaked Ari interrupting my listening. I had to think about this for a second, and can't help to hear the rythm. I actually know what she is talking about! It sounds like foot steps. If it sounds like footsteps, then what is it then? A heck of a lot more than half of planet Earth's life has been completely wiped out, and I have a hunch to who it is. I wanted to be stumped at this horrific question, and I wanted to think it was just a normal earthquake. The only thought of millions came to mind was The Army.
"Run!" I screeched. "Run, Ari, run!!!" I shouted louder than the first time. She looked at me like I was crazy, and had a dash of fear across her face. "It's The Army, we need to..." I was interrupted by a collapsing wall in the back of the house. Ha! How lucky! We have a spare five seconds to get our butts movin'! I saw Ari grabbing a few cans of food, and I started to do the same. The whole HOUSE was quaking, and my feet were lifting off the ground with every footstep The Army takes.
"We do not have time, Avi, we need to run," she breathed out with a false smile. I know what she's thinking; we may become one of them.
"Run." We both said and we both sprinted across the hardwood floor, and dodging the piles of dust that came from the ceiling. Lucky for us, the Army usually seems half awake all of the time, and has very slow reflexes compared to ours. Alive and well humans. We sprinted out the doorway, nearly catching ourselves in it. I skidded to a stop and took in the sight of it all in front of us. A burned up city of New Albertson in the distance. The only thing between us is plagued water that we can never drink or swim across without boiling it first.
"They're going to destroy this city," I whispered to Ari taking in a realization that The Army is right behind us. "We...uh...we may die, Ari." I like to call myself a tough person, but I'm close to tears. We just might have gotten caught. Everything has their time, and that may be now.
"Don't say that," she responded in words, but her eyes say it all. I stop talking, and realize I'm whispering. The shaking has stopped. Wait, the shaking stopped? I make a dead sprint back, and I see the house is still in one piece.
"Avi, what the heck are you thinking" I hear Ari shout back behind me, but I ignore her and leave it up to her to follow me. I don't dash into the house like I originally thought of doing; I plan on going past the house to see what is behind. I slowed to a stop before I actually got to the house, and what I could from a distance, is that at least a few walls held up. I was looking through the doorway a few feet from it, and saw a moving figure. Wait, no, scratch that, two figures. They looked as if they were silhouettes in the shadows. I crept away from the figures and went to the side of the old house. The paneling was coming off, and I could see wood and insulation. I got down on my hands and knees just wanting to make as many precautions as possible. I crawled through the suffocating sand, finding it not such a good idea. I got up, and brushed the little pieces of sand off my hands and knees. Afterwards, I could see little imprints of sand stuck in my skin. I lumber across the sand as quietly I could, and discovered no way to keep quiet.
Then I felt it again, the trembling of the ground. I finally reached the end of the house, hopefully not being seen. It is not as violent as what it used to be, still there enough to startle me. I felt a hand on my back, and one over my mouth as I attempted to scream.
"Shut up, Avi! It is just me! I was going to scare you anyway when I came because you are on high alert. You would probably slug me on my cheek. I'm so sorry, but-"
"You need to just shut up," I managed to choke out while interrupting her. I broke out of her grasp, and looked at the back of the house. I crouched down, wishing a better way if doing so, and poked my head around of the corner. I choke on some sand and cough as silently as possible as I could. My legs and arms were torn up from I don't know what, so crouching made it all the more uncomfortable. I get a small glimpse of the wall, and I'm so surprised. The whole wall didn't collapse, and there is barely any damage! I shot up off the ground, and darted to the back of the house, not caring if I get caught.
