Julianna was the first to notice the tremors.
It was very slight at first, in fact she didn't really realise the earth was shaking until the vibration knocked her off her feet onto the floor.
She could feel the tremors thrumming through her fingers as she pushed herself up off the dirt.
Julianna called over to Sabrina Blacklock, Maddie's mother and Julianna's distant aunt, who was scouring the lake edge with a stern expression.
They'd been looking for over an hour, and there was no sign of either Alysha or Nyx. Luci was long gone as well.
"Hey, can you feel that?"
"Feel what?" Replied Sabrina curtly.
Her question was answered seconds later as the earth shook like a small boat on a stormy sea, sending them staggering and stumbling to the ground.
"Earthquake?"Asked Julianna breathlessly, fighting to stand.
Sabrina swiftly nodded, reaching for her niece. "We have to get out of here, it's not safe. Not so close to the lake."
The lake was visibly displaying the full force of the quake, waves created by the vibrations splashing along the surface, churning like a witches cauldron. Water flooded the banks, soaking the earth around.
Julianna nodded, clinging to her aunt for support, who was calling over to her husband a short distance away.
And then, before her eyes, a patch of ground behind some close knit waterside bushes, sank down into the earth with a mighty rumble, making her shout out in surprise.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Her aunt hissed. "No panicking, it doesn't help. It's some kind of underground stream or tunnel or something caving in, so we have to proceed carefully, okay? It's very dangerous and it could happen again."
"I wasn't panicking, I was just surprised." Grumbled Julianna, then stopped. "Wait, like an underground cave system or something?"
"Water eroded tunnels. It happens. Come on, we have to go!"
"So potentially, there could be a cave system under the lake, like the one the New York institute said was involved in Maddie's accident."
"This is all very interesting, but let's discuss it where there's not a risk of dying, okay?"
YOU ARE READING
Reflections of Dawn
FanfictionA Mortal instruments fanfiction. The third installment of the 'Reflections of Night' series. Sebastian is evil again. kind of. Nyx is also having some 'issues'. Sort of. Maddie's coma, the unity of the Clave, the peace of the Shadow world... Everyth...
