Drop, drop, drop!
Rapidly, water races towards the pavement below my feet and drenches Maria - my little sister - and I in a cold liquid, making a loud crashing sound as it reaches its destination. The chilled air prickles against my skin and causes the hairs on my arms to stand up on their hind legs: searching, reaching, for any sign of warmth.
Why didn't I bring Maria's jacket!
I quickly take Maria's small, soft hands into my own and hold onto them tightly, pulling her closer to my chest as I do so, so that she can access the little heat that it provides.
"Are we there yet?" Maria whispers weakly, trembling from the cold.
"Yeah, not long now, sweetheart." I try to sound reassuring, "Not long now."
As ice fills her lungs, her breaths start to quicken and a white cloud leaves her mouth every time her chest falls and rises. Her hands lose their mobility like a machine gun runs out of bullets, turning black and blue as all of the warmness inside of her fires out of her body. Once bubbly and bright, her beautiful hazel eyes have no sign of life left among them and the sparkle that was there before the storm has lost its existence completely.
I can't let my little sister die. Not here, not now, not ever. I need to find some shelter.
My eyes dart back and forth, left and right, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that could keep Maria and I safe. Suddenly, I spot a small building a few hundred yards away from where we're standing that has a continuous bubble of steam flowing from the chimney - emanating a bright glow in the dark, crowded, water-filled sky above us - and begin to jog over to it, slightly dragging my sister along behind me. I look over my shoulder to check up on how she's coping in this frozen weather and what I see sends a wave of horror and melancholy into my body.
Her usually rosy-pink cheeks are now a pale-white colour, replacing the light and happiness she brings me with tenebrosity and sadness. Her lips are shaking rapidly and are escalating from a beautiful coral to a perishing lilac within only a few seconds. Her ears turn to a crimson hue like they've just burst into flames, and the fire can't be put out.
No! I can't lose the only thing in my life that's worth living for! I can't do that! No! I can't!
With water threatening to spill down my face, I gently pick up Maria with both of my hands and begin to run towards the building that is now not so far away.
"Come on, Maria! Stay with me! Please..." I sob into her chest loudly. "Don't give up on me just yet! Please!"
Finally, I reach the building and knock on the door. At first nobody answers, so I stand there patiently. Then, after a few long minutes of waiting in the downpour, I take another look at the helpless little girl lying in my arms and knock again, not caring anymore whether or not I'm disrupting anything.
Please. Answer the door. Answer the door!
Just as I'm about to turn and walk away, I hear a click and see a blonde-haired girl standing there with a friendly smile on her face, "Would you like to come in?"
YOU ARE READING
The Natural Disaster
Short StoryA teenage girl and her younger sister get caught up in one of the biggest tsunamis to ever occur. They only have each other and can't imagine their world apart. What risks will they have to take? What dangers are out there trying to take their lives...
