The Fall of Us

Chapter 9

Jesse

11:56 am

I can't find him anywhere. The gym is so crowded, I don't even know where to look. Everyone's seated, but I still can't find him. He's not in here. One of us would have found each other by now. I always feel like I could feel his presence when we're in the same room, but right now I don't feel it. Or I don't think I do.

"Owen, he's not here." I tell him to my left.

"I'm sure he is, we just gotta keep-"

"No, he's not here, Owen, I know it. We gotta go look for him." I panic.

"Hey hey hey, calm down, it's just a blackout, he's fine, don't worry. Let's just hear what Grayson has to say." Owen reassures me.

He's right, it's just a blackout. But then why do I have the feeling that it's so much more. Our phone's aren't working. A blackout doesn't do that. I've been hearing something about an EMP, but why in the world would there be an EMP?

Principal Grayson keeps trying to calm the crowd down, telling everyone that he's sure that it's nothing and that the power will be on again soon.

I check my phone again, force of habit, still nothing.

I gotta find Nathan. He could be panicking right now. No one else can help him. No one knows how to. I gotta find him now.

"Jess? Hey, calm down." Owen tells me.

I just noticed that I was hyperventilating. I guess I'm the one panicking.

"I can't take this, I gotta go find him." I stand up.

Owen grabs my arm and tries to pull me back down but I don't budge.

"Dude, we have no idea what's going on, it's better to just wait."

"That's exactly it, Owen, we have no idea what's going on!" My hands gesture around the gym, "That's why we gotta find him, he could be having an attack right now."

Owen let's go of my arm and runs his hand through his hair, closes his eyes, and makes a sound of frustration.

He stands up beside me, "Let's go then." But before I stand the ground begins to tremble. Owen falls to his knees, as well as every other person who was standing.

It was an earthquake.