Torrent

V - Mortality

Sleeping on a bench may not be the most comfortable experience there is, but it's better than to sleep on a soaking wet, dirty floor. I haven't felt the warmth and comfort of my own bed in months. Hana has nested herself under my arm, I had to ensure she wasn't freezing.
Rubbing my eyes, I threw a swift look around the restaurant: The gaping hole in the glass wall was closed off by a few guests leaning some furniture against it, which prevented us from freezing to our deaths during the night.

Faintly, I stood up and tried to wake up Vasili and Linus. Both of them were huddled together as the radiators at the restaurant weren't the newest ones.

"Vasili!"
"Yes...?" he whispered, as not to wake up his grandson.
"Is it okay if I turn on the news?"
"As long as you do it on a low volume, fine."

The TV was a rather small one, with the remote nowhere to be seen. Thank God that there is always a power button and other controls on TVs. Flicking it on, I switched quickly to the local news channel to see what disasters were looming over us today. I wonder how they could still broadcast.

I couldn't comprehend the horrors I have just seen.

"Vasili! Linus! Wake up, everyone!" I yelled at the grumpy citizens, as I turned on the news channel to full volume.
"What are you yelling for?"
"Shut up! The crisis is getting worse!"

"As observed by a foreign broadcasting group, our country has seperated itself from the land masses beneath and is now drifting into open water.
The Torrent has now reached critical levels, everyone on the moving landmass is now in severe danger. The airport network is now readying several airplanes and helicopters, which will take off at various intervals once they are at their maximum passenger carrying capacity.
This will be the last broadcast sent from this channel, please locate your closest airport and take off as soon as possible.

There is hope left for our citizens. Act now, or face the dangers of Torrent."

Everyone was petrified.

We were heading into open water and relied on aircrafts for our survival, our situation kept getting worse and worse.
We didn't know what to do anymore.
I felt like vomiting.

"Ilesha?" Vasili said, frightened. I have never seen him as deeply shocked as today before. Linus' face was stained with silent tears, Hana was crying.

"Relax, guys! Nothing will happen to us. You will find an airport and fly to safety."
"Us? Ilesha, what about you?" a guest asked.
I knew I had to stay there to look for the citizens, as the last remaining overseer of the town. Fleeing was not possible, at least for me, because I couldn't imagine me continuing being alive knowing that at least one friend of mine was gruesomely killed. I had to ensure they all stayed alive.

"I will stay. For as long as possible, making sure everyone reaches an airport."
Hana flinched, Linus stared at me in shock.
"But... you're going to die!" the little girl suddenly burst out. She was visibly concerned about me, even if she only knew me for half a day.
"I won't, I promise. I am staying so no one else has to die."

With that, I gently brushed over her hair and pressed her close to me. Her heart was beating silently, but at least I knew she was still alive.
The sun gently threw its rays across the street which gave me a glimmer of hope.

Not one more life would be lost.