The After Effect (NaNoWriMo)

Part 1

A cool wind blew through Auckland, New Zealand; people lined the streets as they walked to their destinations.  Mothers and fathers held their children’s hands as they crossed the busy streets.  The birds chirped loudly as the sounds of children gleefully playing was heard from the park.  

“Mummy, come watch me play on the monkey bars,” a child excitedly said, grabbing their mother’s hand and leading her over to the play equipment.

The mother watched her child, pride swelling in her chest as her son learnt something new every day.  She watched him show her how he could swing, his sandy blonde hair blowing in the wind as his shirt fell and covered his face.  Walking over to her son, the mother helped him off the bars and fixed his shirt as he tried to squirm away.

“That was very good,” the mother smiled, hugging her son.  Taking out her mobile phone, she noticed that she had no reception but thought nothing of it.  She took a photo of her child and watched him play some more.

Sitting on the park bench with the other mothers, a slight tremor ran up her legs from the ground.  She thought nothing of it until it happened again, this time feeling stronger.

“Did anyone else feel that?” another mother asked, looking around the ground and then to the other adults.

“I did,” a father replied, holding his sleepy toddler close to him.

The ground shook again, this time harder and for longer.  The mothers and fathers looked at one another, “Earthquake,” they said in unison, fear present in their eyes and voices.

They called their children over; taking their hands they started to move away from the park and the danger of having a tree fall on them.  The ground shook again, knocking people over as they lost their balance.  Children fell, some starting to panic as they saw the fear radiating from the adults.

The ground shook again, trees fell as people screamed and ran for safety; for some it was too late.  Tremors ripped through the ground, not stopping for anything or anyone.  The intensity was growing, the sound of glass breaking and shattering was heard, signs fell and trees were uprooted from the ground.

People were panicking; the ground was shaking so harshly no one could stand long enough to take a step.  Skyscrapers and buildings started to collapse, buckling under the strain as they were ripped apart.  Parents held their children close to them, comforting them as they watched the destruction around them happen.

Fires sprung up, raging with intensity as the sounds of sirens rang through the air, almost at a deafening volume.  Smoke gathered in the sky, thick and black, buildings and houses toppled over, not sparing those below.  Cracks in the earth started to appear, ripping through the river and sending water out in all directions. 

The ground was shaking violently; the trees were creaking and snapping.  The mother looked above her and saw that the tree was about to give at any moment.  Without a second thought, she covered her child’s body with her own and blackness overtook her.

People were screaming, crying and calling out for their loved ones as they knew that the earthquake may take them at any moment like it had the mother who died protecting her son.  The smoke started to fill the lungs of the people, they coughed trying to clear it away but it was of no use.  The whole island was shaking, buildings everywhere were falling and no one was safe.

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Across the ocean, in Sydney, Australia, a storm was raging.  Thunder roared as lightning filled the sky.  Hail the size of golf balls raced toward the ground, hitting the people below, knocking some of them out and injuring others.