Page 14 of Waves of Fury

Seven years too soon, but you predicted the decimation of life.

Bitterness sours my tongue. It was easier believing they were crazy than accepting their fear was warranted. Fear of…this.

Dad was supposed to kill us all. That was their plan. However, the second he shot our mother in the head, the guilt was too much to bear. He couldn’t do that to his children, too, and put the gun in his mouth.

Are they watching from somewhere? Heaven? Hell? Another reality?

Are Aaron and Jesse with them now?

Am I all alone?

Someone makes a guttural, pained sound. I’m shocked to realize it’s me. The grief is threatening to drown me far quicker than any catastrophic wave.

Bile burns my esophagus. I try to swallow it down, only making myself more nauseous in the process. It’s then I’m aware of the cloying scent of marinara sauce and heavily seasoned meatballs. Absently, I zip up my satchel to keep from gagging.

Funny what you fixate on when your life is flashing before your eyes.

Like Kellen’s cologne. It smells fucking expensive. Until this moment, I always wondered what it would be like to have everything I ever wanted. Of being able to whip out a black AMEX and buy whatever I damn well pleased.

My brothers are drowning and I’m thinking about Lamborghinis.

I’m losing it. I’m losing my mind.

Another rumble of the earth has me grabbing onto Kellen again. This time, I don’t let go because I’d rather cling to my rude customer in the last few seconds of my life rather than die alone.

I’m all that’s left.

My ears pop and then I hear it.

A roar.

Softly at first and in the distance, somewhere beyond the wailing sirens.

Then the pressure in my head builds as the rush of sound grows in intensity. It takes me a second to realize the sound is from the sea.

“It’s coming,” Kellen hisses, gesturing wildly at the glass. “The water is coming back!”

Sure enough, the wave remains an imposing tower as water below it surges back toward the city. It’s like the biggest dam in the world has burst open, sending all the water in existence heading our way.

All I can do is stare, a captive to its impending wrath, unable to think of anything aside from the demise of my brothers.

There’s no way they could have survived this…thing.

It’s exactly that. A thing. Never in all my eighteen years of life have I ever read or learned anything about this. Sure, I know what a tsunami is or severe flooding. I even remember learning about Noah’s Ark on a YouTube video I stumbled upon once.

Nothing compares to what’s about to devour this city in one gulp.

Tsunami doesn’t feel like a big enough word to describe it.

Something tickles my jawbone and it takes a second to realize it’s a teardrop. The loss of my brothers physically aches. Soon, though, I’ll be gone too.

But what if they made it?

What if Aaron came back when he suspected something weird was going on with the weather?

What if they docked the Angler-traz and are sitting in our apartment, waiting for me?

I release Kellen’s arm and swipe at my wet cheek. I have to save them. I have to get to the apartment. And what about Tabby? Aaron will want me to save her too. I can grab her on the way.

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