It's been two years since I have finished High-School. It has also been ten years since I left the United States. I'd been hired at a local newspaper stand and I make a reasonable amount a week. I only work a few days out of the whole week. That chilly, January morning I had fallen asleep on my futon. The previous night was New Year's Eve, and I had a party with all my friends and I had passed out when everyone left. I got up around 4 am. I remember the television was on and the alert announcement. That memorable alarm sound kept me awake long enough to listen to the alert - "A meteorite has entered Earth's outer space territory. It is heading towards the eastern Japanese coast, prepare for impact and find shelter." The lady's voice began to fade away and I drifted back to the dreamy scape within myself. For not more than two hours I was awakened by the sounds of explosions and what only sounded like missiles. I looked at the television. The alert flashed on the screen and then it sounded- "All East coast cities, ports, and villages seek shelter immediately it is goi-" Her voice was cut off, all the power across the city was off. I was peering out, it was a rainy and foggy morning for January. Suddenly a large light appeared from above. I pushed up against the glass as far as possible. Through the low drifting clouds above the skyscrapers came the meteorite that I was hearing about. My eyes stretched open as far as they could go. I watched it clip the top of a super large building and then it disappeared out of sight. I rushed around to get a few possessions in my bag and I ran down the stairs. As I got into the lobby of my apartment building, I was met with a large crowd of people. As we were slowly evacuating the building, we felt the impact of the meteorite and a few people fell over and many objects tipped over and caused a mess. As we were being evacuated, we heard from the lobby radio that the meteorite had landed roughly an estimated nine hundred kilometers from the coast of Japan. Officials said the meteorite crashed into the ocean causing massive waves, and upon that. When it crashed into the bottom of the Pacific floor, it is causing shock waves throughout the earth's crust. The earthquake hasn't reached Japan or Hawaii yet but will be within the next two hours. Many people began to wail and weep among the crowds.
Finally, I had gotten into the streets and I was shocked by the ultimate trashiness of the streets already. I had never seen a single place in Japan to be dirty and filled with garbage. All it takes is a few hours and such a beautiful city can go to hell so quickly. My knowledge had led me to go to the nearest building that was very tall. I looked for one that had a concrete base but a steel frame and build. I had finally found one and then began to gather people to take with me. We made our way to the top of the building and made it onto the roof. We set up, with what we had, a little camp on the top three floors of the building. I chose five people, all young and healthy to go and gather any food that is here and any items that are valuable for survival within the building and not to leave the structure of this safe place. With a headcount of around two hundred twenty, we were able to set up the camp in roughly twenty-seven minutes. We were very satisfied but also blown away by how well we had put this large of a containment shelter in under a half-hour.
We had gotten back to the roof of this complex and we watched towards the East Coast waiting to see the tsunami traveling towards us. About a mile from the building we took refuge on, was a cellular service tower. None of us had noticed but something sinister was brewing around us. To be more precise, it was right above us. A thunderstorm. I overheard some of the elderly talking among themselves saying they had never seen a storm this bad, not even during typhoon season at any point in their life. As we stand in the thick of the storm, we began to hear a high pitch sound piercing the air. It was so high but yet just on the level of human ability to pick up. I winced in pain and began to look around to see if anyone else had noticed the sound. Not everybody noticed it but quite a few did. Those who could not hear the sound believed that we were crazy and segregated us off from themselves. Suddenly people began to tremble and became insane. They were muttering the same phrase, "it speaks, it's real and present." At once, one after another they shot straight and stiff. Almost as if their soul drained and their body reacted to it being ripped out of them. It was far from over however, they stood up and walked to the ledge of the buildings and stood up on the edge looking at all of us. An alien tongue filled our ears in the form of a chant coming from the re-animated corpses, "Pohli augh etkho clva btuhfo" To our horror, they jumped off the building falling to the watery streets below. I walked to the edge and looked down witnessing them still falling until they hit the waters' surface. I questioned if what I just witnessed was genuine or a fragment of my imagination. I looked up in thought studying the other buildings where I witnessed other figures falling from buildings. My stomach was far too weak and I viscously vomited over the edge, adding to the mixture of liquids and garbage that filled the streets. As I was vomiting down upon the streets, I noticed that the waters that filled the streets began to move, becoming more and more violent. Within a matter of a few seconds, the strong fragrance of the sea. I shifted my head to the sea and was met with the terrifying sight of a massive tsunami wave.
I along with others started telling people to anchor themselves down to objects atop this building to help with the impact of the wave. We sat, awaiting the impending doom of the tsunami. You'll never get used to tsunamis. The sickening feeling of anxiety eats away from within your stomach until you feel the blast of the wave. Unfortunately during the blast of the wave, some elderly die from the stress upon their heart, and some young children got knocked over and tumbled over the edge of the building. This hell began within a matter of minutes ended in mere seconds after passing our building. A dark gloom settled upon me and the air felt thicker as if I was choking on air, like if I was drowning in the ocean. I went to look at the survivors that were left with us. I counted the heads five times over and there was one-hundred seventy. I was mortified how even with the idea of a safe haven from the wave, I was still not able to protect everyone. Guilt weighed upon me. A few gave me words of encouragement but I was far too saddened by this event. This was not all that shook me to the core of my mind. Pointed out to me, how clear the skyline was now. Upward of more than one-hundred buildings, gone. Never to be seen again.
We headed down to the mask shift camp we had set up earlier that day. As we recovered from the events, some of us weren't dragged down, still filled with optimism ventured down to the bottom floors to see what damage has been done. They were never seen again. Their families and loved ones cried aloud and had group prayers. They begged and begged for a search party to go down to look for their loved ones, but no one had the courage to explore down there. All those who had the courage to explore the bottom floors of the building just went down there and now are not to be seen again. These choices that had to be made to benefit the majority of the people wore us all down. A few of these characters in the group began eating non-edible items, such as desks and carpet, and chairs. Their mental health challenged caused others to lash out at others, biting into human flesh for the first time. I could no longer believe this was reality. I wished and prayed to every god that is worshiped, asking that I wake up from this hellish nightmare. I'll never wake up, it's not over for me, not yet.
I did not count the days or track the hours. I rose with the sun and slept with the moon. Our relationship was as normal of a concept I could muster to find in this disgusting world. I would spend the evenings on the roof of the building watching the sunset. I talked with the bright beauty, asking questions and telling stories. In return, I was told stories and memories of the past. All was pure until I watched a figure run past me and go off the edge of the building. Tears filled my eyes and I could not look at their passing. Behind me was a little girl, she sat there crying and sniffling. Her last protector is no more and their memories are now forever cut short. I lead her down to the camp and sat her down in my room, as I went to use the corner of the lobby we used for a bathroom. I was just about finished when I heard loud footsteps running behind me and I heard the screams of the little girl fill the building's top floor. I rushed to the room and she was nowhere to be found. I yelled out for her. No answer. I called again and yet no answer. I had this overwhelming feeling of guilt and suspicion for the dark. Eyes were upon me, I could feel their pupils locked onto me. I called out one more time and from all directions, her scream echoed out. I was filled with disbelief.
"There's no way multiple of her exist right?" I asked out loud.
I felt all this guilt until I noticed light coming from the steps to the roof. I had closed the door earlier, or so I thought I did. I crept up the filthy steps to the rooftop to discover the young girl held in the clutches of a slimy beast. I yelled at the beast to let the young child go and to my discovery, it spoke back with me in English. I was shocked to find this hellish being knew my language. I advanced towards it but sadly it threw the little girl off the edge. Murdering the small innocent soul who committed no crime against it. My knees landed upon the gravel on the roof. Tears splashed on the stones soaking down. I wobbled back up, searching for stability. I staggered towards the bastardized fish, grabbing unto it and pulling both of us off the edge of the building. I wrestled with it, keeping a firm grasp on its trapezius muscles until the crushing slam into a vehicle underneath the surface of the water.
I awoke back in that eerie blank void. This time there was a gate and a stairway behind it. A booth lies next to the gate along with a line of other souls waiting to enter the gates. Where does the gate contain? Peace and Harmony within the afterlife. However I felt a hand on my arm shaking me, I could not see the and but I felt it. Then, I awoke to my mother shaking me. I was going to be late for my last day of school before we moved to Japan for my father's job. I had forgotten the horrors of that night by breakfast and the television spoke of a religion discovered back in the 60s in the Asia region of the world. One that dates back further than Hindu disciples and those of Buddha. The name upon the statue was found deep within Thailand. The characters were translated to Thailand's alphabet which then turned into the Roman alphabet. The jumble of letters confused me, but my breakfast was much simpler and I went upon my day with a smile from ear to ear.
"The human mind breaks the barriers of right and wrong, humane and despicable and fact and lie when challenged by an event that tears apart the world you love and live within. Fear is all-powerful and inescapable." - Caleb Brockway September 27, 2021