There I was, one day. I woke up to the sound of crying and screaming, my head pounding and my body aching.
As I opened my eyes, I realized I had no idea where I was. The surrounding landscape was unfamiliar, with no houses or cars in sight, just trees and injured people with cuts, bruises, and broken bones. It was like a scene out of an alien invasion movie, and I was terrified.
I struggled to stand up, my body protesting with pain. There was a faint cry, it seemed like a whisper, but it was a voice I knew so well.
I followed the sound of the familiar voice, and found my mother pinned under a piece of concrete wall. She was moaning in pain, and I could see the fear in her eyes.
"Mom, it's going to be okay," I said, trying to reassure her.
"Son, I'm okay. Find your sister and nephew," she barely replied, groaning in pain and shaking in her voice.
"No! Let me help you first." I exclaimed.
I offered to help my mom with the heavy concrete block that had landed on her leg. It looked to weigh around 50 pounds, but to my surprise, I was able to lift it with ease and toss it a few feet away. I gazed at my hands in disbelief, feeling as though I had just lifted a 10 pound dumbbell instead of a 50 pound block of concrete. My mom stared at me in surprise, despite her obvious pain.
I briefly thought to myself, what was this feeling. I felt adrenaline running through my body just now and then, I felt powerful. I didn't dwell on my thoughts because I needed to find the rest of my family.
"Go!" She demanded.
I set off to find my sister and nephew, calling out their names as I searched through the rubble. My heart raced as I searched, fearing the worst.
"Janessa! Atwaine!." I called out.
Looking around in disbelief. This wasn't a pretty site.
After about a few minutes, I found them huddled together, crying. Relief washed over me as I rushed to embrace them.
"I thought I'd never see you again," my sister sobbed.
"We're all together now," I said, trying to comfort her. We then headed back to where mom was.
"oh, my precious children." Said my mom as she embraced us with soft sobs.
"My little nephew cried as he surveyed the area. He was very young, only 5 years of age, but he knew this was no ordinary situation we were facing.
"Hey, uncle Rommie is here ok, we're strong like superman or Hulk." I said to him, cheering him up while giving him my best Hulk smash impersonation. He then let out a slight chuckle, which made me feel somewhat of a little relief.
As we sat there, surrounded by destruction and chaos, I couldn't help but feel grateful for my family. Despite the uncertainty and fear we faced, I knew that as long as we were together, we could overcome anything. Upon looking around for a while, I realized I was in what seemed to be my old neighborhood.
"Hey, is anyone there?" my neighbor, Ted, shouted from over what was his house. I quickly replied, "Yes, I'm here. What's going on?"
I made my way over to where Ted's was, grateful for his help in the past. He had always been a reliable neighbor, and I knew I could count on him in a crisis.
As we stood in what was his yard, surveying the surrounding chaos, I asked, "Do you have any idea what caused all of this?"
Ted shook his head, a look of confusion and concern on his face. "I have no idea. I've never seen anything like this before. It's like we're in some sort of nightmare."
I nodded in agreement, my mind racing with questions. Had the human race been destroyed? Was this the end of the world as we knew it? So many unknowns, and no clear answers in sight.
Despite the chaos and confusion around me, I remained focused on a task I had just given myself. I knew that every person I helped, every survivor I found, brought us one step closer to rebuilding our community. I tried to remain positive, even though I was scared and sad inside. I knew that we had a second chance at life, and I was determined to make the most of it.
Not only that, but I went around helping anyone I could help. I saw dead people, injured people. It was the scene out of a war movie. I couldn't believe my eyes, but I pressed on.
Ted was taking the lead in organizing our efforts. He knew most of the people in the community, while I only knew a handful. But I was happy to pitch in and do whatever I could to help. We all had to work together if we were going to make it through this disaster.
As we worked to gather supplies, I couldn't help but think about the future. How would we rebuild? What would our new normal look like? I had so many questions and no answers. But one thing I did know for sure was that we would get through this, as long as we stayed strong and worked together.
Ted's commanding presence was immediately apparent as he began speaking to the group. Despite the chaos and tears that surrounded him, he exuded an air of confidence and assurance. His words were calculated and precise, and he seemed to possess a natural ability to calm even the angriest of mobs.
As he spoke, it became clear that Ted was not simply reacting to the situation, but rather, he was taking charge and making strategic decisions to move the group forward. He knew that confusion would only hinder their progress, so he quickly delegated tasks to those who were able to help.
Within half an hour, the group had gathered what little supplies they could find among the destruction. It was clear that the supplies were meager at best, but Ted remained undaunted. He continued to lead the group with a level head and a steady hand, determined to make the best of their situation.
After tending to the wounded, we informed the group that they could take the rest of the day to rest and recover. I personally went to sit with my family, who looked understandably defeated and sad. Despite the overwhelming emotions that filled the air, I was filled with gratitude that my loved ones had survived.
The destruction and loss that surrounded us was palpable, and it was clear that many people had lost their family members in the disaster. Overall, the mood was heavy and somber as we tried to come to terms with the events of the day.
During the night, a terrible scream pierced the air, causing me to spring out of bed. Upon investigating, I found that a man had taken his own life with a knife. It was clear that he had been deeply affected by the disaster, with no way to contact friends or family, and the appearance of being the only survivor from his family. The news of his suicide caused a surge of panic and uproar among the group.
Ted, myself, and a few others worked quickly to try and calm the group down. Once the chaos had died down slightly, I stepped forward to speak. "I know that our lives have been turned upside down and all we see now is dust, rubble, and the natural world. But we are human, and we were built to overcome anything. This disaster will not defeat us." My words seemed to have a calming effect, and eventually, people began to drift back to sleep. However, I found it difficult to rest, as my mother was in a great deal of pain and I couldn't shake the fear that others in my family might be driven to desperation as well
First thing in the morning where we were all still gathered, I got up and went over to Ted. "Ted, let's do a head count" I said to him. One, two, three.. after checks were 200 with 50 slightly wounded and 40 in serious condition.
We hadn't really gotten a chance to do all this yesterday because of everything. The rest of us had bruises and scratches but nothing too serious.
I wondered if all this had just been a dream because I normally have crazy dreams. The last thing I had remembered was listening an app that played a specific frequency and putting my chain in my pocket, then about to lay down when I felt a force push me into the wall, and then I was out cold.
There was a lady whose son had died yesterday, who said he woke up about 5 hours before anyone. So it's safe to assume we woke up between 5 and 7 hours after the explosion. Did time slow down or anything? This was all so weird.
We made a group based on specialty or what you could do. Ted, myself and some others were thinking far ahead and thinking about survival. In all we had nurses, doctors, carpenters, welders, chefs and a few persons from the army and some guys who knew like karate or some form of mixed martial arts.
Everyone played their roles to the best of their abilities, some still helping to search for survivors among the rubble, while others scavenged for whatever resources they could find amidst the destruction.
The scene was one of utter devastation. The once-thriving neighborhood lay in ruins, with buildings and cars reduced to nothing. It was hard to imagine that anyone could have possibly survived such an event.
Despite the overwhelming destruction, there were some who had miraculously made it through the ordeal without being seriously injured, including myself. We were the lucky ones, their survival nothing short of a miracle. But for many others, their fate was not so kind.
As the days passed, we slowly began to come to terms with the enormity of their loss. The rebuilding process would be long and difficult, but we knew that we had to press on, for the sake of ourselves and the community. We would never forget the tragedy that had befallen us, but we would not let it defeat us either.
During this time, we found ourselves facing a new challenge: dwindling supplies of food. It was crucial that we gather what we could and search for more, as well as continue the efforts to find other survivors.