Chapter 12
Annabelle's story
The rain is coming down hard, and the shopping district's starting to get quiet.
'Cough, Cough'
"Okay, I will tell you a portion of my life story, but I won't be able to tell you my whole story because if I did, we would never go home today."
"What? That sucks, man." Kyo says.
"If you are going to tell us a story, I would at least like the full story." Kyo leans back in his chair and raises his arms behind his head."
"It's fine; I already know that even a small part of her story will be very interesting."
"Shall I get started?" Annabelle asks, adjusting her posture and clasping her hands on the table.
"This story begins when I am 45, and the war has just started."
"I was in Iceland in 2044, just when the war was starting…"
"Wait, why not Japan?" Kyo suddenly interrupts.
"Good question, and that is because I was out getting married for the third time in my life."
"Third time!" Kyo stands up and slams his hand on the table, puzzled by what he has just heard.
"Yes, I was married three times."
"May I ask what happened to the first two marriages?"
"Well, one is self-exploratory; we just weren't a good fit, and the second marriage, I had a miscarriage."
"Oh, sorry." Kyo slumps down back in his seat, ready to listen again.
"It's fine," Annabelle says with a smirk.
"Okay, where did I leave off…"
"Iceland." Says Mei.
"Oh, right."
"Me and my soon-to-be husband were up in Iceland getting ready for our honeymoon…"
"I still remember the day everything went to hell…"
Day, December 2, 2044.
"Honey, isn't Iceland beautiful!" Says a younger Annabelle, hugging her fiance.
"It sure is." Her fiance smiles.
"I am so glad I saved up everything to be able to afford this trip."
"It truly is a remarkable place."
"Even better when we have a child along the way."
Fiance bends over and rubs Annabell's belly.
"Ha, Ha." Annabelle chuckles.
"It kicked me just now. Did you feel it?"
"I sure did." The fiance replies.
"Man, the place we are staying at is sure pretty."
"Yeah, this cabin fits perfectly on a small hill with no cities surrounding us, and we get a perfect view of the Northern Lights."
"And there isn't much snow right now."
"Okay, it's starting to get cold now, so we should probably head back inside, honey, " the fiance says.
"Honey, did you forget? There is supposed to be a shooting star appearing any minute now." Annabelle smiles up to the sky.
"Oh, how could I forget? But you know that was just a rumor."
"We don't actually know if there will be a shooting star tonight."
Fiance wraps his arm around Annabell's shoulder, and they wait patiently for the shooting star…
"Okay, this is where the story starts to get a bit graphic, so tell me to stop now if you don't want to hear the rest of it."
"Oh, now I definitely want to hear the rest of it!." Kyo shouts.
"Quiet down, Kyo; let's just let her finish and save the questions for last."
"Yeah, I know, but isn't someone being a little too–quiet?" Kyo glares over at the son.
"Just let him be Kyo," Mei says with frustration in her voice.
"Uugh, fine," Kyo grumbles and leans back in his chair again.
"Okay, I warned you guys." Annabelle starts to get serious again.
Several minutes later…
"Honey!" Annabelle points up into the sky.
"Honey! Do you see that? Is that what I think it is?"
"Oh, you might be right, dear."
"Look, there it is, the shooting star."
Annabelle opens her eyes…
"Only at the time, I wished it was actually a shooting star."
"Hmm?" Kyo tilts his head to the side.
"What do you mean you wish."
"I thought it was a shooting star?"
"Uuuuh, Kyo, connect the dots; if it's not a shooting star, then what is it."
"Ummm…" Kyo thinks for a few seconds…
Then Kyo comes to the profound realization of what it actually is…
"Ah, it was a bomb, wasn't it?" Kyo's face saddens up.
"That's right," Annabelle says.
The room went back into silence, and Annabelle started her story again.
Annabelle and her fiance watch as the 'shooting star' falls out of the sky.
"Hey, shouldn't we make a wish now?" Says Annabelle, overly excited.
"Of course we should." Says her fiance.
Annabelle puts her hands together, closes her eyes, and starts to make a wish.
The 'shooting star' closes in.
"Hey, what do you think we should name our son…"
"Hey, honey, is a shooting star supposed to be getting closer like that?"
"Hmm?" Annabelle opens her eyes and looks up.
"Woah." Annabelle's eyes widen in shock.
Annabelle and her fiance stare down the 'shooting star' as it starts fastly close in…
"Honey… Honey, that is no shooting star!"
'BOOOOM!'
"Honey!" Her fiance screams in panic.
"It was fucking bomb!"
The bomb hit a small mountain, creating a massive explosion and sending vast gusts of wind.
'Ah, it's so strong, it feels like I'm going to fall!'
"Don't worry, honey, I got you!"
'I feel the heat from the explosion from here, making it hard to breathe, and I feel my hair tingling all throughout my body.
"Why would someone send out a bomb?"
"Honey!...Honey!"
Her fiance is staring at the big cloud of smoke that formed from the bomb.
"Yeah! Yeah! We must get out of here and fast!" says the fiance.
"Right, we need to find help!" Screams Annabelle as she starts to run…
'Huff, huff, huff'
'Fuck! I just ran like I forgot I was pregnant… goddamit, I'm starting to feel lightheaded.
"Honey?!...Honey! Are you okay?" Shouts her fiance as he puts an arm around her waist and keeps her up.
'Huff, Huff…'
"No, I don't think I will be able to continue running," Annabelle says, trying to keep herself from passing out.
"Okay, just hold on then! I will get us out of here!"
'Huff'
'Huff'
'Huff'
As the two of them try to escape, they feel something move below their feet.
"Honey?...Honey? Is the ground shaking…?"
"Shit, we just can't catch a break, can we." The fiance says.
"It's an earthquake." The fiance says, trying to keep his cool.
"Earthquake!" Annabelle says.
The fiance starts to look down at his feet…
"Honey, I think the ground is starting to break!"
"What! The ground is splitting." Says Annabelle.
'Rumble, Rumble…'
The ground starts to break even wider apart, making Annabelle fall in.
"Honey! Honey!" The fiance shouts as he starts digging with his bare hands, and tears storm down his face.
'What the? It's dark; it feels like I'm being crushed by a thousand pounds…'
'I can't breathe, it's so exhausting, my eyes feel heavy…'
'Murmur!
'Murmur!'
'It feels like someone is trying to get my attention, but I don't have the strength to respond.'
"Honey, don't worry, I will get you out!" The fiance shouts.
"Dang, that's terrible." Kyo interrupts.
"Hmm?" Annabelle says.
"Uuhhh, Kyo, just shut your mouth! She is trying to finish her story!"
"Tccchh." Kyo closes his eyes and tilts his head back.
"Okay, can I pick up where I left off?" Annabelle asks.
"Yeah, go ahead," says Kyo.
I have to admit this story is bizarre. I can't believe I'm hearing it from someone who experienced the start of this war firsthand.
"Okay, I was at the part where I pretty much passed out, right?" Says Annabelle.
"Yeah, you were." Says Mei.
"Right… then jump right back in then." Says Annabelle.
'Weewoo, Weewoo'
"Huh?" Annabelle's fiance lifts his head at the sounds of the noise.
"Is that sirens!"
'Weewoo, Weewoo'
"Yes… Yes it is!" Annabelle's fiance stands up quickly, trying to flag them down.
"This is Iceland's New Military and Medical team! If you are a survivor out there, please start shouting!" A military person says through a megaphone.
Annabelle's fiance starts running in their direction like a hopeless zombie trying to get their attention.
"Help! Over here! Over here!" The fiance begins waving his hands in the air…
As the military starts to get closer, they realize that a person is waving them down.
"Hey! Do you see that sergeant? It's a person I see a person waving us down!"
"What? Let me see!" Says the sergeant.
The lieutenant hands over his binoculars to the sergeant.
The sergeant takes a look through the binoculars. "Ah, you are right! There is someone over there. Let's head over there immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" All boarding people shout.
"We see you out there!" The sergeant says as he yells it through the megaphone.
'Huff'
'Huff'
"I think they finally see me now." The fiance catches his breath.
The fiance notices a car coming over the hill a few minutes later.
"There they are…" The fiance sighs in relief.
The car gets closer. It looks like a camo Land Rover with two doors in the front and a big trunk in the back, and it has an Iceland flag at the top of the car.
"We're here!" The sergeant yells as he jumps out of the Land Rover along with his other team members.
"Geeze, what happened to you? It looks like you just rolled through a pile of dirt." The sergeant says.
"That's because I did! I need you to save my wife! She is trapped under the dirt! Please get her out!" The fiance says as he tries to control his breathing and tears to explain the situation.
"Okay…Okay, I think I get it now." The sergeant says.
"Alright, you guys hear that! We must save this guy's wife at all costs!" The sergeant screams at his team.
"Yes, sir!" They respond.
"Oh yeah, I don't think I ever got your name; what was it?" asks the sergeant.
"My name! Worry about saving my wife; then I will tell you my name!" Yells Annabell's fiance.
"Okay, okay, we have a deal, alright." the sergeant smiles.
"Okay, status report!" Yells the sergeant.
"I think we got her!" Yells a lieutenant.
"They found her?" The fiance asks, worried.
"I believe they did." Says the sergeant.
"Yes…Yes! Thank you so much!" The fiance falls to his knees.
"Okay we got her out!"
"Great, put her in the Land Rover, and let's get her some help!"
"I don't know, boss, she doesn't look like she will make it."
"Make it? No, she has to!" Yells the fiance, his voice breaking.
"Calm down and just hop in the Land Rover already." The sergeant grabs the fiance and throws him in the Land Rover.
'Huf'
'Huf'
'Why does it feel like I'm moving? Was I passed out? My breathing still feels really heavy; it feels like my body has been crushed by thousands of pounds.'
"Sergeant, look, her eyes are opening! Don't worry, honey, we're getting you help immediately!"
"That's great, honey."
The Land Rover continues down the road that broke down to the nearest rescue camp.
Chapter 12 End