The Wave

I stared with horror at the growing tsunami before me. Its immense height and intimidating power captivated me as I stood in front of a hundred-foot-tall watery monster. The frothy-white crests at its top, like millions of squirming fingers, seemed to beckon me.

I barely acknowledged the hundreds of people around me, panicking, screaming, and running in all directions. I slowly took a step backwards, turning around and joining the havoc.

The wave was still hundreds of yards away. I knew a nearby building where I could escape the inevitable surging currents, escape the coming destruction and devastation…it was close enough, but so far that if I were to have any chance of reaching it in time I would have to stop for nothing.

Behind me and to my left, a piercing scream met my ears, so loud that it caused me to stumble. I turned around to find a little girl, no older than four, laying on her back and writhing in pain. When I jogged closer to investigate, I realized that no foot should ever have to face the way that hers had been forced.

Tears of fear and agony trickled down her face as she gazed into mine. “Help me,” she whispered. “Please.”

The noise around me died away, until nothing was left but this little child’s plea. I gritted my teeth, knowing the sacrifice it would cost me, and carefully picked up the little girl.

I ran as I had never run before, gliding over the sandy beach swiftly, taking the equal of three bounds at a time.

Quickly, I reached the edge of the beach and galloped onto the road, dodging between cars and ducking under low bridges. The girl, clinging to me desperately, cried out with fear as I was almost run over by a colossal Ford.

Water began swirling around my ankles, a herald that the tsunami was still ever chasing me. I ran all the faster.

After what seemed an eternity of running, I saw it — the enormous skyscraper where my father worked.

Standing in the door of the building, as if he’d expected me, was my father. He must have had heard of the tsunami. When he glimpsed my face, it lit up with relief, and his outstretched arms beckoned to me happily.

I was only yards away from safety when a giant explosion shattered my world. The jolt was so huge that the little girl was flung from my arms with a desperate cry.

I was thrown to the ground, and I unluckily landed on a sidewalk curb, facefirst. My nose crunched unpleasantly underneath me.

Blood pouring down my face, I stumbled to my feet and tried to remember where the little girl had landed. As the waves around me grew disturbingly larger, I looked desperately for the innocent child.

And there she was, ten feet away, trapped underneath a giant slab of asphalt. She wasn’t crying, but as our eyes met, she sent me a silent plea…

Without hesitation, I hurried to her side. I dug away the broken, crumbling asphalt hastily, but I knew I would be too late. Still, I struggled to free the poor child.

A horrible, thunderous roar rumbled behind me, and I knew that the wave was upon us. Closing my eyes helplessly, I turned around, put my grimy arm around the little girl…and prepared myself for the end.