TB Stories

Ice Cream Treasure

                        Part 2: Tremor

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Without warning, the footing on which everyone was positioned as they ate their purchases launched a workout. At first, it was jestingly trivial that one would think a weighted rig was illicitly annihilating the locale's consensus. Of course, no wonder, everyone looked around them, trying to sense the truck. But there was no lorry or what.

There was not even a split second to think of what was happening as the shuddering strengthened further. It now felt like a worldwide subterranean generator ran under the earth. The vigorous vibrations grew from the point of the road that was packed more, towards the end where Treasure and her fellows stood.

As the tremor shifted towards the less occupied part of the road, it did in a way that only the fit, strong and heavy were left standing. They were about five out of the hundreds. Even those that tried to run weren't spared from the effect. How could one even run? There was panic everywhere and it was hard to pick a direction.

The quake reached the less populous end of the way. The screams were louder and propped. Treasure had her mouth agape but not even a note escaped it.

“What's going on?!” Tina asked, her steven worried and in dread. In this emergency, there was not anything like time to process the tragedy that had hit the spot, or even the whole town. Everything was happening that speedy. Thus, no answer, and she couldn't ask again. Regardless of her age, what was happening could be understood even by a crawling tot. Let alone some of the kinda grown that crept with the notion.

Off the ground they were, in a microsecond as the intensified temblor swept in a faster manner through the earth below. Like a lightning, the shaking travelled into the neighbourhood, into the distance off the road.

Each of the four kids' eyes were widely open as they fleetingly floated off the surface onto which they'd been standing. The cones and cold creams followed suit. As Trevor's container and two of the cornucopias sprang far above their slumping figures, Treasure's ice cream was in view, literally reachable by the stretch of her lilliputian hand.

With propension, she stretched her arm for what her name did to her aim. It was falling down in a straight position while her chest and belly faced the tarmac, still on the verge of landing. The pointed end of the cone was meant to hit the ground and the pinkish-reddish creamish coronet was still unscathed.

Yes, her small digits touched the tropical end of the descending glory but as much as she tried, the pastry shell unfortunately didn't settle well in between her fingers. It whirled a bit, spilling a meagre amount of the cream onto the back of her hand. She was auspicious though, because she managed to hold it finally with the right touch enough not to break the cone.

The sound of bodies landing on the ground was an indicator that this was not some kind of illusion or dream.

“Whoa!” The boy reacted.

“Ouch!” Next was Tina.

From the rest of the area, the screams and cries couldn't stop. Whines and wails. It was hard to mediate. Treasure's eyes could not switch for anything. She saved her ice cream and it still stood in between her digits. Her nostrils flared now and then, her eyes widely open, staring at the symbol she held. The unforgiving heat from above was long gone. But the surface below their physical frames so warm. Anyway, none of them was onto their feet yet. Even the explorative Trevor.

Many peeps still lay on the ground. Some on their backs. Some on their sides. Some were adrenaline crazy and they'd perhaps reached home yet they were on their bellies not many minutes ago.

The ice cream vans still maintained their firmness as if nothing had fussed the owners. Or else, they would have driven away immediately, something that was far from possible. No, not with the frames that still flocked the zone. Not with the awe. Not with a shudder this strong and fast.

Still on the ground, Treasure managed to blink. All the gratitude ascended to the heavens. She was still alive. She lifted her neck, pivoting it to check on the souls she'd been having a good time with. They all looked at her, their countenances smudged with quandary, overpowering fright and wonder.

What had just happened? What next? How were they going to reach home?....Wait, how did Treasure remain with her ice cream?

She was the oldest here and guess what? She had a small period space to answer all these questions, let alone that she hadn't been asked. What if the second round of the mishap finds them still glued to the same location? East or West, home is safe.

Her face slowly swirled to have another stalled watch at the already melting top that was wetting the coronet walls. Her eyes dampened too and as the warm liquid started its stream over the lower end of her eyes.....

“Hi Treasure.”