The Town I Used To Know

Atoi's POV

Another peaceful day in this blissful town, where the cool breeze flows through your hair, the smell of the fresh blue ocean, sun shining so bright with the seagulls screeching their reverberating call, nothing terrible has ever happened in this small town.

Just like any day, I revisited the beach, walking along, I could feel the soft smooth sand under my feet, it reminds me of when I was a baby, when my mother would dress me in these warm wooly boots, which is one of the many reasons why I love the beach.

I’d come to the beach alone as it’s my resting place, to have a little me time after countless hours babysitting my little brothers, those two can be such a handle to deal with, running around aimlessly, shooting each other with nerf guns, throwing water balloons at each other, splats of paint everywhere, mess! Heaps of mess just caused by those two little rascals!!

So whenever I get the pleasure to relax from babysitting them while my parents are gone, I use it selfishly. 

Relaxation to me is being by myself, at the beach feeding my senses with all the textures the beach has to offer…

Today, something is off, it doesn’t feel like any other day, it’s leaving this aching pain in my stomach, like all my insides are dropping. 

Something isn’t right, the waves seem angrier, more aggressive, I have never seen the ocean behave in such a manner. I stood up, my heart pounding, pounding faster than it ever did before.

Loud flashing red lights flashed the entire town, I watched as the colour circled across my eyes, I heard the town folks leaving their homes, staring directly past me with expressions so petrified I can’t even explain.

I turned around to get another glimpse of the ocean I once knew, it was like staring at a wall, the water had risen above our small town, waiting to collapse upon us all…

“RUN!!” I heard, my feet were trembling, but I had to move! 

I felt someone grab my hand and brought me out of that trance.

“Sweetie, are you hurt?” she asked, I rubbed my eyes as my vision clears up and it was my mother.

“I’m fine momma, what’s happening?!”

“A terrible disaster, your father and brothers are on their way to safety so we must hurry!” 

My mother took my arm and we both ran as fast as we could, my eyes kept lingering around, people were running, panicking and even trapped, I felt my lips quiver as a loud crashing noise corrupted my hearing.

My grip on my mother’s arm tightened as muffled screams of people I once knew were ringing in my head, my eyes began to swell with tears, why is this happening?

“Just a little further ok? We need to start climbing.” I wiped my eyes with my yellow cardigan and began to climb following my mother’s lead.

I heard the oceans roar once more as my mother and I reached the top of the highest point in this town. I'd never thought I’d never be so happy to see my brothers as I tackled them down, embracing them.

I wrapped my arms around my whole family whilst looking at the town I once knew.

No longer peaceful, no longer will I feel the sand again, and no longer will I ever see those people I grew up knowing…

This is my small town now, smaller than ever, with only 38 survivors, we decided to rebuild our town on higher grounds, hoping that nothing like that ever happens again.