Zodiac Story

Commemorate This August Era With Five Azure Storms Part 2

Running over to the stairs, Yǔfēi unlocked it, and rushed down as quickly as possible. As she descended, the sound of rushing water started echoing. By the time she was on the ground floor, the water was a roaring echo and she heard voices on the other side of the metal door. Opening it, Yǔfēi was greeted by about forty or fifty people banging on the entrance doors. She scrambled for the key, and found it. Unlocking it, she watched as they poured into the lobby along with the floodwaters. It hit her in the face and sloshed against the walls until it settled to roughly waist deep levels. Everyone was soaking wet and bedraggled. Her clothes clung jealously to her body.

"Thank you. Do you live in this building?" An elderly woman asked.

"Yes." Yǔfēi pointed at the stairs. "I can show you the way to the top of the roof. My apartment can fit everyone while we wait for evacuation. Follow me!"

After some grumbling and realising that the water is slowly rising, everyone decided to follow her. The stairwell echoed with the sounds of people young and old. There were some babies and children crying, and occasionally one of the elders fell, to be supported by any of the adults nearby. Once Yǔfēi unlocked the door, they all flooded in. Some of the adults were gaping at the myriad ink wash paintings and terracotta pottery. There was a group of children trying to pet Ménmén, who decided on slapping the children's faces with his tail.

"Ménmén, don't slap people's faces!"

"You talk to your fish?" A young woman asked Yǔfēi. "Isn't that a little weird? From my experience, only crazy people talk to animals." She stared at both Yǔfēi and Ménmén with more than a hint of disdain.

"Yes I do talk to my carp, and he makes for a great listener. Now excuse me while I call for a helicopter to evacuate us all, including you, to a safer location."

She dialled the task force's phone number. "Hello, this is Huá Yǔfēi."

"Ah Huá Yǔfēi! You're the one who called about the Calamity."

"Yes. I need a helicopter or a small airplane. Anything that can fit on the roof of my apartment building and can seat forty to fifty people." She counted everyone. "Make that forty seven people. Currently, they are in my apartment after fleeing the rising floodwaters. I'm in Gaoqiao, in the building spray painted blue." That needed to be cleaned after this.

"Alright, I'll send over a small airplane. It should be there within the hour."

"Thank you."

The sound of a wail broke through, with everyone staring at the source of the commotion. Yǔfēi pushed through the crowd. There was a man and woman comforting each other.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"I can't find my son! Where is he?" The woman yelled for her child. "Báizhú! Báizhú!"

Soon, more people were shouting for their children, begging anyone nearby if they had seen their children. Overall, there were two boys and two girls missing. Yǔfēi tried to look as well, but the only children she spotted were already with their parents. Suddenly, there was shouting at the window.

"Báizhú!" The woman in a drenched shawl shouted. "He's over there!"

Everyone gathered around the open window. Near a small balcony a few blocks away, the four children were stuck on a small sheet of metal, which was slowly dislodging from the balcony. Around them, the floodwaters were at full power, pushing against anything in their way—be it cars, people, or trees. Most of the parents had entered a fit of despair, and some were thinking of how to get their kids back. Yǔfēi was taking her jacket off. She kept the amulet though. It seemed...right to have it. She walked to the edge of the pond, where Ménmén swam up to the glass. He stared worryingly at her.