SNC

The Pool

As the wind blew through the pool area, it turned the pages of Bianca's book causing her to look up in annoyance. As she did she was greeted with the warm sunlight that weaved its way through the pool's leafy canopy. While not too many people were there, that didn't stop the area from being filled with life. Couples drinking on the pool's edge, a group of girlfriends laughing playfully at the far end of the pool near the entrance, and her family at the other. Her husband Marcus, standing tall, tossed a ball over to their son Beu who in turn did a trick shot and hit the ball over to their daughter Lily. Lily attempting to be like her brother, hit the ball over and out of the pool.

"Noooooo." Marcus shrieked dramatically, gaining a laugh from both of the children. Beu climbed his way out of the pool and made chase after the ball, that was rolling its way toward the field beyond the pool. As Bianca watched her family play, she was interrupted by her bookmark flying out of her hand, flying off like the butterfly drawn onto it. Getting up she went after it, following it to the other end of the pool away from her family. She watched as the small piece of paper made its way under a small table against the back wall. Once she had held it in her hand she attempted to stand up and ask her husband a question about lunch when her head hit the table with full force.

"Ow!" She grunted aloud, standing while rubbing her newly found head wound. As she did though, she felt a shaking under her. At first, she thought it was her until she heard glasses on nearby tables shaking as well. Looking up through the canopy she could make out the sight of birds flying overhead, wildly flying in any and every direction, as their calls seemed to turn from songs to warnings.

At that moment, Beu had finally gotten the runaway ball into his grasp, as he picked it up, he looked out through the archways that separated the pool area from a small field. He looked over the field and past the hotel's brick wall to see many trees shaking harshly in the distance, as though being run into.

"Dad?" He said, getting the attention of his father and sister in the process. As even Bianca looked over to where her son was, she could see Lily grabbing onto her father's arm in fear. Everyone else around the pool looked past the trees as the area became void of conversation. Soon the sound of great movement could be heard close to the wall and before anyone could ask questions, they had answers. A wave, practically a wall of water standing 10 feet high, threw itself over the barrier. Bianca's eyes widened as a level of dread she had never known consumed her.

"MARCUS THE KIDS!" She yelled as loud as she could to her husband. Marcus quickly turned back to Beu who stood frozen in fear at the field's edge.

"BEU!" He yelled as he watched the wall of water consume his son. The older people in the area who saw the wave attempted to run, with those who didn't being knocked off their lawn chairs and swept under the new sea. Marcus swept up Lily in his arms and tried to flee the onslaught of the ocean, however, the both of them in the pool weren't able to escape the speed of the wave. That was the last Bianca saw of her family, with Lily's screams being the last Bianca heard. As the wave grew closer to her, she braced herself in the fetal position, her book held tightly in her chest, as she said a soft prayer under her breath.

"Que Dieu nous aide."