First Tremors

Chapter 3: First Tremors

Nonetheless, the air became heavy with a palpable worry. Ava stood near Lucas, breathing tight, her pulse racing from the turmoil at the command center. Echoes of shouts and alarms assaulted her ears, blotting out all other sounds. For a split second, it felt as if the entire planet was holding its breath, waiting for something to crack.

Thereafter, it arrived.

The ground shifted beneath them with a low, guttural rumbling that echoed through her bones. Ava's gaze shifted to Lucas, who had also frozen, every muscle in his face tightening. His voice, which was typically steady and certain, trembled. "is this…?"

"sure." Her voice dropped to a whisper, and her heart pounded against her ribs. "It's starting."

The quake intensified, rocking the ground and pulsing underfoot. Windows in nearby buildings rocked and smashed, showering glass like fatal rain. Humans flooded out of buildings, their expressions marked with perplexity and panic. The city she had known her entire life began to shift, transforming into scenes from her nightmares.

She turned to Lucas and gripped his arm. "I should pass. Elenashe is at her lab all over town."

He nodded, the old command in his eyes softening, but only little. "Get to her." "But, Ava..." He hesitated, the weight of unspoken words hanging. "Be careful."

Ava did not need to be informed twice. She grew and took off, navigating through the growing mob, her attention fixed on Elena. Each step brought recollections of her visions flooding to the floorhouses collapsing, the earth splitting open like a wound. She tried to shake the photographs, but they stuck to her, sharpening into the terrifying realization that this was only the beginning.

As she ran, the streets changed. The formerly familiar roadways were distorted and shattered. She tripped, catching herself before falling, and the tremors made her course unpredictable. Cars were crowded on the streets, sirens blasting and engines revving. Drivers yelled out their windows, panic constricting their voices. Pedestrians tripped over each other, grasping something regular as the sector twisted beneath their feet.

Ava's pulse accelerated as she approached the bakery she and Elena frequented every Saturday. Its sign swayed perilously, swinging with each tremor before crashing to the pavement below. A tremor erupted once more, stronger than the last, and dwellings creaked with dreadful stress. She pushed forward, weaving through the chaos, her breath catching with each step.

"Please keep going," she said to herself, her gaze fixed on the remote define of Elena's lab. Her thoughts were interrupted by another, harsher quake, and she or he tripped, catching herself just before hitting the floor. She lifted her head to see a small woman standing alone in the street, her face twisted with horror.

Ava's pulse raced, and she dashed to the woman, bending down. "Hey," she murmured softly, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "where's your mom?"

The female pointed to a grocery store across the street, where people rushed out, pushing and tripping over one another. Ava's eyes flickered between the child and the cascading mayhem around her.

"allow's locate her, okay?" She grabbed the lady's hand and pulled her closer to the business, helping her through the throng. In the end, a frantic voice called out, "Emma!" The woman's face brightened up as she dashed to find her mother among the crowd.

Ava came to become, breath caught in her throat, as another tremor struckthis time with such force that she fell to her knees. She climbed back to her feet, her eyes fixed on the laboratory only a few blocks away. Her thoughts were drawn to Elena, her best friend, the only person who had known her throughout her entire existence.

"Grasp on, Elena," she said, racing faster. With each stride, the gap appeared to widen, as the community around her descended farther into anarchy. Dust filled the air as partitions shattered and chunks of concrete came free, cascading down onto the streets below. It had become an echo of her worst nightmares.

Finally, she arrived at the block where the lab was located. Her heart fell as she saw the structure looming ahead, with sections of its design beginning to shatter. People are driven beyond her, desperate to get away from the breaking floor. Her instincts told her to go in, but something in her gut advised her to be cautious.

"Elena!" Ava was famed for pushing through the rubble and smoke that filled the air. Her words seemed feeble, drowned out by the roar of destruction all around. She avoided moving, stepping over broken beams and smashed glass, her gaze narrowing as she approached the front door.

The skyscraper groaned, its metal structure bending under the pressure. Ava gritted her teeth, her steps becoming faster and more purposeful. Then she discovered Elena, stuck behind a falling beam, attempting to free herself.

"Elena!" Ava slid down next her friend, greedily clutching her hand. "Are you ok?"

Elena's eyes, which were generally dazzling and steady, had turned wild with fear. "Ava…what's occurring?"

"The nightmaresthey're actual." Ava swallowed, her voice quivering as she tugged on the beam, attempting to free her friend. "We want to get out of here."

Elena winced, attempting to carry herself, but the weight of the beam held her down. "I knew something had changed," she muttered, pain etched in her face. "however I didn't…suppose it'd be like this."

Every other tremor rattled the earth, and Ava tried to stay upright, feeling powerless as she fought against the beam's weight. Her mind raced, and a sinking realization crept in: she won't be able to lose her friend in time.

Just as she felt the panic rising, a strong pair of arms appeared beside her. She looked around for Lucas, her face determined, and kneeled all the way down to help.

"Let's lift it together," he said, his voice calm and controlled despite the commotion around them.

Ava nodded, bracing herself. "On 3."

They counted, muscle tissue straining as they moved the beam away from Elena. It eventually shifted, and they dragged her free, supporting her as she struggled to her feet.

"Thanks," Elena murmured, clutching their fingers hard.

"No time for that," Lucas replied, his tone sharp but relieved. "We have to move. Now."

They moved together through the building's disintegrating wreckage, weaving over debris as the ground trembled beneath them. Outside, the city has become a battlefield of failing systems and overturned vehicles. Fires broke out in dispersed places, sending smoke into the sky and darkening the atmosphere.

Ava held Elena's hand tightly, her heart hammering as they drove through the crowds. Her thoughts spun, still trying to grasp the enormity of what had happened. She'd seen it all in her dreams, but living it proved to be an entirely different experience.

As they approached the road, Ava turned to Lucas with determination in her eyes. "What's next?"

"We regroup," he responded, his jaw clenched. "The command middle is our satisfactory alternativeif it's nonetheless status."

Ava looked to Elena, who gave her a vulnerable nod. "let's move."

They made their way lower back, weaving through streets that had become practically unrecognizable. The floor trembled intermittently, with minor quakes rumbling throughout. Screams and sobs sounded around them as humanity stumbled, clutching at each other, their faces twisted in terror. Each step felt like combat, as if the soil itself was impeding their progress.

When they finally arrived at the command center, they discovered that it was partially shattered but still operating. The internal instability has intensified more than ever. Radios crackled with anxious voices, officers yelled instructions, and the smell of smoke hung heavy in the air.

Lucas guided them through the crowd, making a path as they approached a table laden with maps and devices. Ava looked around, her mind reeling from what she'd witnessed and what lay ahead.

"What can we do now?" Elena requested, her voice small yet determined.

Ava took a long breath and looked between her buddy and Lucas, feeling the magnitude of her situation settle on her like a blanket. "We prevent it. "Or, at the very least, we survive it."

Before anyone could respond, another tremor rattled the ground beneath them. This one felt differentsharper, almost alive with evil force. Ava's skin prickled when the lights flickered, spreading ominous shadows across the command center.

As everyone in the room fell silent, their gazes were drawn to the ceiling. A low, menacing hum filled the air, becoming louder with each passing second. Ava's heart sunk as she examined Lucas, terror engraved in every feature of his face.

"What's occurring?" Elena muttered, clutching Ava's arm.

Ava's thoughts raced, the hum reverberating through her skull, overwhelming her with a sense of dread unlike anything she had ever felt. She had numerous visions, but this one was new.

"Brace yourselves," Lucas instructed,

his voice tightening as the sound escalated, reverberating through every surface and wall.