Agonising Evacuation
"Don't let that be the last moment together." He chokes under the weight of his guilt, not able to even say goodbye.
"John, whatever's happening I'm sorry but you have to wrap it up now!" Andrea calls back out on the radio with even more urgency.
"I know I KNOW DAMMIT"! His legs move on their own in defeat, back to the rest of his family. Guilt and shame battle it out in the waters of his mind.
"WHERE IS HE! NO NO NO NO NO NO"! Her motherly instinct screams out under the torrential waves of panic.
"WE HAVE TO IRENE!" John's eyes let loose a river of tears as he started the engine in the SUV. Grief dominates his mind through the commitment of the brutal decision.
"JOHN WE CAN'T DO THIS!" Irene continues to beg trying to reach her husband in any way she can think of. Distraught and horrified she continues to scream out trying to reach him.
"IRENE YOU KNOW I LOVE HIM AND ALL OF YOU!"John's breaks, his yellow eyes quiver in distraught knowing the decision that needs to be made.
"WE WILL ALL DIE WAITING FOR HIM!". John cries out, letting the tears fall as he slams on the gas.
"NO NO NO THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING. WE CAN'T BE LEAVING RAIN!". Irene screams out in sheer horror. Before an even greater horror shows itself.
"OH MY GOD"! She yells out completely mortified over what her vision is processing, sending her feinting in her seat. Her body shutting down from the overwhelming emotion and shock.
A massive surge of water rushes down the road, sending fear down Jonathan's entire brain stem. Crashing waves taunt and threaten to sink them all. Roads are slowly saturated in the salty water of the ocean devouring their city.
His foot slammed on the gas, long since caring about a speed limit. John surfs the engine as much as he can, putting it into overdrive. Water parts out of his way from the sheer speed built up by the speeding mass of metal.
His mind flickers back to how bad it could have been without the tip from Andrea. Seeing the desperate neighbours fleeing in erratic bursts. Every man for themselves was evident in the atmosphere as well as the soul-crushing panic.
Some were not even bothering to escape. However, traffic slowly starts to pick up despite the raging waters, any longer and John would have been swept up in it all. Getting a head start compared to the rest. Surging the engine with panic and fury his foot buries into the peddle.
Managing to steer clear of most of the oncoming water, John steers and swerves out of the pooling waters on the freeway. Irene's mind is far away from this hazardous situation shutting down for her sanity thinking it all to be a big nightmare. John is the last vestige of hope for their family. Continues to wreak havoc on the freeway gunning it for the coordinates.
Lucas is left in complete awe at the sublime waters advancing them. A mixture of wonder and terror plagues his innocent mind. The mystical waters glimmer and dance at the windows of their SUV. Almost encouraging him to join them.
"The water is so pretty!" He says in awe, seeing the beautiful glitters of his
"LUCAS DO NOT OPEN ANYTHING DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" Jonathan yells out, pleading to his younger son with streams of tears. The man, desperately trying to hold himself together for his family.
"Yes...… Dad, I'm sorry." Lucas says weakly, seeing the trouble he has caused.
"It's okay, just listen to me alright". John says keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel as he says. Chewing at his lip in absolute distraught.
"Dad, where's Rain?" Lucas asks curiously with the absence of his older brother.
Those words nearly broke whatever composure the man had left in his soul. Pouring whatever vestiges of himself back together he forms a response to his younger son.
"He's gone with grandma and grandpa will be meeting up with him soon," John says, forcing a smile through gritted teeth. Feeling immense agony from having to lie to his son.
"Don't worry about it, sport, it's going to be okay, we're here now". John says solemnly, finally reaching the coordinates. Stuffing away his emotions into a steel box to deal with later.
"Dammit John, I thought I lost you man. Get on, don't ask questions right now you'll be briefed soon". Andrea explains in a flurry as he pops a cigarette in his mouth.
"What's that supposed to mean Andrea". John asks with a tinge of death in his eyes. Trying his best to keep up with the situation despite it all.
"This world is doomed, if I'm honest will be lucky to have any land above water after this" Andrea exhales a cloud of smoke. Apathy and nihilism plague his expressions.
"I thought you quit?" John mutters trying to wrap his head around his new reality with any sort of remaining familiarity. Even small talk being enough to distract him from the inner turmoil.
"Really John, why wouldn't I relapse right now," Andrea says, rubbing his forehead, itching at his dreadlocks subconsciously out of stress.
"Instead of questioning my habits, you should start to shift all of your stuff on board," Andrea says, flicking his cigarette in the SUV's direction.
"What do you mean Andrea!? We can't leave the SUV." John's panic reaches a boiling point, one more thing he has to lose.
"Do you even hear yourself!? Don't you get it there will be no roads to drive on!" Andrea roars chewing on the end of his cigarette.
"It's that serious John, I'm not screwing around!" He says, taking off his sunglasses. Showing the shock embedded in his eyes.
"Gods be damned!" John yells, his face crumpling in the process.
"Just get your shit together John, this is a navy ship, not a civilian. It will be easier to get by but we can't wait on you forever!" Andrea yells out, taking another drag of his cigarette in the process.
"Lucas! GET YOUR THINGS TOGETHER NOW!" John bitterly orders. He had barely any emotion in his tone.
"I'll get Irene on board, grab everything you can, we're leaving the SUV behind," John says as his eyes darken further into despair.
"But I like the SUV!" Lucas roars out, stamping his foot in defiance.
"Lucas now is not the time! Get your things now!". John's emotions have long dulled, leading him to respond to his son with sheer venom.w
"Okay..." Lucas says defeated and scared over his father.
"Good. Andrea, give me a hand will you!" John orders, grabbing his wife under the armpits.
"Already on it," Andrea responds swiftly, grabbing Irene's ankles and bringing her on board the advanced vessel before him.
"All right Dad, I got everything out. Do we need to leave the SUV behind?" Lucas says pouting with all of their things organised and ready to be shifted on board.
"Yes, we do, son. I will explain it all later for now let's get on board."John sighs, slowly going numb to the shock and panic riddling his body and mind.
"Rain must've gotten here before us! But I don't see him anywhere". Lucas chirps, putting a hand to his forehead scoping out his brother's silhouette.
"I haven't seen a Ra-guh!" Andrea says, getting ribbed by John in the process.
"Yeah, you're right Lucas he's already on board. Let's go join him." Andrea stutters over the pain.
"Rains on board!? Really!?"Lucas says, clenching his hands in excitement, his green eyes glow with joy. John's eyes hollow out as he looks to Andrea to confirm the agonising lie.
"Uh yeah. Yeah, kid already saw him get on."Andrea explains, chewing on the glass of the lie.
"Yeah, Dad let's get Mom on board. I'll try and haul the rest of our stuff on board."Lucas exclaims, revving himself up to tackle more than he's able to.