« Do you know that life is the nightmare of those who dream it? » Apocalypse Now
Day 1 :
The day had started like the previous ones, with one exception: the earthquake that had shaken all the way to my high school. I woke up with a strange feeling as if something unusual was about to happen. Classes had started at 8 am. My parents were worried about the earthquake, fearing that there would be more tremors. Their concern was well-founded.
At lunchtime, I was with my usual group of friends. As we ate, another tremor struck, much more violent than the one in the morning. Panic set in as the tremors became more and more intense! We were ordered to leave the building as quickly as possible, not to give in to panic. Once outside, most of the students called their parents to reassure them, which I also did. There were a few minor injuries, but nothing serious.
We thought calm had returned, but we were sadly mistaken… We were all outside, the group reunited, classes suspended until the injured could be taken care of. Sitting in a circle in the courtyard, we thought the worst was behind us, but in reality, the worst was yet to come. New, even more violent tremors were felt, causing widespread panic. The building threatened to collapse, forcing everyone inside to rush out. My friends and I tried to find the other members of our group. Once reunited, we never parted.
The shaking continued, with pieces of the building breaking off. The fire department, police, and local gendarmes were overwhelmed, while teachers and staff tried to calm everyone down. Phones were ringing off the hook and parents were worried.
Suddenly, a hot blast hit us, the violence of the impact sending us tumbling to the ground. In the distance, thick black smoke rose – in fact, there was a lot of it! another blast followed. It didn't take a genius to realize that the situation was becoming catastrophic.
Crushed to the ground, fear in my belly, I tried to look at my friends. They were all on the ground, and my eyes met first Jaime's, then Maxence's. Chris, on the other hand, looked panic-stricken as he looked at me, and at last we understood.
Were we living through the apocalypse? or so we thought. Trapped on the ground, I had no desire to get up. With my eyes closed, all I could hear was screaming and yelling. A sudden thud caught my attention. Someone shouted at me, grabbing my arm, but I didn't dare to move. Then I heard a voice, Jaime's voice. I struggled to my feet, realizing I was bleeding. As I stood up, my gaze fell on a horrifying scene.
A gaping hole had opened up in the middle of the courtyard. I remember seeing people sitting there, and I can't imagine what happened to them… As I got to my feet, I realized the chaos that surrounded us: part of the school was in ruins, people were dying, and thick black smoke hung over the town, accompanied by uncontrollable fires. As for the blast that had thrown us to the ground, where had it come from? I didn't have time to answer that question. Jaime grabbed me by the arm, and we joined Maxence, Chris, Luc, and Tommy, although Tommy seemed stunned after falling.
Jaime and Maxence were frantically searching for the other members of our group, the ones we'd lost in the panic. There was no time to rest, the others were arriving, but someone was missing, and we couldn't leave without her!
Alendra was missing, but they wouldn't go back for her, saying it was too dangerous. An argument broke out as if this was the moment for it. I wanted to find her, but they were yelling at me. Two members of the group were down, but the others were too busy arguing to help. Disappointed by their attitude, I took the opportunity to look for Alendra among the rubble, and there I saw her! she was sitting in the middle of it all, in a state of shock. The arguing continued behind me, but I began to run towards her, ignoring the cries that were now heading my way. They begged me to come back and leave her behind, but all I could hear were whispers. At that moment, Alendra was the only one who mattered.
I reached her position, finding her lost in thought. I begged her to get up, squatting in front of her and saying, “Get up, we have to go!” In the distance, I could hear Jaime, Maxence, and Chris arguing, but surprisingly, Maxence asked them to leave us behind. The others joined in the argument. Immersed in Alendra's eyes, it was Maxence's shout that snapped me out of my trance. Jaime and Chris had rushed towards us.
Suddenly, I heard a dreadful noise above us: a piece of the building was about to collapse on us. I panicked, Jaime and Chris were on the verge of arriving, but the piece was becoming more and more menacing.
He fell, Alendra got up and they arrived.
After that fall, my memories are hazy. I remember just a few bits and pieces. Alendra had stood up, the piece had grazed us, then Chris and Jaime had helped us up. After that, everything was a blur. Later, we were told that we had run to the others, some had come to help us, then we had escaped from the school. We were now in the middle of a road, about 1.5 km from the school, surrounded by ruins. When Alendra and I came to, we were sitting there. There were about fifteen of us from the group, and I realized that some of our friends were missing. I found myself praying for them, even though I'm not a believer. Maybe if the Lord existed, he'd have mercy on them… I wondered how long it had been since we'd left high school. Lucy informed me that it had been about an hour and a half.
About an hour and a half since we had left the school. The gravity of the situation became clear to me when I observed the current state of the city. There were holes everywhere, similar to the ones in the schoolyard. Two buildings had been completely destroyed, leaving an enormous crater. The city was nothing but a field of ruins. I tried to call my parents, but the line was busy… What shocked me most was the silence that reigned in the city. No sound, no scream, no alarm. Nothing. In the space of 1 h 30, the city had become a field of ruins.
I stood up and watched the group. We were nothing but shadows covered in dust and blood, survivors wandering through the nightmare.
The rain had begun to fall, and we had taken refuge in one of the nearby houses, which seemed the least damaged. There was no sign of the inhabitants or the police, and the town had turned into a ghost town. We were totally cut off from the outside world, with no way of getting home or getting out… Most of us don't even live in this town…
We had to find food and water to survive until help arrived. Noticing a notebook and pen, I had the idea of writing a log to document our situation.
xXx
We've been here for almost four hours, and it's already getting dark – it must be around 7 p.m. We've managed to find something to treat our wounds and freshen up a bit. A group of leaders has quickly formed, made up of Maxence, Chris, Luc, and Lucy. They stand back and discuss strategy. They want to make decisions without necessarily consulting us, arguing that it's for “the survival of the group” as they put it. Alendra, Anna, Kaany and I take care of the rest of the group.
Anna is the only one who managed to get through to her parents; they're fine but stuck at home. They didn't have time to say more before the line went dead. The police have advised the entire population to remain confined to their homes, or for those who can, to leave the city as quickly as possible. We're puzzled by this recommendation. What's going on that the police are encouraging us to leave? anxiety is mounting fast, as we worry about our families and ourselves. We'd like to understand the situation, but for now, we're following their instructions and staying put.
Everyone's asleep except Chris and me. He noticed I was keeping a logbook and gave me his watch, so I could keep track of the time. We chat quietly.
After an hour or so of conversation, knowing that tomorrow is going to be a long day, we decide to go to sleep.
Comments