Read Online Atlantic Island by Fredric Shernoff - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Fredric Shernoff
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organize my thoughts."
The teens found places to sit or lean around the room. Bill stayed by Mark's side. Jamie sat for a minute resting her head on her hand as she recollected her experiences. Finally she spoke.
"I guess the last time we saw most of you guys was when we were back at the motel. We were in the back room and the rest of you were in the front…well, Kylee, I know you and Theo were outside, right?"
Kylee nodded. "That's right."
"Okay, so then the Event happened. Did you guys know that's what they're calling it around here? The Event?"
"Yes," said Michelle. "It's the official term for it now."
"So the Event started. The building was shaking and that noise… well, you all know that part of it. We sat in the corner behind the bed and waited. After a while, Bill came in and said that Michelle and Ryan had left to try something with cell phones. He really wanted us to leave but Mark was determined to stay put. I thought he was right."
Theo's eyes betrayed him and he stole a glance at Mark, motionless on the bed. He felt anger at his friend's stubbornness and again punished himself internally for his runaway emotions. He looked at Bill and Ryan, and he could tell he was not alone in feeling these conflicted sentiments.
"So we stayed," Jamie continued. "I don't really know how long we were there, but it was long enough that the windows along the back wall started to crack from the building shaking. Some of the glass was falling into the room and Mark said we'd better knock the windows outside while we could before they really exploded on us."
She showed them fading scars on her hand. "He was right, you know. There was already enough glass in the room that I cut myself. I didn't even see it there." She paused again, thinking. "Anyhow, Mark tossed a lamp through the window and was pushing the remaining glass outside when we heard a scream through the opening."
She looked around at the other teens. They were all listening intently. "A woman was screaming. She was in a room down the hall from us and she had a baby. She was scared to death and didn't think she could leave the room. " She pointed to Mark. "Mark was so brave. He didn't hesitate a second. He took my hand and said 'We need to help her.' So we did."
"The woman had yelled to us what room she was in. We left our room and ran down the hall. This was the first time I could really see those lights and the waves and everything." She trembled as the vivid memory came back to her. "As we reached the room we heard things falling and breaking. Mark was sure that pieces of the concrete were breaking off the motel. Anyway, we reached the woman's room. She was so scared and her baby was crying. We led her to the stairs and helped make sure she didn't fall as we all came down."
"The stairs on the first floor were all messed up. We decided to run around the building and maybe take the stairs on the other side. The poor baby was crying the whole time. It was such a nightmare." Jamie started to cry again.
"You can take a break now if you want," said Kylee. "There will be more time later."
"It's okay," Jamie said. "I want to get this all out." She took another deep breath and continued. "We were right. The stairs on the other side were fine. So we went down and made it to the ground. The woman thanked us and took off running away from the ocean."
"Did you follow her?" asked Theo.
"No, Mark wanted to sweep around once more and see if anybody else needed help. We called as loud as we could, but didn't hear anything from anyone. It was so hard to hear anything with all the booming in the sky and the buildings all creaking and groaning. We gave up and walked out into the street. A big…shockwave, I guess, knocked us over and then we saw this insane tidal wave coming toward us. We ran back under the motel into the garage. The wave hit the motel. At first it was just water rushing by on all sides. Then this horrible noise and the walls started to crack and
The teens found places to sit or lean around the room. Bill stayed by Mark's side. Jamie sat for a minute resting her head on her hand as she recollected her experiences. Finally she spoke.
"I guess the last time we saw most of you guys was when we were back at the motel. We were in the back room and the rest of you were in the front…well, Kylee, I know you and Theo were outside, right?"
Kylee nodded. "That's right."
"Okay, so then the Event happened. Did you guys know that's what they're calling it around here? The Event?"
"Yes," said Michelle. "It's the official term for it now."
"So the Event started. The building was shaking and that noise… well, you all know that part of it. We sat in the corner behind the bed and waited. After a while, Bill came in and said that Michelle and Ryan had left to try something with cell phones. He really wanted us to leave but Mark was determined to stay put. I thought he was right."
Theo's eyes betrayed him and he stole a glance at Mark, motionless on the bed. He felt anger at his friend's stubbornness and again punished himself internally for his runaway emotions. He looked at Bill and Ryan, and he could tell he was not alone in feeling these conflicted sentiments.
"So we stayed," Jamie continued. "I don't really know how long we were there, but it was long enough that the windows along the back wall started to crack from the building shaking. Some of the glass was falling into the room and Mark said we'd better knock the windows outside while we could before they really exploded on us."
She showed them fading scars on her hand. "He was right, you know. There was already enough glass in the room that I cut myself. I didn't even see it there." She paused again, thinking. "Anyhow, Mark tossed a lamp through the window and was pushing the remaining glass outside when we heard a scream through the opening."
She looked around at the other teens. They were all listening intently. "A woman was screaming. She was in a room down the hall from us and she had a baby. She was scared to death and didn't think she could leave the room. " She pointed to Mark. "Mark was so brave. He didn't hesitate a second. He took my hand and said 'We need to help her.' So we did."
"The woman had yelled to us what room she was in. We left our room and ran down the hall. This was the first time I could really see those lights and the waves and everything." She trembled as the vivid memory came back to her. "As we reached the room we heard things falling and breaking. Mark was sure that pieces of the concrete were breaking off the motel. Anyway, we reached the woman's room. She was so scared and her baby was crying. We led her to the stairs and helped make sure she didn't fall as we all came down."
"The stairs on the first floor were all messed up. We decided to run around the building and maybe take the stairs on the other side. The poor baby was crying the whole time. It was such a nightmare." Jamie started to cry again.
"You can take a break now if you want," said Kylee. "There will be more time later."
"It's okay," Jamie said. "I want to get this all out." She took another deep breath and continued. "We were right. The stairs on the other side were fine. So we went down and made it to the ground. The woman thanked us and took off running away from the ocean."
"Did you follow her?" asked Theo.
"No, Mark wanted to sweep around once more and see if anybody else needed help. We called as loud as we could, but didn't hear anything from anyone. It was so hard to hear anything with all the booming in the sky and the buildings all creaking and groaning. We gave up and walked out into the street. A big…shockwave, I guess, knocked us over and then we saw this insane tidal wave coming toward us. We ran back under the motel into the garage. The wave hit the motel. At first it was just water rushing by on all sides. Then this horrible noise and the walls started to crack and
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