Earthquake

• Brayden Fraser, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2015

Tick, tick, tick, Madison heard. Sitting in class, she read her exam paper. Three seats from the front Madison Delaney sat. Blonde wavy hair, green eyes, tanned skin and athletic body. She didn't have a clue about Chemistry.
She re-read the paper. Madison felt small vibrations under her feet. She listened and heard music lightly playing. Probably music room, she convinced herself.
Answering question three, she was satisfied with her answers Madison handed her work in and crossed her legs. Her right foot felt the vibrations again. It was louder! Then again, until glancing outside, she heard several car alarms and decided to raise a hand. It was happening again!
Moving locations repeatedly, Madison had caused things to happen; impossible events, catastrophe’s! Earthquakes, power surges and in China, destroyed a building. She had been seven.
Now Madison turned sixteen and she couldn't control her unnatural abilities.
Someone else noticed it to, as they rose their hand. The teacher made way for the opposite person and talked to them about the exam.
Madison kept calm, just keep breathing.
She tapped her right foot on the ground again and again, keeping her cool. Eventually the teacher made over to her and asked her what was wrong. Madison said, ‘may I be excused?’ The teacher frowned shaking her head. Madison sighed loudly.
The teacher scoffed. ‘You are in an exam young lady. Keep this up and your grade for this exam will be revoked.’ Smiling she turned away to help another student incapable of answering a simple question.
Madison felt a harder vibration through the tiles. She looked outside and the trees were swaying – not by wind, because one side of the earth was caving in.
Madison jumped up and screamed, ‘Earthquake!’
Everyone screamed and headed to the doors, clustered, they ran in all directions out the hall and to the parking lot. Madison followed and peered over the students.
Sink holes formed, cars sunk into them and even buildings started to crumble. She felt dizzy as the ground shook, disrupting her concentration.
‘Everyone run –’ she choked.
Children, teachers, strangers from roads screamed and sprinted in several areas. Madison stood there calm. Had she caused this? Had she done the unthinkable yet again?
She stood at the steps of Glenville High-School. The parking lot empty apart from a stray car and rubbish. Everything outside was demolished. Sinkholes, large cracks in the earth and glass everywhere from cars polluted the streets.
The air smelt of smoke, the temperature rose, the ground shook and the sky turned grey. Madison had no option. Picking up a shard of glass, she raised it to her wrist and placed it firmly on her flesh.
‘Stop,’ a boy called.
‘Kyle McCredie?’ Madison snapped. ‘What are you –?’
Standing there, his appearance lacked flavor. Nothing but black clothes, jeans, a t-shirt and boots – Madison felt under-dressed with her pale yellow dress and slippers. ‘I did this, it wasn't you.’ He grinned, ‘there are more of us. Come with me.’
‘No.’ Madison’s hands rose.
‘What are you going to do?’ he mocked. ‘Hurt me? Please, I can destroy you with one hand behind my back and both eyes closed.’ He closed his eyes emphasizing his point. ‘Remember, there are others. Government officials are hunting our kind down,’ he said.
‘Psychopathic, power-hungry, jerks?’ Madison stomped her foot. ‘No way,’ she raised her other hand, extended her fingers before he reacted. He flew thirty feet into the air.
Madison didn't know whether to run or scream, she stood there. Then she ran through the woods behind her school. She had to leave. Madison cried quietly trekking through badlands. This was her life now, running.