Tsunami

• Jaqui Bhagwan, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2010

Painfully, the force of the wave knocked me back a few feet. Suddenly the sandy ground below me began to tremble. As the tide at the beach began to pull out into the salty aqua sea I realised what was happening, a tsunami was coming. Instantly, I sprinted to warn my friends, who were about ten metres away. As I got to them I told them to follow me as fast as they could. Kate had said that she had gone to get Chloe because she, too, had noticed what was happening.
We ran to meet our families and warn them about the tsunami. Our families were devastated at the news and asked us what we should do. Kate and I quickly explained that we should get to the tallest area we could find. As the tide got further out we all started to sprint to the nearest and tallest area we could find. As we started to sprint I saw Maddy. As we passed her I told her to get her family and follow me. The nearest area was two long kilometres away. We sprinted to a park that was on the top of a hill near the cliffs that way the water from the tsunami would end up in the river at the bottom. We all made it to the park safely and without warning the tsunami hit. Kate’s family, Chloe’s family, Maddy’s family and my family all watched in horror as everything unfolded in front of us.
The wave was 600m tall. It hunched over the trees like they were ants. Its force on impact smashed six houses in one go and killed may who were clueless of what was happening. Seconds before I could hear the screaming of people and the screeches of birds I could hear the loud roar of the wave that terrorised this once perfect city. Now it is in ruins. No more and no less. Buildings no longer stand straight and the trees hunch over like the wave that terrorised.
1 year later...
A year later and we are getting back on our feet. The trees no longer hunch and we are rebiulding the cuty. I will be back to the once perfect city we once loved and knew.